CBS
On tonight's episode of The New Adventures of Old Christine, our titular head case is reunited with her therapist (and future love interest?) Max (Eric McCormack). And she's treated to quite a sight: When Max bends over to change a tire, the whale's tail of his thong underwear emerges from his pants. Naturally, Christine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) makes that face—a mixture of disgust and delight—that has by now become her signature. After photographing her discovery with her phone, she teases him mercilessly.
Christine: Actually, I think it's kind of sexy.
Max: Really?
Christine: No.
But the joke may be on her, because McCormack's backside isn't the only place where "man thongs" are popping up these days. Here are some others.
1. In April's premiere episode of VH1's Rock of Love spin-off, Daisy of Love, Crazy Mike strips down to a man thong. (The other suitors squeal in embarrassed discomfort.)
2. In the new Starz series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand (Jan. 22, 10 PM ET), the heroic rebel Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) is a sex symbol in his leather man thongs. "Gladiators' virtues extend beyond the arena," says a voiceover in this promo clip. "As lovers, they are said to be ravenous beasts."
3. And who doesn't love the Rolling Rock commercial featuring the thong-sporting office workers? Hey, at European companies, thongs are all the rage.
If Christine needs any more convincing, even that bible of men's style, GQ, has weighed in favorably on the man thong issue. "A man’s underwear, not to mention his sex life, is his own business and the business of his immediate intimates," writes Glenn O'Brien. "That’s why they call it underwear: It goes under the clothes, where others can’t see it." But GQ does issue this warning: "Of course, the minute you enter the locker room, you're going public, and wearing a thong there would take nerves as steely as your buns."
Plus: Watch our exclusive video interview with Julia Louis-Dreyfus!
Do you think it's ever okay for a man to wear a thong? Chime in below!
