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''Queer Eye'' is an American reality television series that premiered on the cable television network Bravo in July 2003. Originally ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'', the title was later shortened to broaden the overall scope. The series was created by executive producers
David Collins David Collins may refer to: Persons * David Collins (Hampshire cricketer), 18th-century cricketer * David Collins (New Zealand cricketer) (1887–1967) * David Collins (Scottish footballer) (1912–?) * David Collins (Australian footballer) ( ...
and Michael Williams along with David Metzler through their company, Scout Productions. Each episode features a team of gay professionals in the fields of fashion, personal grooming, interior design, entertaining and culture collectively known as the "Fab Five" performing a makeover (in the parlance of the show, a "make-better"), usually for a heterosexual (straight) man: revamping wardrobe, redecorating, and offering advice on grooming, lifestyle, and food. ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'' quickly became a surprise success, resulting in merchandising, franchising of the concept internationally, and a woman-oriented
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
, ''
Queer Eye for the Straight Girl ''Queer Eye for the Straight Girl'' is a spin-off of the television show ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''. ''Straight Girl'' aired from January to May 2005. As the name suggests, the program focuses on makeovers for women while following the ...
''. ''Queer Eye'' won an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Outstanding Reality Program in 2004. The series' name was abbreviated to ''Queer Eye'' at the beginning of its third season to include making over individuals regardless of gender or sexual orientation. ''Queer Eye'' ended production during June 2006 and the final episode aired on October 30, 2007. During September 2008, the Fine Living Network briefly aired ''Queer Eye'' in syndication. The series was revived with a new Fab Five in 2018 when a Netflix reboot released its first season to positive reviews.


The "Fab Five"

* Ted Allen: "Food and Wine Connoisseur", expert on alcohol, beverages, food preparation and presentation * Kyan Douglas: "Grooming Guru", expert on hair, grooming, personal hygiene, and makeup * Thom Filicia: "Design Doctor", expert on interior design and home organization * Carson Kressley: "Fashion Savant", expert on clothing, fashion and personal styling *
Jai Rodriguez Jai Rodriguez is an American actor and musician best known as the culture guide on the Bravo network's Emmy-winning American reality television program ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''. He has also co-authored a book with the other ''Queer ...
: "Culture Vulture", expert on popular culture, relationships and social interaction


Episodes


Production

Producers Collins and Metzler were given approval by Bravo to develop ''Queer Eye'' after the ratings success the network experienced when it counterprogrammed a marathon of its 2002 series '' Gay Weddings'' at the same time as
Super Bowl XXXVII Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers to decide the National Football League (NFL) cham ...
during 2003 January. The
pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
was filmed in Boston, Massachusetts during June 2002. Of the eventual Fab Five, only Kressley and Allen appeared. The culture, design and grooming roles were filled by James Hannaham, Charles Daboub Jr., and Sam Spector, respectively. The pilot was delivered to Bravo during September 2002, and was well received in audience testing. Soon thereafter, NBC purchased Bravo and ordered 12 episodes of the series. NBC promoted the show extensively, including
billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
campaigns and print advertisements in national magazines. Kyan Douglas and Thom Filicia joined the show for these episodes, along with
Blair Boone Blair is an English-language name of Scottish Gaelic origin. The surname is derived from any of the numerous places in Scotland called ''Blair'', derived from the Scottish Gaelic ''blàr'', meaning "plain", "meadow" or "field", frequently a “ba ...
in the role of "culture guy." Boone filmed two episodes (which were broadcast as the second and third episodes and for which he was credited as a "guest culture expert") but was replaced by Rodriguez beginning with production of the third episode. Each episode was shot over a span of four days and edited to create the perception that the events of the episode took place in a single day.


Format

The majority of ''Queer Eye'' episodes use the same basic format. The episode begins with the Fab Five in an SUV (usually in New York City, where the series was based) discussing their heterosexual client. The Five review details of the subject's personal life and note problems in their various areas of expertise. The Five usually have a specific event for which they plan to prepare the client. These included everything from throwing a backyard barbecue for friends to preparing to ask for a salary increase to proposing marriage. Upon arriving at the subject's home, the Fab Five go through his belongings, performing a running commentary of catty remarks about the state of his wardrobe, home decor, cleanliness and grooming. They also speak with the subject and family members to get an idea of the sort of style they like and their goals for the experience and to discuss the planned event. The remainder of the first half of the episode follows the Fab Five as they escort the subject to various locales to select new furniture and clothes. Often, Ted demonstrates how to select and prepare food for a particular dish that the subject will prepare for the special event, and Kyan takes him for spa treatments and a new haircut. Each such segment includes a style tip superimposed on the screen, summarizing the style issues addressed in the segment. Interspersed with this are interview segments in which friends and family members of the subject discuss his style issues. In the next section, the subject returns to a completely redecorated home and models articles of his new wardrobe for the Fab Five. Each of the Five offer final words of advice and encouragement, accompanied by supplies of grooming products, food and kitchenware, and in some cases expensive electronics items such as entertainment centers and computers. The final section follows the subject as he prepares for the special event, with the Fab Five watching edited footage of his preparations and critiquing how well or how poorly he followed their advice. Finally, the subject is followed through the event itself, with the Five again performing a running commentary and the subject often expressing his deep gratitude to the Fab Five for their counsel. A final tip from each of the Fab Five, usually relating to one of the topics covered in the episode, plays just before the credits. Special episodes of ''Queer Eye'' that deviated from this formula included episodes in which the Fab Five journeyed outside the greater New York area, including shows filmed in England, Texas, and Las Vegas. In two episodes, the Fab Five made over homosexual men (both of which aired during June, Gay Pride Month, during 2004 and 2006) and in one episode made over a transgender man. The show also featured makeovers of members of the Boston Red Sox after their 2004 World Series victory, several holiday specials, and, in the final season, a "Mister Straight Guy"
pageant Pageant may refer to: * Procession or ceremony in elaborate costume * Beauty pageant, or beauty contest * Latter Day Saint plays and pageants, run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or by members local to the area of the pageant * ...
featuring subjects from the series' history.


Popular and critical response

''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'' debuted on July 15, 2003 and the series quickly attained high ratings, peaking during September of that year with 3.34 million viewers per episode. The popularity of the series established the Fab Five as media celebrities, with high-profile appearances at the Emmys and a "make-better" of
Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 2009 ...
and his '' The Tonight Show'' set in August of that year. Fab Five members parlayed their celebrity into endorsement deals, notably Thom Filicia's becoming the spokesman for Pier 1 Imports. The American press almost universally complimented the series and the Fab Five. ''
Out Out may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 * ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander * ''Out'' (2002 film), a Japanese film ba ...
'' magazine listed the Fab Five in its "OUT 100", the "greatest gay success stories" of 2003. ''
Instinct Instinct is the inherent inclination of a living organism towards a particular complex behaviour, containing both innate (inborn) and learned elements. The simplest example of an instinctive behaviour is a fixed action pattern (FAP), in which a v ...
'' magazine declared Kressley one of the "Leading Men" of 2004. The series attracted criticism for making generalizations about sexual identity, namely that homosexual men are inherently more fashionable and stylish than heterosexuals. Among those making this critique were Tom Shales in '' The Washington Post'' ("stereotypes on parade"), Richard Goldstein in '' Village Voice'' ("Haven't fags always been consigned to the role of body servant?") and United States Congressman Barney Frank speaking to the '' New York Post''. Author Gustavus Stadler presents similar critiques of ''Queer Eye'' emphasizing the expectation placed on homosexual men by society. ''Queer Eye,'' Stadler claims, is an example of an unrealistic world in which all queer men are fashionable, hip, witty, and very much enjoy helping a straight man to reach their straight potential. Similarly, Stadler claims this is why heterosexual men find enjoyment in watching ''Queer Eye'', as they envy the “simple” imaginary gay lifestyle held by queer men; a life free from divorce rates, children, and demanding jobs. Before same-sex marriage was legalized in the United States, there was a study on the distribution of attitudes about gay marriage from residents in Louisiana, Arizona, and Minnesota. Reportedly in this study, 60.9% disagreed with gay marriage with the "intensity of disagreement also stronger for those who disagree compared to those who agree". While ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'' did last from 2003 to 2007, the attitudes of the U.S audience during these years might have had an effect on the show's popularity during their airing. With the success of the first season, original "culture guy"
Blair Boone Blair is an English-language name of Scottish Gaelic origin. The surname is derived from any of the numerous places in Scotland called ''Blair'', derived from the Scottish Gaelic ''blàr'', meaning "plain", "meadow" or "field", frequently a “ba ...
sued the show for
breach of contract Breach of contract is a legal cause of action and a type of civil wrong, in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party ...
, claiming he should be paid not just for two episodes but for the season that he had been contracted to film. The popularity of the series inspired a number of parodies. Comedy Central hosted a
satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...
television series named '' Straight Plan for the Gay Man'', which featured four heterosexual men teaching homosexual men how to be more stereotypically straight, redecorating their homes with neon beer signs and teaching them about sports. ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
'' spoofed the show and its hosts in the episode "
South Park Is Gay! "South Park Is Gay!" is the eighth episode of the seventh season and the 104th overall episode of the American animated sitcom ''South Park''. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 22, 2003. In the episode, Kyle s ...
", in which the protagonists learn that the Fab Five are actually evil Crab People trying to control the world by converting heterosexual men into
metrosexual ''Metrosexual'' is a portmanteau of '' metropolitan'' and ''sexual'' coined in 1994, describing a man of ambiguous sexuality, (especially one living in an urban, post-industrial, capitalist culture) who is especially meticulous about his groomin ...
s. ''Queer Eye'' won an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Outstanding Reality Program during 2004 and was nominated for another Emmy in the same category during 2005. The series also received
GLAAD Media Awards The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their live ...
for Outstanding Reality Program during 2004 and 2005, and was nominated for a third during 2006. In the second season, ratings decreased, averaging about 1.8 million viewers per episode with an average of 804,000 viewers in the important 18-40 demographic. New episodes continued to be broadcast for two more seasons. Bravo confirmed in early 2007 that ''Queer Eye'' had been cancelled. The remaining fifth-season episodes were billed as ''Queer Eye: The Final Season'' and aired twice weekly beginning October 2, 2007. The show attracted more criticism than other similar television series from the same time period. James Keller asserts that the title itself seems to cross a boundary;
gay men Gay men are male homosexuals. Some bisexual and homoromantic men may also dually identify as gay, and a number of young gay men also identify as queer. Historically, gay men have been referred to by a number of different terms, including ' ...
objectifying straight men. Keller also criticizes the exemplification of stereotypes on both sides; gay men who are effeminate, only pursuing artistic careers, while straight men are rude, uncultured and uncivilized.  The largest criticism from Keller to be that even if the stereotypes are correct, the show tended to take too simplistic of a view, relying on a sophisticated audience. Joshua Gamson praises the series and its portrayal of gay men on television saying that it has “produced a fascinating reversal of fortune” where gay men are admired, and straight men are praised for being more like gay men.


Spin-off series

During January 2005, Scout Productions premiered a spin-off series titled ''
Queer Eye for the Straight Girl ''Queer Eye for the Straight Girl'' is a spin-off of the television show ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''. ''Straight Girl'' aired from January to May 2005. As the name suggests, the program focuses on makeovers for women while following the ...
'', set in Los Angeles. It featured a cast of four lifestyle experts (three men and a woman, known as the "Gal Pals") who performed makeovers for women. The show was cancelled after one season.


International adaptations

''Queer Eye''s American success caused television networks in several countries to syndicate the American episodes, with a number of countries creating their own local versions of ''Queer Eye'' for broadcast in their countries. However, few of these homegrown versions have proven as successful as the original, and most did not last long before cancellation. Licensing of the format is managed by NBCUniversal. NBCU licensed television producer David Hedges and his UK production house vialondon.tv to produce local versions for Europe, with Flextech's Living channel doing the same to produce the United Kingdom's version after a first attempt at a UK production by ''Making Time'' was abandoned. The first episode of the Finnish version, ', created controversy for the blatant
product placement Product placement, also known as embedded marketing, is a marketing technique where references to specific brands or products are incorporated into another work, such as a film or television program, with specific promotional intent. Much of th ...
considered to be a transgression of a Finnish law against surreptitious advertising.


Merchandising


Soundtrack

The soundtrack for ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'' was released February 10, 2004, in the USA. It reached number one on the electronic music chart, number two on the soundtrack charts and the top 40 in the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart. In Australia, the soundtrack was released for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and the popularity of the series in Australia resulted in the soundtrack scoring in the top 10 of the Australian album chart on March 8, 2004. It was certified gold in Australia in March 2004. The song "Superstar" by Jamelia from the soundtrack also went to number one on the Australian singles charts in the same week, and the theme song of the show, "All Things (Just Keep Getting Better)" by Widelife, went to the top 20 that month. "All Things" scored a
2005 Juno Award 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on e ...
for "Dance Recording of the Year" for Widelife (Rachid Wehbi & Ian Nieman). Rob Eric was the executive producer for the album.


Track listing

# " All Things (Just Keep Getting Better)" – Widelife with Simone Denny # " Good Luck" –
Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx are an English electronic music duo consisting of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe. The pair got their name from the regular club night they held in Brixton, London, UK. They first rose to popularity in the underground house scene ...
featuring
Lisa Kekaula Lisa Kekaula (born July 31, 1967) is the lead singer of American "rock 'n' soul" band The Bellrays. Early years Kekaula was born to an African-American mother, Linda and Native Hawaiian father, Alan Kekaula in Los Angeles, California, although t ...
# " Slow" ( Chemical Brothers Mix) –
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
# "
Move Your Feet "Move Your Feet" is a song by Danish pop duo Junior Senior from their debut studio album, ''D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat'' (2002). The song, originally released in 2002 in the duo's native Denmark, was issued worldwide in 2003 and became Junior ...
" – Junior Senior # " You Promised Me (Tu Es Foutu)" – In-Grid # " Superstar" – Jamelia # " Everybody Wants You to Emerge" – Fischerspooner/
Billy Squier William Haislip Squier (, born May 12, 1950) is an American rock musician and singer who had a string of arena rock and crossover hits in the early 1980s. His best-known songs include "The Stroke", "Lonely Is the Night", "My Kinda Lover", "In t ...
# " Sunrise" (Jason Nevins Remix) –
Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...
# "Never Coming Home" (Gonna Live My Life Remix) –
Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...
# "An Area Big Enough to Do It In" – Prophet Omega # "You're So Damn Hot" –
OK Go OK Go is an American rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, now based in Los Angeles, California. The band is composed of Damian Kulash (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Nordwind (bass guitar and vocals), Dan Konopka (drums and percussion), and ...
# "Extraordinary" – Liz Phair # " Are You Ready for Love" –
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
# "Five Gay Men in One House" –
Jai Rodriguez Jai Rodriguez is an American actor and musician best known as the culture guide on the Bravo network's Emmy-winning American reality television program ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''. He has also co-authored a book with the other ''Queer ...
and Ted Allen # "All Things (Just Keep Getting Better)" (music video)


Certifications


Books

A tie-in book titled ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy: The Fab 5's Guide to Looking Better, Cooking Better, Dressing Better, Behaving Better and Living Better'' was published during 2004 by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Random House.


DVD releases

Several DVDs were released in conjunction with the series. Kressley, Filicia and Allen each had individual releases emphasizing their topics of expertise. Douglas and Rodriguez were featured together in a single DVD focused on grooming. Additional DVD releases include ''Queer Eye for the Red Sox'' (featuring the team makeover episode) and a multi-disc box set.


Revival

Netflix ordered eight new episodes of ''Queer Eye'' in January 2017, to feature a new Fab Five. Scout Productions has contributed involvement with the revival, which trades the original New York setting for Georgia in the first two seasons, and Missouri in the third and fourth. The new Fab Five consists of: * Antoni Porowski – food and wine * Jonathan Van Ness – grooming * Bobby Berk – design * Tan France – fashion * Karamo Brown – culture. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds an approval rating of 100% based on 13 reviews, and an average rating of 7.35/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "''Queer Eye'' adapts for a different era without losing its style, charm, or sense of fun, proving that the show's formula remains just as sweetly addictive even after a change in location and a new group of hosts." On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Following its success, Netflix has subsequently renewed it for five seasons.


See also

* ''
How to Look Good Naked ''How to Look Good Naked'' is a television program, first aired on British Channel 4 in 2006, in which fashion stylist Gok Wan encourages women and men who are insecure with their bodies to strip nude for the camera. The programme is unique amo ...
''


Notes


References

* Engstrom, Erika. "The 'Reality' of Reality Television Wedding Programs". Based on "Engstrom's "Hegemony in Reality-Based TV Programming: The World According to ''A Wedding Story'' (''Media Report to Women'' (2003) 31(1) 10–14) and "Hegemony and Counterhegemony in Bravo's ''Gay Weddings'' (''Popular Culture Review'' (2004) 15(2) 34–35). Collected as chapter 13 in Galician, Mary-Lou and Debra L. Merskin (2007). ''Critical Thinking about Sex, Love, and Romance in the Mass Media: Media Literacy Applications''. Routledge. . pp. 335–53.


External links

*
TV Series Finale
- cancellation details {{Authority control 2003 American television series debuts 2007 American television series endings 2000s American LGBT-related television series 2000s American reality television series 2000s LGBT-related reality television series American LGBT-related reality television series Bravo (American TV network) original programming English-language television shows Fashion-themed reality television series Gay-related television shows Makeover reality television series Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program winners