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Nothing Straight About This Reality Show
Los Angeles, July 10: A new reality TV show called `Queer Eye for the Straight Guy` follows a team of gay style experts who make over sloppy, style-devoid straight men. The `Fab Five` team is made up of five gay men who are experts in grooming, interior design, fashion, culture, and cuisine.
Los Angeles, July 10: A new reality TV show called "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" follows a team of gay style experts who make over sloppy, style-devoid straight men. The "Fab Five" team is made up of five gay men who are experts in grooming, interior design, fashion, culture, and cuisine.
Each week they take on a new straight man as a project, hoping to leave him empowered, well-groomed, stylish, and outgoing. "I think many straight men would be looking for a little bit more style, taste, and class and basically everybody wants to look good and it just so happens that gay men seem to have the keys to that kingdom," says Executive Producer David Metzler.
The show's creators like to call it a "make better" show rather than the "make over" format that is becoming common on reality television. "Queer Eye" takes advantage of the sometimes humorous and uncomfortable situations that arise out of these intense meetings of gay and straight cultures.
The Fab Five tackles every aspect of their charge's life, from cleaning up the bathroom to stocking the kitchen to getting a haircut. But the team members insist it's not intended to poke fun at gays or humiliate their subject. "It's straight guys, gay guys, ultimately we are just all men. We're all just trying to accomplish the same kind of happiness one way or the other and we kind of come together and find our differences and commonalties. There's a lot of humor in that and there's a lot of stuff we can learn from each other," says Food and Wine Guy Ted Allen.
Adds Grooming Guy Kyan Douglas, "I think they (the straight men) like it a lot. I think that, for a lot of them, having someone really take an interest in how they look and mentoring them and how to create a look for themselves is something they're not really used and they weren't really expecting, but once they've had that experience, they really open up to it."
Gay-related programming remains a rarity on television in the United States. The cable network Bravo (part of NBC since December 2002) that will carry "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" is therefore striking out into some untested territory in the ratings chase. But it's a gamble that could pay huge dividends as Bravo builds its reputation on unique and alternative programming. "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" debuts July 15th.
Bureau Report
The Fab Five tackles every aspect of their charge's life, from cleaning up the bathroom to stocking the kitchen to getting a haircut. But the team members insist it's not intended to poke fun at gays or humiliate their subject. "It's straight guys, gay guys, ultimately we are just all men. We're all just trying to accomplish the same kind of happiness one way or the other and we kind of come together and find our differences and commonalties. There's a lot of humor in that and there's a lot of stuff we can learn from each other," says Food and Wine Guy Ted Allen.
Adds Grooming Guy Kyan Douglas, "I think they (the straight men) like it a lot. I think that, for a lot of them, having someone really take an interest in how they look and mentoring them and how to create a look for themselves is something they're not really used and they weren't really expecting, but once they've had that experience, they really open up to it."
Gay-related programming remains a rarity on television in the United States. The cable network Bravo (part of NBC since December 2002) that will carry "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" is therefore striking out into some untested territory in the ratings chase. But it's a gamble that could pay huge dividends as Bravo builds its reputation on unique and alternative programming. "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" debuts July 15th.
Bureau Report