Why every Christian (male or female) should not see "Magic Mike."

Not sure if you've heard or not but there is a movie currently playing that is making a bunch of buzz on facebook and twitter. "Magic Mike" stars Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey as male strippers trying to make it big. It is supposedly an inspirational movie based on Tatum's real life. But let's be honest, it's about half-naked guys shaking their money makers in front of crowds of swooning women (both on screen as well as off screen.)

At the risk of sounding like a close-minded prude, I would argue that no self-respecting Christian, either male or female, should ever see the movie "Magic Mike."

The reasons why a Christian woman should not view this movie are easy. I have yet to hear a person either comment or remark that they really want to see this movie because of the wonderful plot and that the script is so well written. The only reason women want to see this movie is for the undressed men gallivanting about in their banana hammocks. Many of these women are married and are leaving their husbands at home to go with a group of ladies to whoop and holler at the screen, like hungry wolves howling at a full moon (pun intended).

What if instead of "Magic Mike" the title was "Magic Molly" and instead of Tatum and McGonaughey there were two A-list female celebrities prancing around in lingerie and doing unspeakable things on camera, all the while groups of men, young and old, were flocking to the theaters and blowing up facebook and twitter about how badly they want to see that movie? How do you think the women in our society would be reacting? For some reason it is perfectly acceptable for women to behave like this but, the majority of the time, when a man behaves that way he is labeled a misogynistic pig. If you ask me, both scenarios are completely deplorable and disgusting.

Whether it is in the heart of a woman or a man lust is still lust. Jesus was not only speaking to men when He said that looking lustfully at another person is the same as committing adultery in your heart. It is a universal truth. But women get away with it in our culture because they are just cutting loose with some girlfriends and it isn't hurting anyone. I would beg to differ.

What happens after the credits roll and the ladies head back to the house to their husbands or boyfriends who are not Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey. They are trading in six-packs for keggers. They trade a professional entertainer with a personal fitness instructor for a 45 year old husband who works too much, eats too much unhealthy food and falls asleep on the couch watching CSI. All of a sudden the women are planning another trip to the movie theaters next Friday night. If a woman is not careful, they can fall into the trap of believing that the real thing is not good enough, and that is a dangerous valley to fall in. Lust rarely begins in the heart; it begins with the eyes and the mind and then leads to heart and then finally to the hands and the feet.

The reasons why a Christian man should not see the movie is somewhat different, though there are some similarities. Now, I'm not accusing most men of wanting to see Tatum and the rest of the crew prance around in their fruit of the looms, but there is something that is still dangerous. The majority of the movie, and the real-life reaction, is a series of overwhelming, hormonal, excitable shrills and giggles of women clamoring to see more of these men. Excited, hot and bothered women swooning to do just about anything with these fellas because they are good looking, charming and half-naked.


Here are the two dangers: 1. The exciting squeals of the women on screen as well as the real-life reaction of the women off screen (including girlfriends, wives and random strangers) can easily lead to dangerous thoughts and images going off in your own mind. Men are visual creatures. If they are not careful the idea of a group of women getting so worked up sexually can lead them down a very dark path in the mind and in the heart.
2. A guy may very well seek out the same attention that these fictional characters are getting so they may try to become their own rendition of Magic Mike. Our society already has enough pseudo-men as it is. Twenty- and thirty-somethings whose only ambition is power, sex, money and awesome biceps. We have enough Magic Mikes already, we don't need anymore.