The Most Famous Women in the World

\ Who would you say are the ten most famous women in the world today? My vote:\ \ 10. Jennifer Aniston \ \ 9. Lady GaGa\ \ 8. Nicole Kidman\ \ 7. Hillary Clinton\ \ 6. Michele Obama\ \ 5. J.K. Rowling\ \ 4. Madonna\ \ 3. Angelina Jolie \ \ 2. Queen Elizabeth II\ \ 1. Oprah \ \ I realize the list is dominated by both Americans and entertainers, but as much as I would have wanted to be more highbrow and include Angela Merkel, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, or Herta Muller, I don''t think that any of them can possibly compete with Hollywood glamor for global attention and recognition.

• GLORIA ESTEFAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Oprah is not that famous outside of America. \ \ That list is a very "American view of the world list".

• I would have place Madonna before Angelina and Hillary Clinton before JK Rowling and Michelle Obama.

• Ahem.%0D\ %0D\ See "COUNTRY STRONG" at a theatre near you! %0D\ %0D\ Namaste.

  Gwyneth

• on a global level I think Britney Spears is still quite famous

• OP is an American. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, is currently the most powerful women in the world, she basically runs Europe.

• Who the fuck is Angela Merkel? Please.

• Jennifer Aniston doesn''t belong on that list. Oprah, as huge as she is in North America, is not a big star in other countries. She should at least be toward the bottom 10. \ \ Madonna should be top 3, probably ahead of Angelina Jolie. \ \ I also agree that Hillary Clinton is more famous worldwide than Michelle Obama, so she moves up too. \ \ I''m not sure if Nicole Kidman is top 10. Maybe.

• 1. QE2\ 2. Madonna\ 3. Hillary Clinton

• Agree with r9 list. Oprah is not as campus around the world, much less jolie. Would include elizabeth taylor and meryl streep.

• I agree with R9, too (as someone outside USA).

• Replace Kidman with Julia Roberts and the list is apt.

• [quote]1. QE2 2. Madonna 3. Hillary Clinton%0D\ %0D\ Agree with this as well. And 4. JK Rowling

  European

• Meh, fame- Talent, achievement, class. %0D %0D Barbra is the greatest star, and has been pretty much since 1968- singular historical success and excellence in all venues for decades (minus the Fockers, which she acknowledged as crap but help$ fund her charities.)%0D %0D Always, always for me, talent and achievement trump all. Streep may not be a bigger star than, oh Julia Roberts (bleech) but she sure as hell is a greater star. Steep and Streisand's fame will last long after they are gone... Julia Roberts and Angie, not so.%0D %0D Hilary will go down in the history books as a great woman- a trailblazer- she will lose her very false "bitch" rep so effectively applied in the early 90s by the Repubs until the lie repeated over and over was adopted as fact. It's not, and it will die. Not her achievements and her ground breaking career.%0D %0D I am not so sure Oprah will last in fame too far beyond her time. Mrs O will and has due to the extraordinary events of her life and her enigmatic life style. Oprah does not hold much back.

  anonymous

• Please remove all black women the list. Thanks!

  DL

• Is this a joke? Hillary Clinton, Micheele Obama should be higher up. I also agree Angela merkel should have a prominent place on the list.

• 1. Madonna; 2. Britney Spears; 3. Posh Spice; 4. Queen Elizabeth; 5. Hillary Clinton; 6. Michelle Obama; 7. Angelina Jolie; 8. Lady Gaga; 9. JK Rowling; 10. Nicole Kidman%0D\ %0D\ I agree witht the poster who said that Oprah is not really known outside of US/Canada

• I am not certain that even most Americans know who J K Rowling is...just most of the literate ones...\ \ And I don''t believe many over the age of 30 know Lady Caca.

• the kids all over the world know who JK Rowling is

• Jennifer fucking Aniston? You''re kidding, right?

• If you want to include dead women, the top three most famous women in the world, dead or alive, would be:\ \ 3. Marilyn Monroe\ \ 2. Princess Diana\ \ 1. Mother Mary (she is literally or symbolically in more homes, hovels and huts than any other figure on the planet, even Jesus).\ \ YOUR list would then start on number 4.

