You've Got Male! (Queer Eye is an assault on hetero males)

Wall Street Journal ^ | Wednesday, August 20, 2003 | LIONEL TIGER

[presidio9]

There has been a great big whoosh of public palaver about the Bravo network show involving five homosexual men -- the Fab 5 -- who have busied themselves renovating, for a fee and in public view, the clothes, food, hair, skin and comportment of hapless heterosexual males.

[Mr. Mojo]

They [males] are now only 44% of the college population.

Disconcerting, for sure. ....But for guys who are currently enrolled in college, the upside is tremendous ;)

[GSWarrior]

I've never watched the show and never will. But I'm wondering how it would go if the scenario were reversed. Take 5 heterosexual men and let them give a makeover to a homosexual. Queers would pitch a hissy fit, more than likely.

[over3Owithabrain]

Good point - it seems gays have become today's "minstrels". Good for a song, a dance, and a laugh.
Yeah queers, give us your show tunes, your skating medals, and your manicured townhomes. But stay out of our pulpits and our childrens butts.

[finnman69]

This show is hysterical. Funny as hell. Last night with the macho Port authority cop was a great episode. The episode with the member of their crew who got his Wookie like hairy back waxed was also classic. Carson the flaming fashionista is THE star of the show with the best lines.It looks like the show is drawing better ads as the ratings shine.

[finnman69]

I watch it. It's funny as hell.

[finnman69]

They 'normalize' gay behavior and who knows what that's going to lead to with young people watching the show.

Which 'gay behavior' specifically on Queer Eye are you offended by and are certain are corrupting our youth?

Cleaning up a filthy apartment, picking up your clothes, learning to cook a meal, getting pointers on manners, dressing with some style and not like a complete slob?

How horrible. (sarcasm off)

[AngryJawa]

"I don't watch the show, but even the ads for this that I have seen make fun of both gay and straight men. For the life of me, I can't see why gays would be so thrilled with this. It makes them a laughingstock."

I really don't think they care about how straight America views them. Do you think the queer bikers in assless chaps marching in the multitude of Gay Pride parades care? They have a lifestyle to promote!

This is not innocuous. This is a textbook case of normalization and cultural erosion.

[BrooklynGOP]

Brown eye..?

[HamiltonJay]

All I have to say is any guy who let these queers near them must be somewhat gay themselves.... think about it 5 flaming gay men run up to you and start pulling on your clothes and playing with your hair? What straight guy wouldn't be beating the hell out of them?

My first reaction sure as hell isn't going to be, wow, maybe I'll just stand here and let them keep undressing me.

[goodnesswins]

I think it's that it stereotypes hetero men as those who never "clean up a filthy apartment, pick up clothes, learn to cook a meal, get pointers on manners, dress with style, etc...?" AND that, my man, is what's degrading.

[Keyes2000mt]

Researched this and found the following on the Fordham University website:

In 1987, Michael Swift was asked to contribute an editorial piece to GCN, an important gay community magazine, although well to the left of most American gay and lesbian opinion. A decade later this text, printed in the Congressional Record is repeatedly cited, apparently verbatim, by the religious right as evidence of the "Gay Agenda". The video Gay Rights, Special Rights, put out by Lou Sheldon's Traditional Values Coalition cites it with ominous music and picture of children. But when the religious rights cites this text, they always omit, as does the Congressional record, the vital first line, which sets the context for the piece. In other words, every other version of this found on the net is part of the radical right's great lie about gay people. For a discussion of the whole "Gay vs. Religious Right" phenomenon see Chris Bull and John Gallagher: Perfect Enemies: The Religious Right, the Gay Movement, and the Politics of the 1990s, (New York: Crown, 1996)

What is the vital first line?

This essay is an outré, madness, a tragic, cruel fantasy, an eruption of inner rage, on how the oppressed desperately dream of being the oppressor.

Why does this NOT make me feel less worried about the piece.

[najida]

I am on a couple of (mostly female) message boards...

The women I know on the boards LOVE this show...and most wish their SO would get a make-over from these guys.

[finnman69]

The Staten Island guido Port Authority cop with the really hot girlfriend on the show last night was definitely not gay. Nor was the hairy backed slob (with the extensive porn collection and a girlfriend) who works on the production team that was made over.

And these two showed the most overt repulsion to being around gay men than any other episodes.

[finnman69]

I bet they are getting flooded with requests from girlfriends to get their boyfreinds or husbands made over on the show.

[najida]

Yep,
from what I gather, they are.....

[finnman69]

I think it's that it stereotypes hetero men as those who never "clean up a filthy apartment, pick up clothes, learn to cook a meal, get pointers on manners, dress with style, etc...?" AND that, my man, is what's degrading.

Hmmmmmm, what stereotype? I have a clean well decorated apartment, keep things clean, am a great cook, dress with style, have good manners and I managed this without the help of homosexual tutors!!!!!

So what's the harm of the show?

[Tribune7]

Why would anyone vote for Algore?

[olorin]

"it is a insult to the white hetrosexual male!!!!!!!!"

Why isn't it an insult to non-white heterosexual males?

[lelio]

What straight guy wouldn't be beating the hell out of them?

Take a chill pill. The show's done for laughs and the guys end up cleaning up their slobby lifestyles. Last night's one with the cop was pretty good. Before the show his attire consisted mainly of tank tops in white and ones with sports logos on them.

[HamiltonJay]

Sorry, anyone voluntarily letting 5 flaming queers tug at their clothes and play with their hair without decking them, sure ain't a man in my book.

I have nothing against gay people, but I am telling you, only a wimp would not deck someone if 5 flaming guys who you have never met come running up to you and start pulling on your clothes and playing with your hair. Sorry, but my first reaction isn't to sit there and let them. At least one of them will be lying on their anorexic faux pleather ass that ever happened to me.