After a brief hiatus, Bravo’s “Queer Eye for the
Straight Guy” has returned, and critics’ opinions are
clashing more than stripes with plaid.
Launched on Tuesday, “Queer Eye’s” second
season continues the series’ march against the crimes of
straight males everywhere. The show, in which five stylish gay men
redecorate and remake the lives of one helpless hetero, has signed
on to tape a whopping 40 new episodes.
“It’s not threatening, it’s funny, and I think
that maybe people in the past had a hard time dealing with (issues
of homosexuality),” said Jamie French, NBC senior
spokesperson for the show. “But this show has a lot of heart,
and I think that’s what sparked so much interest.”
When the show first premiered on Bravo to an audience of roughly
1.6 million viewers, NBC chose to elevate “Queer
Eye’s” status by re-airing a shorter version of a
popular episode on prime-time NBC, resulting in a record 6.7
million viewers.
But with the popularity of the show, many are wondering if the
“Fab 5″ might actually achieve their goal of making
over the entire world one straight man at a time.
“Gay men do pay attention to these things, and these days
your average straight woman is expecting a lot more out of her
potential mates,” said Scott Seomin, entertainment media
director for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
(GLAAD).
And while most women appreciate a little romance in their love
life, not all agree that perfectly plucked eyebrows and a designer
wardrobe are required traits for their own Prince Charming.
“The show is entertaining, but I wouldn’t date any
of the made over guys,” said Kimberly Nessel, a third-year
psychology student. “Honestly, I don’t want a guy
who’s going to take longer to get ready than I do.”
In recent years, shows like “Will and Grace” and
“Queer as Folk” have given the mainstream media a
plethora of gay characters. But for many gay rights organizations,
“Queer Eye” has been one of the most popular reality
shows to spotlight the talents of real gay men.
“This show is gay with a capital “˜G,'”
said Seomin. “Certainly gays and lesbians have been
participating in other reality television shows, but this show has
the word “˜queer’ in its title. And because it’s
reality, we know that these guys aren’t acting.”
But while the men of “Queer Eye” might not be
acting, some argue that their fascination with fashion and interior
design can give viewers the false impression that all gay men have
a knack for such artistic endeavors.
“They’re using stereotypes to market the
show,” said Matt Palazzolo, a second-year design student.
“And it’s a shame that the majority of the gay
community has been coaxed into believing that “˜Queer
Eye’ is a step for liberation.”
While “Queer Eye” may not lead the next wave of
increased gay social awareness, some argue that it’s a
reflection of changing ideas about what it means to be gay.
“There was a time when gay groups across America were
saying that gay men were normal men, and that lesbians were normal
women,” said James Schultz, the director of UCLA’s
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Program.
“Recently we’ve come to see how those non-conforming
roles of behavior can be embraced as well. There’s a whole
range of being gay.”
According to Schultz, “Queer Eye” simply focuses on
one color of the gay rainbow. That’s not to imply that the
other colors don’t exist, but that this one has played a
significant role in gay culture historically.
“The reason that I enjoy (the show) is because it
represents one type of gay tradition ““ an interest in fashion
and cooking, and the things that boys are not supposed to be
doing,” said Schultz. “And we cannot pretend that there
isn’t a tradition of these things among gay men.”
The presence of such traditions may be hard to deny, but the
question still remains as to whether or not stereotypes are used as
barriers or bridges between straight and gay people.
“I feel like the show emphasizes the differences between
the two, instead of focusing on the fact that we are all just
humans,” said Alexander Lewis, a second-year sociology
student.
While the benefit of these cultural stereotypes is unclear, one
thing is certain: straight men can learn from gay men. According to
Seomin, the success of “Queer Eye” has not only
provided entertainment, but has also increased communication
between gay and straight people everywhere.
“Straight men are starting to talk to co-workers who they
would never have even spoken to before,” said Seomin.
“Even if that conversation starts with “˜Does this tie
match these pants?’, what’s important is that a
conversation is taking place.”