• Madonna is more famous world wide than Oprah.

• If Oprah isn''t known outside America, how come they hung a giant O from the bridge in Sydney, has a regatta of sailboats with her name on the sails and spectacular fireworks, when she visited Australia.

  http://www.baltimoresun.com/travel/bal-tr-oprah-australia-pg,0,1989310.photogallery

• "Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, is currently the most powerful women in the world, she basically runs Europe."\ \ That''s irrelevant to this thread. This is not a thread of the most powerful women in the world - it''s a thread of the most famous women in the world.

• Just going on demographics, shouldn''t a Manadarin or Spanish speaking woman be on the list?

• Not unless she is famous all over the world, R25

• Queen Elizabeth is more famous than other female

• Oprah's show is broadcast in 145 countries around the globe Abu Dhabi Ajman Algeria Angola Australia Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bolivia Bonaire Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Burkina Fassau Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Republic of Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad China Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Curacao Cyprus Democratic Rep. of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominican Republic Dubai Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Finland Fujairah Gabon Gambia Ghana Greece Guatemala Guinea Guinea Bissau Honduras Hong Kong Iceland India Indonesia Iraq Ireland Israel Ivory Coast Jamaica Jordan Kenya Kosovo Kuwait Laos Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Luxembourg Libya Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Peru Philippines Portugal Principe & Sao Tome Qatar Ras-Al-Khaimah Reunion Romania Rwanda St. Helena St. Lucia Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sharjah Sierra Leone Singapore Slovenia Somalia South Africa South Korea Sri Lanka Suriname Swaziland Sweden Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Togo Trinidad & Tobago Tunisia Turkey Uganda Umm Al-Qaiwain United Kingdom Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands, U.S. Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zanzibar Zimbabwe

• Australia put an O on the bridge because Oprah promoters told them too. Oprah Winfrey is primarily an American star who showcases, primarily American celebrities, with the occasional Auzzie or Brit thrown in. There are 6.5 Billion people on the planet, Her market is about 350 million, which which around 30 million watch regularly, the other 320M just know who she is.

• I disagree with OP''s order and I would completely take out Anniston and Kidman for Merkel and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

• R29, I''m not a big Oprah fan, but let''s be realistic - she is one of the most famous women in the world and is known all across the globe.

• R31 I wouldn''t know who she was is it weren''t for the internet.

  Anonymous

• Try going into the streets of Moscow or Beijing and asking the local merchants who Oprah is. Try it in New Delhi or Korea. Sesame Street is broadcast in almost 200 countries as is Friends. Add in Youtube and "Heather Sticks a Banana Up Her Nose" is broadcast in almost 200 countries. That means nothing.

• 1. Some Bollywood Actress no one on DataLounge has ever heard of\ \ 2. Some Chinese Actress no one on DataLounge has ever heard of\ \ 3. Some South American Soap Actress no one on DataLounge has ever heard of

• Exactly R33. Americans have no perspective over Oprah. Her show may be everywhere but it does not have the same repercussion as in America, she''s another show presenter among others on cable and her money and influence in the USA does not translate. The list is ridiculous and parochial.

• Pamela Anderson or one of the other Baywatch girls would probably make the top 10. That show is on everywhere in the world.

• Define "famous." I wouldn''t recognize J.K. Rowling if she was sitting next to me on the subway. \ \ If it''s just visual recognition then it isn''t even a contest. QEII is on so many different stamps, coins, and bills in so many different countries (and has been for over half a century) that she blows the rest of the list right out of the water.

• Among heterosexual males world wide, Pamela Anderson is close to the top. \ \ Look a the parody film "Borat"....well that is a very realistic portrayal of how guys look at women in most countries.

• The Queen is certainly up there, R37.\ \ There''s another thread that has the annual Gallup poll of the 10 most respected women in the world. The Queen is on it, as she has been many times over the past nearly 60 years.\ \ Hillary ranks #1.\ \ Oprah and Palin and Angelina Jolie are also on the list.

• What about Rula Lenska?

