I don't really watch television. I can't watch television because while we do have a television, it doesn't get any channels. I pay $50 a month to get DSL and I just don't think another $50 for cable is a bargain. I would do it if I could get only HBO, an all-Simpsons channel, KCET, BBC America and NFL Sunday Ticket. But such a package does not exist, and if you want all those things (except the imaginary Simpsons one I made up), you have to get a bunch of crap you don't want. So I don't have cable, and we don't get any local reception. That said, I rely on Netflix and the kindness of friend Kel and his Ultimate TV for the occasional fix ("Angel," football, "The Sopranos," "Sex and the City"), so I'm not completely out of it, boob-tube wise.
However, until Saturday, I had never seen an episode of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." While catsitting at my boss's house, I took advantage of her 50-inch television screen (and her large-capacity washer and dryer) to settle in for a late morning of soothing cathode rays. When I ran across "Queer Eye," I thought "finally, I can see what all the kids are talking about."
My verdict: It was pretty good, I guess. It would be hard to live up to the hype. Maybe I just saw a ho-hum episode: Musical theater composer gets Queered up in time to showcase his latest work. The Fab 5 buy him a leather sectional, repaint his pad, throw away all the moldy food in the fridge, buy him new clothes and introduce him to the producer of "Rent." It was a little disappointing. Honestly, I was hoping for a makeover. This dude needed a haircut, at the very least. It's also probably more fun to watch the show with other people, instead of three cats who really can't contribute to the experience by tossing out bitchy one-liners.
I told Eric that I had watched the show and he reacted with disdain (amusingly, one of his more common reactions), saying that he thought the show merely reinforced stereotypes. He said that everyone would find a show called "Five Black Guys Teach You How to Rap and Play Basketball" offensive. I told him he should consider a catchier title.
Anyway, the food and wine guy is awesome.
You can find more of the interesting word usements I structure on Apple.com.
Read my article, Better Writing Through Design, on No. 242 of A List Apart.