This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Watch out George Clooney, a Utahn may challenge you as the sexiest man alive over 50.
Yep, Jon Huntsman, 52, Utah's former governor and former presidential candidate, joined the 51-year-old actor Clooney — the self-proclaimed "Sexiest Man Still Alive" — in the 2012 ranks of the AARP The Magazine's 21 sexiest men over 50.
By making the list, Huntsman joins the AARP's venerated ranks of "Sexiest Men on the Planet over 50," which the magazine said was no easy task to select.
The AARP said everyone selected must be at least 50 and be proud of it. They must "simmer sex appeal," have brains, a sense of humor, individuality, artistic ability, generosity and goodness of heart, according to the magazine's writeup.
Huntsman was selected because he was "the hippest dude in the conservative [presidential] crowd," he once played keyboards with a rock band, rode his Harley on the campaign trail and referenced Kurt Cobain during debates, according to the magazine.
Huntsman told the magazine that his wife of 28 years loves his "authenticity," including his salt-and-pepper hair.
"She once told me that if I ever tried to add anything artificial, she'd leave me," he's quoted as saying.
And even though Huntsman appears second-to-last on the list, the magazine said the 21 men were listed in no particular order.
Some other notable men who made the list: Antonio Banderas, 51; Denzel Washington, 51; Jon Bon Jovi, 50; Samuel L. Jackson, 63; cellist Yo-Yo Ma, 56; Liam Neeson, 60; George Strait, 60; and Brian Williams, 53.
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