Holiday Shirtlessness

I've never featured Mark Wahlberg before, which is odd since he seems to be shirtless a lot. His new film "The Fighter" promises to include lots of shirtlessness, making this holiday movie season quite promising. Who cares about Oscar buzz? Just take off your shirt!

I am pleased to report that "Love and Other Drugs" did deliver on its shirtless promise. Actually both Mr. Gyllenhaal and Ms. Hathaway spent a great deal of time semi-nude which made everyone in the audience, including the members of my little gang, very happy. Not only was there a lot of great shirtlessness, but the dialogue was pretty good too. I just like these two actors together and have since "Brokeback Mountain." They have really easy chemistry with each other which is so much fun to watch. While some of the other members of my party had qualms with various aspects of the writing, overall, we were pleasantly surprised by how we were engaged by this film. My only issue was trying to figure out how an early-onset Parkinson's patient with a tremor could have such amazing hair in every single frame. How I long for Anne Hathaway's hair person!

I will be headed to Buffalo for the holiday where my dad continues to insist the internet is not necessary, and so there will be no posts on Friday or Monday. But I will be back for some New year's shirtlessness and you will be too. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Loving Shirtlessness Tonight!

Today is a happy day for this gay icon because I have a fabulous evening planned which will culminate in this film. I am cooking up a pork tenderloin for a few friends, including the vice president of IMS, and then heading en masse to the movie. Good food, good friends, and good shirtlessness? Merry Christmas to me!

I've heard that there is plenty of shirtlessness, male and female, in this movie. Thank goodness because baby, it's cold outside! There has been very little shirtlessness in my life this December, and so I look forward to enjoying it with other connoisseurs. There has been some unfortunate discussion about Mr. Gyllenhaal's alleged relationship with Taylor Swift in our preparatory emails for the evening, but tonight will be all about Mr. Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway who has become one of my favorite actresses. She always looks fantastic, chooses interesting roles, and can make fun herself. I'm a fan.

In other shirtlessness, lists are currently being compiled of the best shirtlessness of the year, and a good one is this one posted on the Huffington Post. I keep this tab up on my web browser so that I always have some shirtlessness on hand when needed. I love end of the year lists! If any of you gentle readers have suggestions for an end of the year list for this blog, please feel free to comment. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Continued Shirtlessness

Watch the full episode. See more SundayArts.

Sorry for the late post. Certain exciting events in my life have preempted the blog for this week along with the fact that I was once again in a place without internet on Friday. So instead of a picture, I am giving you a whole video about the often shirtless men of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the creation of one of its more recent shirtless works, "The Hunt." I liked watching this video because I got to learn more about a piece that I have seen once. Also the dancers in the video are a different cast than who I saw perform, and I like trying to glean how the dancer affects the choreography. In any case, I hope you will enjoy this extra dose of shirtlessness on a cold Monday.

So it looks like the shows are trying to wrap it up before Christmas. I found that B&S has descended into farce this season, and Nora's Christmas Carol dream in last night's episode simply exemplified how ridiculous this show is. Particularly disgusting are the ads preceding the show about how the Walker children always get what they want on Christmas - I won't help the cause by telling you what store that they were advertising. Needless to say, I am impressed how presenting children as entitled brats could encourage people to shop more. I'm also impressed how every Walker liaison turns into a meaningful relationship. Even Kitty's coffee shop hook up has turned into a relationship in one short week. Just as she was cured of cancer in three, it only took her one week and several romps on a futon to introduce her new lover to her son. And that's the conservative person on the show. Why are we never given any time for anything to develop or simmer? Is television just so stupid that elongated plot lines are too much to follow? I certainly hope not!

I did like the cliff hanger on DH, however. I'm glad someone shot Paul Young because he was really bugging me. I only hope some new shirtlessness will be introduced on the show in the spring in his stead. It's only fair.

More on my good news in later posts, but suffice it to say that I will be spending the first half of the year in a place where there may be significantly higher shirtlessness than New York in the winter. Oh joy! Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

It's That Time of Year

Every December, I have to post something from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in honor of their City Center season. Every year, I go and am astounded by the sheer virtuosity of the dancers as well as the amazing shirtlessness on display every single performance. I went to see the company last night and was not disappointed. Artistic Director Designate, Robert Battle, choreographed a piece called "The Hunt," excerpts of which you can see above as performed by Ailey II, featuring six shirtless men in all of their athletic glory. I am excited that Mr. Battle chose to feature the dancers in this way and feel this is a sign of good things to come when he takes over as Artistic Director next season. Since I always see a program featuring "Revelations," Mr. Ailey's masterpiece, I am always guaranteed some shirtlessness in the section called "Sinner Man" (still my all-time favorite piece of choreography), but truly last night's program topped all my wildest expectations.

Dance is my first love and my way into the theater. I don't see as much as I used to, being so ensconced in the theater now, but every time I go, I am reminded of how beautiful each individual can be. Watching a large company of dancers dance in unison always amazes me. They can be all together in the movement, and yet each one does it in his or her own way. And each way is beautiful. I like going to the theater and to dance to remember that. We all have our own way, and each of us can be beautiful. I keep holding on to that and hope that you will, too.

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Reasons to Get Shirtless

This holiday season, I thought I would offer some situations in which shirtlessness could be wildly appropriate, and above is one of my favorites - washing a woman's hair. As Ryan Gosling is demonstrating in "The Notebook," it is very helpful to be shirtless when washing the hair of your beloved. I like it. The secretary of IMS requested Mr. Gosling a few weeks ago, and it took me a while to find a picture which was not taken by the paparazzi or with Kirsten Dunst. While Ms. Dunst may be a very nice person, she appears to never wear a bra, and I cannot post a picture of her on my blog lest it appear that I am promoting bralessness which I most certainly am not. Also, I really enjoy Rachel McAdams pictured here. Finally not only did I enjoy this scene for itself, but it also reminds me of the iconic scene in "Out of Africa" where Robert Redford washes Meryl Streep's hair. Although everyone keeps their shirts on in that scene, it is just so romantic and sexy that it makes me swoon a little bit. But I digress...

So rehearsals have begun for my play in Silver Spring, MD, and I am a bit overwhelmed by the fact that is happening at all. Less than 20% of plays produced in the USA are written by women, and the number goes down for women of color, and so I am pleased to have an actual production of my work occur. I wish the show were closer to home so that I could be more involved, but alas, I am not able to leave New York for that long. In any case, I am excited to see how the show develops over the next month, and working very hard on trying to get some shirtlessness into the script.

I'm hoping that December tv does not turn into all reruns and holiday cartoons. New shirtlessness is often the key to making it through the holidays. Please feel free to post suggestions if you have any. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS