Find Your Magic: Thoughts on ‘Finding Magic Mike’

I decided to write about something a little different today. Reality TV. That’s right. A new reality TV show on HBO Max that involves men, dancing, and personal growth.

When I first saw Finding Magic Mike listed as a new show, I had no idea what it was. Was it a new Magic Mike movie? Was it a documentary about the Magic Mike movies? My husband and I were out of ideas about what to watch, so I decided to try the first episode and learned that it was a competition show to find a Magic Mike dancer. Who knew?

Finding Magic Mike is a competition show that searched for 10 men to win $100,000. But it wasn’t as simple as that. It wasn’t your typical competition show like The Voice or So You Think You Can Dance (remember that one?) where the contestants are already well-versed in the skill with which they were competing.

This show is searching for the “average” man who wanted to gain confidence and otherwise grow through engaging in dance and the challenges that this show put them through. The contestants included men who were in the military, who had felt less than due to their skin color, and more. It is about helping these men “find their magic.”

Even my husband enjoyed this one, and that’s really saying something. I don’t think he has ever watched a reality show from start to finish and actually enjoyed it.

Here’s what made Finding Magic Mike different:

Men Showing Their Emotions.

In our society, it is often difficult for men to show their emotions in authentic and healthy ways. It is especially difficult for them to show emotions that have been mislabeled as “weak” or “girly.” Emotions are not male or female. We all experience a wide range of emotions, and they should not be associated with any gender. On Finding Magic Mike, you see men cry, open up to one another, and show all different parts of themselves. It was so great to see the vulnerability that lies within all of us but so often gets stifled, especially for those who identify as male.

Men Having Body Image Issues, Too.

I specialize in helping young adult women who are experiencing anxiety and low self-worth, which can often come along with body image concerns, too. Again, in our society, it seems like body image is often viewed as a female issue. However, we know this is not the case and Finding Magic Mike helps educate the viewers about this. Many of the contestants openly discuss their insecurities, including lacking confidence in their physical appearance.

Another awesome aspect about this is that it shows that body image insecurities come in all shapes and sizes, literally. Contestants who felt too big, too small, and lacking muscle or definition all shared that they felt insecurities. With such a large focus on body size in our society, it can be isolating and easy to forget that people of all sizes can experience body-related insecurities.

Also, Representation.

We talk about representation in many other ways, such as different races and sexualities shown in the media. This was another way to represent the “average” man. Sure, other competition shows are fun to watch. You get to see and hear from trained performers. Those performers, especially on dance shows, are typically in good physical shape with body sizes that are not attainable for everyone. But, with Finding Magic Mike, you get to see that someone who might look more like you able to grow both physically and emotionally.

Men Engaging in Personal Growth Work.

Slowly but surely, society is catching up but talking about mental health is still viewed as taboo by many people. With that, going to therapy also continues to be looked down upon (or lacking value) by many, and this can be especially true for men. As mentioned above, for men, and people raised as males, it is not uncommon to be told to “man up,” to “stop crying,” or “stop acting like a girl.” These statements are so harmful and negatively impacts emotional development.

Finding Magic Mike had some focus on building their dancing skills (it is a dance show, after all), but a lot of the criteria for who stayed and who went home was focused on their development in other ways, including confidence, charisma, and sexiness (it is an adult dance show, after all). It was interesting to get to know the contestants and what each of those qualities meant to them.

Yes, Finding Magic Mike is an entertaining, adult dance show competition, but it offered much more than that. It offered an opportunity for the contestants to be vulnerable and gain personal growth that they can carry with them beyond the competition. For viewers, it offered the chance to see men taking pride in showing their vulnerability and engaging in personal growth work.

It's not your typical reality competition show with the focus much more on personal growth and development within the male contestants. I hope that shows like this can help reduce the stigma and misunderstanding around mental health and emotions for everyone and especially for men. It is an engaging and entertaining ride, and if you have access to it, I highly suggest taking a chance on Finding Magic Mike.