7 Ways "Magic Mike" Affected the Industry

I’ve been a male stripper since 2003. That makes twelve good years I have seen the industry evolve. I watched companies drop phonebook advertisements and switch to online marketing. Smartphones and Google maps replaced road atlases and customer directions. Smartphones phased out the bulky camcorder and disposable cameras, making pictures and videos much more prevalent than they used to be. Despite all these things, one thing also affected the industry: “Magic Mike.”

Let’s face it. “Magic Mike” was a horrible movie, bearing the combination of a weak plot, horrible acting, and little character development. Nonetheless, it brought the male stripping industry into the mainstream spotlight.

Here are some things that have changed:


#7) Make it Rain

The term “make it rain” has been around for a few years before the movie, and it means to throw a wad of cash into the air to mimic the effect of money raining down (for those of you who don’t know). However, ever since the movie came out, girls want to get pics and videos of money raining down on the stripper. This never happened early on in my career, but it’s a staple at almost every party now.


#6) Music

Many customers request songs such as “Pony” by Genuwine, or other songs that appeared in the movie. I assume that when the sequel “Magic Mike XXL” arrives, that soundtrack will play a crucial role in future revues.


#5) Dance Moves

Male strippers who work private parties usually focus on dynamic activities instead of a choreographed dance routine (excluding black male dancer shows). Some girls who have watched the movie sometimes expect the stripper to pull off the same acrobatic flips and twists in their living room as Channing Tatum in the movie. While some male strippers have a good repertoire of moves, they’re probably not going to vault around the coffee table, kicking over drinks and random furniture in the process.


#4) Stereotypes

The move dispelled some common myths about strippers, but also created new ones. For instance, fewer women ask me if I’m “gay” thanks to the movie. I don’t know where they associated why a gay man would enjoy stripping (nude in some cases) for a crowd of women. Wouldn’t they prefer to work at a gay strip club? Well, that question has become less frequent now.

However, the movie introduced a cast of strippers who lived hedonistic lifestyles full of drugs and irresponsibility, except the main character and his employer. Unfortunately, some girls think this carries over in the real world and think that I’m going to drop a line of coke on their coffee table and snort it. While it’s true that some male strippers bear drug problems and live hand-to-mouth, many successful strippers work full time jobs, have great careers, and live healthy lifestyles. The movie didn’t highlight this type of stripper so much.


#3) More Male Applicants

Many guys, after watching the movie, realize that stripping for a bunch of eager young ladies seems like a dream-come-true. Who doesn’t want to feel like the only desired guy at a club full of women? Therefore, the amount of applicants surged in recent years. Unfortunately, most of them have never looked into a mirror before.


#2) Sexuality

Maybe this is just from my person experience, but I’ve noticed more and more girls getting a sexual thrill from these strip shows than ever before. When I first started, women just wanted to embarrass their friends and have a few laughs. While that hasn’t changed, there are more requests for nudity than ever before. Some crowds even want me to cum in front of them.

I don’t know if this is situational with my growing experience and show quality, or if male stripping is becoming more mainstream and desirable. That leads to the next point…


#1) Popularity

Since the release of the movie, there has been a surge in bookings across the nation. The movie was a hit, and many of my customers cite “Magic Mike” as their reasoning for booking a stripper, because they want to enact that experience in person.

Overall, I’d say the movie has a general positive effect on male strippers in general. Those of us in the industry can iron out the stereotypes and run the shows our way in the end. I hope the sequel ushers in more response and garners more bookings for the industry when it’s released this summer.