Fawcett was also a pop culture figure whose hairstyle was emulated by millions of young women and whose poster sales broke records , making her an international sex symbol in the 1970s and 1980s . Fawcett was a sex symbol whose iconic poster , released the same year Charlie 's Angels premiered , broke sales records , making her an international pop culture icon . Her hairstyle was emulated by millions of young women in the 1970s and early 1980s .