Magic Mike XXL with Becca Ramos

don't know. It's not that simple. I think that you have to let me punch you in the stomach before we can really we got to resolve this. We have, we have. We're in masculine crisis and I would just feel better if I could physically attack you. Okay, is that cool? Yeah, that's cool. That's just Florida rules. Baby is what is at Florida? That's a masculine Florida greeting. Um,

we'll go to the Bechtel Cast. My name is Magical Jamie and I'm Magical Caitlin, and this is our magical show in which we examine movies through an intersectional feminist lens, using the Bechtel test as a jumping off point to initiate a larger conversation. That's true, what's to tell you what it is? Okay? Yeah, well at Bechtel test. A Bechtel test, and the is I guess that that's true

because there's a bunch of different kinds. It's a media matric created by queer cartoonist Alison Bechdel, sometimes called the Bechtel Wallace Test. A lot of versions of the test. It was originally created as a one off bit in Alice and Betel's amazing comic strip Dikes to Watch Out for having recommend And now it's sort of used as a way of telling if there's more than one woman in the movie. So here's the version of the test

we use. Um our test requires that there be two characters with names of a marginalized gender talking to each other about something other than a man for two lines of dialogue or more. Should be a you know, meaningful dialogue. Make of that what you will. A lot of movies pass, a lot of movies don't. But today, you know, today's a magical episode. I feel I feel good about today.

Oh my god, I I kind of always because we've covered the original, we've covered Magical Michael as a live show, as a live show in which I danced on top of you. I was wondering if you would bring that up, because I've been thinking about it all day. It's been on my mind. And now we're covering Magical Michael Extra extra Large, and I just forgot what what a good mood I'm in when I'm watching these dou faces gyrate and learn a little less than about life. Tell me

about it. I just love it. And we have an amazing guest to discuss Magical Michael Extra extra Large with us today. We certainly do. She's a super producer at my heart, works on The Daily Zigeist and Last Culture Stas. It's Beccaramos. Hello, Hello, Oh my god, you guys, I am so stoked to be here. First of all, because this is a little little dream. If I can indulge you in a little story of my history with the

Bechdel Cast, the show. Oh my gosh, this is probably one of the podcasts I've listened to the longest, Like I've been a Bechdel head, probably since you guys started, and I actually went to you You're the only podcast I've paid to see live. I've paid to see y'all in Portland, and I went to the New York show,

the last one y'all did before COVID. I had just moved to New York, and I was like, oh man, I don't know anybody here, and I don't have any plans tonight, and I'm feeling really lonely and really sad, and I just like I was looking at things to do in New York and I was like, oh my god, the Bechtel Cast is doing a live show. So I just bought a ticket and I like went after work. Yeah,

so I've been a listener. I'm wearing a Becktel shirt because my sweet sweet partner was like, I want to take you to go see the Betel Cast live in l A for Christmas, but then, you know, we unfortunately couldn't make the trip. But yeah, so I just want to give you all a little fangirl moment of mine to be here. I am gushing, that's so nice. Oh my gosh, we're so happy to have you. This is

so exciting. Yes, I'm so excited. I don't even remember what the show was in Portland, but I do remember going by myself because I was like, no one listens to my podcast, so I'm gonna go by myself. And I took myself on a little date, took myself to dinner when because the Betel cast, and then I was like, this is too stressule. There's too many people here after the end of the show, you know, so I just left and I was like my little two hours. I'm excited to come back to New York so we can

actually like see you at some point. Yes, I think that that Portland show wouldn't have been fun Club. Was that what we did? Yes, it was fight Club and I had never seen fight Club. I didn't even see it for the show. I was just like, I just want to go through the back podcast. I think that we were so like learning that was such a fun episode. And also I think after that when we were like, oh, we shouldn't choose like really complicated for live shows, but

it was so much fun. And that theater is so cool anyways, that theater is really fun. Yeah, I love that theater in Portland. And at the time of this episode's release, we will have just done a few shows there. So with Sarah Marshall and now we can say Robert Evans, Um, she'll be a fun little treat. I can't wait to get that man in a hand in Montana Wig. It's just gonna feel good. Um, Oh my gosh. Well, we're so happy to have you here. We didn't know that.

That's so cool. We're so happy to have you and exciting. We're talking about Magical Michael XXL. What's your what's your relationship? Your your history with the movie. So the first movie came out, like o G. Magic Mike when I was a senior in high school, so I was probably freshly seventeen, and I feel like I saw it with some girlfriends,

like some high school friends. But as I was telling Caitlin off Pod, I revisited this movie after I had watched XXL for this, I was like, Okay, well, let me just like watch Magic Mike to see if there's any like true connection. I know it's technically a sequel, but I don't remember there being a lot of like through And so I watched Magic Mike after I watched Magic My xx L, and I was like, I don't know if I've ever seen this movie. I was like,

I know a lot about it. I remember certain bits and pieces, but there was a lot of moments I was like, I don't remember this at all. But then to say my history, Magic my xx L. It came out summer, so I was a sophomore going to my junior of college, and I distinctly remember seeing it with some sorety sisters. Like that summer. It was like a raunchy you know, like my first real summer, like as

a young adult on my own. Like I was living in way Go, which is where I went was cool yuck for the summer, you know, I was like interning. I was working like three jobs so I could pay my rent. I was like, I'm having a fun working girl summer um. And then I've probably watched it a few times since because it's it's a wrong it's fun

on the rampo meter. That's that's so. It really is like, because we're going to release this episode like to line up with the third movies release, and it does seem like kind of like almost an anthology series movie exactly. They're all kind of a different genre. Like this next one, I kind of love it where it's like this next one takes place in London and it seems like magic Mike is the only continuous character, and I have no problem with I don't know. I was like, Okay, there's

the Magical Michael movie. It's like glass Onion and like what was the one before Yeah knives out? You know, like very like you have one character and then you're just kind of forming new adventures with you know, a new cast each time, which I have no problem with that. Yeah, I like it. Yeah. I was like, it's it's cool and and this is the this is the Buddy road Trip version of that movie, and I loved it. Wait, so, Jamie,

what's your history with the movie? I hadn't seen it. No, I was, um, I was not tapped into the Magical Michael cinematic universe before we covered it last year, and then I knew we would cover the second one, so I sort of I was very tempted to watch it, but I mean, fortunately slash Unfortunately, I would have had to rent it. And when I was introduced with a three dollar stumbling block, I was like, all right, I'll just wait. So I did just wait, and I wasn't disappointed.

I had. I mean, it's like I enjoyed this movie a lot in a lot of the same ways that I enjoyed the first one, and then also in a lot of different ways. I thought it was like a cool kind of building out and like sort of course correcting some of the stuff about the first movie that we weren't so wild about out. You know, not a perfect but it's just like it's such a good ROMP movie. It made me feel so good. It's like two hours of like fun for play. Like it's just like it's

all for play. Um. The Donald Glover character, oh my god, I was just like he was like four played the man. No, y'all. When I watched this, I was like, I forgot how many people were in this movie. I forgot that. I mean, I vaguely remember Jada Piggins in this movie, Elizabeth Banks of this movie, Donald Glovers in this movie. I forgot Eric Delco of c S I, Miami Face, tray Hand like Michael Strahand Twitch, Rest and Peace. But so many

people are in this movie. Wild Yeah, I was really it seems like um, Steven Soderbergh called in every favor that he had for this for this one, and it was like, I mean it were I don't know. I thought it was so Funnyeah. They were like we must trade up from Matthew McConaughey, you know, and thank goodness, like they were like get rid of one, gain eight and it's like, you can't really do much better than

Jada Pinkett Smith. Like I kind of I think that this movie did like an amazing thing, which is because it is like Dallas is like a very iconic character, but I totally forgot about him by like you didn't need him at all in this movie. And the kid who was like, I mean, God bless him, but like that kid Alex Petty for they were just trying to make him happen over and over and over and it just wasn't happening, and they're like, we gotta get him out of here, and so what's his face? Who did Elvis?

I feel like they were like coming up at the same time, and he became awesome. Butler, you know, surpass Alex Pettifer. They are kind of the same man in a way. For the longest time, I only knew Austin Butler as m Vanessa Hudgens's boyfriend boyfriend. Yes, and that's as you should know him. I hope that if he will not win an Oscar I mean and I hope, you know, I guess maybe I'm saying I hope he doesn't.

It doesn't feel earned. You know, he can do other stuff and and maybe win for that, but but not this. But it would be fun if they brought him to the stage as Vanessa Hudgens boyfriend, because that is still his most iconic role. Well, Caitlin, what's your history with Magic Mike XXL? I gotta now, Well, I will tell you. I saw it shortly after it came out, I think

just once or twice. I very distinctly remember a few different scenes in it, such as the scene where Channing Tatum parkours all over his workshop and then has sex with his work bench. Really, I distinctly remember the scene where he goes to Jada Pinkett Smith's characters mansion place and Magical Michael dances all over the place there. I distinctly remember the scene where he goes to Andy McDowell's house and everyone just like talks about their sex lives.

So there were a few scenes that I that were kind of just like seared into my memory. But I hadn't seen it in several years, and it was a joy to revisit it's really so. I mean, Matt Bomer really is Bomber or Bomber was like I could not say. He still that scene for me where he remembered the lesson that Donald Glover taught him and then he sang

his beautiful song. And there's so many parts of this movie that we're I mean, I don't know, it's complicated, but also like every time I had a complicated thought, I was like, I kind of like was banishing it from my mind because I was just like, I just want to enjoy this. Yeah, it's kind of a challenging factal cast watch because I didn't want to think too

hard about anything. Oh yeah, it's like after watching the first one, after I watched this one, you can see where they try to correct some of the issues they may have made in the first one, but they were still like of the time being fifteen not quite correct, right, And I guess we'll talk about them. Job to get into every every time we make a criticism, we're also allowed to be like, but that's that. I was very horny. It's complicated. Yeah, exactly. Okay, shall I do the recap

of the movie. Yes, let's go, let's get Yes, feel free to sound and oh my gosh, wait, this is another problematic favorite oars James Cameron and Caitlin and I sent this story to you, I know I did. Where James Cameron said that he is so locked in when he's filming Avatar movies that someone needs to sound and a wuga sound if they want his attention on set. And I would just like to bring that energy to this episode for any part that made you specifically like horny.

