This Week We Love…

Nineteen-year-old Ricky House could safely call himself the sexiest vegetarian in his hometown of Salina, Kansas. And he had a pretty good shot at being the sexiest vegetarian in his college town of Lawrence. Now, thanks to a contest sponsored by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, House knows he is the Sexiest Vegetarian Alive.

House was among 250 nonmeat-eating guys who sent pictures and bios. PETA picked him among the 10 finalists posted on its Web site, www.goveg.org. More than 250,000 people voted. House’s shot showed him grasping at a soccer net; clearly, his get-caught-in-my-web (gladly!) shot proved unbeatable.

A PETA rep explains that after hosting a yearly celebrity contest, the organization opened it up to “average people, the vegetarian guy or gal next door.” Well, we hardly think that Ricky is average. Apparently he agrees; he’s leaving to study theater at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.

Smoldering eyes and pillow lips aside, consider how committed he is to his vegetarian title. “On the day they were releasing the news of me winning the contest, a bug flew in my mouth,” House tells the Pitch. “I felt really bad and tried to cough, but nothing came out.”

Now that’s sexy.

That’s why this week we love Ricky House.