"A Living Room where the Crack Den Used to Be"

Bravo's new show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is the show I've wanted to see for a long time. Back when I was watching Makeover Story and Changing Rooms religiously, I remember thinking that a true makeover show would combine the clothing and hairstyle from a show like Makeover Story with the lifestyle and interior decoration from a show like Changing Rooms.

And now Queer Eye has gone and done that wonderfully, with the added bonus that it's a show targetted at men (as well as the, er, men, who love them).

And after thinking about it a bit, I realized that the focus on men is why I like it so much: I like seeing a makeover show where men aren't treated as second-class citizens in the world of the makeover. Subconsciously this is what always bothered me about a show like TLC's Makeover Story--it's completely geared towards making over women, and when they do happen to make over a man (usually a husband or boyfriend), they dress him up in a drab two-button sports coat from a chain store, give him a shave and perhaps a spa treatment, and send him on his way. Compare that to the women on Makeover Story, who get like 5 new outfits (although they always do seem to give them the same lame new haircut, but that's forgivable, I guess).

The situation is better--as is the overall show and makeover--on BBC America's What Not to Wear. The one show I've seen that featured a man was one of the better episodes, partly just because his outlook and self-confidence was so improved by the end of the show. But even What Not to Wear has its flaws: among them, an over-reliance on that standard makeover haircut where the hair just kind of curves around the face, and an apparent mission statement to make over only the dumpy middle-aged women of England.

But in Queer Eye, the focus is on doing quality makeovers of both lifestyle and fashion/grooming. And what's more, the results--really, the ultimate test of a makeover show--are good. In the two episodes on last night, the end results of the interior decoration were better than most I've seen on dedicated design shows. Which is perhaps to be expected--Thom Filicia, the decorator, was named one of the Top 100 American Designers, and isn't just some woman with a glue gun whose friends told her that she had a "really great sense of space."

Other things I like about the show:

• There's none of that "we redecorated this room for only $500" sanctimoniousness that's so prevalent on design shows on HGTV and elsewhere. Originally, I think this was probably a reaction against the idea that only rich people can afford to redecorate their homes, but now it's just getting tiresome and fake. I mean, what's the point of doing it on the cheap if you end up with MDF cabinets with no shelving? In Queer Eye, the issue of money never comes up (explicitly, at least), and that's refreshing.


• It's very, very funny. I have a new rule: every show on television must be very funny. That's one of the best parts about What Not to Wear, and it's one of the reasons why Queer Eye works so well, particularly in the last quarter of the show, where the "Fab 5" are witnessing the results of their makeover and the subject's interaction with his friends and family. (for example, Carson's comments in the Butch episode regarding Laurel: "Oh, she totally wants him.")

Sure, Queer Eye is a little unbelievable, particularly the interior decoration--painting, buying furniture and having it delivered, buying storage solutions, etc, in one day? I don't think so--but in a weird sense that almost makes it better. After all, all makeover is based in fantasy: the fantasy that the makeover is not just a temporary façade, and that the made-over will actually keep up his/her hair/lifestyle/fashion regimen for more than a week. And if Queer Eye can make me believe in the makeover fantasy for an hour, that's good enough for me.

Comments

[J.D.]

My wife and I love "What Not To Wear". Only, I try not to let on that I like it. (My wife has even begun taping the show to share with her friends at work!)

I prefer the BBC's Trinny and Susanna to TLC's Wayne and Stacey, but even Wayne and Stacey are growing on me. I like the Americanized TLC episodes better, actually, because they're more in-depth, allowing for a larger focus on the process and outcome of the makeover.

The most recent episode we watched was almost moving: a dowdy matron with a penchant for holiday-themed and seasonal-themed sweaters is transformed into an almost fashionable older woman. And, too, I love the "I look FABULOUS!" episode in which Wayne and Stacey makeover a dumpy middle-aged man. He's a goof!

The BBC version is fun, though, especially watching the British freedom to talk about (and touch) tits and ass as if it's not big deal!

Still, my favorite of this genre of shows is the BBC's "Ground Force" with Alan Titschmarsh: like "Changing Rooms" or "Trading Spaces" but with gardens!

I'll have to check out "The Queer Eye". If there's enough time between the shows on BBC America, TLC, and the Food Network... :)

[liz]

I watched "Queer Eye" last night too and LOVED it. Unfortunately, I'm house sitting right now and don't have the Bravo channel, so I'll probably never get to see it again. What I did see this time, was very funny. My favorite part was when Carson was throwing Butch's clothes out of the closet with tongs and then when he said "1-800-ALARM-ME" after seeing the results. I couldn't stop laughing. I liked how they seemed to spare no expense and didn't talk about the cost of things. I also liked to see the men use the tips they were given and I loved watching what people were saying about them - hidden cameras are hilarious!
Jai has the best title - I saw them all on the Today show yesterday and Jai was called "the Culture Vulture" and that also cracked me up.
Ok, I'll stop now. I could go on and on...

[paul]

I watched this last night and thought it was hilarious. I also watch the TLC version of What Not To Wear, both because I think it's pretty cool what they can do in a short amount of time and because I have a thing for Stacey :)

QEFTSQ was hilarious, and I think you nailed why. I thought they were all trying a little too hard in the end segment though. Other than that the only thing that made me say hmm was the all in one day thing. Like they could fly up food from Miami in an hour!

Both are fun though.

[xian]

Great post. My favorite part of the Butch episode (the only one I've seen, and I don't have cable, ) was when one of his (many) ponytailed friends at the opening was defensively pouting and saying "But I don't want to cut off my hair - I think I look good" or something like that.

Also, for those of us of northern european extraction who tend toward paleness and chubbiness, it was a good reminder that scruffy beard and scraggly hair are not "slimming."

[Jemaleddin S. Cole]

Actually, the one-day thing doesn't seem like that big a deal, and in the butch episode, neither does the cost. Considering that everything they bought for his room seemed to be from Ikea, they could just pop out and pick up a few things.

[Julie]

The Butch episode was plausible, but the one following it -- The Unibrow Episode -- seemed far less likely. I actually wondered about the cost and time in that one, because they bought some *really nice* furniture, painted walls, tiled floors, covered the walls in the "Where the Wild Things Are" kitchen... And then flew up the gourmet spread from Miami that nobody liked. It's like watching sci-fi; you have to engage your Suspension of Disbelief.

[lavonne]

"an apparent mission statement to make over only the dumpy middle-aged women"

hey!

[brian w]

Most of the interviews/articles I've seen about Queer Eye have noted that they actually take THREE days to get everything done. Which makes things a bit more plausible.