  Alberto V05

• Oprah is revered throughout Africa for her school purchases. She is known all over Europe and Russia for her many productions. %0D\ %0D\ I agree that we should be adding Merkel to this list, as well as someone from Bollywood and someone from Chinese television. That alone covers 1/3 the world population. I doubt any of them know or care about Jennifer Aniston or La Jolie.

• I think the most famous woman in the world, whose name is mentioned more than anybody else, would have to be%0D\ %0D\ MOTHER FUCKER%0D\ %0D

• Of course Oprah is famous outside of America! Saying she''s not is being parochial. Just because you''re not a fan doesn''t mean she shouldn''t be on the list - I haven''t read or seen anything Harry Potter but I''m aware it''s a rather popular.\ \ It''s a good list OP. You could probably swap out Anniston for Britney.

• She''s famous outside of America, but is very far from being the most famous woman in the world, again, in most of Europe she''s in cable shows and is known for that. I can only imagine the rest of the world, like Asia and South America.%0D\ %0D\ Personally, I have no opinion on her whatsoever (cannot watch her shows since there''s a cut for publicity every other sentence).

  r35

• I love you R40

• Margaret Thatcher isn''t dead yet. She still counts.

• Harry Potter is famous, but I doubt most people could recognize the face of J.K. Rowling in a crowd.

• Oprah may be broadcast in Mexico, but she's practically unknown there. I was living with a well-to-do family in southern Mexico, and my host mom was constantly glued to the tv (this was in 2001). She was watching Beloved on day when I mentioned, "Oh, that's Oprah." She had no idea who I was talking about. I think a much more accurate way would be if people were shown pictures, would they be able to recognize who it was. QEII obviously takes that, hands down. She's known as the "The Queen" colloquially and not necessarily "The Queen of England" for a reason. She's on the currency of almost all of the commonwealth nations, and is extremely well known in Europe and the US. Madonna is very famous world-wide and has been for a decades. I used to have a pen-pal in China (late 90s) who spoke very broken English, but was absolutely obsessed with Madonna. And then there's Hillary Clinton, who was famous to begin with, but whose profile has been infinitely raised by being Secretary of State. Her constant visits abroad put her on TV in every nation she travels to. I would deny Angel Merkel because she is not an iconic figure and most people probably couldn't pick her out of a line-up. In the past, I would have suggested Julia Roberts because she looks distinctive, but her appeal has faded over the past decade. I would also put Jennifer Aniston as a contender (in a top 10), given that Friends is/has been extremely popular virtually everywhere it has aired (and yes, that includes China) and she has continued with movies. And again, she is distinctive enough looking to be recognizable. Barbra? Please. She is talented yes, but I'm sure that she's never been a radio staple in Peru or China. As for JK Rowling, I don't even know what she looks like. As for Bollywood, it's extremely popular, but really only in India. While that is a big market, it's still just 1/6 of the world. Ditto for Chinese TV/movie stars. If we're talking living or dead, then the Virgin Mary, followed by QEII.

• Bunch of fucking pea-brains.

  Betty White

• The Queen is obviously a contender because of her enormous longevity. She isn''t a monarch that was just on the throne for 10 years and then disappeared.\ \ She has been Queen for nearly 60 years.

• Your president wife and famous actress Barbara Bush very well known. Everyone know her from being Sally Field mother in "Sybil." Pictures of her also used to illustrate children books. She butcher Easter Bunny for meat to feed hogs in famous Russian children story about famine.

• One day soon, I''ll be the female representation of England!

  Camilla

• I''m sorry but only seven of the women are correct. Oprah is most certainly one of them. If you''ve seen her in Australia or ASouth African, or France or WTFever, everyone knos her. Same with Angelina. Some of you are letting your antipathy for certain people cloud your judgement.%0D\ %0D\ I''d say Gaga, QE2, Madonna, Hilary, Michelle, Oprah and Angelina. I have no idea why you''d put Aniston on such a list. That''s ridiculous. What this list really says is how myopic and narrow we are here in the USA. %0D\ %0D\ The only international celebrities we recognized were people like Mother Theresa or Princess Diana. I have no idea who is comparable today. %0D\ %0D\ Angela Merkel is not well know beyond the industrialized nations and certainly not well know beyond a certain strata of society. That''s just nonsense. Ask some little Indonesian kid who Angela Merkel is! Bet he know Gaga or Madonna.