If you're willing to disclose, feel free to sound the wua and everyone will know James that your else. But that could be interesting. You know, he really responds to the Auga. He really does. Um. Okay, wait, let's take a break real quick and then we will come back for the recap. Okay, so here here we go Auga's and all we see Mike AK magic, Mike AK, magical Michael. That's Channing Tatum. Famously, it has been three years, I

believe since he left stripping. He is now running his own furniture company where he designs and builds furniture and delivers it to his clients. He then gets a call from Tarzan, which wait, did we notice that the apartment is the same apartment from the first movie, like Brooks apartment from the first movie. Doesn't it look very similar? No, I didn't watch the first one. Okay, see I did watch the first one, So I do think they are using her apartment from the first movie. Well do you

think that he got her apartment in the breakup? Well maybe she moved on to bigger and better things. What was sad though, because I felt like his apartment was really nice, except for, obviously in the first movie getting destroyed by those drug lords. But he had a very nice apartment. Yeah. I didn't even put that together. He had a great apartment to hold that ugly as furniture he made, I will say between the first and second movie, he appears to have gotten better at furniture making furniture

he makes more wood base pieces. Now, yes, let's not trash that washed up on the beach not beach Trump bless his heart. He got better. He got better at it with three years of practice. That Malcolm Gladwell ten thing.

Really yeah, feminist Malcolm Okay, so um, Tarzan calls because him and the other guys from the first movie are coming up through Tampa and he also has some bad news, which is that Dallas, the Matthew McConaughey character, died, so Mike goes to the wake, but it turns out to be a pool party because Dallas did not actually die, but he did bail on them. He took the kid a k a adam ak Magical Michael Jr. From the first movie, and they started a show overseas not Austin Butler. Right.

It goes on so Um Tarzan played by Kevin nash Ken, Matt Boehmer, Big Dick, Ritchie Uh played by Joe Manganello, Tito played by Adam Rodriguez, and their MC Tobias Gabriel Iglesias. They are all on their way to Myrtle Beach for a stripping convention and Mike is like, that's cool, have fun. And then Mike goes home. He works on his furniture in his workshop. This is when we get the scene where Pony by Genuine comes on Spotify. Immediately Horny a wuga wuga wuga channing like he's a star. He's just

simply a star. Yes, that is exactly how I felt, Jamie, when like that moment happened. I was like, this is why we come to the movies. You know like I was like, he is a star. The movie was feeling like a movie. It was a lot. We come to this place for magic. We come to this place for magic, Mike. We come to the place for magical Michael. The movie felt like a movie hardcore. I like, couldn't. I watched

that scene probably three times. It took me a long time and to watch this movie because I got rewatching because you just see like he's resisting it. He's making choices and he's laughing. He's like I remember, He's like, I'm dancing like no one's watching. I love when we are watching and we're loving it. He Channing Tatum seems like, I mean, by all accounts, hopefully when you listen to this this is still true. He seems like a terrific person. He's not canceled by then, but so he Kravitce loves

him so much. Come on, okay. Dancing around his workshop and fucking his workbench inspires him to join his friends and go to the convention. So they all load into Tito's fro Yo food truck and start their road trip.

They make a stop in Jacksonville at a nightclub called Mad Mary's, where there is this drag show slash competition happening, and Mike and the other guys get on stage and compete in it, although no one is in drag for some reason except for like the host of the show, where I was like, there's one person in drag confusing, right. Then there's a nighttime beach hang seen where the guys are talking about their current work situations and their dream jobs.

A few of them air some grievances with each other, and they're just like having a heart to heart. Then Mike meets a woman whose name we will eventually learn to be Zoe. Pretty far into the movie, to be honest, I think it's like literally the last twenty minutes. I do wonder how like deep into the writing process Zoe's character was added because I mean it's like I didn't hate that she was there, but it just felt like she felt kind of shoehorned into every scenario she appeared in.

She definitely didn't need be there. I guess, yeah, it's again it's like I'm not mad about it, but it's like I felt like she like there there were more interesting women in the narrative that you could have like zoned in on, but whatever, is fine whatever. Um Zoe played by Amber Heard, is a photographer. She and Mike flirt a little bit. It seems like she wants to smooch on him, but he's like, I shouldn't and he wishes her a good night. The next morning, the guys

are back on the road again. Mike suggests they shake up their routine at the convention, but the guys are like, no, we only have two days. We gotta do what we rehearsed, and also like, Mike, you've been gone for three years, like slow your role, which is fair. Even so, Mike is like, no, let's do my idea. And he's like, all the songs and the dances are things that Dallas decided for you. We have to do stuff that comes

from us, that comes from the heart. And so he helps Big Dick Ritchie come up with a new route, a new routine, and part of that process is Richie going into a convenience store doing a horny dance for the like grumpy cashier lady to a Backstreet Boys song and he successfully gets hurt to smile and the guys are like, whoo, well that was the bet. Yeah, he had to make the cashier smile. To agree to change

the routines. Yes. So there's a lot of scenes in this movie that you're like, yeah, the scene could have gone a lot of different ways. Good thing you went the way it went right. But I I know that the writer of this movie read Caroline. He's a white guy who went to Harvard. Like, he's not um much outside of like what you would kind of expect from

someone who is successful in Hollywood. But he and Channing Tatum collaborate a lot, and I was, I'm cure I couldn't figure out where he's from originally, because there's so much like solid Florida man lore in this franchise where they were like debating about the Backstreet Boys and like which member left and which and and they were like, yeah,

that's the greatest thing to come out of Orlando. And as a Backstreet Boys head, even though they are thoroughly canceled and with good reason, but these are facts that I have locked into my mind forever. I was like, Yeah, Kevin Richardson did leave and then come back, and that was historically significant, and why don't we talk about that. Kevin Richardson not canceled Brian and Nick canceled them rightfully. So the other three we can keep them as far as we know, as far as yeah, so far at

the time of recording, we can keep them, okay. So yeah, we see the scene where big Dick Ritchie gets the woman to smile, and you know who else was smiling during that scene? Me keep that? Couldn't help it of us. How big Dick Richie got his groove back like, it was really beautiful and he brought a bag of cheetahs into the mix. And it's hard. It's hard to not love it, even when you're like, is this okay? It was okay to the guy slamming on the window. Why

was the woman not frightened? Who knows? But it was very adorable. Luff is like fucking about to break the pain of glass with enthusiasm and love for his friend. It's it's complicated. And then I was like, Jamie stopped thinking and I was like, wait, no, that's your job. Stop thinking and start feeling. Okay, So back on the truck, they take Molly and they're like, oh, man, I love you so much. I've missed you. Magical Michael. We're in

harmony right now. And they love each other so much that they crashed the truck and Tobias gets a concussion, So now they don't have transportation costumes because they threw them out the window or there m c because he is undered and the convention is in two days. What are they going to do? Big Dick Ritchie is like, oh,

the trip is over, let's just give up. But then Mike reveals that he and Brooke had broken up because she said no when he proposed, and he's like, look, my life is in shambles and that's the real reason I'm on this trip. I'm trying to move on, so we can't give up now, and they're like, okay, let's do it. It never comes up again, which I kind of like. He's like remember that girl from the first movie and I was like, oh yeah, I didn't really like her very much. And he's like, well she broke

my heart anyways, that we have to do this. Yeah, and then they bail on Fluffy ad percent. They're like, goodbye Fluffy? Did they leave him at the hospital? Like how did they get home? You take the greyround with a concussion? Like I think they circle back around because at this point there in outside of Jackson outside Yeah, because they're going to Charleston so or no, they're going to is Myrtle Beach near Charleston? Are they in the

same place? I don't know. They have to go to Savannah first, so they do, got to go to Georgia first. So that's what happens. Florida Georgia line. Hello. So they go to Savannah where Mike knows another em C because they need an m C. And he knows someone named Rome, who turns out to be Jada Pickens Smith, and she has this house where women come and watch various male strip shows or just kind of like male entertainer acts

in different rooms. We see a few of these different acts, including those of Augustus Ak, Michael Strahan, as well as Andre played by Donald Glover and Twitch and dance right. Yes, yes he is Jada Pinkett Smith's rooms like assistant guy. But then like when they bring when when Rome and Magic Michael come downstairs, Uh, they have like a dance battle almost right, like the main guy dancing against Magic

Michael is Twitch. Right. He plays a character named Malik. Yes, yes, so that's Malik Got It, which was so iconic and lovely and he passed last year. I man i grew up watching you thinking dance one time? Really really, Oh my gosh, my senior year, I was a dancer for many years. Wait me too, Oh my gosh, should we start a dance troupe together? I can't dance, but I'll learn. My sophomore year of high school, I went to see

So you Think He'd Dance Live? And Twitch was there, and my friends and I were like, like, it was just so thrilling and what a loss, what an icon. I didn't know he was in this movie, and I was was frantically googly. I was like, is that Twitch?

What a legend? Beautiful? Okay, So we see these different acts throughout the night, and then Mike mentions the convention to Rome, and she's like, oh, you want a favor from me even though you walked out on me eight years ago, because apparently he used to dance for her. So she's kind of like upset with him, and he just like comes like waltzing back in, wanting this favor, and she's like, you have to redeem yourself, and he does so by doing a very horny dance. Uh woa,

ho was so good. I had so many questions about, like, I mean, we can get to this in the discussion, I had so many questions about like, and I was like, I'm probably deeply naive, and I was looking for like answers to this question wasn't able to find them. I'm like, what are like the rules of consent that happened when

you enter this place? Because probably sign a waiver, I would assume, And You're like, and I'm assuming because magical Michael worked there, he would know the rules, So like, I'm assuming he's not doing anything that is like out of pocket or bad. But but I was just like, what do you agree to? It really seems like you're getting flipped and dipped around. What if there's an injury?

