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A Cry Heard Round The World: Kim Sun-Il died desperate and alone, but he did not die unheard.
Looking At And Longing For Mars: Reflections on a childhood dream.
A Robot May Not Harm a Human Being. Is The Opposite True?: Thoughts on the future rights of artificial intelligence.
Long After The Boys Of Summer Have Gone: What makes a relationship work?
Winter Of Our Feline Discontent: What the cat wants, the cat gets. But what DOES it want?
To Tell The Truth: There may be no honor among thieves, but can't we find it even in a few good men and women?
Should The Human Brain Retire?: We know that we cannot win forever. We know that machines will continue to improve. So why don't we let the human brain retire gracefully now, with honors?
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Published: Sep 16, 2005 01:41 PM
Fri - July 25, 2003
Thumbs Up for "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"
A new NBC program transcends
stereotyping to produce more entertainment than offense.
Just
when reality shows are all the rage, a new NBC program proves that unreality can
be just as engaging. "Queer Eye for the
Straight Guy" which premiered on the network last night trades heavily
on stereotypes of gay men in touch with their feminine sides--yet seems to
transcend those cliches to yield a product more entertaining than
offensive.
Here's the premise: Five gay men who are experts in arts, fashion, interior decorating, personal grooming, and the culinary arts remake the lifestyle of a more culturally-challenged straight man, then join us to eavesdrop on the reactions of his friends and associates. It's like Star Search meets This Old House, with a hint of Candid Camera.
The show seems destined to become a hit.
The straight man in the series premiere was Brian "Butch" S., a starving artist with a shaggy mane of hair he had not cut in nine years, a wardrobe made primarily of denim, and an apartment that resembled the surgeons' Swamp in M*A*S*H. He needed more than a makeover. He needed massive doses of cultural plasma, and he needed them stat!
Enter the Fab Five (photos here), as they call themselves, with surprisingly sensible tips for haircuts, grooming, and interior decorating that remake our hapless hero into the apple of everyone's eyes. The quintet doesn't take itself too seriously, but what transforms the show from pure camp to good theater is that its members seem quite proficient in their respective fields. Kyan Douglas is a men's skin care specialist with extensive training and professional experience in the hair, spa and retail industries. Ted Allen is a former restaurant critic who has been a contributing editor to Esquire magazine. Jai Rodriguez is an actor, singer and dancer who is currently starring in the lead role of Zanna in the off-Broadway musical hit Zanna, Don't! Thom Filicia is the founder of his own interior design company. And Carson Kressley is an independent stylist who spent many years working with Polo Ralph Lauren in New York City, specializing in the design aspect of the men's sportswear division.
Next week the Fab Five tackle an even more difficult subject: a part time contractor and car transport driver, who at various times has also been a plumber, an elevator technician, a fireman, a carpenter, a short order cook, an EMT, a Navy SEAL cadet and a stripper. Their goal: To give him more sophisticated style so he can engineer a New York wedding proposal to his girlfriend of two years. (Episode guide here.)
I'll be watching, even though we all know how it turns out.
Updates:
--For the show's broadcast schedule in your area, click here.
--If you live in New York City and want to be on the show, you can print out an application here. Thanks to Elizabeth Larkin for the link.
--If you're one of the dozens of visitors looking for more information about the show's theme song, "All Things," go here. Thanks to Remind Me Why I'm Here? for the link.
--The Fab Five will appear on the Tonight show on August 14 to give host Jay Leno a makeover.
Here's the premise: Five gay men who are experts in arts, fashion, interior decorating, personal grooming, and the culinary arts remake the lifestyle of a more culturally-challenged straight man, then join us to eavesdrop on the reactions of his friends and associates. It's like Star Search meets This Old House, with a hint of Candid Camera.
The show seems destined to become a hit.
The straight man in the series premiere was Brian "Butch" S., a starving artist with a shaggy mane of hair he had not cut in nine years, a wardrobe made primarily of denim, and an apartment that resembled the surgeons' Swamp in M*A*S*H. He needed more than a makeover. He needed massive doses of cultural plasma, and he needed them stat!
Enter the Fab Five (photos here), as they call themselves, with surprisingly sensible tips for haircuts, grooming, and interior decorating that remake our hapless hero into the apple of everyone's eyes. The quintet doesn't take itself too seriously, but what transforms the show from pure camp to good theater is that its members seem quite proficient in their respective fields. Kyan Douglas is a men's skin care specialist with extensive training and professional experience in the hair, spa and retail industries. Ted Allen is a former restaurant critic who has been a contributing editor to Esquire magazine. Jai Rodriguez is an actor, singer and dancer who is currently starring in the lead role of Zanna in the off-Broadway musical hit Zanna, Don't! Thom Filicia is the founder of his own interior design company. And Carson Kressley is an independent stylist who spent many years working with Polo Ralph Lauren in New York City, specializing in the design aspect of the men's sportswear division.
Next week the Fab Five tackle an even more difficult subject: a part time contractor and car transport driver, who at various times has also been a plumber, an elevator technician, a fireman, a carpenter, a short order cook, an EMT, a Navy SEAL cadet and a stripper. Their goal: To give him more sophisticated style so he can engineer a New York wedding proposal to his girlfriend of two years. (Episode guide here.)
I'll be watching, even though we all know how it turns out.
Updates:
--For the show's broadcast schedule in your area, click here.
--If you live in New York City and want to be on the show, you can print out an application here. Thanks to Elizabeth Larkin for the link.
--If you're one of the dozens of visitors looking for more information about the show's theme song, "All Things," go here. Thanks to Remind Me Why I'm Here? for the link.
--The Fab Five will appear on the Tonight show on August 14 to give host Jay Leno a makeover.