I have not seen the most recent Magic Mike, so it was kind of difficult to follow what the critics are talking about, but not too hard for me to get the gist. When I watched the first Magic Mike, it seemed to me like it was just a big please to the “female” gaze, which is pretty cool since “pretty boy body” movies come out once every blue moon. While this newest one, MMXXL, was not only appealing to the female gaze, I hear that it also hinted a lot on feminist conversations. While Spencer and Megan left me kind of confused, I felt like Sophie Gilbert had the strongest argument because she tied all her ends and left me feeling satisfied, as if everything she had just said was true. I felt so conflicted when she said that woman seem to be able to “appreciate men as bodies and souls together rather than pieces of meat” because I feel like that it very possible. Why is it that men cant do this? Why when gagaing over someone’s body, we forget that they are human? (Idk mann, just some shit that gets my blood boiled) She hinted on key feminist points and got to the bottom of the conversation when saying “If the film were just about greased-up Adonises showing off their abs, it wouldn’t be half as affirming, but the sense throughout that female contentment and pleasure is the ultimate goal makes it infinitely more engaging.”. She points out that the movie puts a lot of focus into the hopes and dreams of the characters, rather than just their oily bodies. Thus, I guess making it like any other chic-flic? I guess my question is, since I havnt seen the movie, what are some specific feminist points that the movie touches on? I get that the directors did a good job of showing the equality of woman and men, hints the woman boss in a pantsuit, but what else is there about this movie that is really pushing the feminist movement? Because honestly, it just seems like another chic-flic to me.
But maybe im wrong, how do yall feel?
Hey Bailey! While you felt like Sophie had the strongest argument, I think Spencer had some good points too. Spencer states that this new movie genre is "one that celebrates and profits from the sexual appetites of people other than straight men". So instead of, I'm going to use the Transformer movies as an example, robots, action, death, blood, and hot chicks, MMXXL can appeal to women (sorry, I know some girls out there like action movies like myself). Spencer also contrasts what the women and men want in the movie. The women "are paying to be charmed and then respectfully faux-dominated by a hunk" and "what do the guys want? To get married, of course". It's usually the other way around, no? One more point that Spencer makes is that "it makes sense that guys who regularly bro out while in chaps would be secure in their sexuality, but these pointedly macho guys seem exceptionally, blissfully free from anxiety about being labeled as feminine". I think Spencer is trying to prove that dancing in a sexual way, with all their junk out there, is not gay and that they own what they're doing and they're not afraid as being perceived as feminine. But those are just my thought!
ReplyDeleteYou definitely saved your time and money by not watching this movie. I was so bored that I didn't even finish it.
I would say that after reading the article oddly enough I seem to agree with Meagan Garber. Her case to me seems the most well backed up since I can see where just about all of her points come from. "Not just as What Women Want, but as What Woman want According to Dudes." This is the line that struck me the most. Although I've never seen the movies or plan to, from what I've heard about them this is the perfect way to describe them. It's hard to elaborate on such an idea as a guy, so I won't speak for the girls. Instead Meagan goes on to talk about how women want to be called cute names, get danced on and for, and not viewed as objects. If I watch the movies I'll probably have a better idea of what she is talking about there, but I have just the trailers in mind. The movie was a bold to make, and yet still a political one. When you look back on it. You see what it be like if the gender norms ,I guess you could call them, were flipped. Meagan's argument definitely weakened as she went on, but what she had started with I'd say is hard to argue against.
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