Because there like a medic it's just injury. Also, like your personal space is at risk of being invaded, which it seems as though if you go to an event show like this, you just basically agree to consent to whatever. I don't know how ethical that actually is. I don't know if it happened. I mean, it's like I'm sure that Like, I mean, I'm not sure the places like that exists. It feels like if you sit in the splash zone at Sea World, you understand there's you know

what was going to happen. Probably just have to go in with the same mindset. If you're going to a show like this, yes, and everyone is I mean canonically everyone is fucking thrilled about everything that happens all night long. There's no I saw not a twitch of an eye of someone who was like, I don't know if I'm okay with this. Everyone was very okay with it. But I was just like, I mean, honestly, I just had questions because I'm like, the places like this exists, and

could can we go? Could I go? I would love Michael Straighthand and Channing Tatum to um ruined my life. So my favorite part was when he put his hand on both of their backs and he was doing the like side like swivels around and like humps them both from behind. Again a wouga. But I was worried about the like the two the two women who like yeah when he did that, but then he put another woman

on top of one of the women. I'm like, we don't know about her back, what if she had scoliosis, Like we don't know how secure as as sculios his head. I was like, that would have that I would have collapsed, would have broke me, would have broken me. I would have you know, I would have died doing what I loved. But but but I would have died. Yeah, I simply

don't know. It's a fantasy movie. Whatever, right, Okay, So at the end of the night, Mike any other guys say goodbye to Rome and then Andre Donald Glover takes them to Charleston, where they go to the house of this woman, Megan, who Tito had hooked up with maybe like the night before at that like beach hang But they first run into Megan's mom, Nancy, Okay, Andy McDowell

and her friends. And I didn't realize this until my second watch of the movie to fully register what happened here, because I was like, wait, whose house are they going to and how do they know her? And who is Andy McDowell in relation to any of these people? And then I realized that, so Megan is this woman who they met maybe one or two days before, they barely know her. She was like, come through to my house in Charleston. They just show up and go inside of

the house. They don't even they didn't not they just marched right in. Honestly, the fact that the door was unlocked. Was very Southern of them, Like, that does not shock me that it's very as someone from the South. I was like, yeah, I guess that's that's accurate. Yeah, And then is this a Southern thing where the owner of the house sees like five strange men in her foyer and it is like, oh, hey, come on in and have a drink. Honestly, it is that is the Southern hospitality.

I was like, Honestly, that whole scene was not that crazy because I'm like, rich, lonely old women from the South. Then what they see hot men? First, they didn't see like, you know, most of them are white, you know what I'm saying. So it's like they were not threatened. They were like, oh, look at these charming young men. They look like strippers. And if they're still in Georgia, I'm sure they're like understand that there is a lot of because from my understanding, there are a lot of strip

clubs in Georgia. So yeah, I think there's like it's like Atlanta and Portland's I think the highest strip clubs. Portland has so been quite a few of them. Kitlin and I went to one once. We went to an eggs and legs situation in Portland a couple of years ago. We should go back, We should go back. A fan of the show hooked us up, So thank you for that.

It's fast. We had eggs, we had legs. I was curious about that because it was like the way that Andy McDowell's character reacted made it seem like her daughter brought home really hot troops of men. Constantly, She's like, who is this? Oh my daughter? Okay, that makes sense. I was like, wow, chill mom. She's a cool mom. She's like, cool mom. So they you start chatting with Nancy, and then Megan and her friends come into the room and one of them is Zoe. So all of the

guys are talking to all the women. They're asking about their like fantasies and their sex lives and all this stuff. In another room, Mike and Zoe are chatting some more. Uh. Later that night, Big Dick Richie ends up having sex with Nancy off screen, which is a shame. It's a shame would have liked to see. But then the next morning they head out from Charleston and arrive in Myrtle Beach at the convention. Surprise, Rome and Andre meet them there because Rome has decided to m see the show

after all. Then they go to check in with Elizabeth Banks, the director of Cocaine Bear herself. I hope that is. I hope that's how history remembers her ultimately. What a treat that would be amazing. Yes, um, so she's checking them in. But then we find out that these guys did not even register for the convention or book a show there. They just showed up thinking they were going to do a spot. To be fair, that is what they just did at Andy McDowell's house, and it worked

out pretty spectacularly for them. I'm gonna say, as men, I feel like that's made sense to me because I'm sure Dallas did all that booking and stuff. I'm sure they had no idea like that was something they had to do. They were just like, well, we go to this thing every year, so like, why don't we just show up? We're going there. They truly are like baby men in a lot of ways, where they're like, what do you mean We're so beautiful? Why can't we Like, no one's ever said no to me before. But I

don't understand Jada Pinkett s meant to the rescue. She and I also liked that those characters were named Paris and Rome and that they were friends. You're like, yeah, it's all consense. Wow, he got, he got. And then it's because of Realm's clout that Elizabeth Banks is like, okay, you get this, like prime Spot. Then there's a montage

of them prepping for the show. We see them shopping, they're making costumes, their building sets, and then they put on a show that Rome m c s. We see solo acts from all the guys, each one relating to their passion. So Tarzan does like a painting thing, Tito does a candy thing since he's the fro yo guy. Ken sings because he is also like a musical performer and singer, Big Dick Ritchie. It does this whole like wedding slash kinky wedding night act. And then finally it's magical.

Michael and Malik do this like mirror act. They said step up here we go then and we are like a wuga. Zoe is there with Megan and she gets brought up on stage and Mike dances all horny all over her. Then like we see a little montage of them like getting ice cream after the show, and that's basically the movie. If you're wondering if there is a conflict in this movie, they're kind of is not. There

is not. Often there's some like interpersonal tension between the characters, but it's usually pretty quickly resolved and then there's not much in the way of conflict aside from that, which is usually not how you write a screenplay. But this movie is great and I have no complaints. So that is the story. Let's take a quick break and we will come right back to discuss and back. Oh my goodness, Okay, yeah, I I agree. I mean, I guess that there isn't

really much there. I didn't. I honestly didn't notice until I was, like I really thought about it, because it did feel like the main tension of this movie kind of like came from both like this group of men who we knew resolving their differences with each other and then like growing as people whilst on a road trip. And I love I loved that. I don't know, that's

all I really have to say that. I feel like the biggest conflict was with Rome, right because it was like obviously like this like new plot point being brought up of like we have to make Chang Tatum this central character, not that we didn't already make in the central character by coming back, but it felt like in the first movie, you don't get anything of the other guys, right, Like it's all about you know, Magic Michael and Little Michael and Brooke, and so I feel like this was

the moment to bring it back to like what is Michael's history? He is a titular dancer, Like who is this strife with his older host or manager? I don't know what to call her, madam, I don't know, I don't know her job title. But yeah, I feel like that's where the biggest conflict was. But obviously it gets

resolved by the end of the movie. And yeah, back to your point, Jamie, as far as like the movie being about men like connecting and growing together and like figuring themselves out, there aren't a lot of movies like that, And there aren't a lot of movies that center male friendship and male friendship in which the characters are like vulnerable with each other and they like open up to each other. So there's like all these like wonderful things

that you don't normally see on screen. Happening in this movie, especially that these men are like such like expressions of like heteronormative you know, like like these big, buff, hot like himbo men, men that you wouldn't consider vulnerable or people that would you know, express themselves that way, that

kind of thing so traditionally. Yeah, yeah, I felt like that was like some of the most strong stuff in the movie was like focused on their relationships with each other, because it also didn't make it so easy for them of like, oh, well, these are just like this is a band of emotionally intelligent, like I think, mostly heterosexual men as far as we know, which would be you know, I mean that it would truly be a fantasy movie because you're like, that's just like not how heterosexual men

are socialized. And so you do see towards the beginning of the movie, like them trying to resolve interpersonal issues with like traditional masculinities such as magical Michael starting by being like all right, we're gonna do some therapy and then he's like punch me and they throw up, and you're just like all right, these guys like you know, you're runk on a beach in Florida. Of course, that's

how you're going to try to resolve the problem. But they continue to grow and I like that like every character, although like I mean, I do feel like some characters more than others, which we should talk about, but they all enjoy being male entertainers. They get a lot of personal satisfaction out of that. It just seems like it's it's so funny because I feel like that's part of

what's so appealing about this franchise to me. Of like you're watching men have impostor syndrome all the time, which you don't really see very much of, Like they feel judged by the world by being strippers, but also they have other dreams and they want to have both of those things at the same They want to have it all, which is every movie about every woman ever, and you never really see that about men because you don't really see men and professions where they are treated like meat,

which these men are. So it's interesting seeing like these different characters have different you know, and it like it relates to their age in some ways, where Tarzan is like, yeah, you know, I've I don't know, maybe like I don't regret my life choices, but it would have been really cool to have like a domestic life and you know you have people that I mean, Matt Bohmer's character is like I wish I had, you know, been a singer and like you have everyone had the thing, like they

both love what they do and also I wonder what life would have been like if they had done something else.

And that's really I don't know. You just don't see it a lot with with male characters, specifically because men usually get what they want well and them all showing envy too of of magic Michael because he did quit and he did pursue what he wanted to do, and that was part of why they were upset with him, because they were like, you know, as much as like we're mad at you for abandoning us, we're also jealous that you like found your thing and you like stuck

to your guns and you made it happen. But I also so and I was worried that there was going to be because this is an issue that we had with the first movie, where because so often the way sex work is presented in media, it's something that no one chooses to do and that people are trying to escape. And that might be true for some sex workers. But there are a large number of sex workers who this is their chosen profession and they're very proud to do it,

and they're very excited to do it. And there was discussion around the first movie where Mike quitting stripping partially it seems because that's what his girlfriend wanted him to do. There was criticism around that, and so I was worried that, like, there might be some degree of that in this movie.

But it seems as though all of the men who are doing this work in this movie, at least a few of them say if I had my dreams like Donald Glover's, like, oh, if my LP dropped tomorrow and I like made it big, I would still do this. On the side, if I was, for example, childish Gambino, I would still do this. You're like, all right, Donald Glover as himself, he's not Donald Glover in this movie.

He's childish Gambino. Like specifically, I'm like, yeah, you are in your child like everything about you, like the Fedora, like everything about this era of childish Gambio. It is not Donald Glover as he is today, because like today, I'm like, he's not childish green to know he is Donald Glover now, but then that is childish Gambio that movie. That's not he is. And it's like, because the internet

childish Gambiano too, it's like really childish Gampio. Like absolutely, I did not know he was in this movie, and I was like, I forgot. I totally agree with You're like, wow, this is a very specific Donald Glover we're getting in this movie. Two years later, this Donald Glover was no longer available, and arguably two years later, the body of that Donald Glover would have made more sense in this movie. But you know, man, it was wild seeing him in this role and but was I was like, he's such

a baby. He's a baby. He was still doing like Troy like he It was very it was a different era of Donald Globber. It feels like the tail end of that era. But yeah, I I totally agree with you, Caitlin, because that was something we talked about in our first episode, was that like it's made to seem like, Okay, well, he got a lot out of working as a sex worker, but at the end of the day, that's not the quote unquote the sensible choice. But I like that this

franchise course corrects in this way. Where it's like, well, this is like a huge part of who he is, and like why can't more than one like it? Just it sort of wants to explore like you don't need to choose one thing and like the less of a person, And that seems like what most of the guys are kind of coming to terms with and struggling with in in this movie in a way that I thought was like pretty effective and cool because you also have Tito, who's dream is to get this like artisanal fro yo

food truck slash dance party DJ. I love that all their dreams are like best of luck guys. But so his dream is to get that going. But he says like nothing makes me feel better than that, aside from being on stage, like he still loves performing. So I appreciate that you have at least a few of the characters expressing like this is not something I'm trying to escape. Uh,

this is something that like I will always do. So I appreciated that, and and that they come to accept each other like and it totally makes sense that they have like the tension they do. Like I really liked the conversation between Magical Michael and sorry I'm just gonna keep calling him Matt Bomer. What is that? Damn Ken, He's literally the Kendall. I was a little like not

sure what to make of him. I mean, I I really like Matt Bomer, so I feel like maybe I was like bringing I like Matt Boomer energy into the

chat on this one. But I did like how they had to have converence, like a couple conversations before they had really made peace, because it was like, oh that, you know, like, I think it's interesting with people of all genders when people get into, for lack of a better term, because I am pro this, I've made whole shows about it, woo woo stuff, and then sort of are able to say, like, well, because I am now a spiritual person, all of my past problems and trauma

have been resolved via this. And that is not always not for everyone, is always necessarily true, because it's like sometimes it's like you can use a spiritual practice to avoid actually dealing with your ship, and it seems like that's kind of what Kenn is doing and I did, And there were moments where I felt like the movie was kind of making fun of him for like the reigy stuff over Gabriel Glacia Is like there were moments

where he's clearly being made fun of. Well, do you feel like he was queer coded in this movie, because to me, you watched the first one and none of them really have speaking rules, right, like you kind of like going back into it. I was watching the first one and I was like, oh, yeah, they really aren't actualized characters there, like a part of a group, but you don't really learn much about them. You just know like Ken's wife has big tits, and like they like

the funk and they do drunks. Like that's about it. He doesn't really say more than three lines the whole movie. But this movie, as they developed his character, it felt really queer coded. And at this time, Matthew Bomber has already come out, like he in the first movie had not come out yet. He came out in which is when the movie was released, So during the production of that movie he had not come out. So by this

movie he had come out. So I was like, it felt like to me, by the end of the movie, they were trying to get to him having an arc of you know, coming out, and then they just like cut it, and it felt very like like not actualized or like I couldn't tell what they were trying to do. That's really interesting. I hadn't I honestly hadn't thought about it that thoroughly, but I did. I didn't know that Matt Boehmer came out the same year Magic Mike one was released and has been out ever since, and I

don't know. We felt like I had a conversation on this show many times where it's like, you know, it's because you're a queer actor, doesn't mean you need to play queer characters. But it did seem like at moments where it was like, what are we trying to say about this character? And I feel like it speaks to kind of like a larger point that I have with a lot of the non Magical Michael characters, which I

think some were better developed than others. I totally agree with you that like Ken's story is like they're like, well, he wanted to be a singer, and that's kind of where they leave it, which is bizarre given the like stuff you know about him from the first movie, which never really comes back, and you're like, they broke uh, yeah, never mentioned again. Yeah. And in fact, so there's a scene on the beach where where Mike says to Ken like, oh,

are you still with Mercedes? And he says no because he cites the reason being like they tried to do monogamy and that didn't work out for them, so they split up. And then that's what leads to magical Michael being like punched me in the stomach. I was like, where did this come from? Um? Because suddenly like one of them is being passive aggressive. I didn't even notice it.

I'm not quite sure. But if you consider that Mike has a love interest who is a woman, you have Big Dick, Ritchie has sex with Andy McDowell, Tito has sex with her daughter Megan, you have um Tarzan saying like, oh, I would love to go home to like a wife and kids. But there's never any men mention of Ken having a romantic interest who is a woman. So I think maybe based on that there is possible queer coding, but it's not overt to me. It wasn't clear enough

that I felt like you could like. I just wonder. I was like, is there something that was like cut? I don't know, because it is also like there is kind of a vibe of a one to one, and I don't even mean that as an insult to this movie. But as far as I know, the only and maybe

I'm incorrect about this, I'm not totally sure. As far as I know, the only people I knew to be openly queer who are in this movie are Matt Bomer and Amber Heard, And it is a one to one situation if we are interpreting Ken is a queer coded character, where Matt Bomer is an openly gay actor and Amber Heard is openly bisexual and has been for a long time, and they make that can and into her character as well in a way that I didn't take any issue with.

It was presented very matter of factly, and she wasn't, you know, like bisexual characters are treated like shit or like as jokes so much, and she wasn't. But I did feel like, oh, yeah, the only actors in this movie that I know are openly queer. I don't know. I mean, it's it's I don't know, yeah, it's not even a positive or negative. I'm just like, what was going on? Interesting to ponder. I do like, like you mentioned, Becca, that each character is given more characterization in this movie,

which helps too. Again, another issue we had when we discussed the first Magic Mike movie is that it's a movie that seems like it has the agenda to humanize sex workers or you know, male entertainers, but it kind of doesn't do that that much because it really only focuses on two of those characters and puts the other ones kind of in the background. This sequel doesn't do that.

It gives each of the five main Magical Michaels a distinct either like arc or goal or just kind of more characterization in general, although two varying degrees I supposed to say, because I feel like Adam Rodriguez's character was characterized by a large margin the least like I was going to say that, Yeah, like the guys we learned more about, because we do get characterization of everybody to

some extent. But like for my reading, it was like Ken, even though that was ambiguous as you were just talking about, but like Ken's was more of a I don't know, I mean, I don't really have an issue with it because some people were like a relationship thing with Ken. It was more of a career thing whatever. But Ken, Big Dick, Ritchie and tar Zanne I think got the most attention. They are like three white passing men, and then Adam Rodriguez I thought, was given the least attention

of the bunch. And then Gabriel Iglesias is like ejected out of the movie rocket in the middle and and you, I mean, it's it's not like there is I don't know. I mean I'm curious to discuss that, because there was some sort of I don't know, it's the discourse around this movie when I was revisiting it for research was so that I was like, I don't know, because it is like a pretty diverse movie. It's not like you know, who knows. Maybe Gabriel Iglesias was like I have to

go on a world tour. I can only be on set for like three days or whatever. Like he's really successful in it, and like it is a very diverse movie, but it's still like there's still kind of these things that feel very rooted and like, okay, like it's still centers whiteness, light skinnedness. Yes, right. They even call out Adam Rodriguez as like their token man of color in their like group. They're like, yeah, we got the the Latino, you know, and then Adam trying to throw it back

at Big dig Ritchie. It was like, well, you are also technically a person of color, and he's like, I'm Armenium whatever, I'm white. Like he literally was like, I have internalized racism and I'm white. And you know, justice for Adam Rodriguez because I have had a crush on him for very many years and he's a beautiful Latino man and he deserved. He was also the second best dancer in my opinion. I think he's a better dancer than Big Dick Ritchie. And I feel like he did

not get enough dancing time. Yeah, I agree, I agree. He's wondering and it's like also, I was just like, wow, Mr Criminal, minds the disrespect, Like it's just Adam Rodriguez

is an icon and they didn't give him enough to do. No, he's an amazing dancer, but I just like, I feel like it really actually kind of aim all the way around, like who was characterized versus who wasn't at the end, because they were all given big set pieces about like, hey remember their arc here it is in a sexy dance, and Adam Rodriguez is I think was like, even though he is one of the stronger dancers, was one of the and who like what he does in that routine

with the chocolate in the licking y're just like a wuga Like I was going pretty hard. I was really present in the auga zone for that one, but narratively you're he's just in front of like the fro Yo truck. Yeah, and it's like I again, And as far as I'm at Bomber character, I honestly don't know where to fall in terms of like how we were supposed to feel about Ken. It did feel like the cannon from the previous movie was abandoned in a way that felt a

little bizarre. It was done to everybody to some extent, but like Ken's felt especially dismissed. But it is like

Ken and Tito have career based things going. But even so, like Ken gets the bigger spotlight on his moment in like the Antie McDowell sequence where you get to see like Donald Glover in his childish Gambino era plants the seeds of like you know you can and a plot point I thought was like really cool of like well you can like combine your passions in a way that is really like beautiful and like you can use your you know singing in musicality to like make women happy,

which is why we've been put on this earth, which is kind of the theme of the movie for whatever reason. And it's great, But like Ken gets that big moment where he uses his dream to do what he's currently doing in a way that makes him and a woman happy. Tito doesn't really get that moment, and so like when you see him dancing in front of his fro Yo truck, it just like doesn't have the same amount of impact

because he wasn't given like the same moment in focus. True, um, I was prepared to argue that Tarzan was given the least amount of kind of characterization. Maybe it's just because he's on screen the least amount of time. I felt I kind of agree with you, Kaitlin, in a different way, Like I agree that I think characterized he is the least focused on, but I feel like Adams was more

poignant because he is the only brown one. Definitely, But I was noticing that there were scenes that like Tarzan wasn't even in, Like it seems like the four younger guys would like go do something fun, and so I was like, is this an ageist choice that's happening because Tarzan is the oldest of them, can I tell you, I mean, maybe this is like rude because I know that Kevin Nash has been in a lot of stuff. I sort of interpreted that choice of like, yeah, professional

wrestlers aren't always great actors. Uh, that was sort of my thing. I was like, and I don't know, absolutely could be agism. I think I defaulted to like, not everyone's the rock and not everyone like but maybe that was unfair of me because the scenes that Tarzan is in I really loved him. He's a lovable character. Yeah, but but if you think, like he does say in that one scene that he would like trade his dick swinging lifestyle for a wife and kids and people who

love him. But that's the only moment that we get any indication of that, especially because we didn't even know his name. Like there's that moment where Magic Michael's like and and he's like Ernie and he's like, I don't

know anything about him. And then there's another scene where later kind of booze him when he and when he says like that was I thought that that was I mean, it was like both very like it felt Soderbergie where it felt very like I don't know, like I love I love in soderberg movies, like the way that conversations play out feel like pretty realistic and funny, even when

they're like not very sensitive towards everybody. But it didn't really come all the way back around in a way that felt sensitive to him because because he was like, oh, this is what I want, and everyone's like bummer, You're like, oh he he pours his heart out and everyone's like buzz kill alert and then they move on if there was like tomato tomato, and then they move on and talk to a woman who we hadn't met before, won't we won't see again, So it's like Tarzan's right there, like,

but if she doesn't go on a journey in that scene,

Let's be honest. I thought that then, was I was like, honestly, I mean, like, I think it is interesting how this movie, you know, I think, with varying degrees of success, but this movie does attempt and seems to have an agenda to navigate through a lot of different class systems and races and gender and like I feel like it try to use the road Trip movie in a in an unusual way, which is like not to make I feel like the road trip movies that were used to are

more often used to like make a mockery of the communities they're passing through to characterize the protagonists, whereas like this movie is trying to again with like varying degrees of success, to like not do that, to like pass through a lot of different classes and and but do it in a way that like you have a moment to appreciate someone in the scene that's like specific, and there's not a lot of like movies like that. I don't know, like the Antimidald thing. I was kind of

all over the place on that sequence. I didn't know because it's like you don't really like I want to like linger on like upper crossed white Ladies of the South. However, the way that they're written and characterized, I thought in that moment, especially with like a woman, I don't know, it just got me thinking about like the boomer women in my life who like Andy McDowell's character, I thought, you know, she's very like cool, moming it, which who

knows how her daughter feels about that. That can suck, but you know she's just like, oh, I've only ever had sex with one person because that's what I was told to do. And now I'm fucking miserable. I don't really know what where her husband's like, I think that they're divorced. Maybe I don't know. It seems like she kicked him out, but maybe the papers aren't finalized. Vibes like he obviously I felt like he cheated on her.

And then she was like wow, like I've only had one dick in my life and you out here swinging it. Get out of my house. Like, I'm not signing the papers yet because I want the money right now, so the house. She also says like we broke up because he's gay, and then her daughter is like, you don't know that for sure, and then she like like that yeah. She's like, well he loved it when I stuck my finger up his and then she means, no, I don't want to hear it, and Tito was like, it's really

kind of fun. Tito did come in and say like, hey, a finger up the bum, what's wrong with it? Yeah? But with that, I mean specifically with the I I know that she was given a name. I don't remember what it is because I hate women but the character who I just thought it was like a very vulnerable writing point for like a middle aged woman to say, like, my husband has never had sex with me with the lights on. And I don't know if that's a him thing.

I don't know if that's like, but it's clear that like she's internalized it and it's very insecure and it's like, is something wrong with me? And then I don't know, I mean it's I guess you can like come at this movie in so many different ways because in a way, the married troop of male strippers is characterizes like these men are coming to save you and make you feel

good about yourself again. And I think there is a way to look at that a little critically of like, there's a lot of movies that I think really effectively show fellow women and people of marginalized genders like helping each other through stuff like that versus like this guy

you just met making you feel good about yourself. But I also think that there is like some beauty in that and some like that character seems to feel so like vindicated and comforted by the fact that it's like, no, you're hot, your husband is who knows what's going on with him and you're beautiful and you're great, and like, I do think there is some value in hearing that from someone that you're attracted to in a way that

can be like really impact. I don't know, I liked that scene, is what I'm saying, Especially because men are not conditioned to be equipped to help really anyone with their emotional issues that they're going through. I would like sex workers of any gender are especially equipped to make people feel valued and attractive and loved. That's like the

service that sex workers often provide. So even though like at large, men are conditioned in such a way to like not have those skills, these particular men that's their job,

that's what they're good at. So like Donald Glover gives that great sort of like mini monologue about about that of like how he and again, I do think that there's multiple ways to look at this where there is a patronizing vibe to a man saying like we're healers, we heal women, and you're like, yeah, sure, but like you know, but I think in the context of the movie it is like an attempted, very wholesome message because when the conversation is before that is like Donald Glover's

character talking about how through sex work he's like realized how infrequently the women that he worked with are like

listened to and cared for. Yeah, and he's like, Okay, so this is something that I can provide that like unfairly the women that I meet are not given in their day to day life, and it is I do think it is a little overly simplistic, and I do think it is, like, if you think about it too hard, a little patronizing, but because it kind of makes the women seem sad, like all of them are sad, and

some of us are just horny. Some of us are like like, okay, i'm here, I'm single, you know, assumingly right, Like it's like i'm single, I'm having fun or you know, like if you're like a couple of my friends that love going to strip club and they're not single, she's like, I'm bringing my man, Like we're having a great time. Like we're just like we're enjoying, we're tipping the ladies. Like there's a whole spectrum available of reasons why you

would like seek out entertainment like that. Yeah, that's I guess that that's like one of them more because this movie is written and directed by straight white guys. Yeah, like man, and I think you know the fact that like mostly straight men are involved at the highest level.

I'm like, I don't really know how they pulled it off, but I do think that there is, like there is this tendency in this franchise that is true for some women but not all, And I feel like maybe that is where like the a little bit of dissonance comes in that like there is always ad a necessary emotional aspect to seeking out sex, work or seeking out pleasure, Like, like there there's because of how the men in this story approach their work, which again I'm like worked for me, um,

but it does seem like it's like a prerequisite that most of the women they come into contact with are not just seeking a physical experience but seeking an emotional experience, right, Which is a bit trophy to assume that women need an emotional component to sex and pleasure because women are so emotional, even though, of course many women and films

are very capable of non emotional sexual gratification. Although to go back to the kind of monologue that Andre gives in the car, where he's saying, like, yeah, like men don't listen to women. Men never ask women what they actually want, and all we have to do is just listen to them and ask them what they want. And when they tell us, that's a beautiful thing. And my initial reaction was like, it is beautiful, and oh my gosh, yes, it would be so nice to have someone listen to

me and ask me what I want. But then I was like, damn, women have to pay men to listen to them, and that does pretend to care about them. It is. I'm just like, but that has so many implications too, because I'm like, well, first of all, it's indicative of the way it's like the individual he's fault, right.

It's also it's just like indicative of the way men are again like socialized in conditioned, especially in like hetero romantic relationships, where like men aren't often really taught how to like like be romantic or just like have the emotional intelligence to like care for their partners emotional needs, like just all this stuff. And I don't want to sound like I'm I'm suggesting that it's pathetic or anything like that in any way to like pay someone up.

And I don't think that the movie is trying to code it that way. No, definitely not, And so I just want to make that clear, like there's there's no judgment from us or from the movie that like anyone would pay for that type of like I don't know, just like emotional care that these men are often giving to women. But I guess I was just reminded of the the bar is so low for male behavior where it's just like all you have to do is just like listen and then like check in with me, and

then it's just like, oh my god, I'm coming. Literally, all those women, all those older women in uh, South Carolina, were just like gushing. They were just so happy to have these young men in their home. And also, like I think Caroline in Savannah like is also sort of utilized to a similar extent. And it's like it sucks because in both of those sequences, I was like so thrilled for them that they were like getting something that

they clearly like wanted. But with Andre and Caroline in the Savannah sequence, like he brings her up, and I think that it seems like she's expecting, you know, I mean, I don't know, because I don't know if she's been there before, but like you know, it seems like she's expecting kind of a traditional, very very physical stripper experience and then he lap dance fine, but then he shocks and amazes her by asking her a question about her grandma.

And it's like, again, that scene really works for me. I love how it plays out, and it's like the character Caroline is clearly like wow, this is great. But I did feel like she's a doing hard hard. Becca was so hard. That was like my challenge Cambio obsession era right like the first time, and I was like, uh, you know, this time, I was like, I mean, I was still kind of loved it, but I like back then,

I was like, oh my god, I needed that. And so it's like it's in a way it's like I don't know, like there's a way to come at it where you're like, wow, that is something that most women don't even feel entitled to in their day to day life, to the point where it's like this would be a

really unusual thing to happen. And then the other way, it's like, well, you know that, like guys are writing and directing this, and it's like it is to some extent, men writing what they think women want and then controlling the behavior of the women in the story to be like, Wow, this is what I want, and so it's like, you know, it's a little yeah. I think some of those interactions would feel more authentic had there been more women behind

the camera in creative positions, making creative choices. I had way more Like I watched the movie all the way through and I was like, well, I love this, I'm horny. This is the best ever. And then I think I forgot this between our episode of Magic Mike a year ago and now. But I was like, oh, yeah, this was all written by a white guy who went to Harvard.

Now I feel dubious, like I was tricked. I enjoy his work, I'm a fan, but you're also just like I don't want a white guy from Harvard to tell me like what women of all generations and races and classes want, like how how? But you know what, knowing that it was written by a white man from Harvard

does explain why there wasn't more nudity. I mean also like the ratings some but to me, I'm like men are so I feel like prude for themselves, which is why the rating systems the way that it is, where it's like we must exploit women's bodies, but like if a dick is on screen, it's rated X. You know. I feel like this movie was a lot of fun and it was horny in terms of the dancing, and like the storyline was I think a little bit more horny than the last one, because the first one is

like more gritty. You're only focusing on magic Michael. You know, obviously magic Michael does his thing. But but I feel like the first one was way more nudity in like sexiness than in the second one. Like the second one is like way more about the sensuality and the people and like less bodies, Like we only see full ass at the very end. Why wasn't there more acts? Was not a problem with the first one, It was the last as we even saw a little bit of Joe

whatever his last name, I can't pronounce it. It's dick. Yeah, yeah, we did, we did, and we didn't get any dick in this movie. Dick. I wonder why that was, Yeah, because it was like this movie was more focused on emotions and less focused on bodies. But I'm like, you can have everybody, come on, let's figure it out. I'm glad there wasn't like women knew this time, like there

wasn't the first one. I feel like there was like unnecessary female nudity in the first one, where you're just like, Okay, I guess like we're just living in round Florida, and I guess that's part of it. But in the second one, I was like, Okay, glad that we like course corrected that, but also you don't have to take all the udy out. I was like, the still men stripping, I want more stripping.

I had the same complaint, Well, well we're at it, let's let's talk about the women that are in this movie, because we've we've got to talk about them very much. I think that to start with, I mean, uh, the women that we see in the kind of peripheral of this movie. And again, this feels like a very generally positive but also like hinged with some baggage where there is a lot of racial, class, and body diversity in this movie on the surface, but in terms of who

gets characterized, it's still skews very straight and white. That said, I was I think, even for a movie that came out like right now, I was kind of struck by And again, maybe this just says how low the bar is. Um, it probably does, but like there is a focus on women feeling pleasure in this movie. This was a big talking point when this movie came out. There are many, many, many like essays about how it's like, wow, women enjoying themselves and like, oh god, we're just like so disservice.

It's depressing. Like, but you do see like women across all these different lines enjoying themselves and being treated like people, not being like monked or made a meal of by the camera in any way that we're used to seeing. And there is like you just see a wide variety of like people of marginalized gender like having a good fucking time and that's great, Like I really loved that. But then in terms of like actual women who we get to know and that's right, I feel like that's

perhaps a bit of a different story. Yeah, I think especially when it comes to body diversity and body size, where there's not much body diversity you see on screen for the men, they all pretty much have a like quote unquote standard male stripper body, which maybe you would expect. But also maybe there's a conversation to be had just on a societal level about like rigid beauty standards when it comes to strippers and dancers and models and entertainers

in general. And I don't think that that's even completely like an accurate portrayal of like people who do sex work. There are men of all body types work, It's just this movie focuses on guys with like pecks and six packs. Very Hollywood, very very very shredded read. Yeah, um, there is more body diversity seen in women on screen. While yes, there are a lot of thin women, but there are people with bodies of all shapes and sizes on screen, including a number of fat women. However, are only ever

like featured extras. They're always in the audience of the shows. We never hear from them or learn their names or hear them speak. They are always like spectators paying for this like kind of idealized image of masculinity, whereas like the love interest characters for the various men are all

thin and attractive by Western standards of beauty. Yeah. Absolutely, I mean it's like the three I think main women we get to focus on this movie are Amber Heard, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Andy McDowell, who all have very traditionally Western beauty standards bodies. I think in particular with the Zoe character, that was like all over the place for me because she felt very studio notes to me of like why does the magic Mike have a girlfriend

in this one? Because she is on the peripheral of every scene you have to keep cutting to her to remember that she's there, And it's like the script tries to give you and you do get like I almost understood why they liked each other, but they don't even like it just felt very weird, like where you do get a little bit of background into who Zoe is,

where she says, like what was it? Like I I am a photographer, but like the first person who gave me a career opportunity was trying to fund me and like it ended poorly, and like it feels like kind of a story that like I think unfortunately a lot of people are familiar with of like imposter syndrome of like am I even good at this if the person who gave me the opportunity was trying to sexually exploit me, which you know isn't exactly magical Michael's journey, but I understand,

like why would sort of connect on feeling exploited and like, also he like seems to want like he notices her, he wants to make her happy. But the character just like was pretty underwritten. And then on top of that, like I don't know, the things I appreciated about her was that the movie went out of its way to make her canonically by in a way that wasn't mocking or like challenged by the fact that she seemed interested

in Magical Michael. He didn't have an issue with it, Like it wasn't even talked about really other than her just stating it, which is rare, felt normalized. Yeah, but I just felt like the character was just like why is she here, Like in a way that as a bummer in a movie with so few women. I just didn't like. She didn't seem to have much narrative impact, and it just felt like she was added in in

a not the original draft. I also was confused by an aspect of her character where at one point, I think when they first meet her and Mike, she says that she's trying to avoid ending up on the poll, and I didn't know if that meant that she had been a stripper and she's trying to avoid returning to it,

because that's how I initially interpreted it. But then I was like, I think maybe, yeah, I think maybe she means that she wants to avoid becoming a stripper, as if that was something that like, if her photography doesn't work out, it would be something that she would have to quote unquote resort to. Yeah. I was like, that's

like a weird thing to stripper. And in this movie specifically, it felt like one of those comments that people who have unconscious biases it just bubbles out of them, kind of like when I don't like gay people, but you know, they say something homophobic. Like it felt kind of like the same byword, Like it's like that's cool that you do it, but like I don't want to do it, but just like keep it behind clothes, don't every something

like that? Yeah right, yeah, Like I just I but again it's like that I didn't even pick up on that line, to be honest, but it just everything she says and does feel so was this supposed to be here? That's how I felt. In the very first scene they chalked, I like literally even putting my notes. I was like I felt like that improv Like it felt like they didn't know what to do. Like I was like, was

this scripted? Like I felt like like she came up to him and the notes were like talk about his dick and he's peeing, and then they didn't know what to do after that and they just like had weird banter and then it didn't come up in the next scene everything that had been Like That's why I was like, was this character added after shooting? Like I couldn't find any information about it, and it probably wasn't, but like

it just felt like, you know, like magic. Mike in the next scene talks with Ken about other stuff that they've established in the previous scene, but she doesn't come up. And I feel like normally in a scene like that, a character like Ken would be like so what was up with that girl? Less like she just doesn't come up. It's like she wasn't there. Because they have this weird way like asking each other if they've had sex the night before and it's so corny, but they're like what

did they say? It made me? They're like did you bangy? Did you bang me? Not? Did you bang? Did you bang me? And I'm like, what are you babies? Like what are you saying? They're All twelve. Not that I would put it past heaters axual men to like say ship like that, but not in my presence. This movie is for me, Like I don't want to watch this.

I will say that I was so And I'm curious how this kind of bears out with Magic Mike three, because I hope that between and now there has been I think, you know, not a satisfactory, but significant cultural shift. And when this movie came out, the audience for Weekend one was nine percent identifying as women. And I'm wondering how that kind of bears out for Magic By three. I feel like have like men caught on to the fact that they're just fucking awesome movies. Yeah that they're fun,

they're fun looking fun. What do you hate fun? Okay? Anyways, but yeah, I I just and then also on top of that, and this is like no reflection on the actor, because it's like it's not her fault, but like the fact that for both movies, it just seemed like a very sequel e thing of like, oh, yeah, he dated a hot, thin white woman in the first movie, so we just need to find a different, hot, thin white lady for him to date in the second. Movie and you're like, well, no, you don't. And also I wouldn't

have been bothered if I don't know. It's it's always bizarre when we come up on movies like this where I'm like, I just I wouldn't have mind did if that woman wasn't in the story, because it's just like she wasn't effectively fit in. She would show up at

random points. I don't think she really factors into Mike's development as a character very much, And all it really seems like for her development is like she was kind of and this was like a note we had about Magical Michael's original girlfriend Brooke was that she's so uptight she can't feel pleasure and like in an even lazier

way because she's barely in the movie. That's how Zoe's character is made to seem like all the other women in the scene are really engaged and they want to like not only get horny, but like talk about their feelings and as do the men, and like it's a very kind of like wow, this is cool, but Zoe's like I'm eating cake into kitchen. I'm not like the other girls. I'm not horny, And it's just like what are you trying to tell me with this character? Why is she always in the other room? Like can she

ever be in the room. It's really bizarre to me the way she's written. Yeah, um, but we have we have other women to talk about that have way more narrative Rome. Can we talk about Rome? Yes? I love that she's a successful business owner. Most of her customers, it seems, are black women. It seems as though Rome's like mission statement for her business is she wants to create a space where black women can enjoy themselves, where

they can feel valued and appreciated and beautiful. She like makes a point to like go around to different women at this like horny mansion and be like and like you're all queens. I have so many questions about the Horny Mansion, like and and that said, like listeners, if you know that these horny mansions exist and if they're safe, like drop the links. I want to go seriously to the Horny Mansion. Um. But yeah, she just like she

wants to again just like create this safe space. And it seems like a safe space for both the performers

and the clientele. And she seems just like be curating this like great space again specifically for black women, because black women are so historically undervalued and underappreciated that she's and this never gets explicitly stated in the movie, but that was my read on that, but also romantically discriminated, you know, like this is a safe space for black women to express their desires and to be desired in a way that like in the other club circles, I

feel like it is more about like with the white dancers and the white male entertainers, you know, it's about them being like, look at me and all my sexiness, and I know you want this, whereas like in um Rome's club, you know, it's focus more from an honest place of her pleasure, Like it's like, this is about her desire and what does she want? How can we make her feel special? Like this is about you and not about how sexy I am. It's about how do

I turn you on? And there's so many rooms. There's so many rooms that I got turned on um And I think, especially like I listens, I make a lot of comments right now about black and row woman I am, and after Latina, I am a black and brown woman. But all that to say, I feel like it was very beautiful to see like especially dark skinned black men be interested in desiring these you know, or making these black women feel desired, because so many times oftentimes like

that is so not the case. So I thought that was really lovely. That was like, you know, a space where these women can find what they're looking for because

their communities refuse to acknowledge them. So for sure. Yeah, and it felt like those themes and like that was introduced in a very in a way that was very organic to the story too, in a way that I feel like sometimes killing I forget what movie we were talking about this recently, where it feels like a lot of times between movies and franchises, there's like a very needed demand for like why was there no diversity in this movie? Why was there no like diversity of race

or class or body type or anything. And then the way that the sequels try to address it are very fine. Here you go, like in a way that's very careless and like worse than if they had done nothing. So again, it's like the bar is absolutely on the floor. I'm not even congratulating the Magic Mike team for having done this, but it's like there was a glaring lack of diversity

in the first movie. It was something that we talked about We're being in Florida, like it's like right, right, and and so it's like the movie, you know, like it felt like the higher up creatives like did hear that criticism and tried to make the movie more equitable and diverse in a way that also felt very like in step with what the story was and not in a way that was like fine, there you go, like because I feel like viewers can you can feel when

that's happening. For sure, I agree, especially with the club being in Georgia, Like I felt like that was like very organic to what it could have been. And I think the only way they could have done it right was having um rome b Jada Pagin Smith you know, or like a black actress like it definitely could not have been a man. And I'm glad that they made it. I'm a damn owning this horny mansion. Right. She's so fucking I mean and truly like Jada Pinkett Smith is

just like such a potent person. She's so great. Like you forget about Matthew McConney, like you just do, and no you did not. I hated Matthew mcconnughey in the first one, I feel like a better edition, Like because Matthew coconney was so gross. His whole character was like I'm on cocaine. Was the vibe Like it was just like and it wasn't like Matthew McConaughey, like his character like did not respect or understand what women wanted outside of a way that made him money. It just seemed

like Rome. It wasn't that she didn't want their money. She absolutely did, and judgment isn't passed on her for that, and I think rightfully so. But also it's like she

knew what to do better Dallas did. She was creating a real experience set at the core was what these women wanted versus Dallas is like, I'm a creepy, money hungry man who owns a club, you know, which, Like statistically, women that own clubs like stripper clubs and things like that have better, you know, employees because the women feel cared for and protected in a way that men simply

don't do that to their workers. So well, a big thing that the characters were dealing with in the first movie is that Dallas was like exploiting their labor and like not paying anyone well enough, whereas it seems like in Rome's horny mansion, she's and again the movie doesn't get into this with any specificity, but it seems at least that the like male performers and entertainers in her house are given like artistic freedom because some of them

are doing like very horny dances. And then you have Andre who like only just like takes his shirt off and and he's just like freestyle wrapping the rest of the time, like he's not doing like traditional stripping, he's like doing his music and also like showing his abs too.

But like it does it reminded me of like it's like when you I don't know, I mean, I'm a fan of Jumbo's clown Room in l A. And it's like that is a club where it is predominantly women, but not exclusively, but like it's a club where as far as I know, generally people who work their love working there because they're given a lot of creative freedom. And that's like part of the point. And I think that this is like a um criticism. I saw this franchise that I don't know, I mean, I I have

never done sex working. I don't feel like my opinion here carries a lot of weight, but I just wanted to bring it up of like, because this movie I do feel like there are elements of Magic Mike that are like, it's kind of a fantasy movie in a lot of ways, because in order for it to be as cathartic and amazing as it is, you have to ignore things that happen in the world. Things that happen in the world don't happen in the Magic Mike cinematic universe.

And that's not a criticism. I'm glad that horrible things don't really happen in this world. I love that about this movie. Yeah, I was like, this movie was pleasant from start to finish, Like there's no real traumas, Like it was just guys getting to know each other and solving their problem at the end of the day. That right. So I came across this article that that came out at the time that this movie came out in twenty fifteen.

It's by Chloe Cooper Jones in Vice articles called Magic Mike Excel was the most important feminist movie, of which, my god, if that's true, U was goal for us. There's no women in the movie. But okay, right, um not no women few okay um, But but she interviewed the former president of the American Philosophical Association, a person named Linda Martin Alcof, who had some criticisms with this movie that I thought were interesting, even if I didn't totally agree with them, and I just wanted to kind

of bring them up. She's sad. Dr Alcof quote. There's a danger when popular culture uses feminist ideas in ways that not only misrepresent, but mislead. This is the case with Magic Mike XXL, which appears to be about the gender equality of men and women in sex work. So the movie makes use of this representation and then goes on to portray sex work as a choice individuals can make.

It does not show the real costs, the constant violence, regular dehumanization by clients, wage theft, and sexual violence that is part of so much sex work. So there is a falseness to that representation. Unquote. I see what she's saying, but I also don't think that that has a place in this franchise. That's not why this exists exactly, but it does feel worth acknowledging. We're obvious like this is

a fantasy, like magic Mike XXL Special. I feel like the first one they like kinda like that it was all over the place, honestly the first one, but the second one like it was like the goal is fun. This is a fantasy. We know that this is not how the world works, but that is the point of fiction,

that this is fiction so exactly. And then the other criticism I myself of this movie popping up is for all the diversity of like women feeling pleasure in this movie, outside of the fact that it's still um, straight thin women that seem to be getting precedents, that there's no representation of disability, which I think it's fair, especially in a movie that seems to be prioritizing such a wide spectrum of pleasure that we didn't see any disabled women

did feel a bit glaring. But okay, what can we talk a little bit more about Andy McDowell's character. Yes, let's do it. I wanted to point out a few

positive a few things I enjoyed. You see sexual desire in older women and like horny mom energy and like they are expressing their frustrations of like some of them are like feeling sexually repressed and you know, we we talked to a little bit about this already, but I was just I appreciated there being a representation of like older women's sexuality being a thing on screen, and that big dick Ritchie gets with an older woman or a woman older than him, and they called her absolutely beautiful.

I think, like they were like that beautiful, amazing woman or whatever. And they didn't call her old, and they didn't say mills. And I appreciate that they were just like she's hot as hell, good job, just accurate, I mean, right. And I also appreciated that you have a mom telling her daughter to like play the field and like don't stop until you find like the best dick of your life, where you would normally see on screen a mother like slut shaming her daughter or like warning her of like

the quote unquote dangers of having multiple partners. I was gonna say, because I tend to associate like a Southern woman in her forties or fifties as being this kind of like pearl clutching, like well, I never kind of like, oh my goodness, and I know that that's a stereotype, but I've seen it in a bunch of movies, and when the only representation you see of something is a stereotype, you think that that must be the truth, which is

what our whole show is about anyway. Yeah, so for Nancy to be like, yeah, my daughter should fuck a bunch of men, including male strippers, that was pretty serversive. That was pretty cool, I liked, And again, it like fit into the story in a very cool and logical way. I read a few um accounts of like younger women bringing their moms to this movie and mom's feeling really

like liberated by that scene because I did. I think it was in that same Vice article where um, the writer whose name is Chloe Cooper Jones was describing seeing this movie with her mom and her mom like kind of tensing up when the Andy mcdowalls scene started because women are so conditioned to seeing like any woman over a certain age treated as a joke if they're experiencing

any sexual desire. And then like really loving that scene because I don't know, they're just like treated like people that are horny, which makes sense, And I loved that scene with like it just felt very like true to that character where she was really horny, but also like, what's going on where um Andy mcdowall's character like asked big Dick Ritchie, like if she could unzip him, and then he was or what did he say? Like she said, can I pop the hood? Pop up something objectifying men?

That's not nice? But it's like that scene fucking ruled. I just like it was really it was really nice. I like that the movie wanted to take all of these like I don't know, because it's like road trip movies are so episodic like this, but this felt like really intentionally episodic of like, here's a woman you don't normally see in a movie like this, experiencing pleasure and having a nice time. Isn't that great? All right, they're gone, and that's kind of like, yeah, that was great. Yeah cool.

Another kind of episodic thing that happens a little stop they make on the trip is the drag Show, which I was the first stop. Yeah, yeah, I had some questions. So you have this scene taking place at a nightclub called Mad Mary's. The drag queen character Tori Snatch played by Vicky Vox, is like hosting this show and then says something like all right, now, all of you amateur queens get up here and strut your stuff, and I'll

give you four hundred dollars to the winner. No one who gets on stage is in drag, including because like you understand why, like Magic Mike and his friends are not in drag. But the first few people who get on stage were clearly people who were there to participate in this drag competition, and for some reason, they're not

in drag. And then you have these seems as though mostly straight guys going on stage kind of inserting themselves into this like queer space, into this queer competition, I would say, not doing a very good job, and then somehow still winning, and he was half passing it big time, and nevertheless he persisted there. So I found that confusing, and it just felt like a scene that was written by straight men. Oh for sure, it's like men, like

they had no idea. They were like, oh, well, Fluffy like is wearing the what's a face costume from the Yeah, so he's wearing the costume, but that's not a drag costume. That is like a normal costume. And it's also vaguely racialized because like that is a like Argentinian banana. I think they're from Argentina. Those bananas, um, so you know it's just like okay, it was like the closest they

could think. They're like, well, we can't actually put them in drag because like that's too gay and these are straight men. We have to remember that they dress up,

but they're not gay. They're performing masculinity for women. It has to be hetero, which is something that I'm curious about, Like will the third movie Dare to not have a single moment that feels a little no homo in a way that I think that, Like, again, this movie improves upon the first in that regard, but there are still little moments where were just like why although there's one crumb that I maybe would give the movie, give me give me that crowb it's when I think they've checked

into the convention. So they're like staying in the hotel in Myrtle Beach and Magic Mike and Tito get into the one bed that's in the room, get into the bed together, and there's no like gay panic moment, there's no like what we hope to share a bed. They just get into the bed together and start talking about frozen yogurt, and I was like, wow, it's it's a crumb. But I was like, huh, but honestly, like most movies would be like, now let's go like let's go wild

on this moment. And I guess the crumb is that they like don't make fun of the drag queens or like you know, going to a gay bar like they were like they apparently go every year. Yeah, they like say that they go every time that they go to this competition. So another smidgen crumb, another tiny little crome, which like, yeah, it's like and it makes sense, like

it's like they have a lot in common. They work in similar settings, like cool, it makes sense that everyone would get along here and the movie doesn't like try to do anything weird about it, right, and which just goes to show how low the bar is, right because you you're always like if something funked up about to happen, because I don't trust these men, but this, I mean, this franchise will will generally go with not even just like a more realistic choice, but like the Path of

Least Resistance narratively, like it makes more sense that this group of men would be friends than not. So yeah, true, Um, is there anything else we want to talk about? No, but I do want to mention that the Twilight Stripper moment killed me and I always felt like that was very of the era as someone who used to be a twy heart. I Team I. Okay, I bounced back and forth, but I think ultimately I was Team Edward.

Oh that's the wrong answer. Unfortunately it's all about Team Jacob. No, but also like they're but the right answer is neither team Nobody. Yeah, team not even Team Bella, like team Why am I reading this? Like all three of them are kind of diabolical, and I was, Yeah, I was Team Jacob back in the day, and which you would catch a lot of ship for that. It was brutal um. But also all three teams everyone's wrong. Everyone was wrong.

