THE NEW GAY MINSTRELSY?

From the American Prospect online:

Some have argued that the Fab 5 of Queer Eye should break out as well -- from the stereotype of the hysterical, prissybritches, shopaholic gay man. The Fab 5 are indeed fabulous. But isn't it disturbing to have this stereotype, "positive" though it may be, stand in for a diverse population? Is the Fab 5 anything other than hilariously bitchy and culturally on point? I personally feel delivering cultural shrewdness with a soupçon of snark is a lofty and laudable goal, but concede the validity of the question. Are gay men just the comic relief, the zany, artistic freakshows straight people bring home to make their lives aesthetically pleasing -- and remove before the gay folks start doing something aesthetically displeasing, like talking about their rights or kissing one another? Is the Fab 5 the new queer help?

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Personally, I both love and hate Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. While I enjoy the clash of cultures and the victory of taste over the mundane, I think I would prefer a thirty minute show instead of an hour--I often grow tired of being subjected to uber-queen Carson Kressley's awful shirts and mullet haircut. Despite my misgivings, it is important to assert that as gay characters increasingly infiltrate the television medium it becomes all the more vital to meditate on what exactly their presence means to mainstream society. More is not necessarily better.

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