• It''s not antipathy, R53, it''s from experience. Oprah is simply not that big a deal outside of the US. You, in fact, are being myopic in including her. I might stick her in the top 10, but somewhere down the list. I would venture to say that Michelle Obama is more recognizable world-wide than Oprah right now.\ \ I should know - I''m also from outside of the US, and so are the European posters here who have already stated the same. \ \ As for Aniston - Friends is/has been extremely popular in wide swaths of the world. She is the most recognizable castmember because she has branched out into movies. I''d stick her in the top 10, but down.\ \ Lady Gaga is debatable. She is very popular, yes, but among a very certain segment of the population (under 30s). She''s certainly not a Madonna, who is recognizable across most ages. If she continues to have a career for another decade or two, then I wouldn''t debate it.

• Susan Flannery.

• QE2 hands down. \ \ Hers is the most universally recognised face of a living human being on Earth, period. \ \ She''s had 60 years of reigning to establish that. \ \ The Commonwealth countries alone contain 2.1 billion people.\ \ Compared to her, especially across the vast populations of India and Asia, Oprah and Madonna are anonymous blips.

  The Kids

• Who the hell is this Opera person you people are all talking about?

• You can see Oprah from space, so she''s very popular across the universe.

• I think you''re probably right, OP. Herta Who?

• Isabelle Allende has a more arguable claim than Herta Muller, who I just had to look up.

• Isabelle Adjani has prettier skin.

• Kylie Minogue--maybe not recognized as much in America but sure the hell everywhere else in the world.

• Elizabeth Taylor should be on the list.

• Sarah Taplin Boyd.%0D\ %0D

• I''m French, live in France, almost nobody has a clue who Oprah is. That''s true for most of Europe, except the UK. Sorry Oprah fans

• Americans also think that the hamburger is the most famous food in the world, because in America''s head, they are the world.\ \ Outside of the USA, Oprah is on par with Olympia Snow inside the USA, a lot, but not most, people know who she is.

• Any list that does not have Britney Spears is sill - arguably the most photographed woman since Princess Diana.

• Is hamburger more famous than Oprah?

• Even at the height of her fame, Princess Diana never surpassed Queen Elizabeth who was arguably the second or third most recognisable face on earth after Pope John II and, possibly, Michael Jackson.%0D\ %0D\ And the poster asking about dead women, I''d say Mother Theresa was/is more iconic than even Marilyn or Di.%0D\ %0D\ Singers tend to be recognisable even in remote regions. While American giants like Streisand, Aretha and Cher are not that famous outside the US, others from pop''s peak era (80s and 90s) like Madonna, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston probably still have their music playing in some village in Moldova.

• And proving wrong those who claim all Asians look a like, Aung San Su Kyi (sp?) is one of the most recognisable women in the world today.

• Oprah who?

  Hermes manager

• I''m no Madonna fan, but she''s certainly got to be No. 2 after the Queen.%0D\ %0D\ Think about it. She''s been world-famous since the late ''80s. Also, pop music translates across cultures far better than most mass media, save for maybe action films.%0D

• Yue-Sai Kan, the most famous woman in China.

  http://abcnews.go.com/WN/China/yue-sai-kan-chinas-famous-woman-world-news/story?id=12132085

• [quote]If you''ve seen her in Australia or ASouth African, or France or WTFever, everyone knos her. \ \ I''m French and I can assure you that French people don''t know who Oprah is, so stop talking nonsense. She even got kicked out of Hermes because she showed up after hours: nobody knew who the fuck she was.\ \ Do you think non-english speaking countries broadcast her talk show with subtitles, or something? Why would they even do that?

• Americans tend to think that all of their celebrities are world-famous. Of course this is true for many of them, but there are some like Oprah and Barbra Streisand who are not all that famous globally.

• [quote]Do you think non-english speaking countries broadcast her talk show with subtitles, or something? Why would they even do that?\ \ Ummm, yes? Not saying she''s the most famous woman in the world, but she''s not a complete unknown. Probably somewhere inbetween Janet Jackson and Britney Spears.

