| Skin Deep Changes |
25 August 2003
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"Queer Eye" -- Missed Opportunity
Bravo-TV has an unlikely hit on its hands with "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." The show consists of a heterosexual man having various aspects of his life made over by 5 gay men with emphasis on dress, grooming, and decorating. And it strikes a blow for gay rights in a way. It seems that gays possess the same right to be as shallow as the rest of the society.
The perception that gays have better dress sense, etc., and therefore, are the experts to do these makeovers is tenuous at best. The late Quentin Crisp had a style and charm all his own, but to suggest that anyone should dress as only he could, well, it just isn't going to work. Damn few gay men could make it work.
Beyond that, there is the incorrect belief that sloppy, fashion clueless hetero-men need to be made over. Lionel Tiger, in a far too serious piece in the Wall Street Journal, argued this point and that the whole idea stems from the current view that men are simply problems -- "Why can't a man be more like a woman?" as he reversed the quotation of Professor Higgins. Fashion trends are laughable. Whether green or velvet is in or out has little to do with whether it possesses some more lasting inherent value. And a guy who doesn't care for the fashions of the day is probably better off that way -- it let's him worry more about the trivialities of sports.
But the truly disappointing thing about the human makeover idea is the opportunity lost. Self-improvement (or that achieved with the help of others) is one of humanity's most noble and worthwhile endeavors. Haircuts, wardrobes and sofas, though, show just how unimaginative the shows producers are. How about reading a new book? Learning to sculpt? Taking up Italian? Questioning beliefs? Thinking?
The great straight men of history (and gay as well, and women, too) didn't become what they were because of how they looked, how they smelled, or what they owned. Rather, their greatness rests on their thoughts and actions. Of course, that might inspire viewers to turn off the TV and participate in their own lives, much to the detriment of advertising revenues.
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