August 22, 2003 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 11
eveningsout
'It's never been so hip to be gay-if you don't have hips'
by John Graves
ง
Although Will and Grace, Queer as Folk and now Queer Eye have become quite a success on network and cable TV, Omaha World-Herald columnist Rainbow Rowell wonders why there aren't more shows that feature lesbians.
She jokingly suggests a lesbian dating show or makeover-type show that might feature "five extremely stereotypical gay women teach a hopeless hetero how to pitch a softball, rebuild a transmission and pick out a suit."
However, as John Carroll, a Survivor contestant from Omaha said, "The only way you're going to get away with that is if they're hot." He echoed the thoughts of a number of lesbians Rowell interviewed.
As Rowell says, "It's never been so hip to be gay. If you don't have hips."
Rowell says the women she interviewed told her that the only way most men can accept lesbians on TV is if it's part of a male fantasy.
"Ellen just had a normal life. To me that is who threatens people most..." said D. Moritz, a gay activist who works for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
As Omaha lawyer Donna Colley opined, "Gay life is about hard work and things that aren't very exciting. I don't think people want to watch a television show about us taking out the trash."
African-American lesbian comic René Hicks believes the problem is basically sexism, saying, "It's really about power. People think of 'gay' as gay men."
Noting the stereotypical, and therefore non-threatening, portrayal of gay men on reality shows like Queer Eye, Moritz said she would rather not see reality-TV producers demean lesbians, but Hicks told Rowell she wants lesbians to be treated like anyone else on TV, reality shows included.
"Trash is indiscriminate," Hicks said. "White trash, black trash, lesbian trash. Let the trash begin."
Hicks compares the reality shows to Amos and Andy, the radio and later TV comedy that gained fame and notoriety for its stereotypical portrayals of African-Americans in the 1940s and '50s.
"If you're not used to seeing black people at all, it's something," she explains.
'Survivor' winner gets dates
Meanwhile, Richard Hatch, the openly gay winner of the first season of Survivor, went on dates with two prospects on Star Date, the E! channel's new reality dating show in which celebrities are set up on blind dates with ordinary people.
Also, the new openness about gay sexuality is examined in Totally Gay, a new cable documentary now airing on VH-1.
'Queer Eye' trimmed for network
The producers of Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy trimmed approximately three minutes from the hour-long episode that aired on NBC August 14 to, as a spokesperson told Television Week, "accommodate the network's format." In this episode, the Fab 5 do a makeover for a self-described-country guy who is planning to ask his girlfriend's hand in marriage.
Insiders say, though, the cuts were more likely made to lessen the chance that some NBC affiliates might object to some racy comments the Fab 5 make as they joke about bodily fluids while examining the guy's underwear and bed linens at the start of the episode.
Mike Weeks, general manager of WITNTV in Washington, D.C., said he still planned to delay Queer Eye until later that night
because, "The content, I felt, was not suitable at times children might watch."
Weeks, who substituted a hurricane-preparedness documentary during the primetime slot when the show aired on NBC last month, said he "liked the show" and was not concerned about the gay theme but was concerned about some of the off-color humor on the show.
Executives at some NBC affiliates suggest that NBC could reduce the chance that cutting-edge shows such as Queer Eye would be pre-empted or delayed, or the chance that they might take a beating in the press, by sending preview tapes for them to review well ahead of the shows' scheduled airtime.
John Mann, general manager of WAGTTV in Augusta, Ga. who delayed airing the 2-hour episode that aired on NBC last month, said, "I am looking forward to getting the NBC has been very responsive in editing out [preview] tape, and from what I understand the gratuitous excretory scenes and references."
However, this episode of Queer Eye got pre-empted anyway in much of northern Ohio by a power blackout that darkened cities from New York to Detroit. People with battery-powered TVs saw most stations giving continuous news coverage to the incident, canceling other programs.
New producer at 'All My Children'
Julie Hanan Carruthers, executive producer of the recently-canceled soap Port Charles; has replaced Jean Dadario Burke as executive producer on All My Children. Burke introduced the first lesbian regular on a day-
time soap.
What all this means for daytime's, and now all of television's, only ongoing lesbian characters in featured roles remains to be seen.
Eden Riegel, who continues to win accolades for her portrayal of All My Children's
Bianca, said going through this summer's rape scene was a pretty harrowing experi-
ence.
"It was intense, to say the least. I have to hand it to Wil de Vry [who plays the rapist Michael Cambias] because he channeled some scary part of himself and really went for it. He scared the crap out of me, which I mean as a compliment . . . He's so creepy in that part. To get through the shooting of the rape scene," Riegel said, "I had to into a zone, go there and stay there all day. It was haunting. I had nightmares; I couldn't sleep the whole night afterward."
Meanwhile, Bianca and Lena have been named soap fans' favorite couple on All My Children for several weeks running according to "Hot Off the Net," Soap Opera Digest's weekly online reader's poll.
Bates, Everett in offbeat comedy
Kathy Bates and British gay actor Rupert Everett costar in Unconditional Love, an
Gay Male Retirement
offbeat cable comedy about a middle-aged housewife and an English valet who team up to find a serial killer, now playing on the Starz pay movie channel. 'Justice' looks at Whipple case
The case of Diane Whipple, the lesbian lacrosse coach whose life partner made California legal history when she won the right to sue her neighbors for wrongful death after Whipple was slain by their dog in 2001, was examined on American Justice on A&E earlier this month. Check program guides to see when the program re-airs.
John Graves is the producer and host of Gaywaves, a lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender public affairs show on Cleveland's WRUW 91.1 FM Saturdays at 9:30 am, and at www.wruw.org. See what's coming on TV in the Couch Potato Report, under "Entertainment" at www.lgesc.org. Dave Haskell, Jim McGrattan and Kim Jones also contribute to this column.
in nearby Akron, Ohio 1431 S. Main St. Akron, Ohio 44301
Slain AND Couture
1001 The Leader Building 526 Supreior Ave., East Cleveland, OH 44114 216.781.1076
·
LaRICHE
Toyota Subaru Located in Findlay
Drive a little... Save a lot!
WE DELIVER! www.ToyotaBob.com
* 3 Fabulous Meals a Day All Private Rooms Gay Social Programs $350-$490 per week
330-724-1800
www.gay-retirement.com
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Serving the Gay & Lesbian Community for over 10 years Domestic Partnership Agreements
Living Together Agreements
→ Adoption
Parenting Agreements
ESTATE PLANNING
Wills & Trusts *Living Wills Powers of Attorney
SUBARU
b
Driven what's inside...
!... You!
800.545.6885
Serving our Community with Pride for Over a Decade!
Your Complete Automotive Service Center!
PRIDE CARD Accepted Here!
PROCARE.
Approved
Auto Repair
Automotive
M-F 7AM-7PM
• Tires • Tune Ups
•
•
Service Centers
•
Sat 8AM-6PM
KR
Oil Changes • Transmission Service • Brakes Alignments Diagnostics Cooling System Service
• 24 Month or 24,000 mile warranty whichever comes last!
PROCARE
GPC
Automotive Service Centers
Lube, Oil, Tire Rotation
$15.95
Code PC4140
GPC
$10 OFF
on any invoice over $50.
at
PROCARE.
Automotive
Service Centers
with coupon not valid with any other offer
Lake & Cove at 12027 Lake Ave. in Lakewood Appointments welcome, but not necessary. Visit us at www.procareauto.com to schedule your appointment online.
Cude PC4140
(216) 221-4606
ASE FASE Certified Technicians
Do you feel like you are treading water through life's emotions?
There's help.
Access Behavioral Care w
Individual & Couple Therapy Psychiatric Medication Management Preferred Providers for Most Health Plans
West
3 Locations to Serve You
(440) 777-7574 25221 Country Club Blvd. #201 North Olmsted
East
(216) 468-0468 24200 Chagrin Blvd. #300 Beachwood
Lake County
(440) 709-9000 6101 Heisley Rd. Mentor