• "That''s true for most of Europe, except the UK"%0D\ %0D\ If you casually run through the channels on UK tv, you are more likely to find episodes of Rikki Lake or Sally Jesse - and one of them, certainly, hasn''t been made in about 10 years...%0D\ %0D\ Oprah just isn''t that well known among the general public any more.

• Oprah is very well-known, and anyone trying to say otherwise is being ridiculous

• Add "Bebo" (Kareena Kapoor) to this list. Most famous living woman in India. %0D\ %0D\ India has 1/6 the world''s population, so by law of averages, Bebo belongs here.%0D\ %0D\ I know you bitches don''t know who she is...

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kareena_Kapoor

• I think it''s hilarious how many people try to include Babs into every fucking thread.%0D\ %0D\ Nobody in India or China knows who Babs is.

• hasn''t she been famous for 40 years, R80?

• The Oprah fans in this thread are starting to scare me.

• R17''s list is spot on if you minus Gaga and Jolie.

• Yes, R81, in AMERICA and some other countries.%0D\ %0D\ India and China have their own NON-AMERICAN entertainment industries. They care not for American/English stars. Madonna and QE2 would be the exception.

• Oprah has been well-known in the UK for the past 2 decades. I''ve seen British t.v. shows and comedies that mention her.

• I would add Shakira - famous all over the New World (Canada, the States, Latin America), Europe, the Middle East, and has significant recognition in Africa as well as Malaysia/the South Pacific.

• The Oprah fans are terrifying, I agree. %0D\ %0D\ Lady Gaga is one of the top ten internet searches in both China and India. She''s sort of insanely famous.%0D\ %0D\ The Queen wins, of course. It''s not even close. Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama are on the list, and I''d say Britney, too.%0D\ %0D\ %0D\ %0D

• Here''s what I think%0D\ %0D\ 10. Maria Sharapova%0D\ %0D\ 9. Lady Gaga%0D\ %0D\ 8. Oprah%0D\ %0D\ 7. Michelle Obama%0D\ %0D\ 6. Julia Child%0D\ %0D\ 5. Meryl Streep%0D\ %0D\ 4. Angelina Jolie%0D\ %0D\ 3. Madonna%0D\ %0D\ 2. Hillary Clinton%0D\ %0D\ 1. Queen Elizabeth

• Here''s a link proving that your beloved BABS has only been popular in the USA, the UK, and Australia, and that''s IT.%0D\ %0D\ She has never toured outside of those three markets.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Barbra_Streisand_tours_and_live_performances

• The problem with Lady Gaga is she looks so different every time I see her....different hair, different hair color, heavy makeup that varies her look a lot, overwhelming costumes. I''ll admit I''m old and not the sharpest knife in the drawer (I''m 60!) but I bet there are many others my age and older who couldn''t pick her out in a crowd. She''s not someone I seek out and she''s not as omnipresent (like Sarah Palin, for example) as many of you seem to think.%0D\ %0D\ You''ll all understand when you''re older.%0D\ %0D\ %0D\ %0D

• I think it''s hilarious that the Madonna queens still think she''s number one or two.%0D\ %0D\ No one under thirty in the States knows who she is. She''s pretty much turned into Kylie Minogue.%0D\ %0D\ %0D

  Cut the Madge trolls BS

• Qui est Oprah?

  Hermes

• I think that back in the late 80''s or 90''s there was a quote from Madonna saying that Princess Di once confided she loved when Madonna did something controversial because it took the spotlight off her.

• I would add Elizabeth Taylor. Even younger people know the name, if not her movies.

• Forgot to add Kate Middleton.

• Shouldn''t there be a Bollywood star in there?

• You''re also forgetting demographics, that is, there are a lot of old people in the world that are not following the latest trends. Thus, Angelina Jolie, Posh Spice (!), JK Rowling (harry potter is famous, not her) and their ilk do not belong. %0D\ %0D\ Elizabeth Taylor is part of the list, as is Madonna The Queen and Hillary Clinton. I doubt that Michelle Obama could be properly identified (by face) by general people in most countries outside USA / Canada and Western Europe.

