Madonna, for instance, has facial features that could almost be considered unattractive -- a strong nose, for instance -- and yet millions of women have tried to emulate her looks.
And the American Film Institute's Hanson points out that actress Molly Ringwald starred in some of the most popular movies of the '80s, "Sixteen Candles" and "Pretty in Pink," sporting her trademark short red hair and freckles.
"She was not a great beauty, but she was very, very, popular in the 1980s and her looks were very attainable. You didn't have to think, 'I have to be look like somebody who is so perfect,' " Hanson said.
Not unlike Kate Hudson today.