[Laura]

The concept for "Straight Eye" rubs me the wrong way even more than that of "Queer Eye" did; in its offensiveness, it points out just how wrong "Queer Eye" originally was. Even leaving aside the major issue of behaviors being arbitrarily and binarily determined as either "gay" or "straight"--which, believe me, I could write a whole rant on right there--there is the whole idea of making someone over so that they fit the profile of another group. When it is a majority group member attempting to fit in with a minority group, it is dumb, but many consider it "funny". But it takes on a whole new dimension of creepiness when it is a minority being made over to fit the majority.

Granted the people on the show are there voluntarily, but there's nothing funny or fantastic about a gay guy (or a stereotypically "gay-acting" straight guy) trying to learn how to "act straight". It's totally commonplace and terrible and it's been done--voluntarily in order to fit in and forcibly by society--for as long as there has been cultural prejudice against homosexuals (i.e. forever).

Homosexuality isn't a style class. We're talking about a whole group of people, some of whom have been fighting for years to separate the stereotype from the reality. (Though, "Hip Eye for the Non-Hip Guy" would be offensive, too, if only because it would classify certain things as "classy/good" and others as "classy/bad", when in reality these things are all subjective and we shouldn't be made to feel like frumpy losers because our aesthetic choices don't fit with their idea of "stylish".)

Would people be so comfortable with:

White Eye for the Black Guy!
Goyem Eye for the Jew Guy!
If You Just Stopped Crying and Having Periods, You Could Make 50% More Money Too Eye For the Woman Guy!
Let's Laugh at the Blind Hour!

[Chefelf]

Laura, my friend, I couldn't agree with you more.

Plus a more accurate name for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy would be: "How to Gt Your Boyfriend to Act Ideal For One Day and then Go Back to Being His Slobbish Self".

[Supes]

Seconded in agreeance with you Laura.

Queer Eye has only just kicked off here in Australia - been running for a couple of weeks I think. It's rating really well as you would expect unfortunately.

Sooner or later we are going to reach critical mass on the reality shows and people will implode. I'm just hoping against hope that it is sooner rather than later.

[civilian_number_two]

"White Eye for the Black Guy!
Goyem Eye for the Jew Guy!
If You Just Stopped Crying and Having Periods, You Could Make 50% More Money Too Eye For the Woman Guy!
Let's Laugh at the Blind Hour! "


Gee, Laura, I laughed and peed when I read this, but are you *really* insinuating that society has as little use for women as it has for blind people? That reminds me of INDOMITABLE SPIRIT, the MR SHOW band of people with disabilities. One of the members' disability is that she is a woman. Laugh out loud.

Anyway, on a serious bend, the first three of those would all make acceptable and marketable shows ... in reverse. Subcultures, for some absurd reaons, sell on tv and can be considerd "hip." No tthe people, of course, but the culture. I could definitely see a show called "Urban Style" showing dull white guys (Jewish, even) how to look more pimp. Christians could learn to act more Jewish so they could all be clever like that Paul Reiser fellow. The third idea, well, women aren't really a *subculture*, but I can imagine (with no difficulty) a show where men learn to get in touch with their feminine side. In fact, isn't that one of the many agendae of OPRAH?

My complaint about QUEER EYE is that its purpose is to show straight guys that gay guys are cool, and that you can be cool too if you adopt certain sensibilities ... and then it's this crap makeover show, when there are all kinds of GOOD makeover shows already out there. And ones that don't play some quasi-leftist-oh-God-this-is-why-I-hate-AMERICAN-BEAUTY card.

Nevertheless, if your complaint about the parody show is that its purpose will be to transform queer guys into socially-acceptable suburbanites, never mind. Its purpose will be the same as that of the show it supposes to parody, that is, to make fun of straight suburban men. It will be THE MAN SHOW, but without the satire.

Mike.

PS: On another serious note, I would be less likely to promote an employee who cried all the time. Just for the record.

[A Mighty Pirate]

I would watch "White eye for the black guy", and the show that would immediatly follow it, "Black Eye for the White Guy".

[sinister grinner]

to tell the god honest truth........reality tv is the most retarded thing to enter america(besides taking "in god we trust" from the pledge of allegiance). reality tv is getting exponentially more retarded and predictable by the second. whoever created that total mindfuck should be covered in honey and thrown in a welsh school.

(i know chefelf should know where that welsh thing came from)

[sinister grinner]

whoah. "white eye for the black guy". your right i could watch that, only cause it would be hilarious, without having to add stuff.

[srmoore]

The whole thing with 'reality' tv.. besided not really being based in 'reality' is that it is cheaper to make than an actual show is to make. That and people (At least americans..) have the tendency to watch such crap. (Like watching an auto accident and slowing dow the other side of the highway to a dead stop... jerks)

Anyway.. so the networks gets more ratings for their money. I hate capitolisim some times for that very reason. Jerks in control producing crap because it makes them more money.

[sinister grinner]

it's all retarded. so is fear factor.
"guys, you will pour these puruvian fire ants on your genitals. then after two minutes you will pour boiling grease on them to make them stop biting."

it's just stupid. eating monkey fingers and all.