• Posh Spice is married to the most famous white soccer player in the world. Add the Spice Girls stuff on top of that and that equals pretty fucking famous.

• R96, see R79.

• And there are a lot of young people in the world who have no idea who Madonna or Elizabeth Taylor are. Taylor, in particular, has been absent from the public eye for a while.%0D\ %0D\ And Queen Elizabeth?! This is a joke, right? %0D\ %0D\ It''s an evolving list. Tastes and times change. %0D\ %0D\ I''d say right now the top ten would include Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Angelina Jolie (completely recognizable among the younger and older set) Oprah, Beyonce and maybe Lady Gaga. %0D\ %0D\ I''d even say the late Marilyn Monroe would be in the top ten. She''s still influencing generations.

• What is up with these people saying people under 30 don''t know who Madonna is?%0D\ %0D\ I''m 19 and everybody in high school and the people i go to college now knows who the hell madonna is!!! Are people serious?

• grammar check (i''m 101): should be " and the people i go to college with now know".

• Oprah in not well known outside of English speaking countries - aka the vast majority of the world. \ \ In England, Canada (English Canada only, French Canadian''s barely know who Oprah is) and Australia, she is not the top day time talk show host, she rates 3rd or 4th to local hosts, only in the USA and only during daytime is Oprah #1.\ \ You can have language dub overs in movies, but most people prefer movies in their own language. Nobody ever dub overs TV talk shows. Oprah is only known in the English language markets.

• "French Canadian''s barely know who Oprah is"\ \ I doubt it.

• Queen Elizabeth has been around for a long time, and is still on money all over the world, but would most people be able to pick her face out of a crowd?

• The great honking crown on top her head might be a clue.

• Don''t talk about faces on money. 3/4 of Americans couldn''t identify Alexander Hamilton as the face on the 20 dollar bill.

• I recently saw a statue of Queen Elizabeth in Spain. Anyone who thinks a mention of her among the most famous is a "joke" needs to get out of Peoria.

• 62% of Americans can''t find Canada on an unlabeled map.

• I can''t believe that anybody would dispute QEII as being the most famous/recognizable woman in\ the world. There is no dispute about that, none.\ \ Regardless of if the under 30 crowd listens to Madonna''s music or not (I do, and I literally just turned 30), they still know who she is. \ \ As for Posh Spice, I couldn''t even pick her out of a line-up. Beckham yes, but her? I really have no clue - and I was 17/18 when the Spice Girls were popular.

• [quote]You can have language dub overs in movies, but most people prefer movies in their own language. Nobody ever dub overs TV talk shows. Oprah is only known in the English language markets.\ \ Come on. I don''t even like her, but she''s well known. Not everybody knows her, but then not everybody knows Angelina Jolie, either.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oprah_Winfrey_Show#International_syndication

• [quote]Is this a joke? Hillary Clinton, Micheele Obama should be higher up. I also agree Angela merkel should have a prominent place on the list.\ \ It''s not a list of most powerful, or most esteemed women. \ \ It''s not a list of what women are making a true impact or women that people SHOULD know about.

• [quote] I doubt that Michelle Obama could be properly identified (by face) by general people in most countries outside USA / Canada and Western Europe.%0D\ %0D\ As someone who travels a lot, I can tell you you''re very wrong about that.%0D\ %0D\ Another name to throw into the ring is Serena Williams. She''s the most famous woman, by far, in sport and definitely very recognisable even more than her sister or Maria Sharapova.

• [quote]Don''t talk about faces on money. 3/4 of Americans couldn''t identify Alexander Hamilton as the face on the 20 dollar bill.\ \ Possibly because he''s on the $10 bill.

  Andrew Jackson

• "62% of Americans can''t find Canada on an unlabeled map."\ \ That''s disturbing. That''s practically the equivalent of not being able to find the U.S. on a map. Canada is attached to the United States - it''s not that hard to find.\ \ It''s not as if they have to squint for some small country on the other side of the world.

• Well see, there you go!

  r107

• I know I can find Canada because Canada and Russia are always painted pink on maps. At least in Russia they live in real houses like us and not in igloos.

  Miss South Carolina

• "her face is the most reproduced image of any human being since Jesus Christ." \ \ That''s the London Telegraph on QE2''s global ubiquity. \ \ No2 would definitely be Thatcher. \ \ No3 possibly Madonna.\ \ Oprah definitely NOT 2 or 3.

  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1400202/The-most-famous-face-in-the-world.html

• The list includes Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston. FRIENDS is very popular worldwide.

• Beyonce and Madonna also are huge globally.

• I thought the question was who are the most famous women in the world, not who are the most famous women in America. In that case, Merkel should definitely be on the list. Not so sure about Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman though. You could probably add a sportswoman such as Kim Clijsters - I presume she''s better known in China right now than someone like Angelina Jolie or Lady Gaga are.

• [quote]"her face is the most reproduced image of any human being since Jesus Christ." %0D\ %0D\ I think Mother Theresa was jut a bit more iconic than QEII.%0D\ %0D

• While Mother Theresa can be considered iconic, her image count can''t even begin to touch the millions of images of QEII. %0D\ %0D\ QEII has had her image on money and postage stamps since 1953, not just in England but other parts of the globe, too. Terri was barely known until the end of the 20th century.

• The mentions of Merkel, who I''m sorry I didn''t even know who she is...is a powerful woman but she is not famous. I don''t even know what she looks like. To be famous, we need to recognize the person by face.%0D\ %0D\ Mother Teresa is dead so she doesn''t count.%0D\ %0D\ I think everyone knows who Angelina Jolie is. She does charity work all over the world, and adopts a kid from every 3rd world country.

• R122, that quote you copied is referring to the Virgin Mary, the most famous woman in the world.\ \ I have no idea what your reference to Mother Theresa and QE2 have to do with her.

• Merkel got a lot of face recognition when a drunk Dubya decided to give her a shoulder massage at a conference of world leaders in Europe.

• Beyonc%C3%A9 and Rihanna are way more famous worldwide thn Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama and Jennifer Aniston.

• Having frequently traveled across the globe, I would definitely put Merkel on the list and remove Aniston.

• Who pays attention to Madonna anymore? Yes, she''s still very famous, but I don''t know if she would be in the Top 10 anymore.

  Has-Been

• Definitely it''s Kirler, he''s the most famous.

• Isn''t Madonna the most photographed woman in teh world since Di died? I tend to think she''s move popular than the Queen of England and Oprah... I mean, seriously, they knew who she was in tribes in Malawi when she went to buy a baby.

• I tried Cialis and my condo disappeared and I was in a tranquil foresty setting. Then my boyfriend disappeared and I was with a very attractive middle aged black woman who was stroking my face and looking at me wantonly. Everything after that is a blur but I do believe I managed to attain an erection, though I'm not certain.

• I live in France and used to live in Africa. No one in either place knows who Oprah is. And Lady Gaga and all these other trash American celebrities aren't as famous and instantly recognizable as Americans like to think. 1. QEII 2. Margaret Thatcher 3. Madonna 4. Hillary Clinton And after that, as much as I'd love to believe that Angela Merkel or Catherine Deneuve or Sonia Gandhi or Herta Müller or Isabelle Allende or Marie N'Diaye enjoyed world-wide fame, there's pretty much no one on the list, owing to almost world-wide parochialism and ignorance.

• M.E.

  Madonna

• Me too, I agree with [R9]

• [quote] live in France and used to live in Africa. No one in either place knows who Oprah is. You probably lived in french-speaking Africa. In the English speaking countries, Oprah is huge and on tv everyday. Madonna is NOT as famous as Beyonce or Rihanna. 1. Oprah 2. QEII 3. Margaret Thatcher 4. Michelle Obama 5. Hillary Clinton Also singers tend to be more famous worldwide than actresses, you'd be suprised how well-known the likes of Madonna, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Britney Spears, Beyonce, Rihanna and Tina Turner are just because of the familiarity of their music.

• We've traveled throughout the world. One thing that was peculiar: Madonna is played every where all the time, except in the US. She is the most well known woman in the world.

