Monday, June 29, 2009

Entertainment Shirtlessly

Back to the business of shirtlessness after a weekend of spontaneously breaking into dance whenever hearing "Bad" or "Billie Jean" on the street. Although the passing of Michael Jackson has made me very nostalgic for my childhood, it is covers like the above for "Entertainment Weekly" that keep me firmly grounded in the present. Mr. Reynolds has apparently evolved to have an 8-pack, rather than the regular 6. I'm not really sure what to say about this development except that it's nice, and I wish he wore shirts less in all of his films.

As for other shirtlessness, I'm not sure what the summer holds for us. The only other summer movie that I am excited about it "Up" which will hopefully not feature any shirtlessness, certainly not any that IMS can promote. So now we are in a desperate search for some good summer shirtlessness. Please alert me if you find any.

I, in the meantime, am happy that the sun has come out, just in time for the 4th of July. I've scheduled my summer waxing appointment so that I can frolick on the beach this weekend and take in some live shirtlessness along with seafood and Long Island wine. Sometimes it is the simple pleasures in life that can fill the void of good male shirtlessness. At the end of the day, I don't really need an 8-pack to be happy, just some sun, good friends, and the hope that good male shirtlessness is just over the next horizon. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Friday, June 26, 2009

In Memoriam

In honor of the tremendous talent of Michael Jackson, I had to take a day away from shirtlessness and pay homage to this legendary star. I came home from rehearsal last night where I heard the news and danced in my living room to "Rock With You" and "The Way You Make Me Feel" in memorial of the way he indeed did make me feel. I remember the day Elvis died when I was a little girl and how my mom and uncle were so sad over the loss. This moment is the equivalent for my generation - to lose an artist who so defined our coming of age. I will freely admit to wearing a Thriller jacket to school for most of 7th grade and the giddiness I felt being in the Thriller medley number for my dance recital that year. I used to do the dance from the video for all my relatives and for many dance competitions and talent contests. For me, that album introduced me to dance as a tangible and popular form of entertainment, and those songs defined my middle school life, now known as the "tween" years when you were suddenly intensely aware of yourself as a person in relation to everyone else. At school dances, everyone got on the floor to Michael Jackson, even the teachers. A few years ago I asked for the the Thriller album on cd for Christmas because I only had the record. I still consider it the best album ever. And I think I always will.

Thank you Michael Jackson for showing us all how to thrill.

Yours respectfully,
Nandita
President
IMS

Monday, June 22, 2009

Proposed Shirtlessness

As the president of IMS, I felt it was my duty to attend the opening weekend of "The Proposal" starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, given that Mr. Reynolds has received so much attention on the blog of late and that the storyline follows the older (40-ish) woman falling for the younger (30-ish) man trajectory that some IMS members seem to love. I post the above trailer because it contains all the shirtlessness in the movie. If I sound disappointed, I am. To have no additional shirtlessness than what was on tv in a Ryan Reynolds movie does not seem fair. It has rained 15 of the last 20 days in June, and I wonder if it is too much to ask that a romantic comedy marketed to women contain more than one shirtless scene. Is it?

Furthermore, does the shirtlessness have to be preporsterous? In the movie, the naked scene was achieved by putting Ms. Bullock in the shower without a towel and having Mr. Reynolds take off all his clothes on a balcony of his parents house while wearing a earphones. I ask you, have you ever taken your shirt off without removing your earphones first? Is this possible? I am baffled. Here at IMS, we strive to make good shirtlessness a part of one's everyday life. "The Proposal" is not helping us out by making shirtlessness seem like it needs the perfect alignment of the stars in order to happen. Mr. Reynolds could have taken his shirt off while chopping wood or taking a run or heading to the shower, and honestly, I wish he had.

On a positive note, I loved Ms. Bullock's shoes in this movie. They didn't quite make up for the low number of shirtless scenes, but they made me smile. I guess that shoes will have to fill the gap until Friday. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Friday, June 19, 2009

15 Year Anniversary Shirtlessness

As you know, sometimes I wax nostalgic about my modern dance days, and recently I was sent a link to the Complexions website that featured this photo of the amazing Desmond Richardson in honor of the company's 15th Anniversary. Of course, I had to post it! I remember back in year 1 of Complexions when I was a student at the Ailey School, a friend of mine invited me to attend a studio rehearsal of the new company. I took one of my friends from college who was not a dancer to the showing. We each paid $10 to sit inside one of the studios at 311 West 61st Street and watch the company rehearse a new piece. I remember that Desmond warmed up by doing splits up the wall. My friend leaned over and said "I would have paid $10 just to watch him warm up!" Congratulations to Complexions for moving out of the studio and onto stages all over the world where I am sure they charge more than $10. But especially thanks for giving two recent college grads the best $10 show they ever saw!

In the meantime, my posts keep getting later and later because I am losing my mind. Between planning a benefit for one theater company and directing a play for another, I am barely holding all the details together. What's worse is that I am in charge of planning my own birthday party next week as well. I didn't have enough brain cells left to plan a really good shirtlessness party where cute shirtless guys come in and serve my friends pizza like in that Toni Braxton video, and so I am settling for a yoga party where shirtlessness is optional but not required. At least I am using my birthday to promote one of the two points of good shirtlessness: fitness. Let's hope for some sun too, to promote the second. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Monday, June 15, 2009

Summer Rerun Shirtlessness

Since the season is over for DH and B&S, I find myself without direction during my Sunday evening quiet time, flipping channels and groaning. Lucky for me, last night TBS was showing "Step Up" which I'm embarrassed to say that the vice president of IMS and I went to see in the theater when it came out. The movie made me reminisce about the days when IMS operated solely as an e-newsletter, and the outings were made for two. I'll say that the movie is not quite as exciting on the small screen, and I did not make it to the infamous cereal scene when Channing Tatum, pictured above, laid on his bed eating cereal in a pair of very tight sweatpants that made some people very happy. But I think a teenage dance movie is just what one should watch on a summer Sunday. When searching for photos of Mr. Tatum, I realized that he is a man who like Matthew McConnaughey, rarely wears a shirt, and when he does, sleeves are very unusual. That's why I chose this photo which demonstrates a twist on shirtlessness, that is shirtlessness while wearing a jacket. What will they think of next?

Though Mr. Tatum is not particularly my cup of tea, I will say that I am hoping that TBS plays "She's the Man" next week. Shirtlessness and Shakespeare - good stuff. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Friday, June 12, 2009

Vampire Shirtlessness


In my writers' lab last night, when I asked for suggestions for some new shirtlessness, Robert Pattinson came up quite frequently. So here's a sneak peak still from the new Twilight movie being shot. Apparently all of the male vampires are shirtless in this one. I have to admit that Mr. Pattinson has flown under my radar,perhaps because he is 12. There was a lot of discussion of his hair, and I wonder if any of his fans are old enough to notice the striking similarity between his style and that of A Flock of Seagulls. Just wondering...

In other news, I am about to start directing a new play tomorrow, and the rush of details made me almost forget to post at all. Sorry for the lateness. I'm glad I did remember because I do find that good male shirtlessness can calm a person's nerves at stressful times.

Also, I have to say that I saw "The Hangover" with two straight male friends of mine and laughed out loud a lot in spite of myself. As promised Bradley Cooper was shirtless twice. It was very good, and frankly I could have stood for more. I hope his next movie is called "The Shirtless Guy." Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Monday, June 8, 2009

Hung Over and Shirtless




I am hardly one to endorse men behaving badly on screen or off, but I have to say that when I saw the commercial for "The Hangover" starring the above, Bradley Cooper, I laughed out loud. I have positive confirmation that Mr. Cooper does indeed take his shirt off in this film, and so let's just consider it added to my summer movie list, right behind "The Proposal." Mr. Cooper always seems to be cast as a jerk which makes me wonder about him as a person, but who am I to make judgments based on casting? One could easily think that I must be a little old lady based on my casting history. Lucky for us, Mr. Cooper is almost always cast as someone who needs to take his shirt off at least once during the course of a film, and that can never be a bad thing. Lucky for me, the roles in which I am cast never require anything of the kind.