Magic Mike EXXEL seems to understand that. It does seem to understand that because they made fun of them, they were like the fucking vampire acts warning. Yeah, And the last thing I wanted to say, because I didn't realize like the two I think the two most successful erotic movies were Magic Mike XXL and the Final fifty Shades of Gray movie. And so if we're putting ourselves in that headspace, it made me appreciate Magic Mike exic fell a lot more because you think of how you know,

they are both technically folks on women's pleasure. But if you watch a Fifty Shades of Gray movie, it's like, oh, this domineering guy who doesn't respect boundaries and it's like ruining your life, like hates her, like you're just like, well, I guess honestly, Magic Mike x Excel was in that media landscape a miracle, which is so depressing. But yeah, that was that was my That was my final thought on it. But does it pass the Bechtel test? Folks? Oh, you know what, I don't think it does or I

don't know if it's two lines of dialogue. But in theory you got Paris and Rome chatting about their love for one another. But it is narrowly like in the vein of male entertainment. So I feel like that would have been the only time that it would have passed, right because all the horny moms are they aren't really talking amongst themselves, They're mostly talking to the And I do think it passed, but it wasn't like as thorough

passes you would like. I think there were like individual because the movie does seem to go out of its way to give every woman a name in a way that almost felt glaring to me at some point, it's sort of like these are my friends, blah blah blah bla blah, and I'm like this pass eventual asked like what, because it was a popular discussion of like what lass versus what wasn't. And I do think that there were a few off hand exchanges in the Andy McDowell sequence

that would have passed. I think that the Rome and Paris like again contextually. Ultimately, I guess Rome's goal is to get magical Michael into the room, but also she's trying to get herself into the room. I think there's a little bit of wiggle room there. It's not a hard pass. You never see Megan and uh I can't even remember her name in the movie, Zoe. You never see them in a room together. They were like supposed

to be friends talk yeah. Yeah, Well, it's like because Zoe just seemed so out of play, is out of time, out of movie in this movie, where it's like we keep being told she and megat her friends, but it seems like she disagrees with Megan on everything. And like

they never speak. So I do think like in a movie like this, while it is very valuable to have a movie that is focused on I think coded heterosexual men coming to terms with themselves and each other in an emotionally intelligent way, is a is a good mission. There's not a lot of movies that do that well. This movie does it pretty well. But it's like there was room for more women. It seems like, based on the trailer that I've watched five thousand times for the

new magical Michael, that women are there. There are at least two. There's like a mother daughter dynamic. In the third movie, is Rossaiah is supposed to be Samahayaks daughter. I think that they say that in the trailer. I'm pretty sure I'll watch it after this, but I don't know. Maybe I maybe, but I'm pretty sure that, yeah, they're supposed to be playing mother daughter and like that's an

impression I got. Also, Channing Tatum knows her daughter and then meets her mother, and it's like and that's like big, and I'm like, who is he dating? And then I'm like, well, maybe he's not dating anyone in this one, and maybe that maybe he's been liberated from the need to be

in love with a boring character. But I like that they didn't end up like truly at the end together, Like it's like, yes, he danced on her, but I think obviously he's like, this is also my job, like and I want to have fun and I think this is funny. But I like that they didn't like kiss, like they didn't like it wasn't clear that they're like

ending up together. It was more like, like he had mentioned throughout the whole movie, was like come have fun, like like you're young, like you're young ones your friends want to go, like just have fun with a bunch of strip your we're friends now. They mentioned like we're friends now. So I do like that. Even though obviously it's like gear that he she is like the romantic interest of his I like that it wasn't actually very

romantic and that they didn't kiss. It just seems like their lives intersect for a few days and then that's kind of it. Yeah, It's like I love stories like that, and I agree with you Becca that it didn't seem like the movie was like you'll be seeing this character again, like yeah, and that's fine, Like whatever you know. I. Yeah, I magical Michael. You know he's still hurting. He's still hurting from Yeah, he'll from his engagement. You know, he wasn't ready to take that off. He said he lit

a candle and everything. He was really tight. He was like, I lit a candle and everything. She said, nod bacon. I don't understand, bacon. I had epic random bacon. She still said, freaking no, I will never understand. If you're like, well, whatever, magic, you still got to grow up. Like there must have been some other problems. She also sucked, so it's like she did stop. She wanted him to quit stripping. Not cool,

Yeah she was. She was a bit of a like a traditionalist in a way that I don't think suited the beauty that is magical Michael his lifestyle. But maybe he's going to fall in love with Samahiak. I think that to me is sexy. Yeah, they can do that for two hours and I will watch it. I'll be happy. The same same writer. So the third one, Steven Soderberg is back directing. I thought it was interesting. So and

I like like Steven Soderberg. I think he's a really cool artist, where like he seems like kind of unpretentious in the way he does stuff where he directed the first movie and then for the second movie his cinematographer from the first movie and him switched places. So in this movie, the cinematographer is directing, Steven Soderberg is doing the cinematography and editing, and they just kind of like switched things up in a way that I thought was

like visually cool. And then in the final one or finding, I guess we're to believe perhaps could be the final one, but like you know, would I'd be mad? No, But in the final with Steven Soderberg is directing again, which I do think fits with the tone of the trailer now that you've mentioned that, because the railer to me is giving like step up one, yes, but like sexy, like it's like it's giving the same type of draws, like it's going to be more drama this time than

it is comedy. It does feel very like I haven't seen any of the Tom Holland Spider Man's will be honest, but I do like, you know, this character, you know and love is in London, question more, and that's like what is happening in the third Magic Like I can't wait to see it. I will see it opening weekends. I will laugh, cry, pee myself, like get very morny. That's why I'm there, That's why we're there, That's why we go to the movies. The movie. We come to

this place, we come from magic. We come to this place to laugh, to cry, to care. Um. How about that nipple scale of ours where we rate the movie from zero to five nipples based on looking at the movie through an intersectional feminist lens. I'm going to give this movie. This might be wild, but I'm gonna give it three point five because the two kind of like main thrusts of the movie. That's my new favorite way to discree. I've been saying that ship we need to stop,

we have to knock it out. It's triggering my fight or flight response when we say that out loud. Okay, fine. The two main themes of the movie are male friendship that is like healthy and productive or at least trying to be. And they're doing it in a very like the way hetero men are conditioned to behave when it comes to like emotional vulnerability. But they are like talking

through their problems. They're expressing vulnerabilities. They are saying that they love each other, and yes they're doing it while they're rolling on Molly and I'm expressing their love does lead to a car crash um, But generally it seems like the movie is very much in favor of this

male friendship and I really appreciate that. And I also appreciate the focus on and this is mostly through the Rome character, but her mission being like cult to vading a space where women can like experience joy and pleasure and to feel valued and to feel attractive and you know, all these things that are good. So I'm gonna give the movie three and a half nipples. I will give one to Jada, I will give one to Elizabeth Banks,

the director of Cocaine Bear. I will give one to the scene where Magic My dances to Pony by Genuine and has sex with his work bench. And I'll give my half nipples. And I'll give my half nipple to Tito because he deserved more characterization. I'm gonna go three and a half as well. I think that the Zoe character was kind of the biggest miss for me in terms of a woman, where it felt like she was a character who has added as a girlfriend kind of halfheartedly.

We didn't get to know very much about her. Um, I do appreciate like we were just saying Becca that, like it wasn't forced on us as like and now she's the great love of his life, because it just like I wouldn't have worked at all. But it just I you know, for someone who was pretty high build in the movie, she could be removed from the movie and nothing would change. She didn't really factor into Magical Michael's growth at all. However, Rome is a great character.

I really liked her. I liked that they reset everything at the beginning of every Magic Mic movie. But I'm like kind of bummed that we won't get to see more of her because it feels like that character like she just like I would see h spinoff movie only about her same and her horny mansion and her horny mansion, like how do you the prequill Like her life was magical Michael before went to Dallas, because those two have chemistry. It was like wow, when he kissed her hand, I

was like begging for her forgiveness. I was like, wow, Wow, this is great. Why isn't it me? I'm just gonna right like it was Yeah, like I thought she was a great character. I feel like she you know, I would love to see her again down the line, but

in this movie she is wonderful. But I think for me, she and the animate Dowel characters were the best written, most narratively impactful women in the story, which is kind of cool because you know they are like women over forty and you don't usually see in kind of a sexy movie older women taking narrative precedence over younger women. I think there was room for everybody, though, But I love this movie. I love it's like focus on um,

straight men getting their ship together. I love how it celebrates sex work and doesn't shame it in the way that I think the first movie, Tacit Lee did towards the end. I think this movie kind of course corrects that issue from the first movie. Um, there is more diversity. I know that some of it is sort of like or much of it is very surface level and flawed, and we it is still a white character centric movie in a way that I really hope the third movie

course corrects on Justice for Adam. But it's a hell of a rob it's a hell of a horny movie. I really enjoy it and I also do like it is kind of nice to come at a franchise like this with general optimism, where I feel like with future movies and most franchises, I'm like, there's no way they're going to do any better and I just need to manage my expectations. But for a two movie franchise, I feel like they made significant strides between one and two.

I am excited to see three. I hope it is really awesome and at least I hope I get fucking horny and a room full of my peers. That's what I want. Um, so I will give it three and a half. I'm going to give all of my nipples to Twitch because I love Twitch and I was very sad, I honestly like I learned when Twitch passed because it was like last month, and I was really sad, and then I didn't I wasn't expecting to see him in

this movie, and then I was crying. Uh just um, you know, if you haven't seen Twitch dancing, and I mean at any point, but like in his so you think you can dance. Prime just a beautiful, wonderful spirit in person, and I'm very sad he's gone. So all my nipples are going to twitch. Nice Becca, how about you? Oh my gosh, my time to give away nipples. Okay, I'm also gonna go with three and a half. I was leaning more for three, but then after our discussion,

I landed on three and a half. But I will say I really love the arc of this movie from the first to the second. After watching them back to back, I think there was so much more joy in this movie and it was just such a fun, lighthearted watch. Obviously we dug into it. There's a lot to be said, but I think generally for the context of the movie and the content and for the timing it came out, I think it is such a joy that, you know, for the most part, withheld with time, which is you know,

rare for I think movies within even the past five years. Um. I will say I do wish was horn Ear in the sense that I did not see enough nakedness for being a rated art movie. It really felt like a PG thirteen movie. I was shocked when I googled that it was rated are still and I felt like the most sex we got was in the last ten minutes and that just wasn't enough for me. But otherwise, yeah,

I agree with both, with everything you said. I don't have much besides those two notes to add onto that um and yeah, I'm gonna get my nipples to one to Childe Cambino for my heart could not stand love, one A Chang Tatum because I've been horny for him, some step up, and then one Adam Rodriguez because I love that man Delco forever. And then I have to pulled a twitch ress in peace. Oh my goodness, Well, Becca, thank you so much for joining us, truly long time coming.

I'm so glad we did it. Me too. This was so much fun. It's like truly a dream come true. I'm like, I listen every week and now I'm on it. I gotta feel honored, So thank you for having me. Becca is literally wearing a Bectel Cast shirt right now. It looks so come back, say less. I will be here. Yes, okay, amazing. And speaking of those shirts, you can get them at

t public dot com. Slash the Bechtel Cast. All of our merches designed by Jamie and we've got some some recent designs such as shrek Ian and feminist icon Paddington and the Flower Mambo by Danny Elfman Hard to say how that design is doing. That may have been just for me, but I am enjoying it. I bet a few people bought it. If you have, please let us know because I've been seeing a lot of the other two designs and really kind of radio silence on the

Flower Mambo by Da mcdanny Elfmand. Just let's work on that, folks. Let's get the let's get the good word out there. Um. You can also follow us on social media. We're at becktel Cast on Instagram and Twitter for all of the updates that you could possibly want in the world. You can follow our patreon ak May Treon. That's at patreon

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it does. Okay, Bye bye