Magic Shirtless Mike

The IMS outing to "Magic Mike" was a resounding success!  I will point out that we were not the only organized group at our screening, but we were the only one to erupt spontaneously into applause at various points of the movie.  It was a different movie than what I expected in terms of tone which was actually quite somber, but it certainly delivered on the shirtless front.  In the first 10 minutes, no one wore a shirt at all!  Hurrah!  IMS members, our work is certainly making a difference!  

Let's take a moment to reflect on an accessory to shirtlessness that I don't often discuss - dance ability. As a former dancer myself, I know my own tendency to be overly critical and so I rarely comment on it.  But Channing Tatum is a great dancer!  I knew this from his "Step Up" days, but in "Magic Mike," you realize that his dance ability really reflects the core of his sexiness.  I don't think I've ever seen any man writhe on the floor the way Mr. Tatum does, a fact which now makes me a little bit sad.  But sadness aside, it takes someone incredibly comfortable with and knowledgeable about his own body to move like that, and as President of IMS, I have to say it is incredibly attractive. The ability to dance is up there with water and kindness as a great accessory to shirtlessness.

And I have to give a shout out to Matthew McConaughey who has been previously banned from this blog due to overexposure. He stole the show with his portrayal of the egotistical stripper-turn-strip-club-owner Dallas.  Mr. McConaughey has always struck me as someone with a very healthy ego, but his performance suggested to me some self-awareness of his own persona.  It was not quite as delicious as Alec Baldwin's nude scene in "It's Complicated" but significantly more layered and nuanced.  I can't believe that I can use the term "pathos" in a sentence about either Mr. McConaughey or "Magic Mike," and yet I felt that Mr. McConaughey indeed found the pathos of his "Magic Mike" character.  Brava!

So dear IMS members, I suggest you support this film and post comments on what you thought.  I await your commentary.  Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS