We remember vividly being in the room when our mom was watching Phil Donahue on TV.
Not because of the host, but because of his guests—shirtless hunks of men we would soon learn called themselves something that previously only conjured up images of Disney chipmunks.
The Chippendales Dancers awakened something not-so-deep within us—a raging homosexuality that would only grow in intensity over the next several years and decades. Even though we’d dream of seeing their show in person, we knew being one of the only men in the audience (if not the only) would certainly alert everyone that we were gay before we had the courage to come out.
Instead, we were resigned to sneak peeks on their numerous daytime talk show appearances in the 1980s along with their in-print compatriots, the men of Undergear and International Male.
Well, starting today, we can get our fix of shirtless men in bowties as Hulu presents the shocking true story of a cultural phenomenon that turns to murder in Welcome to Chippendales.
The eight-episode streaming series focuses more on Kumal Nanjini’s Somen “Steve” Banerjee, the man who created the male-stripping craze that drove housewives and bachelorettes into a frenzy.
But there’s enough of the hot hunky guys to add extra spice to what becomes a surprising amount of drama for a gaggle of mostly naked men.
Come for the promise of gyrating dudes, stay for the made-for-late-night-TV true crime.
Welcome to Chippendales
Photo courtesy of Hulu
First two episodes streaming today
hulu.com
