Archive through July 30, 2003
TV ClubHouse: Archive: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (ARCHIVES):
Archive through July 30, 2003
Ocean_Islands | Monday, July 28, 2003 - 05:36 pm     Television cannot portray normal life, in any of its complexity. The large television audience can only understand cliches... and it is only a new twist on an existing cliche that makes a tv show (particularly a sitcom) successful or interesting. |
Bastable | Monday, July 28, 2003 - 06:07 pm     "The large television audience can only understand cliches..." Sometimes I'm sad I have to live in this world... |
Tishala | Monday, July 28, 2003 - 06:24 pm     I love cliches. Like "the masses cannot understand complexity." That'd be an example. |
Sanfranjoshfan | Monday, July 28, 2003 - 06:43 pm     "Television cannot portray normal life, in any of its complexity. " It most certainly does a better job of doing so with str8 characters than gay ones, though. Nothing's perfect, but some things are a lot more imperfect than others. I've seen plenty of stories (movies and sitcoms and dramas) presented on TV that did not have to resort to cliches, except gay stories...they are always in the context of there being some big gay issue to resolve or for comic relief. Gay characters are rarely presented as "just plain people" like str8 people are presented most of the time. Btw, we gay folks ARE "just plain people"....just like str8 folks. Some men are only attracted to blond women. Some men are only attracted to blond men. That's the only difference when you get right down to it. |
Gemma120in2002 | Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 07:58 am     Sanfranjoshfan and Bastable, I agree with both of you. It's sad that gay people are presented as caricatures instead of as they really are. I still enjoy the show. I think that eventually the need to present gay people they way they are now being presented will fade away. |
Incidior | Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 06:25 pm     SanFran: "I believe they (audiences that are unacquainted with gay people in real life) feel more threatened when they can't easily spot a gay person." I don't quite get how this follows. It's not like a gay person is the boogeyman. I would think it is the opposite. People have a set sense of what it means to be masculine and feminine. Violating this social norm makes people uneasy ... just as women with shave heads will throw people in alarm. It is the behavior that makes people feel "threatened" (I would say uneasy) than the possibility of having a boogeyman in your midst and not knowing it. |
Delilah | Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 07:04 pm     Yay I found a thread for Queer Eye! I am watching it right now, I love Carson! |
Sanfranjoshfan | Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 08:36 pm     Incidior - "It's not like a gay person is the boogeyman." Well, in many cases I think it's exactly like that in the minds of some str8 folks....they are afraid of us just like they are afraid of the boogeyman....so they feel more comfortable when they can spot us and keep their eyes on us. "People have a set sense of what it means to be masculine and feminine. Violating this social norm makes people uneasy ..." But that wouldn't explain why they feel okay with nelly, effeminate gay people on TV like Carsen on QEFTSG, but not with normal masculine gay people (which are more the norm than the flamboyant types). Yeah, there are a couple of them on TAR, but that's atypical. I hope, too, that the steretypes will start to fade away. I, too, enjoy the show, but like I posted earlier, I cringe at certain parts because the humor plays up the same kinds of stereotypes that sometimes get gay people murdered. |
Reader234 | Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 09:31 pm     SanFran:Btw, we gay folks ARE "just plain people"....just like str8 folks. Some men are only attracted to blond women. Some men are only attracted to blond men. That's the only difference when you get right down to it. I think that bears repeating!!! and I'm glad I'm not the only one who "cringes at certain parts". I'm sure you dont happen to watch The View on ABC - they had the character from Boy to Boy, I'm amazed that he is allowed to talk about the insult of adding str8 men to dating pool. I loved the honest talk, and of course more publicity!! |
Hippyt | Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 10:33 pm     Where are the lesbians???? |
Sanfranjoshfan | Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 11:01 pm     Hippyt - Didn't you hear? There is a new show coming called called "Lesbo tricks for the str9 chicks" and they have 5 lesbians teach "helpless girly-girls" how to change tires, reshingle the roof, and fix that pesky garbage disposal! (I'm just making a lame joke, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did it!) |
Luvtrash | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 12:37 am     This show is really growing on me! These guys are so good at what they do. I wonder though if they really get it all done in one day. Does anyone know? One of them has a book. Are any of the others well-known in their fields? |
Kizz | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 04:17 am     The side comments these guys make are funnier than most of the scripted stuff on sitcoms these days. I REALLY enjoy this show! |
Incidior | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 06:22 am     SFJosh: "that wouldn't explain why they feel okay with nelly". If by "okay" you mean guys wanting to beat the pulp out of. But this is hard to guage, it's not like the straight-passing gays can be easily spotted, and therefore have negative expressions directed to. All, I've ever heard were directed at nellys. "same kinds of stereotypes that sometimes get gay people murdered" - again, I don't quite get where you are coming from. If tv-viewers emulate what is shown on TV (the argument against violence on TV). Then they will learn via Carson, that if a nelly gets touchy-feely, then appropriate response is not to beat the crap out of him, rather just to laugh it off as most of the straights on the show do. Stereotypes don't get people murder ... hate does. Well, let's take that back, because I will start me a murdering rampage the next time I see another Mexican Maid ... then I'm murdering me a slew of Marias. Also, the purpose of commercial TV is NOT to reflect life ... it's to get people addicted to watching TV, watch the advertisements, and go out and buy products. I'm still holding out TV episodes during sweeps about metaphysics. If gay people are just plain people, why would anyone tune in to watch that? An hour watching people eat breakfast? Well, then you may object to TV starting a stereotype of gays as boring people. I cringe at your cringe ... and that's a whole can of beans worth of cringes. |
