Anne Hathaway strikes a blow for an underwear-free America

Should actresses wear underwear?

Admittedly, this is not exactly in my ballpark as an opinionater. I usually deal with weightier fare, such as Earth’s near-miss encounter with an asteroid this week. I’ve also been paying attention to the Lakers’ near-miss encounters with the rims Tuesday night in Cleveland, and the Dodgers’ near-miss encounter with fiscal sanity lately in spending like drunken sailors on pitchers.

But, because my middle name is eclectic (You think that’s funny? Not when you have TSA folks looking at you!), I have suddenly found myself deeply immersed in actress Anne Hathaway’s recent wardrobe malfunction.

Seems the “Les Miserables” star was attending the New York premiere of her new film Monday and, well, here’s how The Times’ Ministry of Gossip blog described the scene:

In a black Tom Ford creation with a constructed back and dramatic slit, Annie had herself a wardrobe malfunction while climbing out of her car at the Ziegfeld Theatre: She revealed to photographers that she wasn’t wearing any underwear.

Now, first of all, is anyone really surprised that there was a malfunction involving a Ford? I mean, I remember the last Ford I owned; yes, it was years ago, but it wasn’t that great.

Still, that didn’t save Hathaway from being tres miserable about the whole thing. Appearing on “Today,” she told anchor Matt Lauer:

“It kind of made me sad on two accounts. One was that I was very sad that we live in an age when someone takes a picture of another person in a vulnerable moment and rather than delete it ... sells it.

“And I’m sorry that we live in a culture that commodifies sexuality of unwilling participants.”

And I am totally with Hathaway on that. In fact, I’m shocked! shocked! to find that we live in such a culture. When did that happen? Why didn’t someone tell me (and Hathaway)? Why isn’t there an app to warn us about such sea changes?

What’s next -- people stealing celebrities’ dirty photos from their cellphones and posting them online?

It’s enough to get your panties in a bunch -- provided you’re wearing any, of course.

I say enough is enough. There’s something really wrong with this country when someone can’t go out without underwear. Even if they just forgot to put it on, which can happen (don’t ask).

And let’s not blame Hathaway. Sure, she gets to wear all those glamorous clothes, and she goes to great parties, and she’s well paid and famous and all. But it’s not like it isn’t just, you know, a job.

As she told Lauer: “I’d be happy to stay home, but, the film.”

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