Queer Eye (2003 TV series)
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''Queer Eye'' is an American
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...
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 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 A makeover is a radical change in appearance. When the word is used to describe a change in human physical appearance, it may imply a change in clothing, haircut, or cosmetics. A personal makeover might also include weight loss, plastic surgery ...
(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, '' Queer Eye for the Straight Girl''. ''Queer Eye'' won an Emmy Award 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 Fine Living (Sometimes called Fine Living Network or FLN) was a European television channel, initially owned and operated by Scripps Networks Interactive and later by Discovery Inc., from 2018 onwards. It broadcast from to . It featured documenta ...
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 Edward Reese Allen (born May 20, 1965) is an American author and television personality. He was the food and wine connoisseur on the Bravo network's television program '' Queer Eye'', and has been the host of the TV cooking competition series ' ...
: "Food and Wine
Connoisseur A connoisseur (French traditional, pre-1835, spelling of , from Middle-French , then meaning 'to be acquainted with' or 'to know somebody/something') is a person who has a great deal of knowledge about the fine arts; who is a keen appreciator o ...
", expert on alcohol, beverages, food preparation and presentation *
Kyan Douglas Kyan Douglas (born Hugh Edward Douglas Jr.; May 5, 1970) is an American television personality and stylist. He was the grooming expert on the American television program '' Queer Eye'' from 2003 to 2007. Biography Born Hugh Edward Douglas Jr. in ...
: "Grooming Guru", expert on hair, grooming, personal
hygiene Hygiene is a series of practices performed to preserve health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases." Personal hygiene refer ...
, and makeup * Thom Filicia: "Design Doctor", expert on
interior design Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordi ...
and home organization *
Carson Kressley Carson Kressley (born November 11, 1969) is an American television personality, actor, and designer. Beginning in 2003, he appeared in the Bravo series '' Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''. He was also the motivational host of the TV show ''How t ...
: "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 Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
, 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 ''Gay Weddings'' is a 2002 American reality television series that aired on Bravo. The series, created by openly gay producers Kirk Marcolina and Douglas Ross, followed two lesbian and two gay couples as they prepared for their wedding ceremonie ...
'' at the same time as Super Bowl XXXVII during 2003 January. The pilot episode was filmed in
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 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 James Hannaham (born 1968) is a writer, performer, and visual artist. His novel ''Delicious Foods'' (2015), which deals with human trafficking, won the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and was named one of ''Publishers Weekl ...
, 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 The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
purchased Bravo and ordered 12 episodes of the series. NBC promoted the show extensively, including billboard campaigns and print advertisements in national magazines.
Kyan Douglas Kyan Douglas (born Hugh Edward Douglas Jr.; May 5, 1970) is an American television personality and stylist. He was the grooming expert on the American television program '' Queer Eye'' from 2003 to 2007. Biography Born Hugh Edward Douglas Jr. in ...
and Thom Filicia joined the show for these episodes, along with Blair Boone 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 A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definiti ...
(usually in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, 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 England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, and
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the 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 The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
after their 2004
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
victory, several holiday specials, and, in the final season, a "Mister Straight Guy" 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 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 ...
and a "make-better" of Jay Leno 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 (magazine), Out'' magazine listed the Fab Five in its "OUT 100", the "greatest gay success stories" of 2003. ''Instinct (magazine), Instinct'' 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 sued the show for breach of contract, 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 satire, satirical 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'' spoofed the show and its hosts in the episode "South Park Is Gay!", in which the protagonists learn that the Fab Five are actually evil Crab People trying to control the world by converting heterosexual men into metrosexuals. ''Queer Eye'' won an Emmy Award 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 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 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'', 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), 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 Finland, Finnish version, ', created controversy for the blatant product placement 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, ''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 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 song), Good Luck" – Basement Jaxx featuring Lisa Kekaula # "Slow (Kylie Minogue song), Slow" (Chemical Brothers Mix) – Kylie Minogue # "Move Your Feet" – Junior Senior # "Tu es foutu, You Promised Me (Tu Es Foutu)" – In-Grid # "Superstar (Christine Milton song)#Jamelia cover, Superstar" – Jamelia # "Everybody Wants You Emerge (song), to Emerge" – Fischerspooner/Billy Squier # "(Reach Up for The) Sunrise, Sunrise" (Jason Nevins Remix) – Duran Duran # "Never Coming Home" (Gonna Live My Life Remix) – Sting (musician), Sting # "An Area Big Enough to Do It In" – Prophet Omega # "You're So Damn Hot" – OK Go # "Extraordinary" – Liz Phair # "Are You Ready for Love" – Elton John # "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 Edward Reese Allen (born May 20, 1965) is an American author and television personality. He was the food and wine connoisseur on the Bravo network's television program '' Queer Eye'', and has been the host of the TV cooking competition series ' ...
# "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 (U.S. state), 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''


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