Queer Eye
Encyclopedia
Queer Eye is an American reality television
series that premiered on the Bravo cable television network in July 2003. The program's name was changed from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy after the third season to broaden the scope of its content. The series was created by openly gay
executive producers David Collins and Michael Williams along with their straight
producing partner David Metzler; it was produced by their production company, Scout Productions.
The show is premised on and plays with the stereotype
s that gay men are superior in matters of fashion
, style, personal grooming, interior design
and culture. In each episode, the team of five gay men known collectively as the "Fab Five" perform a makeover
(in the parlance of the show, a "make-better") on a person, usually a straight man, revamping his wardrobe, redecorating his home and offering advice on grooming, lifestyle and food.
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy debuted in 2003, and quickly became both a surprise hit and one of the most talked-about television programs of 2003. The success of the show led to 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 show's name was shortened to Queer Eye at the beginning of its third season to reflect the show's change in direction from making over only straight men to including women and gay men. Queer Eye ended production in June 2006 and the final ten episodes aired in October 2007. The series ended October 30. In September 2008, the Fine Living Network briefly aired Queer Eye in syndication.
by Bravo to develop Queer Eye following the ratings success the network experienced when it counterprogrammed
a marathon of its 2002 series Gay Weddings
across from Super Bowl XXXVII
in January 2003. The pilot episode
was filmed in Boston in 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 in September 2002, and was well-received in audience testing. Shortly thereafter NBC
purchased Bravo and ordered 12 episodes of the series. NBC heavily promoted the show, including billboard
campaigns and print ads in national magazines.
Bryan Douglass and Thom Filicia
joined the show for these episodes, along with Blair Boone
in the role of "culture guy." Boone filmed two episodes (which aired 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 conceit that the events of the episode took place in a single day.
, where the series was based) discussing their straight subject. 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 subject. These included everything from throwing a backyard barbecue for friends to preparing to ask for a salary raise to proposing marriage.
Upon arriving at the subject's home, the Fab Five go through his belongings, keeping up 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, Kyan takes him for spa treatments and a new haircut. Each such segment includes a style tip superimposed on the screen, summarizing in a sentence or two 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 and a last zhoosh, accompanied by supplies of grooming products, food and kitchenware and in some cases big-ticket 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 keeping up 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 gay men (both of which aired during June, Gay Pride Month, in 2004 and 2006) and in one episode made over a female-to-male transgender person. The show also featured makeovers of members of the Boston Red Sox
following their 2004 World Series
victory, several holiday specials and in the final season, a "Mister Straight Guy" pageant featuring subjects from across the show's history.
and a "make-better" of Jay Leno
and his Tonight Show set in August of that year. Fab Five members parlayed their celebrity into endorsement deals, notably Thom Filicia's becoming the spokesperson for Pier 1 Imports
.
The American gay press almost universally hailed the show and the Fab Five as cultural icons. Out
magazine listed the Fab Five in its "OUT 100", the "greatest gay success stories" of 2003. Instinct
magazine declared Kressley one of the "Leading Men" of 2004.
The series attracted criticism for making generalizations about sexual identity, namely that gay 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
("The notion that gay men have a superior fashion sense is not true and it's damaging. It's perfectly possible to enjoy that show and say, look at those clever homosexuals. What they do with hair! And not support gays at all."). Anthropologist Lionel Tiger
described the program as typical of a widespread acceptance of insulting heterosexual men: "Heteromales are the last group it is acceptable to bash as a class. The homosexual fellows on Queer Eye seem to provide riveting hilarity to especially female viewers. What if there were 5 Swedes telling Kenyans how to live elegantly and fashionably? What if 5 Catholics told Jews how to dress, decorate, and court? The program is degraded and degrading, Cheap Shots for A Humiliated Guy."
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 satirical
television series called Straight Plan for the Gay Man
, which featured four heterosexual men teaching gay 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 take over the world by turning all straight men into metrosexual
s.
Queer Eye won an Emmy Award
for Outstanding Reality Program in 2004 and was nominated for another Emmy in the same category in 2005. The series also received GLAAD Media Awards
for Outstanding Reality Program in 2004 and 2005, and was nominated for a third in 2006.
In the second season, ratings dropped sharply, averaging around 1.8 million viewers per episode with an average 804,000 viewers in the important 18-40 demographic. New episodes continued to air 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.
NBC 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 Italian version, entitled I Fantastici Cinque (the fantastic five), aired on the La7
channel. The first episode of the Finnish
version, Sillä Silmällä, (literally "with that certain eye") aired March 30, 2005 and created controversy, not for the gay content but for the blatant product placement
considered to be a transgression of a Finnish law against "hidden advertising". Australia's take on the show, Aussie Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
, premiered on Network Ten
in February 2005 but was cancelled after three episodes; a Spanish version named El equipo G aired on Antena 3
for only a few weeks; the German equivalent, RTL 2's Schwul macht cool ("Gay makes you cool") was canceled after six episodes; Queer, Cinq Experts dans le Vent was shown in France on TF1
for eight episodes in 2004; and Esquadrão G, a Portuguese
version of the show, was cancelled in Portugal
after the end of the first season.
In 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.
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 show in Australia led to the soundtrack reaching 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 same month. "All Things" would score a 2005 Juno Award for "Dance Recording of the Year" for producer Rob Eric, who also executive produced the album.
.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series that premiered on the Bravo cable television network in July 2003. The program's name was changed from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy after the third season to broaden the scope of its content. The series was created by openly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
executive producers David Collins and Michael Williams along with their straight
Heterosexuality
Heterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
producing partner David Metzler; it was produced by their production company, Scout Productions.
The show is premised on and plays with the stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s that gay men are superior in matters of fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
, style, personal grooming, interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
and culture. In each episode, the team of five gay men known collectively as the "Fab Five" perform a makeover
Makeover
A makeover is a term applied to changing one's appearance, sometimes through cosmetics. Makeovers can range from something as simple as a new haircut, to the use of cosmetic surgery, to the extreme of the implantation of dental veneers, eye-color-changing contact lenses, and the use of...
(in the parlance of the show, a "make-better") on a person, usually a straight man, revamping his wardrobe, redecorating his home and offering advice on grooming, lifestyle and food.
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy debuted in 2003, and quickly became both a surprise hit and one of the most talked-about television programs of 2003. The success of the show led to merchandising, franchising of the concept internationally, and a woman-oriented spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
, Queer Eye for the Straight Girl
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 format of the original show...
. Queer Eye won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Reality Program in 2004. The show's name was shortened to Queer Eye at the beginning of its third season to reflect the show's change in direction from making over only straight men to including women and gay men. Queer Eye ended production in June 2006 and the final ten episodes aired in October 2007. The series ended October 30. In September 2008, the Fine Living Network briefly aired Queer Eye in syndication.
The Fab Five
- Ted AllenTed AllenTed Allen is an American writer and television personality. He was the food and wine connoisseur on the American Bravo network's Emmy-winning television program Queer Eye. He now is the host of the prime-time series on Food Network Chopped, a culinary competition in which four chefs per episode...
: "FoodFoodFood is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
and WineWineWine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
ConnoisseurConnoisseurA connoisseur is a person who has a great deal of knowledge about the fine arts, cuisines, or an expert judge in matters of taste.Modern connoisseurship must be seen along with museums, art galleries and "the cult of originality"...
", expert on alcoholAlcoholIn chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, beverages, food preparationCookingCooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
, and presentation - Kyan DouglasKyan DouglasKyan Douglas was the grooming expert on the American television program Queer Eye.-Biography:Born as Hugh Edward Douglas, Jr. in Miami, Florida, Kyan Douglas was raised in Tampa and Tallahassee. He has a sister, Kelli...
: "Grooming Guru", expert on hair, grooming, personal hygieneHygieneHygiene refers to the set of practices perceived by a community to be associated with the preservation of health and healthy living. While in modern medical sciences there is a set of standards of hygiene recommended for different situations, what is considered hygienic or not can vary between...
