Why Men Should Go Shirtless (Sometimes)



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I was watching “Thor Ragnarok” with my family during winter break last year, and there was that scene where Thor is missing his shirt for some reason. At the time I couldn’t see the point to it, and I think I said something snarky, but I don’t remember. What I do remember is my mom saying something along the lines of, “Well, mothers see these movies, too, you know.”  

It wasn’t until this summer, that I understood what my mom meant. When you’re making a piece of media, it’s important to consider your audience. Plain and simple, right? In the case of “Thor Ragnarok,” there’s a thing for everyone. There are jam-packed action scenes if you’re an action/Marvel fan, comedy if you appreciate some jokes, and the shirtless scene if you’re looking for a good time.

Not only does it make the movie great for the average movie-goer, but it also begs the question, do shirtless scenes make movies/shows better?

For a long time, I would always roll my eyes at a guy who would take his shirt off in a film. I’m already picky when it comes to watching movies, and the guy having no shirt was going to distract from a plot that I may wanted to get invested in. More than anything else, it made me feel very annoyed.

Also, the shirtless dudes I would often see were guys with short hair. Not that there’s anything wrong with having short hair, it’s just that, when I see dudes with that hairstyle, I associate it with the words, “uptight, serious, not-really-fun, and blah.” I prefer guys with long hair, which is partly why characters like Loki appeal to me.

The hype around shirtless dudes only gets worse when you add obnoxious reactions from a live studio audience. Yeah, you know what I mean, the people who would “ooh, ah, and woo” every time a shirt is ripped from some hot stud’s body. It’s like, yeah, we get it. The guy’s flexing his muscle without his shirt. Now will you please shut up?      

But then came Brennen Evangelista from Uncharted Travel, to turn my perception on this tired cliché completely upside down. He’s an Italian Canadian internet celebrity and also the reason why I understand what my mom was trying to tell me about “Thor: Ragnarok.”

He makes a living by exploring abandoned places in Canada and even in parts of the States. He’s witty, smooth, and yes, does have muscle under his shirts. However, if you check out his YouTube channel, shirtless Brennen is as common as a Sudowoodo is on Pokémon Go.   

If you’re looking for his surfable roids, look no further than Dan Bell’s series “Another Dirty Room.” The show is on its second season, and already you can spot him shirtless in the opening. But you can also see him shirtless for more than ten seconds on the third and fourth episode. He’s so gorgeous without a shirt, everyone is trying to exploit him for that. There’s no doubt shirtless Brennen is an item of great value, especially to the female eye.

It also helps that Brennen is in his early twenties and single. Chris Hemsworth, on the other hand, is a taken dude in his mid-thirties. Not that age is the be all end all factor for enjoying shirtless dudes—in fact, I could say sexual orientation could play a bigger role on that front—but it always adds something for me. Just take my word for it on that one.

Plus, ADR episodes consist of people picking apart sleazy motel rooms. It’s a concept that could send any cleanliness-obsessed mother into a panic attack with little to no recovery. However, with a hot Italian Canadian dude being a part of the crew, it could make the disgusting finds of the dirty room a little easier to stomach. Heck, it could get my mother into watching the show, but I’m getting a little ahead of myself.            

Is this to say I would go gaga for any guy not wearing a shirt in a film or tv show? No. I haven’t gone off that deep into losing my dignity just yet. Even now, I only got interested in Brennen because he thinks family is important. And also, he has really dark, thick, and wild hair, but that’s (sort of) beside the point.

I guess personality plays a bigger factor than anything else when it comes to liking someone, especially those who happen to be allergic to wearing shirts. But then again, I sound like a Sunday-School teacher if I were to leave it at that. So please, by all means, enjoy all the shirtless dudes you like. It ain’t my place to judge anyhow.          

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