What a Man!

February has officially kicked my butt, gentle IMS members.  Between the freezing grey weather, the horrible flu, and the overall lack of shirtlessness, I have just about had it.  I've been trying to figure out whether it is better to keep a stiff upper lip (as the folks on Downton would say) or be brutally honest when people ask me how I am.  As you can see above, I've chosen honesty.  And honestly, this winter stinks.  But let me share with you a gift I received through honesty.  One friend who knew I was having a hard time sent me this video, reminding me of happy days in the early 90s when I used to listen to Salt-n-Pepa obsessively.  Watching this video brought a smile to my face, and seeing it through the lens of good male shirtlessness only showed me that my preferences were there all along.

I understand that Salt has become a born-again Christian and disavows some of the lyrics from her hip-hip days which is too bad, because even 20 years later, the lyrics of their songs still seem empowering to me.  Here are three ladies talking about what they like in a partner and owning it.  They celebrate themselves and the good men in their lives.  They think it is important for their partners to be good lovers, good friends, and good friends to their friends. You are not going to see any of the ladies on "Girls" asking for that.  So hey 1993!  Thanks for making me smile!

May all of you ask for what you want and receive it.  Until then, I continue to be...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Downton Madness

I'll admit that I am just mad for "Downton Abbey" that totally un-diverse, no shirtlessness soap opera that has captured the hearts of the UK and America for three seasons.  Last night's season finale was devastating.  I won't spoil anything but even though I knew which character had to go, I was still broken by it.  Terrible, just terrible.  And of course, now I'm left wondering how I will get through the next 11 months until the next season.  There were several upbeat moments in this downer of a season finale, however, and one of them was the tiny bit of shirtlessness exhibited by Allen Leech as the chauffeur cum son-in-law, Branson.  I don't know if the fact that no one takes his shirt off in Edwardian England makes this scene so vulnerable, but I'd like to applaud Mr. Leech for giving me a little bit of shirtlessness before the hammer came down at the end of the episode.

So I've had the flu for the past week in spite of getting the flu shot.  I've just been a mess for the whole week, unable to do much of anything, not even blog.  Although I am currently on the mend, I still feel awful and weak.  I don't think I have ever been laid up like this ever.  Not fun.  Several friends sent cute messages saying "Hope a shirtless man comes and takes care of you," but alas no one actually sent a shirtless man.  So I've had a revelation that while I have been advocating for good shirtlessness for the world, I've actually not been advocating for it for myself.  This is a real problem, and one I intend to address as soon as I am well again.  True advocacy starts at home, and this home needs some shirtlessness!  Until then, I remain...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Holiday Shirtlessness

Gentle IMS members, Valentine's Day is upon us.  May we all experience some excellent shirtlessness on this day!  I have heard this day referred to as Singles Awareness Day (SAD), but I prefer to think of it as Buy Yourself Chocolate Day because if you can't love yourself, who can you love?  But seriously, Valentine's Day like almost every other holiday except for Arbor Day has turned into a commercial experience designed to make one group of people feel sad and to make the rest of the people pay exorbitant prices to eat.  I refuse to feel sad or pay high prices which may leave me on my own, but at least I know I have you, dear IMS members continuing to fight for free access to male shirtlessness everywhere.  In the spirit of holiday shirtlessness, I give you the Old Spice Man whose series of Christmas Old Spice ads continue to make me laugh.  I think being awakened by his gentle whispers would be very nice.  If only my name was Lisa, Angela, Pamela, and/or Renee.  And let's face it, Christmas and Valentine's Day are becoming almost the same holiday in terms of commercial pressure to spend and buy. 

I'm still mulling over the issues I raised in recent posts about how only featuring one group of people can create the illusion that that group is the only one with a certain attribute, like say sexiness or worthiness.  I have been having a hard time myself finding non-white shirtlessness to post, and I know it's not because there aren't plenty of non-white males taking their shirts off and looking good.  But the media does not seem to celebrate it and by inundating the airwaves and internet with only one kind of image, it creates the fallacy that the greater public only wants that kind of shirtlessness.  The same in theater, when only one kind of story gets told over and over again, the perception becomes that that is the only story that anyone is interested in.  So I'd just like to say that I love it when Asian, African-American, and Latino men take their shirts off in the media.  They are beautiful and I want more!

Yours in diverse shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Thank you IMS members!

Today's poster boy came to my attention through a diligent IMS member who thought I would appreciate some South Asian shirtlessness.  I do.  Adam Caldera is part Sri Lankan, part Dutch, and totally giving good shirtlessness.  That multiple pack of abs is ridiculous, and I feel confident saying that Mr. Caldera really should not wear a shirt most of the time, unless of course, he wants people to listen to what he is saying and then definitely a shirt should be worn. 

In the New York theater world, or at least the small part that I inhabit, the Asian American theater world, there is currently a hub bub over a production of the show "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" at the Roundabout Theatre Company which features two Caucasian actors in brownface portraying two people of Sri Lankan descent.  The story is about two English actors impersonating Sri Lankans which presumably justifies why these two actors have been dipped in brown paint to look like they are South Asian.  What I don't understand is why it's okay to resort to brownface in this day and age.  Casting notices have taken to reading "open to all ethnicities to convincingly play Indian," and I'm not sure what I am supposed to take this to mean.  When I read it, I think "looking for white people to play Indian" but I am assured that this is not what it means.  I'm really looking forward to when I am called into an audition that is "open to all ethnicities to convincingly play white."  White is not neutral, people; it's an ethnicity open to being impersonated like any other.  In fact many of us do so in our daily lives just to fit in.

One thing I will say for the mainstream theater is that while it has still not embraced multiculturalism, it has embraced shirtlessness.  Just this week another IMS member sent me a page from the Wall Street Journal with an article entitled "Beefcake on Broadway" and offering its suggestions for Best Pecs Tony.  If only they would give out a Tony for Best Shirtlessness!  Until that day, I continue to be...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Concept Shirtlessness

I had to post this commercial since my phone started to blow up last night when it aired.  I missed it in real time because I was out eating a fine French meal in an empty restaurant for Restaurant Week with some girlfriends who also did not care about the Super Bowl.  We did, however, get to watch Beyonce at the halftime show on the television in the bar.  In any case, after I came home and watched "Downton Abbey," I looked up this ad and found it quite pleasing on a cold winter night.  After several viewings, I still don't understand why this product is called "Concept" unless the concept is to stretch all the time wearing nothing but underwear, but let's face it, I don't really care. I'm happy that someone thought to put a commercial targeted at the girls and gays on the Super Bowl.  After all, Beyonce was performing.

Speaking of which, I'd also like to applaud the Super Bowl Entertainment Committee for presenting "Divas Live" last night.  Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keyes, and Beyonce all in one night?  That is some incredible lung capacity going on right there.  Not to mention the surprise reunion of Destiny's Child. I had no idea who won the game when I went to bed last night, but I was very clear that Michelle, Kelly, and Beyonce were ready to bring it whenever necessary.  Grrl Power!  They were so fierce that the lights went out!

So if this is the trend, well then, I might take to watching the Super Bowl again.  If only the players would play shirtless!  Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Saturday Night Shirtlessness

I missed this because I am like a curse to Saturday Night Live - whenever I watch it, it's not funny, but apparently the shows that I miss are hilarious.  So I help them out by not watching and then catching up on good clips later.  An IMS member recently alerted me to this excellent mix of shirtlessness and comedy exhibited by Adam Levine.  He has tatoos and a high voice which are not usually my preference, but somehow I just can't get enough of him.  His using shirtlessness for laughs just endears him to me more.  So thank you Mr. Levine for doing what you should do on live television.

In other news, another IMS members sent me a link to a blog post about shirtless highlights from the last year, but not one of the highlights featured a man of color.  Given my New Year's Resolution and my general distaste for racism, I felt I could not post this link.  I know it may seem silly to draw the line there, but I do feel when "Sexiest" lists repeatedly feature only people of one ethnicity, it sends the message that all other ethnicities are not sexy and that's not right.  People of all colors of the rainbow are sexy, and while on this blog I do advocate for good male shirtlessness, in life I like to advocate for rampant sexiness for everyone. As someone who does not fit the typical sexy mold but believes that she is sexy in her own unconventional way, far be it from me to promote only one group of people being sexy.  So there.

So get out there, dear IMS members, and be your own sexy selves!

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS