While Queer Eye for the Straight Guy kind of bores me, the show that follows it on Bravo, Boy Meets Boy has captured my attention in recent weeks. In a combination of all the reality shows before it, Boy Meets Boy allows 15 men to vie for the attention of a single man looking for love. The catch: some of the 15 men are straight actors looking to win the cash prize. No one knows that any of these men are straight (including James, the centerpiece of the show), and the viewers themselves don’t find out who’s gay and who’s straight until the men are sent home.
The format of the show is nothing special and most of the personalities aren’t terribly exciting, but what’s interesting is the dynamic that’s developing between James and the men competiting for his attention. And, of course, I’m really curious what’s going to happen if one of the straight guys wins… it will almost certainly be devastating for James, who will think he’s found love. As much as I usually like to see train wrecks, this is one reality show I wouldn’t mind seeing finish with a happy ending since most of the participants aren’t jackasses like on other reality shows.
I can’t decide whether this show (and the proliferation of other recent shows focusing on gay men) is good or bad for the gay community… are these shows perpetuating stereotypes or are they helping to make gays on prime time television feel a little more “normal” to the average American? I’m leaning slightly towards the latter.
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