Yesterday, I was shooting a short film in my apartment when the director and another actor noted that there was a man doing chin-ups on the balcony across the street from mine. We observed him for a short while, and the actor even went outside and waved during a break. Later she told me that I was living the dream. Indeed I am. While mostly my life is filled with irony fit for a Woody Allen movie, I have to say that it can be nothing short of divine benevolence to place a man who likes to work out shirtless on his balcony across the street from the president of IMS. Sigh...

I understand that Roger Federer won the French Open this weekend. It seems that a new crop of tennis players moved through the ranks to challenge Mr. Federer, and I look forward to hearing from IMS members if any of them need to be featured here on the blog. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Friday, June 5, 2009

Summertime New Show Shirtlessness

Last night I laid on my couch and took in a new show for the summer called "The Listener" on NBC that held my attention for the full hour. Any show about a man who listens seems worth checking out in my opinion. The premise is that there is this very cute man who can hear people's thoughts walking around helping people. It's almost the opposite of the Mel Gibson movie "What Women Want." So I have to say that I enjoyed the show and the very cute Craig Olejnik who should take his shirt off this summer for sure. But since he didn't on the show and doesn't seem to make a habit of walking around shirtless according to the internet, I had to move on to the next summer show that looks appealing, "The Philanthropist." I'm not sure what this show is about since the title suggests a person who does charity work but the commercial looked something akin to a James Bond movie made for television. 007 for the small screen on a weekly basis appeals to me, as does the star shown shirtless above, James Purefoy. I'm not sure what it is that draws me, but please check out the commercial if you can. It looks like fun.

In researching Mr. Purefoy, I learned that he was on the HBO series "Rome" and apparently was more than shirtless in that series. While IMS does not advocate pantslessness, the president cannot help but be intrigued by an actor who caused the stir that Mr. Purefoy did with his full frontal scene. This leads me to believe that there will be shirtlessness on "The Philanthropist," and in these lean times, that is really all I can ask.

I have just been made aware of the French Open and will take suggestions for tennis shirtlessness if anyone has any. Apparently this year has brought about quite a few upsets including Rafael Nadal's loss before the semi-finals, and that suggests new good shirtlessness to be discovered. Please send me your favorites. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Monday, June 1, 2009

Continued Star Trek Shirtlessness


So I did find a friend to see "Star Trek" with me this weekend. Of course, my friend had already seen it once. Alas, I am really behind on this one. So I liked this movie much more than "Wolverine" because I found the characters much more interesting and engaging, but some things still puzzled me. On the plus side, I must say I enjoyed all of the tight Enterprise uniforms sported by everyone except for today's featured shirtlessness, Zachary Quinto. For some reason, his shirt was rather loose and baggy compared to what Chris Pine and John Cho were wearing. Considering that he was the only character to have a love life, I found this rather strange. But I won't dwell on this since Mr. Quinto routinely takes off his shirt in "Heroes" and there were plenty of tight uniforms to look at all around. I'd like to give particular props to fellow South Asian actor, Faran Tahir, for his great opening scene in a very flattering costume. IMS is proud!

So the big question I had coming away from this film is why Winona Ryder is playing Zachary Quinto's mother? She is not even 10 years older than him. Is it that hard to find an age appropriate actor in Hollywood? Have the shoplifting charges damaged Ms. Ryder's career so much that she can only play roles 20 to 30 years older than herself? Her husband was played by Ben Cross whom I remember from "Chariots of Fire" when I was a kid and probably so does she. I am disturbed by this doubly because I recently saw an ad for a reality television show whose name I have deliberately forgotten but that attempts to sell itself as "America's Next Top Model" for women over 35. This sounds nice in theory, but the reality is that a 37 year old woman is competing against a 72 year old woman, and I am left asking myself "Is 35 the dividing line between young and old for women?" Are there really only hot 20-somethings and everyone else?

Since IMS started out as an advocacy group spurred by the fact that women have had to take their shirts off for years, I hope that we can take our platform of good male shirtlessness further to suggest that sexiness is ageless in both genders. Many of the shirtless wonders on this blog are well over 35 and look amazing. We're not putting anyone out to pasture here, and we hope that Hollywood will do the same. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS