Monday, September 14, 2009

half bare

Is it correct to call men without shirts “topless?” Or “half-naked?” In some stores, you’ll read that “shirtless” patrons are not welcome. So is the proper term “shirtless?”

It would be impossible for me to even imagine a male student coming to a law school class without an upper-body garment. But at the college level, this (shirtless male) must be within the realm of the not absurdly ridiculous, because today I saw a number of young men looking somewhat bare.


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That's men for you.

Oh, but wait. On my ride home (or, rather, to the little corner shop...) I saw a college aged maiden arise from the waters.


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It could be that she is the example that I need to make this post gender neutral. It could be.

But, if half-bare males on campus are rare, half-bare females are, for all purposes, not to be found. Predictably, this goddess turned out to have all the strings in the right places.



All this to say that it was a warm day. Anyone needing to rely on extraordinary measures to keep cool (for example -- come to campus shirtless) had my total understanding. Inside as well? Yes, sure. Though I would have been just a tad thrown off.