|
Media Matters
Amazing Race on CBS, Boy Meets Boy on Bravo, and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy on both Bravo and NBC add up to a substantial list of shows without even having to resort to counting the Will & Grace reruns on NBC and WB. As the Times piece duly reported, "These shows join a prime-time roster of gay-themed programming that reflects a major shift in attitudes about gay subjects." The country's newspaper of record went on to suggest that the trend is in keeping with the Supreme Court's recent decision to legalize gay sex and with what the Times labeled "the nation's attitudes" toward gays "radically changing" toward broad support. Regardless of the exact forces at work, there were lots of shows for the watching.
Indeed, the two handsome young men even remained polite. As they faced the daunting task of downing their respective plates filled with the squirming and decidedly un-appetizing fare, one of them turned to the hostess at the Korean restaurant and asked, "Are we allowed to vomit?" When she shook her head "no," the boys took a deep breath and dove into the task before them. By doing the deed, Chip and Reichen bested the two young straight men who look to be their most formidable competition for first place. David and Jeff tried to eat their like portions of octopi but failed, opting to give up and shift to a different task. As in the previous 10 legs of the race, the gay men also proved their physical abilities. The requirement was that one of the team members strip down to his undershorts, dive into freezing water and swim beneath the ice for a specified distance. Chip not only completed the task ahead of any of the others, but he also displayed the best chest-no extra points for that, though. The most anticipated of last week's various gay-themed shows was the first episode of Boy Meets Boy, American TV's first gay-themed reality series. Similar in format to Fox's Joe Millionaire and ABC's The Bachelor, the series features a handsome gay man named James who must choose among 15 guys who are vying for his affection. Numerous gay media watchers-including this one-have expressed concern about the show because the folks at Bravo decided to add the extra twist of mixing a few straight guys into the bevy of boys hoping to be the leading man's number-one choice. And so, the entire program is built on deception, in that the straight guys will be doing their best to mislead James; if he chooses a straight guy, the liar wins a cash prize. Another concern is that, well, some of us view our sexual orientation as a defining part of who we are, something a bit more significant than play acting for a TV camera. And, finally, there's the issue of choice: If James picks a straight guy, what message does it send to the American public about whether or not a gay person chooses his sexual orientation if a gay guy can't even figure out who's the real thing? These concerns faded somewhat, at least in this critic's mind, as the debut segment unfolded this past week.
(James, my boy: Dump him!) Curiously, one of the highlights of the Boy Meets Boy episode came at the very end when one of the three guys James eliminated turned out to be straight. When the boy, named Brian, had the chance to speak to the viewing audience, he said: "I really learned you have no idea who is and who isn't [gay]-and it really doesn't matter. Love everyone for who they are-bottom line-as human beings." (James, my boy, bring him back-even if he is straight!) The most talked about of all the gay-themed programs airing this week was Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. On this makeover program, a group of five gay men help a straight man by reworking his wardrobe, giving him grooming advice, redecorating his home, teaching him to cook and choose wine, and counseling him on "culture." After the show's first two segments in July attracted the largest audiences in Bravo's history, executives at the channel's corporate sibling, NBC, decided Queer was such a success that they repackaged one of the hour-long episodes into a 30-minute version and aired it following Will & Grace. That was a rarity in television, as it is virtually unheard of for a major network to follow a cable channel's lead. The daring decision proved to be an inspired one, though, as the NBC version of the program attracted 7 million viewers-more than any of the network's other offerings that particular night. Despite its success, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy continues to have its detractors. The most common complaint is that the show reinforces stereotypes by featuring five flamboyant men whose lives are built around fashion, grooming, food and wine, interior decorating and such cultural factors as having a great CD collection. Well, OK, that's true, but . . . Gay visibility is a potent weapon against homophobia. When straight people are exposed to gay people, the comfort level mounts and the hatred dissipates. Besides, every member of the Fab Five is not only extremely talented at what he does but is also witty, personable, engaging, charismatic and generous with his counsel and his praise. Indeed, by midway through last week's show, the straight guy was so appreciative of what the guys were doing for him that he began sobbing. A gaggle of gay men making a straight guy cry. Yes, it was a great week for gay TV fans. 
Rodger Streitmatter, Ph.D. is a member of the School of Communication faculty at American University in Washington, D.C. His latest book, Voices of Revolution: The Dissident Press in America has recently been published by Columbia University Press. He is also the author of Unspeakable: The Rise of the Gay & Lesbian Press in America (Faber & Faber, 1995) and Raising Her Voice: African American Women Journalists Who Changed History (The University Press of Kentucky, 1994)
|
|
Cast of the new hit series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy head out on another mission to gave heterosexual men from their bad taste 
Gay couple Chip and Reichen on The Amazing Race
James seeks a mate on Bravo's Boy Meets Boy