The crushLife and style‘I love Tatum the man, but only slightly more than I do his singularly excellent neck’Have you seen Channing Tatum’s neck? If you have, you’ll understand why I’m sure we’d find at least a few of the universe’s secrets in its curve. Of course, I love Tatum the man, but only slightly more than I do his singularly excellent neck.
Tatum’s charms were first made apparent in the classic 2006 dance movie, Step Up (its many sequels are great in the way that bad movies often are, should you wish to investigate further). He played a guy from the rough side of town, who falls for a stuck-up dancer while doing community service at a local dance school. His raw dance talent and their chemistry soon result in true love, as well as an unholy mix of street dance and ballet (in real life, Tatum went on to marry his co-star, Jenna Dewan). The film has its detractors, but I think it’s a masterpiece.
Tatum is usually the best thing in a movie, from She’s The Man (classic) to 21 Jump Street (classic-er) to his magnum opus, Magic Mike (classic-est). Physical attributes aside – and there is much to linger over – Tatum projects an everyday quality that seems to take in the ridiculousness of his position. He was a stripper in a previous life (the inspiration for Magic Mike), and he has a twinkle in his eye that suggests he’s aware of how arbitrary the Hollywood fame game is. He’s also unafraid of laughing at himself.
Next year will be a big one for the actor: he plays a wrestler in Foxcatcher, alongside Mark Ruffalo and Steve Carell, and the film is already being tipped for Oscars. Then there’s the sequel to Magic Mike (Magic Mike XXL). I will be sitting front row and centre for that, popcorn hot, cola chilled. I urge you to do the same.
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