"Straight Plan for the Gay Man" (2004) TV series

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Nick McKinney

Writers:

Kyle Grooms (writer)
Curtis Gwinn (writer)

Release Date:

23 February 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Reality-TV

Plot:

A three-episode parody of the hit Bravo series "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy", where straight men convert gay men into big-time heterosexual archetypes.

Cast

Kyle Grooms	...	Kyle: Information Guy
Curtis Gwinn	...	Curtis: Environment Guy
Billy Merritt	...	Billy: Appearance Guy
Rob Riggle	...	Rob: Culture Guy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jackie Clarke	...	Jackie: Dating Coach

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Borderline TV

Quotes:

Fashion Guy: Here's a tip: no straight man knows how to tie a bow tie. That's why they make these R.S.V.P. cards. Simply check "no, I will not be able to attend your stupid fancy-dress party" on the card, and all of your bow tie problems are solved. After all, it's not like it's the only time your sister will be getting married.

Movie Connections:

References Dirty Harry (1971)

Interesting

When I first heard that Comedy Central would be lampooning "Queer Eye", I was a bit curious how they would handle it, having never seen the show. When I saw a TV spot in which we see one of the "Flab Four" giving the choice tip that "straight guys don't usually collect tea cups", I assumed it would be pretty much like "The Man Show" in content, and about like "Reno 911" in terms of the quality of the parody. This isn't to say it is bad, as I enjoy watching the occasional episode of "The Man Show", but I know in the back of my mind that they're exemplifying the "he-man" stereotype because it's the extremes that are amusing; not the banal, middle-of-the-road that represents the majority.

Man, do I sound gay.

As I'm sure I've demonstrated here, it's a tad tricky to handle material like this, but I think Comedy Central's got a winner here. I figured "Straight Plan" would be not unlike "The Man Show" in that it would reinforce traditional male roles and exploit homosexual stereotypes, but I think it balances the inherent clichés quite nicely. It makes fun of the gay man (Jonathan) to a certain extent, but moreover it plays upon existing gay and straight stereotypes both to show the reality of each and to point out how absurd they can be. All the while, the "Flab Four" show him a genuine measure of respect, and no one seems to take themselves too seriously.

This was better than I expected from the satire genre. It remains to be seen if this will last, but as pilots go, they've definitely got a hit on their hands.

7/10