Leery Eye

I watched a second episode of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy last night, and I don't know what to think. Clearly, the concept is horribly stereotypical: Gay men, those natural mavens of culture and style, take that straight slob, Joe Schmo, and turn him into something presentable, if charmingly unable to absorb their lessons fully. The show perpetuates the idea that gay men must be superficial and that straight men can't like things like interior decorating, and that's a step backward for society in many ways, especially in light of the Episcopalian bishop election debacle.

But what can I say? It's an entertaining show.

Putting aside qualms for a minute, the show's "Fab Five" have tremendous chemistry. Their repartee is so natural that it seems like they've been giving makeovers together for years. Plus they're credible experts in their fields, professionals down to the Broadway actor in charge of "culture." On top of all that, they pile on the humor, between fashion expert Carson, who spouts endless one-liners, and interior decorator Thom, who steadily grows more disgusted and depressed as he goes through apartments full of enormous smiley-face candles, old porn and bathroom fixtures growing their own kind of culture.

And you can't help but admit that they do a fantastic job cleaning up these cleanliness-challenged men, what with teaching them everything from basic grooming to gourmet cooking and performing apartment redecoratings that would put Trading Spaces to shame.

So what to think of all this?