Sanfranjoshfan | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 10:06 am     Incidior - When I say "they feel okay with" I was referring to TV audiences feeling okay with gay characters because they are usually presented as clowns. ""same kinds of stereotypes that sometimes get gay people murdered" - again, I don't quite get where you are coming from." I am coming from the fact that Carsen, always flirting with the str8 guy in the show is a misnomer about gay people. Gay haters beat and murder gay people when they feel as if they have made a sexual advance on them. (Not all str8 people, just some of the homophobes). When Matthew Shepard was murdered, his killers said that Matt had made a sexual overture and in their mind, that justified their beating him to death. I didn't say that people emulate what they see on tv. I said people's prejudices are reinforced by the stereotypes they see on TV. Gay bashers do pick on effeminate gay men...because they are visible. They also often believe that all gay men are out to sexually seduce all str8 men. Seeing Carseon do this on QEFTSG reinforces that stereotype. "If gay people are just plain people, why would anyone tune in to watch that? An hour watching people eat breakfast? Well, then you may object to TV starting a stereotype of gays as boring people. " Huh? Are you telling me that gay people can only be entertaining if they are flamboyant and outrageous? Are you saying that str8 people can be "normal" people and still be entertaining, but if gay people are shown to be just as "normal" that it would be boring? I don't think so. People already tune in to see "just plain people" a thousand times a day, but they are always str8 people. Believe me, we are for the most part no different than the kinds of str8 characters presented on CSI, Law & Order, or Star Trek. Are those shows all about boring people eating breakfast for an hour? LOL |
Incidior | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 12:18 pm     "I didn't say that people emulate what they see on tv" -- I'm not saying you did. Here is the usual argument: #1 People/children emulate behavior(s) seen on TV #2 Because of #1 TV Violence should not be shown, and unacceptable behavior should not be on TV (protest from Christians on BMB .i.e.) If follows that if TV scripts behavior then the Straights on this show provide an alternative response to Gay advances (other than murder). --- "Are those shows all about boring people eating breakfast for an hour? LOL" No, I am saying that "plain" is synonymous with boring. You don't have to be flamboyant to be interesting... but God, spare me "plain". |
Tishala | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 01:14 pm     How cute was that guy last night? And he seemed so sweet, too. I didn't necessarily like how they did his apartment, but the dinner, and the whole presentation of the ring, and the clothes.....DAMN! I was super jealous of that woman who is marrying him--skid marks or not! I'm still confused about why the one guy--the culture guy--is so silent, and then he offers dumb advice like "read Shakespeare"--whatever!--but the show had me laughing so hard last night. And when the straight guy cried cause of what the guys had done, it was just great! |
Nathalia | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 02:04 pm     Ok, I still love this show but why was there a different guy in the mix last night? I think he is in the original promos but the first few episodes had someone completely different. I hope you all know what I am talking about. Kyan & Carson were on Howard Stern this morning talking about the show. Howard was of course asking them if they were into any of the other guys and they said they all felt like brothers and it just wouldn't be right to hook up. They offered to help out Artie Lang with his wardrobe and take him to a spa. They are going to be on again tomorrow morning to reveal the "new and improved" Artie. They just sound like really fun guys. Howard asked them what type of guys there were into and I think Kyan was joking when he said husky, hairy types(Artie). Carson said he came from Amish (sp?) country so coming out came later for him. I only caught half of the interview because I was out. I really love the outcome of this show. The guy crying last night proves these guys (and probably a hundred or so behind the scenes people) really make a difference. And unlike Trading Spaces..everyone comes home happy! |
Hippyt | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 02:15 pm     Sanfran,you're probably really close to right with your joke! |
Squaredsc | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 04:31 pm     dangit i missed the show again. |
Tishala | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 04:37 pm     Squared, catch it in reruns! You will FALL IN LOVE with the guy they make over. |
Bastable | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 05:29 pm     We're 147 posts in, and I can't believe no one has pointed out that the title of this thread is incorrect. The actual title is Queer Eye for the Straight Guy! We can't even get the name of a show right? And we call ourselves a TV fan club?  |
Squaredsc | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 07:40 pm     is he hot tish? |
Tishala | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 08:04 pm     he is hot. seriously hot. and incredibly romantic. purrrrrrrrrrrr |
Sanfranjoshfan | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 10:20 pm     Yes Squaredsc - He's hot....Here is this week's makeover subject:
 |
|