It's been 75 years since Clark Gable went shirtless in Mutiny on the Bounty. And 18 years since Mark Wahlberg touted his torso in Calvin Klein underwear ads. Lately the glimpse of an actor's chiseled, manscaped and moisturized abs has become the male counterpart of an actress's topless scene. Yes, abs are the new man-boobs.
I thought the trend had crested in 2009. Last year's X-Men Origins: Wolverine was effectively an abs showdown between Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds' abs nearly eclipsed his performance in last year's The Proposal. Then came Taylor Lautner and his 10-pack in Twilight: New Moon. But 2010 looks to be similarly abs-urd. Wahlberg's shirtlessness is a running gag in Date Night. This week Alex O'Loughlin and his abs upstage J-Lo and her assets in The Back-Up Plan. While watching O'Loughlin, I couldn't help but notice that he has hair above his pecs and is shaven below, all the better to see the abdominal definition. Made me nostalgic for the chest hair on Burt Reynolds and Alec Baldwin.
Are you a fan of this abs-session? Your favorite northern exposure? With a blush I admit Wahlberg in Date Night, not because I found it sexy but because he made it look like business casual.
The current craze started with Brad Pitt in "Thelma and Louise." It peaked with the absurd abdominal armies of "300." The new crop of pretty-boy gym rats includes the bozos on "Jersey Shore." The actors with real talent beneath the muscles are the ones whose careers will last into middle age and beyond.— Bob Ross- Not a fan of gratuitous shirt doffing, but the scene in Out of Sight when George Clooney removes his shirt before bedding JLo...hold on, I need a moment.— socialgrace
- Carrie, your use of the term man-boobs is incorrect. Man-boobs are saggy pecs. See the sponsored link under your post. "Help Me Loose (sic) My Man Boobs" Hahaha.— Ill Wang
- I'm all for skin in movies... alas, American films have grown so chaste and I think it unfortunate... it makes movies less and less about the reality of being human and more and more about the codification of what is (currently) socially acceptable by $$$$... why is there is no counter culture anymore....?— Andrew_Repasky_McElhinney
- What about Men's Health coverboy Ryan Phillippe? Check out this abs action! http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/04/18/philippe_plays_pattinson_on_snl_shows_off_abs_on_mag_cover/— akstanwyck
- i dont even know what to say. thanks?— g$ is an idiot
- When will women see big lats and spinal erectors as sexy?— Delaware Jim
- My vote is for Paul Walker, whose shirtlessness made INTO THE BLUE a abs-solute must-see.— garyk
- Evidently Flickgrrl commenters are too prudish to post on this subject, but I have received more than a dozen responses via personal e-mail. The funniest comes from MRL, who writes: While its not a movie, one of the pleasures of watching "Mad Men" is seeing Jon Hamm's shirtless body, most frequently shot from above and in bed post-coital.... delicious abs... manly fuzz on the chest..mmmmm— carrierickey
- While Flickgrrl readers have been too shy to post a comment on this subject, she has received more than a dozen e-mails. Here's the funniest, from MRL: "while its not a movie, one of the pleasures of watching mad men is seeing john hamm's shirtless body, most frequently shot from above and in bed post-coital.... delicious abs... manly fuzz on the chest..mmmmm."— carrierickey
- Paul Walker's shirtlessness in INTO THE BLUE was abs-solutely a fantastic display of his talents.— garyk
- Paul Walker's shirtlessness in INTO THE BLUE was abs-solutely a fantastic display of his talents.— garyk
- Reader Pat B asked Flickgrrl to post this: I'm another one of your shy readers. I can't explain the sudden (and irrational) interest in abs on men, although I would like to add to Bob Ross' comment on "300." I've read that the abs on the actor in that film were fake, cosmetically touched-up by CGG. (That may explain why Gerard Butler is apprehensive about taking off his shirt on screen now.) But as for the penchant for smooth-chested actors, well, for that you can blame teenage girls. It started way back with Leonardo DiCaprio before his delayed puberty set in. If you think about it, most of the young actors of his age range (Toby McGuire, Matt Damon and the like) are smooth. I remember seeing the 'Parent Trap" remake years ago. A character on the periphery - the butler, I think - came on screen shirtless and hairy and all the teen and tween girls around us went "ewwww" in unison. These kids grew up with follicly challenged actors and they think that's the norm. Alec Baldwin? He'd give them nightmares.— carrierickey
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