Excellent Week of Shirtlessness

Continuing the trend of providing good male shirtlessness, DH weighed in with this new character last night, Jackson, played by Gale Harold. I'm glad that the show put some good old fashioned shirtlessness right up front. I must say that I do not care for Mr. Harold's haircut, but if he can make Susan happy, then fine. BTW, I think Teri Hatcher looked amazing in last night's episode. I definitely went into this premier skeptical about the whole skipping forward 5 years thing, but I will say that I really bought it. I was grateful that the opening monologue from Mary Alice did not contain the line "5 Years is a long period of time." I also thought that DH handled the passage of time much better than Thursday's "Ugly Betty." I liked the flashbacks scattered throughout the show better than the up front monologue to Betty's dead mother which was reminiscent of Kelly's famous "I choose me" speech from 90210. My favorite moment, however, was when the gay couple next door to Susan took pictures of a shirtless Jackson with their cell phones. They made me laugh, and I'm so happy that they are still on the show!

"Brothers & Sisters" has two weeks to get back to the good place for me. Not only did the premier not contain any shirtlessness at all (Ridiculous since half the episode took place at a beach house) but the storylines were all so dull and whiny. I'm sure that it must be difficult to be some rich white beautiful people in California as I learn every single week, but could someone crack a smile or look happy at any time other than right before making out with one's former half-sister? This show is testing my patience. Take off your shirts!

I was convinced to go to the final show of my friend's trapeze intensive at the Trapeze School of NY on Friday and once again was pleased with the amount of excellent male shirtlessness displayed by the staff. My friend was the only male in three classes of intensives, but all of the instructors were male and shirtless. On top of that, they played 80's music the whole time. Although I felt guilty about missing the debate, I have to say I was in a little piece of heaven on Friday night. And kudos to Andrew for his excellent tricks in the show. Maybe I need to go back to trapeze! Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Thank you, Season Premiers!

In this time of continued economic crisis, I can only say that I am extremely grateful for the amount of good male shirtlessness sported on several season premiers this week. I took part in ABC's "Stay at Home Week," mostly because I was worried about becoming penniless overnight and thought it better to stay home and find out about it on the news. Sadly for ABC, part of this week involved watching shows on NBC. On Monday I watched "Heroes," a show which has always appealed to me both in theory and when I have actually watched it but one that I felt I could not commit to for fear of turning into that old woman with the cat who never leaves her house because "her shows are on." I was pleasantly greeted by some excellent Indian shirtlessness, pictured above. I had felt a bit disgruntled at the beginning of the show because the Indian character didn't have any super-powers, and was happy to see that storyline has been ammended. Now Dr. Suresh has super-powers which cause him to run around his lab without his shirt on and apparently slicked up with oil. I'm not complaining. I was definitely feeling some ethnic pride when Sendhil Ramamurthy removed his shirt mid-show and kept it off for the remainder. Way to support the cause! Apparently someone is shirtless on "Heroes" every week as I learned on the blog by Superherofan. Perhaps I should risk turning into the cat lady.

Back to ABC, "Ugly Betty" did not disappoint with some excellent shirtlessness displayed by Eddie Cibrian. I'm not sure that the new love interest they've brought on for Betty after summarily dismissing Henry and Gio is someone that I need to see shirtless, but as long as Eddie is on the show, I'm fine with it.

And while GA did not give us any new shirtlessness, they did at least get rid of Rose. Not that I didn't like the actress or the character, but I simply could not handle any more waffling on the Derek-Meredith issue. If they are going to continue with their annoying inability to commit conversations this season, McSteamy needs to be shirtless for the entire episode. Truly. Also, tonight's episode paid very nice homage to my hometown, Buffalo, NY, when it mentioned the freezing technique used to save a Buffalo Bill last season at Buffalo General Hospital. I'm thrilled that Buffalo received a compliment since most television shows only mention Buffalo in a derisive tone. To hear of a real Buffalo hospital mentioned with reverence just after a discussion of the Mayo Clinic and Mass General made me happy.

Finally, I saw the commercial for the new Bond movie. November 14th cannot come soon enough. Plus by then the election will be over, and I will hopefully be able to sleep again. One can never have too many shirtless dreams. Until then, I will have to make do with new episodes of television and Presidential debates, the former hopefully involving lots of male shirtlessness and the latter hopefully none. I'm very excited about Sunday and DH...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Emmy Shirtlessness

I got this yummy picture from the Greysanatomyinsider.com after feeling sad that Patrick Dempsey did not win an Emmy tonight. I did watch the Emmys but somehow managed to miss the apparently deadly opening segment because I wanted to see what Obama had to say about the economy on 60 Minutes. I'm sorry Patrick didn't beat Alec Baldwin who seems past the point of good shirtlessness to me, but I realize that Patrick did not have the best of storylines this season. All that whining and moaning with Meredith that never seemed to end in shirtlessness really grated on my nerves. But I like his dreamy eyes and hair and wonder if he had had more shirtless scenes, then might he not have won? Hmmm...

I need the new season to begin so that like the rest of America I can be lulled into a sense of calm in our current economic climate. I watched Bill Moyer on PBS on Friday night and nearly had a heart attack listening to all of the assessments of the damage that the latest collapses and bailouts have caused. I feel that it is important to stay abreast of what is going on in the country and the world, but lately I have really been needing reality to be tempered with some juicy television. Only a few days left between me and some new shirtlessness! (On a side note, I cannot hear one more thing about Eva Longoria-Parker being fat - she looks like a normal person! I wish everyone would stop reporting on her weight gain.)

So I understand that there is a new hunk coming to Seattle Grace, a new love interest for Betty, and a juicy season for DH in general. I say "Bring it on!" Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Last Fall Preview

Even though Jason Lewis is no longer on "Brothers & Sisters," I thought this would be a nice preview for fall because, let's face it, this is a fantastic picture. I have never bought an Aero bar before, but this picture certainly suggests that I should! I remember seeing a commercial from this campaign early in the year, and I wonder why it didn't run for longer. Silly tv execs - shirtlessness sells! Also when I was trolling the internet for shirtless pictures of other cast members, I couldn't find any that held to the 2 point standard of good shirtlessness. David Annable never takes his shirt off, and Matthew Rhys had not seen the sun in a long time before he shot his shirtless scene with Jason Lewis in the show. I cannot post pictures of Balthazar Getty since he apparently seems to be enacting his character's storyline on the show out in his real life with Sienna Miller. I was not a fan of the storyline, and so I will not encourage it here.

Meanwhile, for those of you who were wondering, my life savings still seems to be intact and protected for now. The stock market is not for the weak of heart, and this past week has certainly tried us all. I feel hopeful after yesterday's 400 point surge, but cautious. I really do need a season premiere to calm my frazzled nerves. Good thing that it is only a week until the season openers for UB and GA! Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Continuing Fall Preview

I have to acknowledge that waking up this morning to the news the downfall of two of our major financial institutions, one of which contains all of my money, was certainly not a pleasant experience. In such times, truly, only the thought of good male shirtlessness keeps me going. Posting this morning is the one happy thing that I get to do before my rehearsal. So here I present Eric Mabius of "Ugly Betty" fame in a pose that he has never struck on the show. He should. Usually, his character, Daniel Meade, is shirtless while laying on his back. This picture from the Twinkees blog certainly makes a strong case for standing shirtlessness as well as the "women's magazine" posture. I like it; let's have more. Honestly. I don't have any idea of what is going to happen on UB this year, but I hope it involves lots of shirtlessness. I suspect that good male shirtlessness may be one of the things that helps me make it through the election.

And while I realize that IMS is not the place to spew political opinions, I can't help but wonder how the theory of no government regulation has worked out for us on this morning that announced the bankruptcy of the 4th largest bank in America. Hmmm...Oh season premiers - take me away! You cannot come too soon! Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

More Fall Preview

Today we move on to "Grey's Anatomy" which last season was quite disappointing on the shirtless front. I found this picture on the web of Eric Dane in his most advisable state, shirtless. It makes me happy to think that he just hangs around on docks eating cereal shirtless. It would make me happier if he would hang around the set saying his lines shirtless. I have already complained bitterly about that zipped up leather jacket from last season, and leave you all with the hopes that this season will be better.

Other news is that our activism is having a positive effect on the environment. I had dinner with a friend who told me that he was working hard in order to get on the blog. It's true - this blog is inspiring people to get into good shirtlessness shape and creating a more beautiful environment for all of us. Unlike Sarah Palin, I do think that humans contribute to the environment.

Currently, I am directing a show in which all the actors are so young that no one understands my 80's references like "Wax on, wax off" and "the pose from the cover of the Annie Lennox album" which makes me a little sad. I'm sad because I realize that my actors are the contemporaries of the US Olympic swimming team, and that probably all those very nice shirtless men would not understand me either. Sigh. The positive is that we all speak the language of "America's Next Top Model" and can find common ground somewhere. With that, I hope you can all spend the day smiling with your eyes. Until Monday, I leave you...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Fall Preview

Ah, the new fall season is upon us, and I wanted to remind all you IMS members, founders and recent converts, that it all started with Desperate Housewives. When this show began, America went crazy for sexy women over 30 who did not take their shirts off and hot guys of all ages who did. Poor James Denton, pictured above, seemed to get less screen time last season due to his bad drug addiction storyline, and I post his muscle-y arms here to encourage us all to advocate for more shirtless Mike the Plumber in 2008. Now the season finale left me completely confused about how this season would start, but the website has led me to believe that we will pick up five years after the the last episode in a future that seems to be missing Mike Delfino. ABC, if he has to die, can we at least get some shirtless flashbacks, please? I hope the above picture will remnd everyone of what a positive impact he had on the show. After all, he was the one who ripped off his shirt and dove into a lake to save Susan after a long shirtlessness drought on the show. We like that Mike Delfino.

The new theater season is upon us as well, and one IMS member has reported on a an excellent opportunity to see live shirtlessness in a show called "Fela" which is playing Off-Broadway at 37 Arts. I am hoping to check it out in the next few weeks, and if you are in New York, so should you!

Now I'm off to investigate tickets for the Fall for Dance series at City Center and am hoping to catch some good modern dance shirtlessness there as well. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Modern Shirtlessness

I was having drinks with some friends of mine whom I met back when I was a modern dancer and who are now IMS members in excellent standing, and we were discussing a certain modern dancer who has always exhibited excellent male shirtlessness, Desmond Richardson. Looking back, I realize that he had a profound impact on my conception of good male shirtlessness since he was probably one of the first male dancers I ever saw shirtless. And wow! It's incredible that I ever enjoyed anyone else's physique at all considering my repeated exposure to Mr. Richardson's amazing torso. He can also do split leaps that extend beyond 180 degrees which is simply inhuman. I saw him first when he was with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and followed his career as he moved to the Frankfurt Ballet and then Broadway. Some of you may have recognized him from the movie of "Chicago" oozing next to Renee Zellweger in the "Roxie Hart" number.Currently you can see him performing with the company he co-founded, Complexions. Looking at his picture now, I think "Oh yeah, that's when I developed my fondness for the serratus muscle." (If you don't know what one that is, look it up; it's a good one.) Ah, good male shirtlessness...

I have just returned from a trip to Buffalo, NY, to visit my parents. Mostly when I return to my hometown, I feel that any shirtlessness I see there is rather unfortunate given that the local specialties are chicken wings and beef on weck and most people do not see the sun very often. But I was pleasantly surprised to see some very good male shirtlessness displayed on front lawns everywhere as a sort of Labor Day ritual. Let's go Buffalo! Way to make the most of the good weather!

I am starting to see some ads for the fall line up, and I have to say that I may be lured back into watching "Private Practice" by the promise of Tim Daly taking of his shirt. Taye Diggs should never wear a shirt, but I know that those pesky networks execs will insist on his wearing a shirt to preserve what flimsy reality exists on that show. But some fleeting moments of good shirtlessness there would make up for the fact that Eric Dane really never took his shirt off last season on GA. And I can't wait to see what they cook up on "Desperate Housewives." I will report more when I get some news. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
IMS

Labor Day Holiday

Even a male shirtlessness advocate needs a holiday. Get out there and enjoy the last day of summer and good shirtlessness!

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS