Once Upon a Time Dating

Tonight I saw Magic Mike with my sis, and while we definitely exchanged outraged glares at certain points throughout the movie, we loved it! As most of you probably know, the film is about male strippers and stars Channing Tatum (as Mike, “Magic Mike” being his stripper persona), and Alex Pettyfer (as Adam, “The Kid” being his stripper persona). Basically, Mike teaches Adam how to be a stripper, get girls, and make money, but both characters evolve and change (sometimes for the worse) as the film progresses. Honestly, the best part of the entire movie was Matthew McConaughey, who played Dallas, the cheesy and potentially coked out owner of the strip club. The scene where Dallas teaches Adam how to strip for the first time was hilarious and had the entire theater laughing and covering their eyes with embarrassment. Oh, and the worst part of the movie you ask? ADAM’S SISTER. I don’t even care to look up what her name was in the movie or who she is in real life, because I really hated her. She looked like a man, talked like a man, and was way too uptight. Also, her laugh was an abomination.

Now… time for my criticism, not of the film necessarily but more so of the concept of the film in general. While at times this movie was deep and meaningful, the majority of the film was funny and outrageous. I kept thinking that if this were a film about female strippers, say, “Magic Michelle”, no one would be laughing. In fact, while the male strippers were portrayed as talented and ambitious, female strippers are usually portrayed as sad and pathetic. I kept thinking about the strippers who work at the Bing on The Sopranos, and how they are seen as skanky pieces of trash that can be slapped and pushed aside, or even killed (what’s up Ralphie). I know when my friends and I went to a male strip club for my friend’s birthday we were sick to our stomachs watching girls, most of them our age, treated so poorly by the male patrons.

Sorry for turning this movie review into a feminist rant, but I had to do it. Anyway, see Magic Mike with your girlfriends for a good laugh, or with your boyfriend/ husband so maybe he can learn something!