The film “Finding Magic Mike” is about men who are looking to regain their magic. If you’re into rippling abs and grinding lap dances, then this show is for you. It features a $100,000 prize and the chance to win it. Because these male contestants are using their involvement to find themselves, they cast a few guys who wouldn’t be good for a pinup calendar.
In Las Vegas, where else?, they start with 50 people who want to be on the show. They quickly cut that down to 10 people. A co-star who hosts the show says, “What we’re looking for are guys who have lost their magic.” As part of the search team, he’s been joined by choreographers Alison Faulk and Luke Broadlick, as well as producers of the live “Magic Mike” show and guests like Robin Thede and Whitney Cummings, who are both comics.
The show wants to “help them find what they came here for.” Contestant: “I just want to prove to the world that I can go for my dreams and achieve something.”
If you think that sounds a little mushy for a show about getting naked, you’re right. The idea that men are under attack has become a rallying cry in some Republican circles. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley recently said that masculinity is under attack from the left, and he called for a “revival of strong and healthy manhood in America.”
As is so often the case, “Finding Magic Mike” seems to work on a number of different levels, some of which are at odds with each other. During the show, Ross is one of the more out-front contenders. He talks a lot about his assets. At the same time the show is heartfelt, with tears and hugs when one of the guys is sent home.
In the movie “The Full Monty,” which came out in 1997, ordinary men get rid of their clothes and free up a side of themselves that will get their mojo back and shake them out of their ruts.
Gloria Borger, a CNN political analyst, recently looked into Hawley’s argument and found a less-than-selfless reason for it. It’s clear why she did this: Conservative, disillusioned men are a political gold mine.
In the case of “Finding Magic Mike,” the commercial motive is also pretty clear. On the surface, the show looks like it was made for women. It shows the participants’ soft and hard sides, as well as their chiselled sides.
Even though men who watch the show get a not-so-subtle pep talk from the show and the way it’s set up. “Hey guys, you can still “find the magic” inside of you.” Prepare to be stripped down, both literally and figuratively, so you can get the job done.
