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Why one woman is rushing to the theater to see 'Magic Mike'

BY Alyssa Kleven  on June 30, 2012 @ 9:47 am (Updated: 6:02 pm - 7/1/12 )

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Women are flocking to "Magic Mike."

I don't know if you have heard, but there is a movie out this weekend about strippers. Male strippers.

That's what has had all the women (and some men) in your life up in arms, suddenly murmuring the name Channing far more often than usual, and making plans for "girl's night out" at the movie theater.

They're not going to the movies to see "Prometheus."

"Magic Mike" is loosely based on Channing Tatum's former part-time gig as a stripper. I haven't seen the movie yet, so this is not a review, but I can tell you why I'm going to a theater with women that may shriek at the screen as if they were in a strip club. (Audience members on opening weekend always seem to "participate" in the movie.)

I've only seen one other movie in the theater this year and it's been critically hailed; Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom" has an all-star cast and features such striking scenes that each one is like its own photograph.

Women may want to stop and take pictures of the scenes of "Magic Mike" for other reasons.

Since my friend suggested that I go to this movie on opening weekend, and I felt silly enough to reply via text message to my friend "omg yes," I've been watching the reviews roll in.

Truth be told, a movie about male strippers seems like a paradox to a "critically hailed" movie. Frankly, I've never been to male strip club and that's fine. My friends do "classy" things for their bachelorette parties, like wine tastings, peddle cloud, camping, or a time spent away at some mysterious family member's beach condo. I don't think I ever want to go to male strip club either, which is why this film invites the perfect time for someone like me to explore the near-naked culture.

Even though I'm a woman with little interest in going somewhere to ogle barely dressed men doesn't mean that I can't and won't. I heard a woman say that while it was fine for men in the 90s to cheer on Demi in "Striptease" or Elizabeth Berkley in "Showgirls," women are supposed to be "better" than that.

Except that we're all human. When you have a movie about strippers, the intention on some level will be for men and women to ogle.

The other bit that this film offers that the real life strip club does not is cheesy insight into a world I know nothing about. I read memoirs in my spare time about totally normal people doing extraordinary things or novels about kids who are also wizards trying to save the wizarding world. I know nothing about strippers. And who does? Channing Tatum. Before he was a crime solver on "21 Jump Street," the son struggling to understand his father and going out to fight overseas in "Dear John", and before he was a kid on the wrong side of the track that found dancing could save him from a life of self-destruction in "Step Up," he stripped.

He took the concept of "Magic Mike" to the Hollywood movie studios and they said, "Yes, let's make it". He even helped sign on Steven Soderbergh to direct. I've read that while it's "campy" (because of course, a movie about strippers is campy), Tatum's real life experience lends itself to the dialogue that doesn't seem too forced for a chaotic and dramatic plot.

So, yes, this weekend I'm going to the movie theater to see a film about male strippers and I'm kind of excited to be entertained.

Alyssa Kleven, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Alyssa Kleven is an editor and content producer at MyNorthwest.com. She enjoys doting over her adorable dachshund Winnie - named for Arcade Fire front-man Win Butler.
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Comments (12)


  • Add A Comment

  • rational wrote...
    flock?
    June 30, 2012 12:08 pm
    One woman constitutes a flock?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • manabouttown wrote...
    she said "Rush", not Flock.
    July 1, 2012 8:08 am
    I sure hope I don't "have" to go to this with my wife.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Nickatnyt wrote...
    Hey, one woman.
    June 30, 2012 1:09 pm
    Flocking is a nicer term than describing you as 'droving' to the movie, as in a 'drove of pigs'.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • rational wrote...
    Nickatnyt
    June 30, 2012 7:44 pm
    I guess it's better than a gaggle...or if they're exwives perhaps murder would be more apt.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    For men who like women
    July 1, 2012 7:53 am
    This will be a fun movie to take them to (and home from):-)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • fartforce1 wrote...
    Ranger,
    July 1, 2012 6:07 pm
    you have been promoted to "smarter" than the average mynorthwest commentator by the foartfoce league of awesome for out of the box thinking!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Nickatnyt wrote...
    FYI.
    July 1, 2012 9:42 am
    The headline was changed from 'flocking' to 'rushing'.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    I bet CH has seen it numerous times.
    July 1, 2012 2:08 pm
    ...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • roomtemp wrote...
    "peddle cloud"?
    July 1, 2012 2:23 pm
    Is that like a multi family garage sale, or are you talking about those funny bicycle contraptions? Last time I checked bikes had 'pedals'. That must be the classy spelling huh?

    As far as the movie goes. I can't wait to miss it...

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Newton wrote...
    Flocking Pushing Shoving Salami loving women.
    July 1, 2012 5:31 pm
    NewsChick front row seat. Christ girls keep it under control. Its a Riot at the box office.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • fartforce1 wrote...
    That's cool, good on them!
    July 1, 2012 6:06 pm
    I am glad to here that women are enjoying themselves for a change. I myself wont see the flick but if my wife wanted too then I wouldn't care.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Hayduke wrote...
    OK, let's vote:
    July 1, 2012 8:23 pm
    If you HAD to go or get the cold shoulder from the wife for the next month, would it be Magic Mike, or Brokeback Mountain?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }