Sunday, October 24, 2010

What We Want

So I caught up on GA this weekend and was disturbed to find that the male shirtlessness on this week's episode involved man boobs. This was not the kind of shirtlessness that I was hoping for. I was thinking something more along the lines of the above photo except with sincerity this time. There is nothing I love more than sincere good male shirtlessness. Well, okay, I love sincere good male shirtlessness accompanied by water even more, but I digress. The point is that looking at a 13 year old boy with a glandular problem is not what IMS is advocating. We are advocating for Jesse Williams taking off his shirt in pursuit of another surgeon that he loves and admires. Let's try not to lose sight of our goal.

The theater company on whose Board I sit is having its annual benefit tomorrow, and so I am posting early in order to make sure that I am fulfilling all my obligations. While I am sure no one will take off his shirt and make me happy at tomorrow night's benefit, I do think that the party will be a great success. When organizing these types of events for companies that I am involved with, I do tend to think about the meaning and point of theater and whether the amount of work I put into it is worth it. After all, television pays more and reaches many more people. Theater artists seem to be on the bottom of the heap of the entertainment profession. And yet I keep doing it because I believe there is something magical about being in the room with the artists that you can't get from tv or film. Call me old-fashioned, but I like to breathe the same air as the audience and feel the response from the room immediately. Also, the shirtlessness is much better live.

So my charge to you this week, IMS members, is to think about the theater in your area and perhaps find a way to partake in it. And then tell me if it really is magic to be in the room with the artists or if I am crazy. I look forward to your responses. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Friday, October 22, 2010

The Plumber

I've complained to several friends about the bad plots on B&S, and the response has universally been, "I like the plumber." A little research revealed that Jack the Plumber is Jeremy Davidson, shown above as Brick in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" with his future wife, Mary Stuart Masterson. Yes, the plumber is cute and should take off his shirt. No, we should not have to suffer through out-takes of Ally McBeal as a widow in order to see it. Clearly, Mr. Davidson is capable of being shirtless and saying lines at the same time. Please B&S, let him speak over Kitty and say something other than a cliche. And while you're at it, please let Gilles speak, too, and in full sentences about something other than the "language of love." Now I have been accused of objectifying men through my blog, but let the record show that I have always appreciated a man with a good mind and the ability to speak in full sentences (see post on Barack Obama). Just as I advocate for good male shirtlessness, I also advocate for compound sentences.

Today, I got an email for a "Boyfriend for Hire" service. I thought I had signed up at a discount spa website, and then had the horrible feeling that I was actually on some kind of porn site. But actually this service provides skilled men to fix things in your house, should your actual boyfriend not be handy (a common problem) or if you don't have a boyfriend to do these things at all. Actually, I thought these were the kinds of things a super is supposed to do, but then I wondered if perhaps in addition to being skilled, these men might also be attractive. And if they are attractive, could they be shirtless? It's an interesting line of questioning, no? It almost makes me want to stuff my hair down the drain or break the lock on my bathroom door.

I didn't get to watch GA last night because I went to see a show which did not feature any shirtlessness. I fear that the trend I noticed in shirtless theater may be abating, and so for my part, I have submitted my shirtless play all over the place in order to tip the scales back to the right side. Again, I will point out that in my play, the male character both takes off his shirt and speaks in full sentences. Keep your fingers crossed that someone decides to stage it! Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Monday, October 18, 2010

Shirtlessness As We Know It

The subways have been sporting some good shirtlessness lately in the form of Josh Duhamel in the poster for "Life As We Know It." Although the movie does look like predictable romantic comedy fare, I am happy for any movie with a shirtless poster to be be running in the theaters. It makes my day much nicer. Actually, I don't know why I haven't posted Mr. Duhamel sooner. The few interviews that I have read suggest that he does not take himself too seriously, always an excellent accessory to shirtlessness, and judging from the above photo, he definitely meets the Two Point Standard. Also, I met him once a very long time ago when I was an extra in his scene of "All My Children," and he was the one regular from the show who went around and said hello to every actor on the set. Classy!

"Swan Lake" did feature quite a few shirtless swans, and I think that while none of those swans had seen the sun in a very long time, I will still qualify them as having excellent shirtlessness. While the production was as beautiful as I remember it, it did not quite pack the same emotional punch I remember from the first time, perhaps because I was seated at quite a distance compared to the intimacy of a Broadway theater. I was very happy to see a dancer that I knew from class in the production as the Queen. Perhaps my meditations on the brevity of a dance career were a bit premature. After seeing her performance, I cannot imagine that she will be done any time soon.

DH and B&S offered rather predictable fare this week. While Kitty's new love does look promising in the shirtlessness department, I'm not sure if I can bear to listen to her stutter about how hard it is to love in order to achieve it. Again, I think that my standards are definitely going up because now I find that simply taking one's shirt off is not enough; one needs to say something either witty, clever, or cute in order to satisfy me. With that in mind, I am not holding my breath for tonight's episode of H5-0. But ever the optimist, I'll watch and have a little hope. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Friday, October 15, 2010

Shirtless Male Swans

Tonight I am going to see Matthew Bourne's "Swan Lake" for some guaranteed good ballet shirtlessness. I saw the original Broadway production in 1999 and am excited to return to see a new cast. Of course, seeing a new cast 11 years later does offer a pause about the nature of dance and the human body. Swan Lake undoubtedly celebrates the beauty of the male form as you can see above, but I do wonder what happened to all the gorgeous forms I saw the last time around and whether any of those dancers can still do what they did in 1999. I know plenty of dancers with careers that span far more than 11 years, and yet in the twilight of my own dance career when I notice places aching that never ached before, I feel a longing for those original swans and the wonder that accompanied them for doing what no one had ever seen before. These nostalgic thoughts will of course be forgotten at the theater when I will be enthralled all over again!

Brava to GA last night for making Jesse Williams take his shirt off twice! Why he hasn't done it sooner is beyond me. Clearly, we are being prepared for his love life, which I welcome. I'm not sure who he will bed, but I feel certain that romance is coming. And brava for letting Teddy say something sassy back. I like Kim Raver and have been wishing that she had more to do than be longing and damaged. Good for her! Finally brava to GA for allowing Derek and Meredith to have a normal relationship for more than a season. I think it's nice to see how a relationship continues to evolve and need work even after "I do." I much prefer it to when Meredith was dead for three weeks.

Okay, H5-0, I enjoyed the clever way Alex O'Loughlin took off his shirt in Monday's episode, but please make the writing better. I'm not clear why the Asian people barely get to speak on this show, but I'd like to say it would be a better show if they did. Poor Grace Kim gets about three sentences an episode. I feel certain that she can do a lot more than type on a computer and say "Okay boss." And CBS, if you don't want to invest in better plots for H5-0, then please make Alex O'Loughlin, Daniel Dae Kim, and Scott Cahn take off their shirts for longer, much longer.

Off to yoga to prepare myself for excellent shirtlessness tonight. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Sunday, October 10, 2010

More Gleeful Abs

Because I was in Ithaca without a car for the summer, I had no idea that these pictures were in Vogue this June. But better late than never, right? Having seen Mr. Morrison's abs for real in "South Pacific" two seasons ago, I keep hoping that the writers of "Glee" will figure out a way to make him take his shirt off more on the show. Of course, there is the creep factor of having a shirtless teacher in high school, but it's not as if Glee doesn't push the limits of our suspension of disbelief anyway.

On other "Glee" fronts, I also got sucked into "Step Up 2: The Streets" this Saturday morning, and saw Harry Shum, Jr. shirtless and wet for a bit. Really, I think Glee has a lot of raw material that it is not using to its fullest potential.

I have another early gig tomorrow which explains the early post. I am grateful for work as always but can't help wishing that it involved less waking up at 5am. I'm flying to Indianapolis in the morning and hopefully will have some interesting shirtlessness to report on Friday. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Early Post


I have a gig tomorrow that requires me to get up very early and so I'm posting early for kicks. A friend posted this video on Facebook, and I thought it was a humorous use of shirtlessness. So enjoy a blast from the past. I'll say I enjoy shirtlessness set to 80s music, and I'm also pleasantly surprised that Mike Tyson continues to be willing to make fun of himself. I enjoyed his cameo in "The Hangover" and laughed out loud with his random appearance here. I've also always had a secret crush on Wayne Brady - mostly because he seems willing to do anything to make us laugh.

I have to note that the Vice President of IMS disagreed with my assessment of Brian Austin Green's shirtlessness on DH. It just goes to show you that shirtlessness is in the eye of the beholder - one person's so-so might be another one's va-va-voom. I'm here only to promote good shirtlessness in all of its forms. So I'm thrilled that Mr. Green's shirtlessness pleased someone last Sunday night. I'm still hoping that Carlos will take off his shirt this Sunday.

And while I am a fan of H50, I think that it is now time for the writing to catch up with the hunkiness. Monday's episode contained only a flash of shirtlessness in the locker room with the quarterback, and the lack of longer shirtlessness allowed me time to ask myself questions like "Where is Jean Smart?" and "Do these people work for the police or what?" I applaud CBS for standing by Alex O'Loughlin and giving him starring roles in series. I only ask that they now give him more shirtless air time along with something interesting to do. Bickering with Scott Cahn does not an episode make, although I enjoy it very much.

It's been a rather introspective few months for me, and I have recently come to the conclusion that life really takes us on its own ride rather than us controlling it. I've decided that the best thing to do is laugh. I am going to try to laugh as much as possible. If I could laugh hysterically in a room full of polite and wet shirtless men, I think that would be heaven! Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Monday, October 4, 2010

Overlooked Shirtlessness

I'll admit that I have not paid much attention to Carlos on DH, possibly because I'm not a huge fan of facial hair, but I'd like to say that since shaving, Ricardo Chavira has leaped to the forefront of my list of men to take off their shirts on the show. Move over Brian Austin Green, Mr. Chavira will give you a run for your money! I hope that Carlos and Gabby get over their grief soon, and that perhaps Carlos will comfort Gabby by taking off his shirt. I know that if I found out that my child had been switched at birth, I would be greatly comforted by a shirtless, beardless Ricardo Chavira giving me a hug. And is it just me, or is Brian Austin Green's shirtlessness just not that exciting? I'm glad that the show is returning to the shirtlessness every week standard, but I have to say that I was not so impressed with it last night. Perhaps after being a connoisseur of shirtlessness for several years now, my standards have become impossibly high. Hmmm... I guess I'll just have to keep curling up with H 5-0 for my weekly fix of good male shirtlessness.

In other surprising news, I need to give a shout out to the Ma-Yi Theater Company's production of Michael Lew's "Microcrisis" for its dose of unexpected shirtlessness. IMS members know that I have come to hope for shirtlessness in almost every show or play I see, but honestly, I didn't see it coming in a play about the financial crisis. But somehow, shirtlessness found its way into the scene transitions to hilarious effect, and I was truly astonished by this clever and effective use of male shirtlessness. Bravo to Mike, director Ralph Pena, and the game assistant stage manager who took off his shirt in the name of telling a story even in scene breaks. In addition to using shirtlessness well, the production is absolutely hilarious with a top notch cast, and I encourage all IMS members in the New York area to run to see the show. You can get more information and tickets by clicking here.

I can't really comment on B&S due to the absurdity of the Sally Field lesbian storyline, and so I will just look forward to watching H5-0 tonight where shirtlessness is sure to mix with water and witty banter, just the way I like it. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Friday, October 1, 2010

Going the Distance for Shirtlessness

As I told you on Monday, I saw two movies over the weekend after not seeing any at all this summer. On Friday, I saw "Easy A," and on Saturday, I saw "Going the Distance" with Justin Long and Drew Barrymore. Part of what drew me to this film was the fact that it was directed by a woman who went to my high school, Nanette Burnstein, and I was very excited to support an artist coming out of my school. The film is not amazing, but I was impressed with some of the things that Ms. Burnstein choose to depict in a big budget Hollywood film, namely casual drug use and self pleasure via phone sex (look out Christine O'Donnell!). Most astonishingly, Mr. Long sported extensive shirtlessness without Ms. Barrymore having to take her shirt off at all. I think we saw her in her bra once but obstructed by Mr. Long's shirtless torso. I would say that this is a reason to hire more female directors in Hollywood, particularly ones who went to my high school. Brava!

In other news, I'm pleased to report that Bailey found a new take on our mantra here at IMS in last night's episode of GA - "Get your shirt off!" I liked it. I'm still enjoying the Meredith and Christina bonding, especially the way Derek has to deal with it, and I feel sure that the new psychiatrist is close to taking his shirt off on the show as well. This all makes me feel hopeful that GA will continue on a good track this season. As long as no one makes Eric Dane wear a turtleneck as he waits for Lexi, I will be happy.

I started a new play that I feel certain will contain shirtlessness, and so I'm feeling like I am continuing on the right track as well. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS