Jennifer Aniston = Hope?

So I'm reading the news and I see a little article on Aniston possibly looking for a place here in Chicago with Vince Vaughn. And there's a little picture of her right there on the side.

And it hits me how huge she is and how "newsworthy" she's become.

But why?

Look at all the other big, female celebrities out there: Julia Roberts, Uma Thurman, Nicole Kidman, Jessica Alba, the teenie-boppers (Lohan, Simpson, etc.), and even Meryl Streep. What do they all have in common? What made them so big and important?

One of three things:
- They are/were (recently) super hot
- They are really good at what they do (acting, performing, etc.)
- Both of the above (really rare, but I think Streep falls here (note the "were" in the first bullet)).

So where does Aniston lie? She did marry Bradd Pitt for the longest time, and that seemed to give her a ton of attention. OK, I understand. She had the hottest show on TV for the longest time. On that show, she was known as "the hot one," which is what she was. On that show.

Is she a great actress? I think she's good at the romantic comedy stuff, though I would think more of her if she did more projects like The Good Girl (her best "real" work). But she's going to get any Oscars anytime soon with that genre. So she doesn't have that cache that the Streeps and Roberts have.

Is she super hot? This is subjective, but lets try to break it down. She's 37 years old. She isn't on covers of magazines with a bikini on or anything like that. She isn't lusted for the way other stars are (Alba, Longoria, etc.).

And yet, there she is, practically every day, in People Magazine or somewhere online. People want to know about her. They want to know what she's up to.

Should Aniston give us hope?

I think so.

That a 37-year-old romantic-comedy actress who used to be on a top-rated show (read: washed up), who doesn't have double-D breasts and wears skimpy outfits still commands the media's attention because the masses want to know.

Jennifer Aniston is what's right in America right now. It's that desire for the wholesome, all-American girl that you can't wait to bring home to your parents. She's the type of girl that makes everything OK. There is no dark side to her, as far as the public is concerned. No kinky shit going on, either. This isn't what guys dream about when they get horny, this is what they think about after the act, when their head is clear and they yearn for something more. Something real.

Jennifer Aniston is the quintessential good girl. I, for one, tip my hat and say thank you. We in Chicago would be lucky to have you.