, and makeup - Thom FiliciaThom FiliciaThom Filicia is an interior designer, most famous for his role as an interior design expert on the American television program Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. He is also a co-author of a book based on the show.-Biography:...
: "Design Doctor", expert on interior designInterior designInterior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
and home organization - Carson KressleyCarson KressleyCarson Lee Kressley was the fashion expert on the American television program Queer Eye, where he was one of the show's "Fab Five" members. He is also the motivational host of the TV show How to Look Good Naked.-Biography:...
: "Fashion Savant", expert on clothingClothingClothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
, fashionFashionFashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
and personal styling - Jai RodriguezJai RodriguezJai Rodriguez is an 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 Eye hosts.-Biography:Rodriguez is of Puerto Rican and Italian descent,...
: "Culture Vulture", expert on popular culturePopular culturePopular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
, relationships and social interaction
Production
Producers Collins and Metzler were given the greenlightGreenlight
To green-light a project is to give permission or a go ahead to move forward with a project. In the context of the movie and TV businesses, to green-light something is to formally approve its production finance, thereby allowing the project to move forward from the development phase to...
by Bravo to develop Queer Eye following the ratings success the network experienced when it counterprogrammed
Counterprogramming
In Broadcast programming, counterprogramming is the practice of offering television programs to attract an audience from another television station airing a major event.-Television:...
a marathon of its 2002 series Gay Weddings
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 ceremonies...
across from Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
in January 2003. The pilot episode
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
was filmed in Boston in 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 in September 2002, and was well-received in audience testing. Shortly thereafter NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
purchased Bravo and ordered 12 episodes of the series. NBC heavily promoted the show, including billboard
Billboard (advertising)
A billboard is a large outdoor advertising structure , typically found in high traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers...
campaigns and print ads in national magazines.
Bryan Douglass and Thom Filicia
Thom Filicia
Thom Filicia is an interior designer, most famous for his role as an interior design expert on the American television program Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. He is also a co-author of a book based on the show.-Biography:...
joined the show for these episodes, along with Blair Boone
Blair Boone
Blair Boone is a writer and musician, and has written for such publications as MetroSource Magazine interviewing artists like Wyclef Jean, Fred Hersch and Junior Vasquez...
in the role of "culture guy." Boone filmed two episodes (which aired 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 conceit that the events of the episode took place in a single day.
Format
The majority of Queer Eye episodes follow the same basic format. The episode opens with the Fab Five in an SUV (usually in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where the series was based) discussing their straight subject. 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 subject. These included everything from throwing a backyard barbecue for friends to preparing to ask for a salary raise to proposing marriage.
Upon arriving at the subject's home, the Fab Five go through his belongings, keeping up 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.
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 and a last zhoosh, accompanied by supplies of grooming products, food and kitchenware and in some cases big-ticket 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 keeping up 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
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. In two episodes, the Fab Five made over gay men (both of which aired during June, Gay Pride Month, in 2004 and 2006) and in one episode made over a female-to-male transgender person. The show also featured makeovers of members of the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
following their 2004 World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
victory, several holiday specials and in the final season, a "Mister Straight Guy" pageant featuring subjects from across the show's history.
Popular and critical response
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy debuted on July 15, 2003 and the series quickly attained high ratings, peaking in September of that year with 3.34 million viewers per episode. The popularity of the show established the Fab Five as media celebrities, with high-profile appearances at the EmmysEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
and a "make-better" of Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
and his Tonight Show set in August of that year. Fab Five members parlayed their celebrity into endorsement deals, notably Thom Filicia's becoming the spokesperson for Pier 1 Imports
Pier 1 Imports
Pier 1 Imports Inc. is a Fort Worth, Texas based retailer specializing in imported home furnishings and decor, particularly furniture, table-top items, decorative accessories and seasonal decor. The chain operates over 1,000 stores under the name Pier 1 Imports in the United States, Canada, Mexico...
.
The American gay press almost universally hailed the show and the Fab Five as cultural icons. Out
Out (magazine)
Out is a popular gay and lesbian fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle magazine, with the highest circulation of any gay monthly publication in the United States. It carries itself in a similar editorial manner to Details, Esquire, and GQ. Out was published by PlanetOut Inc...
magazine listed the Fab Five in its "OUT 100", the "greatest gay success stories" of 2003. Instinct
Instinct (magazine)
Instinct is a monthly American magazine geared toward gay men, published by Instinct Publishing, Inc. since 1997. Distributed by Curtis Circulation...
magazine declared Kressley one of the "Leading Men" of 2004.
The series attracted criticism for making generalizations about sexual identity, namely that gay men are inherently more fashionable and stylish than heterosexuals. Among those making this critique were Tom Shales
Tom Shales
Thomas William "Tom" Shales is an American critic of television programming and operations. He is best known as TV critic for The Washington Post; in 1988, Shales received the Pulitzer Prize...
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
Barney Frank
Barney Frank is the U.S. Representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, he is the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and is considered the most prominent gay politician in the United States.Born and raised in New Jersey, Frank graduated from Harvard College and...
speaking to the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
("The notion that gay men have a superior fashion sense is not true and it's damaging. It's perfectly possible to enjoy that show and say, look at those clever homosexuals. What they do with hair! And not support gays at all."). Anthropologist Lionel Tiger
Lionel Tiger
Lionel Tiger is a Canadian-born, American-based anthropologist. He is the Charles Darwin Professor of Anthropology at Rutgers University and co-Research Director of the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation. He is a graduate of McGill University, and the London School of Economics at the University of...
described the program as typical of a widespread acceptance of insulting heterosexual men: "Heteromales are the last group it is acceptable to bash as a class. The homosexual fellows on Queer Eye seem to provide riveting hilarity to especially female viewers. What if there were 5 Swedes telling Kenyans how to live elegantly and fashionably? What if 5 Catholics told Jews how to dress, decorate, and court? The program is degraded and degrading, Cheap Shots for A Humiliated Guy."
With the success of the first season, original "culture guy" Blair Boone
Blair Boone
Blair Boone is a writer and musician, and has written for such publications as MetroSource Magazine interviewing artists like Wyclef Jean, Fred Hersch and Junior Vasquez...
sued the show for breach of contract
Breach of contract
Breach of contract is a legal cause of action 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's performance....
, 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
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
hosted a satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
television series called Straight Plan for the Gay Man
Straight Plan for the Gay Man
Straight Plan for the Gay Man is an American television program that aired on cable network Comedy Central. It is a spoof of Bravo's hit Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Four straight comedians - Curtis Gwinn , Billy Merritt , Kyle Grooms and Rob Riggle - makeover a gay man to pass as straight...
, which featured four heterosexual men teaching gay men how to be more (stereotypically) straight, redecorating their homes with neon beer signs and teaching them about sports. South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
spoofed the show and its hosts in the episode "South Park Is Gay!
South Park Is Gay!
"South Park Is Gay!" is the eighth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series South Park. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 22, 2003...
", in which the protagonists learn that the Fab Five are actually evil Crab People trying to take over the world by turning all straight men into metrosexual
Metrosexual
Metrosexual is a neologism derived from metropolitan and heterosexual coined in 1994 describing a man who spends a lot of time and money on shopping for his appearance...
s.
Queer Eye won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Reality Program in 2004 and was nominated for another Emmy in the same category in 2005. The series also received GLAAD Media Awards
GLAAD Media Awards
The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives...
for Outstanding Reality Program in 2004 and 2005, and was nominated for a third in 2006.
In the second season, ratings dropped sharply, averaging around 1.8 million viewers per episode with an average 804,000 viewers in the important 18-40 demographic. New episodes continued to air 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.
Franchises and spin-off series
Queer Eyes American success led television networks in several countries to syndicate the American episodes and some purchased licenses to create 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.NBC licensed television producer David Hedges and his UK production house vialondon.tv to produce local versions for Europe, with Flextech
Flextech
Living TV Group was a British television content subsidiary of British Sky Broadcasting. It is now defunct as a company but Sky Living, Sky Livingit, Sky Living Loves and Challenge are still in operation by BSkyB.-Overview:...
'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 Italian version, entitled I Fantastici Cinque (the fantastic five), aired on the La7
La7
La7 is an Italian television channel owned by Telecom Italia Media and operated by Telecom Italia.-History:In 2001, Lorenzo Pellicioli and Roberto Colaninno, of Telecom Italia announced they had acquired Telemontecarlo, in order to create a strong competitor against the six other national channels...
channel. The first episode of the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
version, Sillä Silmällä, (literally "with that certain eye") aired March 30, 2005 and created controversy, not for the gay content but for the blatant product placement
Product placement
Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...
considered to be a transgression of a Finnish law against "hidden advertising". Australia's take on the show, Aussie Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Aussie Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Aussie Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was an Australian reality television series that was based on the original and hugely popular American series, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy....
, premiered on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
in February 2005 but was cancelled after three episodes; a Spanish version named El equipo G aired on Antena 3
Antena 3 (Spain)
Antena 3 is a Spanish terrestrial television channel owned by Antena 3 de Televisión. Some of the more popular programmes broadcast by Antena 3 include Aquí no hay quien viva, El Barco, Los Protegidos, Los Simpson and El Internado....
for only a few weeks; the German equivalent, RTL 2's Schwul macht cool ("Gay makes you cool") was canceled after six episodes; Queer, Cinq Experts dans le Vent was shown in France on TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
for eight episodes in 2004; and Esquadrão G, a Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
version of the show, was cancelled in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
after the end of the first season.
In January 2005, Scout Productions premiered a spin-off series titled Queer Eye for the Straight Girl
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 format of the original show...
, 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.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was released February 10, 2004, in the US. It reached number one on the electronic musicElectronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
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
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
The Sydney Mardi Gras is an annual LGBTQI pride parade and festival in Sydney, Australia, and draws in thousands of visitors from around Australia and overseas...
and the popularity of the show in Australia led to the soundtrack reaching 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
Jamelia
Jamelia Niela Davis , best known mononymously as Jamelia, is an English singer-songwriter, model, entertainer, television presenter and actress. She is most famous for her use of a cappella and prolific work in the R&B genre...
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
Widelife
Widelife is a Canadian dance music songwriting and production team consisting of Ian J. Nieman and Rachid Wehbi.-Success:Widelife first came to prominence when their debut single "I Don't Want You" reached the top of Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in October 2002...
, went to the top 20 that same month. "All Things" would score a 2005 Juno Award for "Dance Recording of the Year" for producer Rob Eric, who also executive produced the album.
Track listing
- "All Things (Just Keep Getting Better)" – WidelifeWidelifeWidelife is a Canadian dance music songwriting and production team consisting of Ian J. Nieman and Rachid Wehbi.-Success:Widelife first came to prominence when their debut single "I Don't Want You" reached the top of Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in October 2002...
with Simone DennySimone DennySimone Denny is a Canadian Pop/Dance/House/Techno vocalist, who was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.-Personal background:Simone Denny was born in Toronto, Ontario. She is of Guyanese and Surinamese heritage... - "Good LuckGood Luck (Basement Jaxx song)"Good Luck" is a song by British electronic dance music duo Basement Jaxx, featuring vocals from Lisa Kekaula of the Bellrays. It was released in January 2004 as a single from their third studio album, Kish Kash, and reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart, number 2 on the Hot Dance Club Play in...
" – Basement JaxxBasement JaxxBasement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...
featuring Lisa KekaulaLisa KekaulaLisa Kekaula is the lead singer of American "rock 'n' soul" band The Bellrays.Kekaula was born to an African-American mother, Linda and Native Hawaiian father, Alan Kekaula in Los Angeles, California, although the family continued to grow and relocated to suburban Moreno Valley, California... - "SlowSlow (song)-Charts:-Year-End charts:-Chart procession and succession:-Release history:...
" (Chemical Brothers Mix) – Kylie MinogueKylie MinogueKylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing... - "Move Your FeetMove Your Feet"Move Your Feet" is a song by Danish pop duo Junior Senior. The song, recorded in 2002, was Junior Senior's biggest hit, reaching #3 in the United Kingdom and #20 in Australia, and played at dance clubs the world over. The song appears on the album D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat along with a live...
" – Junior SeniorJunior SeniorJunior Senior was a pop musical duo from Denmark. The duo consisted of Jesper "Junior" Mortensen and Jeppe "Senior" Laursen .... - "You Promised Me (Tu Es Foutu)Tu es foutu"Tu Es Foutu" was the debut single by Italian dance singer-songwriter In-Grid, released as the lead single from her debut album Rendez-Vous in 2003....
" – In-GridIn-GridIngrid Alberini is an Italian dancer and singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 2003 international club smash "Tu es foutu", also known as "You Promised Me"... - "Superstar" – JameliaJameliaJamelia Niela Davis , best known mononymously as Jamelia, is an English singer-songwriter, model, entertainer, television presenter and actress. She is most famous for her use of a cappella and prolific work in the R&B genre...
- "Everybody Wants YouEverybody Wants You"Everybody Wants You" is a song written and performed by American rock singer and guitarist Billy Squier. It appeared as the first track of his 1982 album Emotions in Motion, and was released as the first single from that album, reaching number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
to EmergeEmerge (song)"Emerge" is an electroclash song and the first single from debut album #1 by Fischerspooner. The song was originally released in 2001 through International DeeJay Gigolo Records and later jointly rereleased in 2002 by Fischerspooner's imprint label FS Studios and Ministry of Sound...
" – FischerspoonerFischerspoonerFischerspooner is an electroclash duo and performance troupe formed in 1998 in New York. The name is a portmanteau of the founders' last names, Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner...
/Billy SquierBilly SquierWilliam Haislip "Billy" Squier is an American rock musician. Squier had a string of arena rock hits in the 1980s. He is best known for the song "The Stroke" on his 1981 album release Don't Say No... - "Sunrise(Reach Up For The) Sunrise" Sunrise" is a song by Duran Duran, the first single from the album Astronaut and their 31st single overall. It was the first single since "A View to a Kill" in 1985 to feature all five of the original members of the band.-Music video:...
" (Jason Nevins Remix) – Duran DuranDuran DuranDuran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States... - "Never Coming Home" (Gonna Live My Life Remix) – Sting
- "An Area Big Enough to Do It In" – Prophet OmegaProphet OmegaProphet Omega was a weekly radio evangelist broadcasting in Nashville, Tennessee on Music Row’s WNAH in the 1970s. He was founder of the Peaceway Temple then located at "Apartment Q-258 at 488 Lemont Drive" . He has become most known for the recordings of his sermons which became popular among...
- "You're So Damn Hot" – OK GoOK GoOK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...
- "Extraordinary" – Liz PhairLiz PhairPhair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw and Phair moved to San Francisco together, and Phair tried to become an artist there...
- "Are You Ready for LoveAre You Ready for Love"Are You Ready for Love" is a song recorded by Elton John in 1977, and was first released in the UK in 1979 on the EP The Thom Bell Sessions. It was written by Leroy Bell, Thom Bell and Casey James, and was originally produced in Philadelphia by Thom Bell...
" – Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor... - "Five Gay Men in One House" – Jai RodriguezJai RodriguezJai Rodriguez is an 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 Eye hosts.-Biography:Rodriguez is of Puerto Rican and Italian descent,...
and Ted AllenTed AllenTed Allen is an American writer and television personality. He was the food and wine connoisseur on the American Bravo network's Emmy-winning television program Queer Eye. He now is the host of the prime-time series on Food Network Chopped, a culinary competition in which four chefs per episode... - "All Things (Just Keep Getting Better)" (music video)
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 in 2004 by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Random HouseRandom House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
.
DVD releases
Several DVDs were released in conjunction with the show. Kressley, Filicia and Allen each had individual releases focusing on their areas 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.External links
- TV Series Finale - cancellation details