  The%20Planet

• I'm British, and Oprah is definitely known, but not a major star here. Her show was popular here during the 80s and 90s (it aired on Channel 4, one of the main channels), when American chat shows were a big fad, but she wasn't regarded as the queen of chat shows or anything. I started high school in the 90s and everyone was obsessed with Ricki Lake, and Oprah was what our mums watched. But then that fad kind of came to an end and her show stopped being aired here. Oprah does currently air in the UK, but on a very very obscure cable channel called 'Diva' which most people have never heard of. I think most Brits would definitely recognise Oprah's name and know that she's an American chat show host who is powerful in the US, but no more than that. She herself is not big in the US. The rest of Europe she's less well known in.

• You know, I've noticed quite a lot of threads over the past few months concerning Brits being fans of/obsessed with various different American celebs and TV shows (Oprah, Friends, The A Team, The Muppets, and there was one more I'm forgetting) -- all of which are complete nonsense, of course. But each time the OP's main argument is, "But I saw a British TV show reference them." It's utterly bizarre. Why would a British TV show referencing an American TV show/celebrity mean that show/celeb is huge in Britain? TV shows referencing other shows is incredibly common. I mean, I watched an episode of Family Guy the other night that referenced the Muppets (and about a dozen other shows) is that proof Americans are obsessed with the Muppets? It's also very common for shows to reference intentionally more obscure (sometimes very obscure) parts of pop culture). Not that Friends or Oprah are obscure of course, but it's pretty stupid to claim the odd reference as proof. I can't tell if it's a troll or someone with a weird form of OCD. I imagine them downloading British chat shows and watching them with a notebook frantically scribbling down any mention of anything American.

• 1. Aishwarya Rai 2. Angela Merkel 3. JK Rowling 4. Madonna 5. Hilary Clinton 6. Gong Li After that, it's all regional celebrities with some name and face recognition in random, scattered locals. But those 6 are in fact the most famous women in the world.

• I'm outside America too.I don't believe people in Asia, Africa, Europa, Latin-America know Oprah.But they know The Queen

• The Madonna trolls are insane. Give it up. And stop recycling the most photographed woman in the world routine. That was done in 98-99. Two decades have passed.

• I think Tina Turner is almost universally known around the world. I would definately say she should be in the top 10. Being around so long and touring so extensively, plus having that movie made about her, and being an icon for battered women all adds up to being really famous. Perhaps not relevant in today's music industry, but really, really famous.

• As a non-American: 1. Queen Elizabeth II 2. Madonna 3. Hilary Clinton Oprah is known outside America but no where near as famous as she is at home. Whoever said that Rihanna and Beyonce "are more famous than Madonna" needs their head examining. I would even go as far to say that Madonna is now the most famous pop star in the world period. In a whole different category to Rihanna and Beyonce in terms of international fame. Britney Spears and Lady GaGa are well recognized as was Whitney Houston. Merkal is an exceptionally powerful woman but not necessarily famous, espeically outside of Europe. Nearly everyone in the world knows who Hilary Clinton is and if they don't their lives are still shaped by her.

  Monkey Butler

• Gaga is a joke, get her off the list

• Mary Pickford and the Gish Sisters....even to this day!

  Anonymous

• "Barbra is the greatest star, and has been pretty much since 1968" More since 1964 or 65. She wouldn't be on any of these lists today, no way.

• Daphne Zuniga. (thread closed.)

• Su Pollard.

• Where the bloody hell is Kylie?

  Robbie%20Williams

• We love only hazrat fatima a.s the daughter of hazrat peace be upon him

• how about britney spears?

• madonna nr.. 1 she was and still 25 years,everyone know her,num...2 maybe the queen

• Kylie is not know well at all here in the states, although I love her.

• Where's the Janet fans for this? Thought so.

  ZIP%20IT.%20

• What about the Williams sisters?

• This list is made up by People magazine or a celebrity gossip site hound. Take a gander from a serious political level. These people listed don't really matter and won't be discussed one hundred years from now. Priorities from a college educated individual is not at play here.

• 11. Jeremy Renner

• The word is glamour it has a U in it and americans are very insular you just have to watch their news to realise this

• Kate Middleton, for sure!

• CHLOE SEVIGNY!

  chloe%20sevingy

• Should we say infamous?