{"id":28350,"date":"2022-01-19T12:46:56","date_gmt":"2022-01-19T20:46:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=30000024505"},"modified":"2022-01-19T19:48:03","modified_gmt":"2022-01-20T03:48:03","slug":"finding-magic-mike-michael-thantrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/finding-magic-mike-michael-thantrong","title":{"rendered":"For a show about stripping, Long Beach ‘Finding Magic Mike’ contestant finds the experience was more than skin-deep"},"content":{"rendered":"

Michael Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng<\/a> isn\u2019t one to shirk from challenging situations. In his day job as a behavioral therapist, he coaches people diagnosed with autism. A Muay Thai and kickboxing trainer, his fitness journey has put him in professional fighting rings. But nothing could have prepared Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng for the level of dread he experienced when, last summer in Las Vegas, he was tasked with giving a lady a lap dance.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy very first lap dance was performed in front of 25 dudes, professional choreographers and a camera crew knowing that this is going to be put on global television. It was terrifying. I blacked out, I don\u2019t remember a lot of what happened,\u201d Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng said.<\/p>\n

Perhaps his lapse in memory was for the best. The five-second clip viewers see of Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng\u2019s fateful lap dance on HBO\u2019s \u201cFinding Magic Mike\u201d was more comedic than sexy, mainly by way of a few too many vigorous pelvic thrusts toward the floor. Still, however his autopiloted body decided to move managed to land him a spot in the finals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was shocked,\u201d the Long Beach local said. \u201cMy legs gave out. I couldn\u2019t believe I was making it to the top 10.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
MIchael Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng finding out he made Top 10 on HBO’s “Finding Magic Mike.” Photo courtesy HBO Max\/Michael Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the new HBO Max reality series, which aired Dec. 16, 2021, Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng and 49 other \u201cnormal\u201d men (i.e. non-professional dancers or strippers) compete for the chance to win $100,000 and the opportunity to perform with the \u201cMagic Mike Live\u201d show in Las Vegas, a still-running show directly inspired by the wildly successful 2012 film \u201cMagic Mike,\u201d starring Channing Tatum.<\/p>\n

By the end of the first episode, the 50 men are whittled down to 10, with those who passed having managed to survive learning choreography while stripped down to their briefs and giving strangers lap dances.<\/p>\n

For a reality show about male strippers, the series doesn\u2019t disappoint on its promise of shirtless men performing scintillating dance routines, but the heart of show lies with its contestants, a diverse group of men from all over the country selected not just for their dancing potential, but who are looking to overcome personal obstacles. For many, this meant boosting their self-confidence, coming into their own sexuality, or allowing themselves to be more vulnerable.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Michael Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng with the top 10 contestants of “Finding Magic Mike.” Photo courtesy HBO Max\/Michael Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Viewers learn that Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng is looking to become more sexually assertive for his girlfriend. Shy, soft-spoken, and a virgin up until he turned 30, Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng, now 42, admits that when it came to women, he wasn\u2019t one to put himself out there. Now in a committed relationship, Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng reveals that he\u2019s still carrying the insecurities he\u2019s felt for most of his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to feel sexy,\u201d he said on screen. \u201cI don\u2019t feel sexy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learning to be more assertive may have become a dominating motivation for Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng on the show, but his initial interest in auditioning was for the chance to learn how to dance, a skill he said he\u2019d wanted to learn for years in part because he believed it might help boost his self-confidence. And what better way to do just that than learning how to dance from the choreographers behind the film (and live show) that have been making women swoon for a decade?<\/p>\n

Ultimately, though, it was his girlfriend that gave him the final nudge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were on the couch, I had my head on her lap and she was stroking my hair and she said, \u2018babe, I want you to go to Vegas and be a stripper. Be a good stripper,\u2019\u201d Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng said.<\/p>\n

They set some ground rules, one of them being no kissing on or below the mouth. No sex, obviously. His girlfriend relinquished that touching was OK, \u201cthey\u2019re going to touch you anyway\u201d she told him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I submitted, I did not think I was going to get picked at all. Like, there\u2019s no chance. And when they called me back it was amazing,\u201d he said. \u201cI was like what\u2019s happening? This is happening?\u201d<\/p>\n

That surreal feeling stayed with Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng throughout the entirety of filming. From the grueling 12-hour rehearsals to celebrity meet-and-greets and live audience performances. It was a whirlwind, though at times, he said, it could feel isolating. Outside of filming or rehearsals, the contestants were sequestered in their hotel rooms, \u201cluxury prisons\u201d as Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng called it, without phone access for most of their time on the show.<\/p>\n

But being locked away together in their \u201cMagic Mike\u201d bootcamp bred a special bond between the men, culminating in an unquestionable tight-knit brotherhood, all rooting for each other to succeed. Whether or not the producers anticipated this would happen, its result is easily one of the most wholesome aspects of the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing around these guys, when I would mess up a routine, it wasn\u2019t like, \u2018oh you messed up,\u2019 it was like, \u2018oh let\u2019s work on this, how can we help you,\u2019\u201d Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng said. \u201cIt didn\u2019t feel like a competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Michael Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng with fellow contestants Adonis Frank (middle) and Kevin Klass (right). Photo courtesy HBO Max\/Michael Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Amid a reality TV culture that thrives on drama, back-stabbing and trash-talking, \u201cFinding Magic Mike\u201d is a welcome antidote. The men are respectful, earnest, and remarkably honest about spilling their deepest fears and insecurities. The accepting culture surrounding the show played a major role in achieving this, Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng said, and was maintained by all involved in the series, from cast to crew.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole show is about respect and body positivity and sex positivity,\u201d Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng said. \u201cWe were able to be vulnerable because we felt safe and supported. A lot of men don\u2019t have that\u2026I think we\u2019re finally evolving to the point where, look, this is part of masculinity. We have a spectrum of emotions, not just angry, not just happy. Being sad and scared, you can have all these feelings and not be ashamed of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

In many ways, \u201cFinding Magic Mike\u201d presents itself as a more evolved and mature version of the original film, which fell short of achieving much emotional depth or personal growth from its characters.<\/p>\n

Of course, as deep as the show delves, it\u2019s not without its cringe-worthy moments\u2014 what would you expect from a show that takes 10 novice dancers and instructs them, as with one particular dance routine, to \u201cjust hump everything?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Michael Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng rehearsing with his fellow contestants on the show “Finding Magic Mike.” Photo courtesy HBO Max\/Michael Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI cringe sometimes now when I watch it…but you know, I\u2019m proud of it. I\u2019m happy I put it out there, it\u2019s just part of growth, you know, to embrace that cringe. We\u2019re all gonna cringe together, cringe with me,\u201d Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng said. \u201cYou can\u2019t really love yourself until you love every part of yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

But between the cringe, viewers are rewarded watching its cast, in near real-time, overcome both physical and emotional obstacles. One of the most visible transformations for Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng was seeing him blossom into a capable dancer in only a few episodes, even in spite of an ankle injury that didn’t make it into the final cut of the show. Though (spoiler alert) his improvements weren\u2019t quite up to par to make it past the third episode, off-screen Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng reveals that it was, understandably, mostly nerves that kept getting in the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would nail all of the moves during rehearsals. And then when we did it on stage, I think I was definitely getting in my head,\u201d Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng explained. \u201cI was worried about messing up and I was worried about letting the choreographers down, letting my guys down. There was a lot of anxiety and nerves. Especially not having a performance background. My biggest performance was in sixth grade, I was in a Tom Sawyer play. So getting on stage in front of screaming people doing all these sexy hip gyrations, people looking at me, not my element. Not something I\u2019m used to doing let alone doing it on a national stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Michael Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng’s live performance on Episode 3 of “Finding Magic Mike.” Photo courtesy HBO Max\/Michael Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What viewers weren’t as privy to was the internal transformation that Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng experienced off-screen, the small moments throughout the show that culminated in a realization that he\u2019s good enough just the way he is.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always thought that I needed to be more assertive and maybe that\u2019s not who I am. I\u2019m trying to find my happiness and I\u2019m probing different things, and maybe being super assertive isn\u2019t where my happiness lies. Maybe it\u2019s being more\u2014me. Not having some standard that I need to live up to, or some line that I need to measure up to. And I think the show really helped with that,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

In other words, the show\u2019s premise, to help men feel more confident and improve their feelings of self-worth, actually worked. And for Th\u00e2ntr\u1ecdng, the change was so profound he noticed it as soon as he came home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I got home\u2026.we went and got dinner. I remember being out and\u2026.the energy of people around me was different. I was smiling more, but they were smiling back. It was just immediate. I came back like a new person, but it was more of a solidified version of what I already had,\u201d he said. \u201cI never in a million years thought I would be on a reality show and that it would completely change my life for the better.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for his love life? That\u2019s looking good, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are definitely communicating more,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are more affectionate physically and I\u2019ll just leave it at that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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