Time to strip down: This upcoming Saturday, February 21, is “Send a Naked Picture of Yourself to Steve Buscemi Day,” a celebration more legitimate than Groundhog Day and Arbor Day combined. The Facebook group for the event currently has over 3,000 confirmed participants, up from 267 last year. It’s taken a while for the holiday to catch on – an Urban Dictionary entry for Feb. 21 posted in 2008 states that “February 21st is a day nationally accepted as ‘Send a Naked Picture of Yourself to Steve Buscemi’ Day'” – but catch on it has. And there is only one way to celebrate: “Mailing a nude photograph of yourself or a loved one to Mr. Buscemi for his viewing pleasure.”
Even though I was initially amused when I heard about the makeshift holiday, it quickly dawned on me that it makes a specific kind of sense. Buscemi, the ultimate character actor, has the perverse air of any good misfit. The man also has an erotic appeal that I can’t quite put my finger on. Don’t believe me? Talk to the nearly 4.5 million people who watched 50 Shades of Buscemi.
Here’s the thing, it would be a creepy holiday if Steve Buscemi actually wanted naked picture of all of us. He doesn’t. When I reached out to Polaris Public Relations – the official destination for Buscemi-bound selfies – a representative refused to comment about the event on the record. Was she professional? Absolutely. Was she annoyed? Probably. No one wants to get an email containing the words: “What do you do with all the naked pictures?”
Still, the former firefighter deserves love. He’s talented, and doesn’t seem like the sort of guy who shows his buddies phone pics of naked women.
If you’re feeling overcome by the holiday spirit, the address to send your nudes to is: Steve Buscemi, c/o Polaris Public Relations, 8135 West 4th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048. And I highly suggest you do so; It’s a simple, gracious way to thank him for all his indelible contributions to American cinema. And your birthday suit will definitely be in good hands. Steve Buscemi looks like a man who truly knows how to appreciate a tasteful nude from a stranger.
Photos by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images