Is Katrina Bowden REALLY The ‘Sexiest Woman Alive’?

The Famous: Watching the Watched

So Katrina Bowden is 2011's "Sexiest Woman Alive," according to Esquire readers. It's a surprising choice, for reasons twofold:

*Bowden, who plays Tina Fey's trendy assistant Cerie on "30 Rock," lacks the name recognition of high-profile predecessors including Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, Minka Kelly, Jessica Biel and Halle Berry.

*"She's more cute than sexy," observes our female colleague, who's not alone in her opinion.

The 22-year-old starlet is a ubiquitous presence on the New York party circuit, but obscure to everyone except rabid "30 Rock" fans. But even to to them, she's not "Katrina Bowden," she is a supporting character who's sole -- and hilarious -- purpose is to make Liz Lemon (Fey) seem even more pathetic. Cerie's perma-uniform is a miniskirt, and while she prances around as the workplace comedy's resident sexpot, she also delivers some pretty great one-liners.

And let's be honest: Bowden has the most adorable ass. (See more photos, watermarked with the logo for the photo agency Me In My Place.) Her tush is so cute, we want to reach through our screens and pinch it, but that would be super-pervy and offensive. By sheer rear hotness alone, we will take the minority view that Bowden indeed deserves the title of "Sexiest Woman Alive."

"I was up against Kim Kardashian," she tells the magazine. "And then -- let's put it this way: If you say my name and then say Megan Fox's name, most people know who she is but, well, a small percent will know who I am. I think a lot of the fans of '30 Rock' kind of went crazy with it."

It's a seemingly random result -- we also suspect Cerie lovers rigged the vote -- but why should Jolie and other A-listers get all the attention? That's boring after a while -- the same old celebs, winning the same old "prizes" from glossy men's magazines. Also, Bowden's election is vindication for every woman who's ever been called "cute" over the more desirable compliment of "sexy." Cute women can be sexy too, people. Just look at that ass.