Somers Resident Releases “Beer Guts-N-Beards” Calendar
Alyse Schiffman of Somers was surrounded by pin-up men at the Jackie Blue Lounge in White Plains on Saturday, July 9, but they were not the stereotypical models. Instead they were the guys who posed for her “Beer Guts-N-Beards” Real Men Calendar of 2012, and they were there to celebrate at the release party.
“When you hear the title it’s raw and unexpected,” admitted Schiffman and she is quite right. The men who participated in the calendar are not exactly the type of men who have beer bellies, though the beard part is spot on. However this was her point exactly: real men get passed over because they do not carry the stereotypical good looks. Therefore the intention of the calendar was to get to know real men.
The calendar was inspired with a simple question. Schiffman was asked by her mother what type of guy she liked. Just out of a long term relationship, she replied that she would like an “adorable big cuddly teddy bear…not the perfect 10 like you see on the cover of a calendar…a guy with a beer gut and a beard.”
At the time Schiffman, who is a hair care specialist at Cherylyn North Salon in Armonk, was diagnosed with a benign essential tremor, a neurologic movement disorder characterized by involuntary fine rhythmic tremor of a body part or parts, primarily in the hands and arms. This diagnosis made it frustrating for her to work long hours so she decided she needed something else to do to ease the frustration and to help her if she was ever to stop cutting hair.
Schiffman decided it was only right to make her own calendar, to represent those “less than perfect men.” That is how Beer Guts-N-Beards International™ was born.
“I started this calendar for the women out there who appreciate the real men; those who would love to have 12-pages of scruffy deliciousness to stare at as the year passes by,” stated Schiffman. “The men in my calendar are cuddly teddy bears who enjoy spending their spare time not always at the gym, but at the bar watching the game, or working hard at their careers, or even spending their extra time at home snuggling watching a movie.”
“I am not saying that they don’t like to take care of themselves,” she clarifies. “Because by the looks of these pictures, you’ll know that’s not the case.”
At the release party, attendees got an opportunity to meet some of the men who participated in the calendar. Not only are the men of the calendar good looking, they also have colorful and varied personalities that fit with the message of the project. The 12-men range in age from 21 to 26 and were picked out of 150 applicants. Some of the pin-ups were already good friends with Schiffman.
The men in the calendar are: Matt Masi (January) of Somers, Tim Denver (February) of Mahopac, Jim Borhill (March) of Mahopac, Ricky Mancini (April) of Katonah, Anthony Preterno (May) of Somers, Jose Rosado (June) of Somers, Ron Delucia (July) of Yorktown, Dan Holland (August) of Stamford, CT, Nick Bivona (September) of City Island, Julio Neives (October) of Brewster, Louie Ruffalo (November) of Somers and Nick Masci (December) of Mahopac.
Delucia, 21, was already a friend of Schiffman, said that he was happy to be part of this experience and though he isn’t quite the all-American boy in his picture, he does have his sights on the American Dream. He owns a junk removal business and plans to expand it sometime in the future.
Likewise, Denver, 23, know better known as Mr. February, works for a bank and although he was a replacement for another one of the men, he said, “I could not have had a more awesome experience with everyone in the project.”
Each man there was fully in support of the message of the calendar, either knowing people who do fall for the stereotypical man or having experienced it for themselves. Furthermore they all agree that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to beauty. Preterno, 26, otherwise known as Mr. May, explained that physical attraction is the first thing we look for in a partner but there are other parts that could be just as attractive as muscles or any other sensual body parts.
The calendars are $15 a piece and can be purchased online through beergutsnbeards.com.
A dollar from every calendar sold is being donated to a charity that helps cancer patients that have lost their hair during treatment. In addition at the release party there was an auction where for two dinner dates with men from the calendar were bid on. The $1,100 that was raised through the auction will also be donated to the charity.
Schiffman is already thinking about the 2013 calendar and while there are already men who are volunteering for the honor, perhaps some women may be its stars.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.