Friday, May 30, 2008

Teen Shirtlessness


So the other day I went to a lecture by Theresa Rebeck in Bryant Park with a fellow IMS member. We were hoping that she would talk about playwrighting since we are both playwrights, but instead she talked about her new novel, "Three Girls and Their Brother," whose premise actually intersects some of the interests of this blog. Funny, no? Ms. Rebeck was intrigued by the increasing sexualization of young women in the media, the so-called "It Girls" and has written a novel about three normal girls in Brooklyn who become propelled to iconhood and the effects that propulsion has on their family. I'm looking forward to reading it. So over the course of her talk, she discussed some very theoretical stuff about the camera and the male gaze in popular media, and I got excited because this is exactly the secretly intellectual motive behind our fun IMS club. When someone asked her about "It Boys," she seemed to feel that boys aren't sexualized and objectified in the same way as girls are. While I would agree that it is certainly not the same, in terms of volume, I do think that the camera is being increasingly shifted to the feminine point of view. I stood up and offered the above teenage shirtlessness as proof of this point - Zac Efron.

Now I don't even have the heart to look up his birth year on IMDB since he is definitely younger than Henry Cavill and even 1983 made me feel a little bit ill, but I will say that he is living proof that the male gaze does not reign supreme anymore. Yay for IMS! I'm certainly not advocating for more teenage shirtlessness any more than I'd like to see one more teenage girl rise to fame by taking sexy pictures. I'm just saying that it is nice to have female desire acknowledged by the camera, too. Ladies like to look at pretty things too!

So now I am going to look at the shirtless pictures of Clive Owen that another IMS member sent me and feel happy. He is an appropriate age to take his shirt off. Until the next time, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Finally Finales!


Upon returning home from the wedding madness, I sat down in front of the tv and watched my season finales in peace and quite last night. Sorry for the late post - marrying off a brother is hard work! I was rewarded with some excellent male shirtlessness - Eddie Cibrian does not disappoint. And yet, I am confused by his character. I'm not a big fan of married men dating other women, and so he needs either to get a divorce or just walk around shirtless without hurting Hilda's feelings.

On GA, I was moderately relieved to see the storyline going back in a good direction. I know that some IMS members have not yet seen the finale, and so in deference to them, I am not revealing the ending. I liked the montage at the end and am intrigued by how much sex can possibly be had in one hospital. This is no complaint. Just take that annoying leather jacket off of McSteamy, and I will be a happy camper. In honor of McDreamy's tremendous kissing skills, I post a picture of him from another blog, Just Jared. May this serve as a reminder to myself to see his movie which I will pay $11.25 for in spite of bad reviews. It's a small price to pay for good male shirtlessness.

So now that the season is over, I am open to suggestions for other outlets of good male shirtlessness. I must review my Netflix queue as well as catch up with the Tudors while my brother is on his honeymoon. Hopefully, I will find something good by Friday! Until then, I am ...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Friday, May 23, 2008

Wedding Madness

So friends, I did not see Indiana Jones nor did I see any of the season finales tonight. Instead I chased down beetelnut leaves in a suburb of Buffalo, NY. None of this involved shirtlessness, and I am feeling a little bit blue. Actually, I am feeling a little bit of ethnic rage, but only a very little bit because I am so tired.

My brother is getting married on Saturday to a very nice girl from the Mormon church, and you can only imagine that a union between the two is very complicated. Actually, even a union between two Hindus is very complicated because the people in charge of the uniting do so in Sanskrit, a language which no regular Hindu understands. So we commonfolk are left to the mercy of priests who tell us what to do and get. Our Hindu priest is very nice, and I'm sure he was not lying to us when he told us that we needed beetelnut leaves for the ceremony that we are having tomorrow morning. The poor man ended up on planes, trains, and automobiles to get here, and we are very grateful. The ethnic rage was caused by the Indian grocery store owner who promised to save 25 beetelnut leaves for the ceremony, and then when we went to pick them up this evening between dance lessons and dinner had actually given all of our leaves to a florist. My brother thought that perhaps my mom had indeed taken a valium because she took the news so calmly. She went back to her dance lesson and told Kevin and I to try the Korean grocery, because sometimes other Asian cultures like the same things that we do. In our travels to find the Korean grocery, we actually found the florist that had taken our leaves. So I went in and demanded our leaves back. For a 5'2" Indian woman, I can be quite persuasive, and I emerged with 14 beetelnut leaves in a plastic bag. I am still mad at the Indian grocery store owner. I could have spent the time I used looking for leaves to look at a shirtless Eddie Cibrian. My only condolence is the extreme high I felt in extracting the remaining leaves from the florists' assistant with a technique that I call "State your needs and then smile until someone gives it to you." I literally refused to speak until he said something helpful like "Maybe I should call the boss to see what to do." Then I said, "Yes, that's a good idea," and smiled some more. It took a lot of smiling, but my orthodontia paid for itself tonight.

So this all has very little to do with shirtlessness. All I can say is that I will have a very exciting report when I finally do get to watch the finale. In the meantime, I have polished my brother-sister rhumba, and feel that in the highly unlikely eventuality that I do see some good shirtlessness this weekend in Buffalo, NY where it is literally 52 degrees and raining, the I will be well prepared. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Monday, May 19, 2008

Getting Ready for Thursday!


Okay, I really enjoyed the season finale of Desperate Housewives except for the final five minutes in which I wondered if the show had been canceled without anyone knowing it, but I have to say that I am really pumped up for the season finale of "Ugly Betty" on Thursday. Given the above picture, need I say more? I'm happy that I have at last been able to post a shirtless picture of an ethnic man - sweet Eddie here is Cuban. Be my Latin lover, Eddie; I can't get enough.

The sad news is that I will most likely be watching the new Indiana Jones film during the Ugly Betty finale this Thursday because my brother is getting married next weekend, and apparently our joint family outing on Thursday night is going to see Indiana Jones. I don't think that I want to see either Harrison Ford or Shia LeBoeuf shirtless, but that might be all the action I'm getting on Thursday night. Of course, weddings always involve lots of shenanigans, and so I'm sure if not excellent male shirtlessness, I'll have something to report.

Back to DH for a minute, I'd like to say how much I have enjoyed the return of the gay couple to Wisteria Lane recently. After Lee told Susan that anyone who told her she had a nice voice was lying, they seemed to fade into the background. I've been enjoying them in the past three episodes and hope they return next year for more fun. I also hope that they will be able to integrate Wisteria Lane with more success than when they wrote that awful storyline for poor Alfre Woodard in Season 2. I think that storyline could have been helped by having her son take his shirt off more, rather than hiding shirtless underneath Danielle's bed. Just a thought. I have enjoyed Dana Delany this episode and hope that now that her secret is revealed and she's friends with Bree, she doesn't become a complete dud on the show.

So keep your fingers crossed for me that I will be able to watch my Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy in peace on Thursday night. Tune in on Friday to find out. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Friday, May 16, 2008

Hello Betty!

So last week my cable box didn't work correctly for one hour, and I missed Ugly Betty. I didn't think it was a big deal since I rely upon this show for plot only, not so much shirtlessness. But yesterday night, I caught up online and realized that the very hot Eddie Cibrian has joined the show. I wish someone had told me this. I remember him from "Living Out Loud" when he played the shirtless masseur, and I wound up spending hours looking at the back of New York Magazine contemplating buying myself an exotic massage with the hopes of someone like him showing up at my door. (I never did, but I wanted to!) Anyway, this man clearly needs to be shirtless, and thankfully ABC is coming to its senses and bringing shirtlessness back to Thursday nights. Click here for pictures of a shirtless Eddie in the season finale! Yes, ABC! Yes! This is what IMS strives for! Now I realize it might be to much to ask, but I do hope that either Gio or Henry or both take off their shirts in the finale as well. You know, to make up for the writers' strike.

On GA, again there was no shirtlessness but a lesbian kiss which has confirmed to me that this show is desperately trying to lure straight men back or give them something for watching this show with their girlfriends or wives for two and a half years. Whatever. McSteamy has one more episode to show off the goods, and I hope he doesn't let me down. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Monday, May 12, 2008

I Only Have 4 Minutes, Literally.

Somehow I find myself in the position of having to work yet another 12 hour day, and so there are no photos, no links, and very little fun exposition. Suffice it to say that Orson's shoulder peeking out of the bathroom was not really satisfying in the shirtlessness category last night, but I'll take it over nothing. I will say that the police officer in charge of busting Justine Bateman should find a reason to take his shirt off in next week's season finale. I'm looking forward to the finale because I think the writers have finally gotten enough steam together to ignite a really good show. Nothing will be as good as the tornado episode during which I cried because it was so good and I didn't want it to end, but I think this finale could be really exciting. We might find out what Dana Delany's secret is and have some good shirtlessness!

Also, GA is looking promising although I am very skeptical about this storyline in which McSteamy decides he needs to give his mind as well as his body in sexual relations. Who wants to tell him that no one wants his mind? His body is plenty!

Good news is that "Ugly Betty" is going to start shooting in New York, and I will have to plot how to get on that show as an Indian shirtlessness expert for Vogue! Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Madge 1, JT 0

So here is a picture taken (illegally, I'm sure) by one IMS member at Madonna's concert at Roseland last week to document the continuing strange lack of shirtlessness on the Justin Timberlake front. Notice how Madonna is sporting some pretty strong cleavage, and JT is wearing a scarf. Although it was rather cold in New York last week, I have a feeling that the atmosphere inside Roseland was balmy, at the very least. Fine, Justin, don't take off your shirt; I didn't really want to see your chest anyway. But a scarf? Really?

Okay, down to the real business - some actual shirtlessness was achieved on Grey's Anatomy this week. McSteamly finally took off his shirt after a long and apparently very cold season. I'm hardly one to complain about any good male shirtlessness, but could I suggest that the amount of chest shown tonight was the equivalent of what would be seen in a v-neck sweater and so why doesn't ABC simply clothe the man in v-neck sweaters all the time? I'm a problem solver, and I think a v-neck sweater would solve the problem here. I did like tonight's episode, though. The "whore" speech that Bailey gives is priceless, and I will admit crying at the end of the Army story line. What can I say? I am a sap!

It looks like we should get some more good shirtlessness on DH this week, too. Perhaps it will be possible for me to have one satisfying week before the summer brings reruns and more horrible reality television. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Monday, May 5, 2008

Getting Warmer, ABC

While this is not exactly what we got on "Brothers & Sisters" tonight, I will say that I was happy to have a little bit of shirtless Rob Lowe action tonight and post this picture from fortunecity.com as an homage to the former teen heartthrob. I was happy for two reasons: 1) There was finally some shirtlessness on Sunday night, and 2) I once hosted a Rob Lowe film festival in 8th grade that featured such fine films as "Class" and "Youngblood" and tonight's brief shirtless scene with Calista Flockhart made me wax nostalgic. I could do without the endless baby-making chatter, but accept it as a by-product of good shirtlessness. Other good news is that there will definitely be some excellent shirtlessness on GA this Thursday because McSteamy was in all the commercials sans jacket, turtleneck, or anything else on his torso. Hurrah! Also, it looks like Barry Watson will be shirtless on "Samantha Who," and I feel like ABC is making a concerted effort to make up for lost time in these final moments of the season. Not a moment too soon. Finally, the last alert is that there may be early morning shirtlessness of the very best kind on the "Today" show on Monday morning when Anne Curry interviews Daniel Craig on the set of the new Bond film. She hinted that she may try to get into his dressing room on Friday's show, and all I can say is "You go, Anne Curry, and get that story if you have to rush his dressing room while he happens not to have his shirt on." I support good journalism!

For those of you who wondered, the reading of my play went fantastically well. People laughed and clapped like crazy, and I really spent the evening in shock that other people could relate to an Indian girl who is obsessed with Jane Austen. It was a heartwarming experience, and I have my fabulous actors to thank for such a momentous evening. Taniya Sen, Cindy Cheung, JP Chan, Peter Hilton, and Ruth Moore did an amazing job of bringing my play to life with the help of the wonderful director, Michael Babin, and I have to take one moment away from shirtlessness to give them a shout out. The next question is how well will people relate to the story of an Indian girl obsessed with shirtlessness?

I must get some rest for the Today Show tomorrow. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Ode to Mr. Darcy


In honor of my Jane Austen play that goes up as part of Ma-Yi Theatre's LabFest tomorrow night, I am posting a tribute to that iconic figure, Mr. Darcy, who has been an inspiration to me and apparently many others from the number of You Tube clips about him. This particular montage melds several topics discussed in this blog, namely Justin Timberlake and shirtlessness circa Jane Austen which is actually more like a wet t-shirt contest. Also, the BBC movie figures heavily into my play, and so for those of you coming, this will be an important preview to the action of the play. I would also like to applaud BBC for its excellent suggestion of shirtlessness without actually being shirtless. I am fairly certain that Colin Firth had not seen the sun in quite some time during the filming of this epic, and so I think the choice to keep his shirt on was a wise one. Another important lesson is that when shirtlessness is inappropriate, drenching is a very effective alternative.

In other news, I did catch "Grey's Anatomy" and found it hopelessly lacking in shirtlessness and wet actors. A show about Seattle could at least show me a scene where an actor in a t-shirt is standing in the pouring rain. Why McSteamy even talks is beyond me. Just take off your shirt, Eric Dane, and keep it off! I have toyed with the idea of staying on to watch "Lost" since I am told that there is tons of shirtlessness and wetness on that show, but I fear I am too late to catch the wave. Perhaps I should put it on my Netflix queue, but I don't know when I would have time with all of the costume dramas that I punctuate by fresh viewings of "Casino Royale." It's important to maintain a balance in all things. Hopefully there will be something to talk about after the shows on Sunday. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS