'Finding Magic Mike,' stripped down to its message, is about men getting their mojo back

"Finding Magic Mike" -- a reality-competition show spun out of the movies about male strippers -- might not sound like something you'd find on top of a conservative list of viewing recommendations. Look a little closer, though, and this HBO Max series keeps returning to the idea of men and their essence somehow being under siege, which has become a conservative talking point.

Sure, the show features its share of rippling abs and grinding lap dances, while vying for a $100,000 prize. But it keeps returning to the theme of these male contestants using their involvement to find themselves, casting a few guys who wouldn't be naturals for anybody's pinup calendar.

Set in Las Vegas (where else?), they begin with 50 hopefuls and quickly whittle that down to 10. "What we're looking for is guys who've lost their magic," explains host Adam Rodriguez, a co-star in the movies who hosts the show. He's joined in conducting the search with choreographers Alison Faulk and Luke Broadlick, as well as the producer of the live "Magic Mike" show and guests like comics Robin Thede and Whitney Cummings.