And We Have Lift-Off!

Happy news, fellow IMS members!  While I firmly believe that USA Today is a rag rather than an actual journalistic newspaper (spellcheck anyone?), the fact that it has declared 2012 the Year of the Shirtless Man brings a warm feeling to my heart.  This means that not only has our work effected the sides of the country but also the middle.  Oh happy day!  Read all about this important trend here.

I like how the networks have finally come to understand that spending power of women and decided to make programming to entice female viewers to sty with their shows.  I'm so glad that this realization has been made in 2012, 92 years after we got the vote.  To be fair, although the article did not mention it, I think the networks are also realizing the purchasing power of gay men which means that perhaps they realize that gay men are out and about in this country buying things.  Again, hurrah for the power of the obvious. 

I am disappointed that not one of the shirtless guys featured was non-white, but I'll leave that argument for another day.  Above I give you Johnny Lee Miller who stars opposite Lucy Liu who gets to keep all of her clothes on and even represent the voice of reason on the show "Elementary."  The envelope is being pushed in so many ways!

Here's to hoping that this trend keeps up in 2013!  Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Welcome Back Gilles!

This evening I received an urgent call from the Vice President of IMS telling me I had to watch "Dancing with the Stars" because not only was IMS Poster Boy 2010 Gilles Marini doing a shirtless dance, but he was doing it in the style of Bollywood.  In spite of my strong aversion to all things Bollywood and my general distaste for white people dressing up as Indians, I have to admit that I can imagine no more perfect moment for IMS than his dance at 8:58 EST tonight.  I don't know if it was his Miami tan or his extra kajaled eyes, but I fell under his spell!  And his physique is truly unbelievable.  During the judging section, I just stared at his arms; then when they were waiting for their scores, I just stared at his bellybutton.  I could do without the gratuitous "that was hotter than a curry" comments from the judges (I mean when someone does a beautiful waltz, do any of the judges say it was "smoother than a fine coffee?"  I think not!), but I could not get enough of those arms, that chest, and that sexy sexy accent expressing how deep a commitment he has to the dance.  I seriously began to tear up as he talked about how afraid he was of doing this dance.

During our post-dance confab, the vice president and I agreed that both of us would start to cry if we ever met M. Marini.  Also, we hope that Brooke Burke will kindly step to one side the next time she is interviewing him, especially if he continues to perform shirtless which he should always do.  FOREVER. 

In case you can't tell, DWTS has really gotten me hot and bothered this evening.  So I will leave you with the happy video in case you didn't catch it tonight.  They could have both plied more and kissed less for a more authentic Bollywood feel, but I admire their total embrace of a dance that they confessed they knew nothing about.  They found an expert, took some lessons, and then took his shirt off.  Hurrah!

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Preparing for Shirtlessness

One of the actors in my shirtless play last month told me that she filmed a scene on "30 Rock" that included excellent shirtlessness.  I watched the show last night, and indeed her scene featured Tina Fey and James Marsden getting busy on the floor of a Staples sans his shirt.  There are many things about this scene that made me happy:  1) My friend was in it being hilarious, 2) James Marsden took off his shirt (obviously), 3) James Marsden is Liz Lemon's love interest which gives me hope that some day soon, I too will find a cute guy who gives good shirtlessness to sweep me off my feet or at least to sweep around the house, 4) someone thought to set a love scene in a Staples which appeals to my nerdy and organized side, and 5) Mr. Marsden is allowing himself to go grey which appeals to the part of me which wishes I didn't have to color my hair.  I rarely see "30 Rock" since it is on Thursday nights when I am usually in my writers' lab, but I have to say it never disappoints when I do catch it.  I only wonder why Alec Baldwin continues to dye his hair that unnatural color, but that is probably worth pondering in some other forum.

In honor of my friend's scene and Mr. Marsden's new short and grey look, I post this picture of him, obviously preparing himself for shirtlessness.  May many others do the same!  Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Gleeful Shirtlessness

The vice president of IMS recently alerted me to new good male shirtlessness on Glee this season, and so I present Dean Stanley Geyer for your enjoyment.  I wonder how I never seemed to meet anyone in a state of shirtlessness when taking any sort of dance or acting class, or at least not anyone who went to my church.  Alas, how tv and reality differ!  But I'm happy to see that Glee is getting in on the shirtless action.  I'm pretty sure that Glee is the gayest show on television (making the fact that it runs on Fox both ironic and hysterical), and as such, there should be much more shirtlessness on it.  Gleeks, take note!

In other news, I am now working on a short play about migrant Filipino workers with Leviathan Lab's fall production, Migration Nation.  When asked if I would be working male shirtlessness into my play, I responded that making a migrant worker take off his shirt seemed wrong to me.  And so it seems that I have finally found the line that cannot be crossed on my quest for good shirtlessness: exploited people.  In case any of you were wondering if my quest would cause me to make dubious choices in my creative work, the answer is no.  Even I have boundaries.

I'll be working out of town on Monday, using my acting skills to help corporate managers communicate like normal people, but plan on posting something juicy next Friday.  Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Ballet Boyz!

A crazy work day on Friday which began at 7am in Durham, NC and ended at City Center in midtown Manhattan prevented me from posting.  This day included a very bumpy ride in a very small plane into LaGuardia airport followed by a frantic cab ride home followed by a one-stop ride on the subway.  Planes, trains, and automobiles.  The good news is that the night did end with some good male shirtlessness at the Fall for Dance Concert at New York's recently renovated City Center.  I love Fall for Dance for its amazing sampling of art.  Every year, I get to see a mixed program of dance companies from all over the world presenting a wide variety of styles and techniques.  This year, one of the pieces even featured some male shirtlessness.  When I saw the name "BalletBoyz" on the program, I remarked to my companion that I hoped the boyz would take their shirts off.  When exactly that happened, we high fived in the dark.  Although the piece was not my favorite of the night (that distinction went to the Nederlands Danz Theater), I did gasp audibly at the end when the lights went out on all the Ballet Boyz mid-air.  Riotous applause followed.  It was a good night at the theater.

In any case, I have a relatively slow-paced week this week and look forward to posting more shirtlessness on Friday before dashing off to Durham again.  Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS