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NEEDLESS SHIRT RIPPING PRIMED FOR HOLLYWOOD COMEBACK

September 11 2009

Hollywood, CA – Hollywood has long depended on other mediums for its ideas. From novels to comic books, the history of Hollywood films has been dominated by tales from other places. For some that has meant strong financial security that has made
the industry the most popular creative form. For others it has been an artistic and creative burden that has inhibited the growth of the form. Though the debate over adaptations will likely continue there is one genre that has pushed the medium forward more than any other.

The action film has been a popular genre in film for decades. Whether the bullet laden epics of the 1980’s or the punch-crazy martial arts tales of 1970’s the action film has remained a viable and durable genre since its inception. Though action films have frequently been based on previous works (Dirty Harry, The Towering Inferno) their loyalty to the source material has frequently been marginal at best. The transition to the visual realm has perhaps benefited action films more than any other and Hollywood officials, fresh out of ideas, are going back to what works with a concerted effort to increase the number of shirts torn off in the midst of a battle.

“They really had it right in the eighties. People like Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Van Damme tore their shorts off constantly and they had huge success with it. That has really fallen out of favour in recent years but there is no arguing with the success they had in those days. We want to bring some of that back to theatres and to movie-goers,” said an anonymous Hollywood insider. “It’s the Bruce Willis syndrome. ‘Die Hard’ was a huge hit and he wore that wife beater the whole time. All of a sudden people realized that you didn’t need to spend twelve hours a day in the gym to be an action star and that more or less eliminated the shirt-tearing from the genre. Now everyone could be an action star and eventually it just got kind of boring. Now we have people like Shia LeBeouf as action stars which is really just ridiculous.”

T-shirt manufacturers throughout the Hollywood area have been ramping up production of late, apparently at the request of a number of major studios.

“It’s really a lost art. In the eighties they had this formula that worked really well and ensured maximum impact for the shirt tear but that has disappeared. Really a whole generation has gone without shirt tearing so it will be interesting to see how easily these young stars adapt to the new reality,” said Scrape TV Entertainment analyst Tracey Temple. “There is some question as to the physical nature of some of these young action stars, not only how they will look without shirts but also whether or not they have the strength to actually tear those shirts off. It’s going to be a steep learning curve to be sure.”

Reportedly Hulk Hogan, perhaps the best known shirt-tearer in history, has been offering his services to a number of young stars including LeBeouf.

“There is some question as to whether or not the short removal actually contributed to the success of the films or if the attitude that led to shirt-tearing was somehow a part of the attitude towards the filmmaking. The real question is whether or not this will be a superficial change or if this marks a fundamental change in the attitude of filmmakers and studios,” continued Temple. “The last thing we need to see is half-hearted shirt tearing which will just be gratuitous. I’m sure there are a lot of actors out there that women would like to see shirtless but men will see through it if it’s not genuine. Men know real shirt-ripping from fake and they will call them on it.”

Many studios are looking towards the 2011 release of ‘Thor’ as a barometer of potential shirtless success.     

Samantha Dryden, Entertainment Correspondent

NEWS > ENTERTAINMENT > NEEDLESS SHIRT RIPPING PRIMED FOR HOLLYWOOD COMEBACK