Non-Fiction: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy

The Bare Facts
Title: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Authors:Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Felicia, Carson Kressley, Jai
Rodriguez
Publisher:Clarkson Potter
Date of Publication: December, 2004
Pages: 256
Grade that means nothing coming from me: C+

So Basically, It's About...
Five gay guys telling you how you should cook, dress, decorate, groom,
and act. Maybe not in such a regimented fashion as a drill instructor,
but still the idea is there that you need help, and they're here for
you. In each section, the resident 'expert' of the
group gives his advice on how to handle that particular facet of life,
from the kitchen to the dance floor, and the bathroom to the bedroom.
(*Decorating* the bedroom. *DECORATING*)

Why'd You Wanna Read That?
I was quite a fan of the show for a long, long time. The guys have good
advice to give. It's highly amusing to see how the 'Fab Five' relate to
and work with their victim volunteer, and heartwarming to
watch him go through his transformation. It's also occasionally a train
wreck, which is amusing in it's own schadenfreude-esque way.

And How'd That Work Out For You?
Sadly, a great deal of this is lost in the book, since there's no target
straight man, and much of the interplay that makes the show amusing is
simply not there. It felt more like a lecture from a gay man on how to
live my life. I've had a couple of those before. Didn't really go for
them then, and still don't.

The sections themselves do hold a few interesting tidbits of
information and are good primers into the five areas that they do
cover individually. I'll touch each one briefly.

Cooking: This easily comprises about a third of the book. Ted gives
some great ideas about wine (apparently his specialty) and about the
tools you need in the kitchen; however, there was little to nothing in
there about kitchen and food safety, which is an area I think the
average straight guy could use a little help on. Also, most of this
section is filled with recipes. I like recipe books, but that's not
what I came here for. I came for guidance, not instructions. At this
point I'm wondering if they're just padding the book.

Grooming: This was the shortest section of the book. If you've seen the
show, there's nothing in here that should surprise you, albeit there is
a little more detail than they can usually present within the timeframe
of the show. A good checklist of the things you should be using and
advice on taking care of your appearance is always good. In the show,
however, Kyan goes into more detail with many of their charges on how
fitness and exercise play an important part in looking and feeling good.
This was missing from the book as well. I have started working on the
checklist in there, and most recently, bought myself some facial
cleanser. I'm sure Kyan would be proud. I still shave against the
grain, though. Bad Dave.

Decorating: Arguably the best, if second shortest, section of the book.
Instead of going on about color palette and where to find good stuff,
Thom takes the 'know thyself' approach: asking you to examine what
you have, where you want to go, and giving an example of one of his
more brilliant successes. Thom makes good use of inexpensive and
practical solutions to common decorating issues, and talks about goals
rather than steps. If I were rating this section of the book alone, I'd
give it an A.

Clothing: The second largest section of the book. One thing this
section gets right is Carson's self-assuredness. One thing I really
disliked about this section was his tendency to give examples of very
non-conformist wardrobe and dressing choices, only to tell you not to
try them. An example would be the 'belt OVER the belt loops' trick he
is so fond of. He explains it, then says, "Don't do it." I'm left with
the feeling that they're padding the book again. He does do a good job
of covering different clothing styles and staples, and illustrating the
KISS principle. (Keep It Simple, Sister.)

Culture: This is a mixed bag for any person, and is a difficult area to
get or give advice on. What you enjoy is not going to be the same as
what someone else enjoys. Jai gives much good advice on how to relate
to other people, and his tips on cell phone and email etiquette are
solid common sense. However, this part of the book had the only piece
of advice I strongly disagreed with. I'm heavily paraphrasing here, but
the advice basically is: "Read chick magazines, like Cosmo, to get to know
what women really think and want!" Any woman whose life is in any way
remotely based on or influenced by Cosmo is not a woman I'd be
interested in. The advice to read something interesting is dead on, though, and strongly endorsed. The best advice he gives, though, is to be open to trying new things, to get out of the rut. Experiences make a person interesting.

Should I Read This?
This book has two target audiences. 1, Fans of the show: If you just
can't get enough of the Fab Five, then this is the book you want. 2,
Guys who want the help. The book itself is a good primer into the five
areas described above and offers some genuinely good advice on how to be
a well-rounded person. Chances are, though, if you're open to
receiving advice from 5 gay guys on grooming, cooking, decorating,
dressing, and culture appreciation, you're probably already beyond this
book. It's entertaining in its own way, but often comes off preachy,
which I'm sure they didn't intend. Again, the content is marred by the
delivery mechanism. It's an OK book, but a much better TV show. A+ for
the show, C+ on the book for omissions, padding and the occasional bit
of preaching.

Reviewed by: Maxwell.
Maxwell writes the blog Maxwell's Alley.