Our Rating:
Date of Show: July 12, 2005
Network: Bravo
Created by: David Collins & David Metzler
Comedy, 60 min, TV Rating: PG-13, Color, Series available on DVD
Awards (if any): Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program in 2004.
Principal "Makeover Artists": Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley, Jai Rodriguez
“QUEER EYE” TV SHOW DOES NUDIST MAKEOVER
7/12/05 – Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is one of cable television’s surprise hits, and it is the Bravo channel’s highest rated program ever. The show features five “gay” guys who specialize in making over fashion-challenged “straight” men, who give each give tips on their specialty: clothing (Carson), interior design (Thom), food and wine (Ted), culture (Jai), and personal grooming (Kyan).
In mid July, 2005, the show featured the “Fab Five’s” biggest challenge to date, 39-year-old nudist named Jim with long scraggly hair and a beard to match. One of the team dubs him, “Scary Garcia.”
Jim B. is described as just your average, unassuming truck mechanic from New Jersey who “would give you the shirt off his back,” and frequently does. He has a non-nudist daughter who wants him to clean himself up, and a mother who tolerates his nudism but “doesn’t want to see it.” However since he still lives with his mother (and the producers think the nudity is weird?) mom signals him by beeping her car’s horn in the driveway to let Jim know she is home so he can throw on some clothes before she walks in.
Jim does a nice job of explaining to the camera about nudist etiquette, such as always sitting on a towel.Despite these positive nudist lifestyle images, the guys can’t help letting loose with a pun every thirty seconds – the same tired ones we nudists have all heard over and over again. (Is it cold in here or is it just you?”…“I bet your favorite movie is Free Willy”) Well, maybe someone watching the show hasn’t heard them before.
Carson immediately gets into the mood by stripping down and running outside, much to the chagrin of his fellow teammates, especially Thom and Jai who are obviously having a hard time with this whole nudist thing and put his clothes into the freezer. Carson replies, “ My name is cottontail from now on.” Boy, theses gay guys really are their own best audience.
The “Fab Five” get on with their makeover challenge. We see Jim getting a haircut and beard trim, and having his hands manicured. Thom picks out some new furniture for his sitting room, which is described as “perfect for free-balling.” Thom also has an outdoor Jacuzzi built inside an enclosed fenced area so the neighbors cannot see. The guys try it out, but while Jim is nude, the rest strip down only to their speedos. (Carson has his name monogrammed across his backside. How positively chic!)
Thom and Carson look at Jim’s wardrobe and remark, “maybe it is better he IS a nudist!” He and Jim visit a tuxedo shop so that Jim can attend a black-tie party that night. They also replace his sunglasses with new, trendier frames.
Next, it’s off to a Drawing Academy where Jim and Ted learn about figure drawing and they do a “nude” sketch of Jai (with a few fig leaves) who volunteers to model. Jai is starting to get into the swing of this, but Ted remains pretty nervous. Back on the home front, Ted shows Jim how to make two popular party cocktails, a Mojito Martini and an El Hemingway.
With the makeover complete, the boys sit back and watch the results on a TV monitor. Jim’s family is pleased with his new trim “look,” but mom seems a little disappointed that Jim’s “Nude Area” porch at home has been improved, enclosed, and enhanced. (Mom obviously prefers him dressed.) Later, Jim and his nudist friends celebrate with a black-tie reception followed by a hot-tub party and dance.
The Fab Five cheer and groan (“OH MY GOD!”) while they are watching, and they cannot resist making a few more rude jokes (“I’ll never eat cottage cheese again”…“Grandpa’s packing heat”) along the way. They call one overweight guy with a white beard “Santa Claus” and comment about the guests dangling their testicles “too close to the hummus.” For a group whose own sexual preferences are under frequent public attack, it was a bit unsettling to hear them passing judgment on the lifestyle choice of another minority.
Despite this initial “shock and awe” of seeing nudists being, well, nude, the party is a hit and fun is had by all. The telecast applied pixilation to critical breast nipple and genital areas, but we were surprised that the areas pixilated were much smaller than usually seen on television. Some pubic hair and butt cracks actually went un-pixilated at times, but whether this was sloppy editing or deliberate is hard to know.
All photos © copyright 2005 Scout Productions, and may be found at the Queer Eye web site:
http://www.bravotv.com/Queer_Eye_for_the_Straight_Guy/Episodes/208/recap.shtml
