Magic Mike - A Gay-Themed Movie?

Magic Mike, which EW.com‘s PopWatch labeled 'the Citizen Kane of male stripper cinema,' recently exceeded the $100 million mark at the box office. Although I'm no statistician, I'm certain the count of straight men contributing to that accomplishment could fit inside a garden shed—with ample space remaining for a collection of riding mowers. My doubts started last month when the trailer was circulating, and I shared my eagerness for the motion picture with a cinema-loving acquaintance.

'Really?' he questioned, sounding incredulous.

'It's Steven Soderbergh's latest venture,' I responded, alluding to the multifaceted director of such character-driven classics as Out of Sight and Traffic. 'I've heard favorable reviews.'

My buddy, the very same one who reluctantly sat through the awful Rock of Ages with me, remained unconvinced.

A couple of weeks later, I viewed Magic Mike with my spouse—who desired to witness it for a completely different reason—at the quaintly outdated Strand 5 in Ocean City, NJ. A meatball, approximately twenty-five years too old and fifty pounds overweight for his 'Morning Dew' t-shirt, overheard my ticket demand.

'You're making him watch that, right?' he said to my wife.

The most surprising moment came from my younger brother, a movie enthusiast whose opinions frequently aligned with mine. I mentioned how Channing Tatum had finally won me over, referencing his work in 21 Jump Street—which he enjoyed—and Magic Mike.

'I don't think I'm ever going to see that,' he answered.

What instigated such reluctance in straight men? My jumbled musings solidified when I read an article in the New York Times, titled 'Magic Mike is Big Draw for Gay Men.'

The motion picture has been on the gay radar from the moment production was announced this year. Mr. Tatum, one of its producers, appeared on the cover of the gay magazine Out, and the trailer was shared on gay blogs. The film was also promoted at gay pride events across the nation last month…

Sue Kroll, president for worldwide marketing for Warner Brothers Pictures, mentioned that the studio coordinated a 'well-focused and customized' campaign intended to get gay moviegoers' interest. The demographic wasn't part of the studio's initial marketing strategy, but that promptly changed, Ms. Kroll said, once it became evident there was interest among gay men…

Warner Brothers contracted the Karpel Group, a New York entertainment marketing agency, to generate buzz online and at gay bars and clubs. 'Hot guys are a big part of the appeal of the motion picture,' said Craig Karpel, the company's owner. 'It's something that captures gay men's attention and imaginations.'

Inept marketing executives. Thanks for giving our girlfriends and wives an eager anticipation, for exciting gay men, and for turning me into an outcast. Nevertheless, if your movie features some of America's most attractive males in different states of undress, that's the heart of your promotional campaign. Gay men and straight women who've long yearned to see attractive men objectified finally get their chance after Striptease and Showgirls and decades of T&A comedies. If the picture is good—and in this case, it is—word-of-mouth generates interest. Everyone else, regrettably, encounters the coverage and thinks, 'The movie is absolutely not for me.'

The good thing about watching movies for (almost) a living is that genres such as 'gay-friendly,' 'blockbuster,' or 'mumblecore' become meaningless. What matters is the experience, when a movie captivates you and profoundly affects your world. An open mind shuts down when marketing—not to mention the continuous chatter on Twitter and Facebook—is involved. Considering the trailer I witnessed for Magic Mike, no straight male would watch, unless you are counting on Olivia Munn or Cody Horn appearing nude. Casual moviegoers don't care about directors, unless it's someone of Spielbergian stature. The stars (Tatum and Matthew McConaughey) are stars women adore. I cannot imagine George Clooney performing a striptease to 'It's Raining Men' or Liam Neeson performing a lap dance to outsmart international killers, nor do I want to.

What most likely bothers straight men concerning Magic Mike is that the male characters are sexualized without a purpose. It's one thing to see Tatum's naked posterior in The Vow—that's the go-to move in stormy romances, right there with the sarcastic best friend and the disapproving parents. Michael Fassbender's profile expanded after he went full frontal in Shame, but his character was a tortured soul. Additionally, we comprehended why he was copulating at such a destructive pace: His massive member dictated the circumstances. Male nudity in comedy is perfectly acceptable, just ask Jason Segel and the Jackass crew. But Tatum gyrating in a thong crosses a line. The logic dictates, 'If it's not essential to the plot or my entertainment, then forget it.' When it concerns female nudity, male logic is usually unavailable for comment, especially if the nudity belongs to somebody in their early twenties.

This hesitancy and 'take it off!' hubbub obscures two realities. First, Magic Mike is very worthwhile. Second, stripping is the movie's hook, the discussion starter. It's essentially about a young man (Tatum) trapped in the world he created. Try starting over when you're the living embodiment of every woman's fantasy plus the possibility of youth giving way to the comfort of routine and easy cash. Thematically, Magic Mike is similar to Rounders, Boogie Nights, Scarface, or Saturday Night Fever. Overlook the tear-away pants and man-thongs. It's a real film, Jack.