The frolicsome sex appeal of Channing Tatum

Tatum's next role is a mermaid. Nothing could be more perfect.

Channing Tatum's goofy good looks have captivated audiences worldwide.
(Image credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo)

It will be difficult to explain to our children why Channing Tatum's role in a remake of Splash mattered quite so much to American women in the summer of 2016. History books will remind us that this was the first time in American history that a major political party chose a woman as its presidential nominee. They probably won't take note of the fact that a breakdancer, martial artist, and former Nicholas Sparks hero was cast as a mermaid — and this is a shame.

As a fitness icon and action star, Channing Tatum occupies the cheesiest stratum of the entertainment business. His opinion isn't supposed to matter. To an extent, it doesn't. But what he represents does because nearly every role Channing Tatum plays uses his body as a tool for making women feel safe, appreciated, and adored.

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Sarah Marshall's writings on gender, crime, and scandal have appeared in The Believer, The New Republic, Fusion, and The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2015, among other publications. She tweets @remember_Sarah.