Magic Or Tragic?
Marie Claire Australia|April 2021
Magic Mike Live has been dubbed a glorious celebration of female desire, a spectacle of sweaty, sculpted male strippers who really, really care about what women want. But in reality, is it a feminist’s worst nightmare or a dream come true? We sent writer Courtney Thompson to find out
Courtney Thompson
Magic Or Tragic?

When Princess Marie Bonaparte couldn’t orgasm, she went to Sigmund Freud. She’d already failed to treat herself by undergoing experimental surgery to shorten the distance between her clitoris and vulva, so she approached the psychoanalyst seeking to understand her inability to climax during sex. It was to Bonaparte that he famously remarked: “The great question that has never been answered and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my 30 years of research into the feminine soul, is ‘What does a woman want?’”

Clearly, Freud had never been to see Magic Mike Live.

For the uninitiated, the Magic Mike journey began with the 2012 film, in which Channing Tatum and director Steven Soderbergh immortalised Tatum’s true story of becoming a stripper at 18. It spawned what has now become the Magic Mike industrial complex. In the nine years since, there have been two films, a live production that’s toured Las Vegas, London and Berlin, and a Broadway musical.

With his erotic routines, Tatum has seemingly done what Freud could never: discovered what women want. In creating Magic Mike Live, specifically, the actor writes he tried to “provocatively jumpstart the conversation about what it is that women really want”. The show, which premiered in 2017, is sold as “empowering, exhilarating and unexpected”. Tatum urges us to “imagine a world where all women were empowered to ask for more – from men, from a night out, from everything they wanted – and all of their desires were met.”

This story is from the April 2021 edition of Marie Claire Australia.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the April 2021 edition of Marie Claire Australia.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM MARIE CLAIRE AUSTRALIAView All
Annie LENNOX
Marie Claire Australia

Annie LENNOX

She's been called the voice of her generation - not just for her singing career, but also for her staunch activism. In honour of the Eurythmics' frontwoman's 70th birthday in December, we pay tribute to a living legend.

time-read
7 mins  |
January 2025
JASMINE Chilcott
Marie Claire Australia

JASMINE Chilcott

Solution-based supplement brand FixBIOME prides itself having an education-first platform and a natural approach to gut health

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2025
Time out
Marie Claire Australia

Time out

Skincare that focuses on inner peace is changing attitudes to ageing

time-read
3 mins  |
January 2025
LIFE in COLOUR
Marie Claire Australia

LIFE in COLOUR

The world's most successful living artist, Yayoi Kusama, will have eight decades of art on display in a blockbuster Australian exhibition.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 2025
The bare truth about NAKED DRESSING
Marie Claire Australia

The bare truth about NAKED DRESSING

The trend isn't just for A-listers. But it isn't necessarily for all of us, either.

time-read
6 mins  |
January 2025
A LASTING IMPRESSION
Marie Claire Australia

A LASTING IMPRESSION

At Max Mara, continuity and a deep respect for the brand's DNA have given the company and its new generation of customers a legacy to believe in

time-read
3 mins  |
January 2025
Moroccan MEMORIES
Marie Claire Australia

Moroccan MEMORIES

From bustling Marrakech to the tranquil Atlas Mountains, Morocco offers something for everyone

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024
SCENT and the CITY
Marie Claire Australia

SCENT and the CITY

The perfect adjunct to a night out, this sophisticated new fragrance by Jimmy Choo is inspired by the intoxicating pull of the city

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
Thelma THE GREAT
Marie Claire Australia

Thelma THE GREAT

The musician discusses fans, fame and the magic of youth

time-read
1 min  |
December 2024
CHILD MARRIAGES
Marie Claire Australia

CHILD MARRIAGES

Cambodia has one of the highest rates of child marriage in SouthEast Asia, with one in five girls marrying before they're legally adults. Writer Benjamin Law travelled to the region to witness first-hand the international push to improve the lives of a new generation of girls

time-read
9 mins  |
December 2024