Customer Reviews

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy

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By now everyone knows the premise of the show: five gay men (aka The Fab Five) bust into some poorly dressed, hygienically clueless and culturally unaware straight guy's messy home (a guy, for instance, like me or probably you if you're reading this) and set him... well... straight on a few things. The book, like the show, is divided up into five areas.

Ted/Food: Definitely the meatiest section of the book (pun intended). I got more useable info out of Ted's few page crash-course in wine than I did out of complete wine books I've read. And the list of kitchen essentials is great. Also included are some not-to-complicated looking recipes, lists of bar essentials, directions on mixing various cocktails, Steak 101 and a brief guide to fresh produce. With Ted as my witness, I'll never eat Hot Pockets again! (Well, maybe not `never,' but less often.)

Kyan/Grooming: I thought this section of the book was a bit lacking. Don't get me wrong - there's plenty of great information here. I just wanted more at the end. After all, I think this is the area that most guys are perhaps the most clueless. The essentials are covered, from what hair product does what and proper moisturizing through shaving and hair removal. And, of course, BUY A NOSE HAIR TRIMMER!!!

Thom/Decorating: This section wasn't quite what I expected. I expected more specifics. And I'm glad I didn't get them. Thom can't tell me how to decorate my place to make it my own. But what he did do was give me an idea how/where to start and got me thinking in terms of color palettes. Again, I got more out of a few pages here than entire decorating books.

Carson/Fashion: Some great dos and don'ts in this section, as well as lists of fashion `essentials' each guy should have in his closet. Great tips on creating different looks with the same items too and info on selecting a suit that's right for you. One thing missing though: direction on the proper way to tie a tie, something I definitely need help with.

Jai/Culture: This section was a surprise. Too often in the show I think the culture aspect doesn't come through clearly. It's easier to see the dramatic results of a haircut or redecorating. But in the book, there's plenty of great info on culture and etiquette. Tips on hosting a party or being a gracious guest, encouragement to try new things and the tips on dating section had some great ideas as well. I may start handing out copies of Jai's `Cell-Phone Etiquette' to people everywhere.

Overall, the layout of the book is entertaining and contains easy to read short-topics. Just like on the show, Hip-tips pop-up in the corners every few pages. And the mantra of the show comes through loud in clear in the book: don't be afraid to try new things. I'd say a must-have for fans of the shows or guys looking to improve themselves a bit. As Carson said in one of the early episodes, "We're not here to change you; we're here to make you better."

Every woman who has wished that she could get a gay man to take her guy shopping--and every hetero man who would like to figure out how to unstick himself from the tarpit of cultural ignorance--has managed to make "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" a major hit. Absorbing all that information in a fast-paced TV show, however, can become challenging. The Fab 5's book retains the same breezy, frank, gay-joking tone of the show while providing an easy-to-use reference that guys can come back to--or gals can use to drop a subtle hint to their favorite caveman.

Sure, guys could probably get the same information by reading cooking and decorating magazines, subscribing to GQ, calling the local Mary Kay rep, and (gasp) listening to women, but the Fab 5's guide does a great job putting together key information on food, grooming, decorating, fashion and culture in a fun and focused way.

"Right now, in cities and towns across this great land, there are men eating pork-n-beans out of the can, grooming like Neanderthals, and dressing themselves in the darkness of utter couture-ignorance. (The tragedy!) You needed us, and we were there."

The chatty format and clean layout makes the information accessible and quick to find. Each section contains helpful 5-point lists. Short straight-guy FAQs, Q&As and "hiptips" sprinkle the chapters with easily digested ideas. The writing style is a crack-up, filled with the gay-straight double entendres that make the show fun to watch.

The guide is divided into the same five areas that the Fab 5 address in their make-over show:

* Food & wine, by Ted Allen of Esquire, contains enough cocktail recipes to get you through all seasons, suggests a few easy ways to prepare bar snacks, reviews some basic wine information, provides recipes for several simple but elegant meals, and (perhaps most helpful of all) tells guys how to "fake it" with no-cook dinners. The chapter concludes with five tips for dressing a dinner plate--something few guys know unless they've worked in restaurants.

* Grooming, by stylist Kyan Douglas, covers hair styling products, nose-hair trimmers ("Dude, it's power tools for your nostrils!"), skin care and shaving. I found the skin-care section particularly helpful since I've been trying to get my boyfriend to pay attention to this topic, but haven't been able to explain to him why he needed to do certain things. Kyan does a good job explaining why guys should pay attention to these topics, and manages to do it in amusing "guy talk."

* Decorating, written by interior designer Thom Filicia. While key points about grooming can be covered well in brief, an overview of decorating in the same amount of space is bound to leave a lot out. Fortunately, Thom doesn't attempt to be all-encompassing. He emphasizes thinking about how you use your space, and points you in directions for learning more about styles you find appealing. Creating architectural details, particularly in bland apartments, has been a strength of Thom's designs on "Queer Eye," and he does a good job in the guide explaining how to do this. His "5 Quick Cleanup Tasks Before Company Comes Over" hilariously ends with a reminder that "porn, of any sort, no matter how soft, should be hard to bump into."

* Fashion, by stylist Carson Kressley (easily the most outrageous of the five), could be subtitled "how to look good without looking like your mommy dressed you." He covers wardrobe basics, ways to dress up and dress down shirts, 5 ways to wear blazers, what tie knots go best with different collar styles (but not how to tie them), and cuts of jeans. His suit-buying information is fabulous. I especially loved his "evolution of the suited man," featuring a pyramid of swatches, starting at the top with the basic navy blue for the guy who only wears a suit when pressed into service as a pallbearer, and extending, eventually, to "sponsoring your tailor's green card" (a dozen swatches for the extreme dandy).

* Culture, by actor/singer/dancer Jai Rodriguez, contains a lot of great "5 thing" lists: public speaking, straight-guy faux pas, hosting tips, working a cocktail party, alternatives to dinner-and-a-movie dates, places to pick up women (more classily titled "look for love"), birthday gifts, and tszujing a date. Cell phone and e-mail do's and don'ts are tips that almost everyone, male and female, could use. While Jai's cultural tips on the show tend to be very specific to the guy/couple involved--and that's one of his points, *make it personal*--his cultural guide contains some more general ways that guys can become more cultured, like websites for finding good books and movies.

The Fab 5's approach works because they affirm who the individual is and make over wardrobes and homes based on what the guy likes, not on some one-size-fits-all approach. "Our goal isn't to turn you into someone else," they note in their introduction. They also stress, in very funny ways, that adopting their ideas is not going to turn heterosexual men into effete things who will attract gays.

And what's "tszujing," you want to know? The guide ends with a glossary that explains this "Queer Eye" term, and contains other amusing definitions. My favorites: "Mise-en-place: Culinary term, from the French for having your **** together." "Empathy: Listening your way to getting lucky."

Reading this book confirmed what watching the TV show made me suspect - I have no idea how to run my own life. This is the book every mother should give her son before he moves away to college or gets an apartment of his own. Life is full of stuff we all are SUPPOSED to know but nobody ever tells us about. Why was there never a guidebook before? As soon as the show started, I wondered when the Fab Five were going to write down their accumulated wisdom.

The book itself is kind of a coffee table book - expensive and heavily illustrated. Each of the five writes his own section which covers the basics in every area of expertise.

TED: What tools you need in your kitchen. When to buy produce. How to make cocktails. He tells you to NEVER smell the cork. There are a whole bunch of recipes in this section as well.

KYAN: I never had that "how to shave" talk with my dad - probably because he doesn't know how himself. Kyan tells you how. He also tells you how to properly wash and care for your face and hair. You'll find out the difference between styling gel and pomade.

THOM: You know more about decorating than you think you do. You'll find out how to paint those rectangles on your walls.

CARSON: Fashion - this is the most indispensable part of the book for me as I have no fashion sense whatsoever. You'll find out what to look for in a suit, what kind of clothes you should own, how to buy jeans, and the all-important pocket-square.

JAI: He has the hardest job on the show because he has the most nebulous job description. Yet, he does come up with a lot of useful tips for his section - how to shake hands properly, how to be the perfect party host/guest, and how to go on a date.

Every section is pretty funny and it makes a good reference book to keep coming back to.

The Fab Five move from television to the publishing world with this practical guide.

Too often today, there is a wealth of things that we are expected to just know in grooming, dressing, food, wine and other areas. Yet this information is not passed along to us and so we flail. Enter this book. Here is a guide to many of these things we don't know. It puts some tszuj into our lives.

There's much here that is informative, but what makes it a great book is that the information is presented with and an edge that the Queer Eye Guys bring to what they do. Nothing ...harsh is in here, just a collection of "Do's" to make your life better. There is a quick introduction to wines without all the jargon. Things that we may not think of, such as `Foods to avoid on a date.' Each section gives lavishly illustrated examples, and cuts to the heart of the matter with Q & A boxes in the lower corners of many pages.

Each of the 5 bring their knowledge area to a section: Food, Grooming, Decoration, Fashion and the broad "culture" (all the things to do on the date to impress your companion). The best part is that for the reader, one page may elicit "Well that's just not me," but turn the page and suddenly you see something relevant. You will be surprised how much you can pick up from this book. You can think of it as one of those "Underground Travel Guides" that are published; only this is to urban (and suburban) life tricks.

While the title is Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, anyone can benefit from something in here - gay, straight, guy or gal. It is fun reading with a purpose. How often do you find a book that is enjoyable in itself, yet teaches you something? A book for everyone's shelf in this new century.

Heard the taped version of QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY by Ted Allen et al. . . . I must admit to not being a big favorite of the TV show (of the same name); however, that said,
this was an engaging program with lots of useful advice about food and wine, grooming, decorating, fashion, and culture.

For example, I liked the suggestion to have two bottle openers in case one disappears at a party--as it usually does.

Also, I took note of such other ideas as:
* On how to button jackets, remember: sometimes, always, never. If a three button jacket, that's how to button it; if a two button jacket, skip the first word (sometimes).

* Jeans should fit you as you leave the store. Don't buy them too short or long, as they are now most often preshrunk.

* Give more compliments. They strengthen relationships and show you care.

* At a party, hire somebody to help.

* If you get a cellphone call, say, "Hi, I'm with someone. Can I call you back later?"

* Don't take a call while dining!

* Read COSMOPOLITAN to learn about relationships.

I bought this book having seen only 20 minutes of one episode -- you don't need to be a fan of the TV show. It helped that I have a few gay male friends who have taste, so it was not a tremendous step to take advice from five gay men. The easiset chapters to put into practice are on grooming, clothes, and culture. Who knew that plucking eyebrows (gently) and caring for one's face twice a day would have people notice? The chapter on clothes is helping to get me out of a predictable clothing rut, and the chapter on culture has some really action-provoking suggestions on going out, even if it's just you by yourself. The point of the book is to gently nudge you into a different direction. The first step is being open to new things. You'll find your confidence increasing and that you secretly covet other men's clothing and hair styles. Check out the music CD, also -- you can dance around while you get ready to go out.

Having become a Fab Five Family Fan Club, we had to have this book. I'm a wife and mother living in an otherwise male household. These fantastic guys offer advice for the betterment of all of us..from the inside-out. The truly wonderful thing about this book, and about these men, is that they are just that, men..who happen to 'get it.' They aren't afraid to pass along hints which simply elude many people. They gently encourage us to make the attempts to broaden and enrich our lives. This isn't just about men, either. Face it, girls, we don't understand men any better than they understand us. This book has cleared up many a confusion for me. In fact, I've learned a little more about all five areas these charming men discuss. This book is on our family reference shelf, and has served us all well. Thanks, Fab Five, for putting into the simplest terms, and with the most well-placed humor, all the little things we need to know to raise the bar. Hats off to the boys! Cheers!

I had this out from library and husband asked me to buy it before he finished it. Covers basic info like what kitchen equipment you need, to tips for accessorizing outfits, how to make some mixed drinks- it's just full of good stuff.All with humor that had me laughing all through the book.

What a great guide to give a young man starting out in life. You learn the basics in dealing with the kitchen, personal hygene,
how to dress appropriately, simple social skills and more. If you stumble when it comes to presenting yourself and are unsure about the finer aspects of life, read this book once, twice and then keep it on your coffee table. I also strongly recommend you get a copy of Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self to learn how to make the most of every situation, communicate most effectively and bring out the best in others.

Now first off, I have to get something off my chest. I am not a homophobe - I had a homosexual roommate sophomore year of college and we got along fine - but I get tired of people (most commonly women) who either drool at anything or anyone homosexual or having this belief that homosexuals are inherently good at anything involving home decor or style. I hate to break it to you, but homosexuals are like you and me, and not all are like the Fab Five. Remember my homosexual roommate? His side of the room was the messiest I have ever seen a human being make. The Fab Five would have had collective heart attacks upon seeing the state of it. By the logic of the homofangirls, I was the homosexual. Not to mention that half the things said in this book I have also read in "straight" men's magazines including "Men's Health" or the alternate "Men's Fitness." I'm sorry folks, but there's no Cult of Gays out there in brown robes meeting in caves and passing down tablets written by God that tell you what brand of shaving cream to use. The reason the Fab Five are so good at what they do is because they have had the training or education and DO know what they are talking about. For example, Thom Filicia founded an interior design company, and Kyan Douglas has had experience in professional and commercial salons.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let me talk about the book itself. Like the show, it offers some great insight into better living and hygiene. A lot of it is just resourceful, showing you different types of styles or ideas to open up what you might be comfortable with. There's also some pretty decent advice here, from what grooming products to use and not use, how to treat your hosts at a party, (and more importantly, what to bring as a gift) some all-important social tips, (and boy do I know a few people who need some of those) right down to what to think about arranging your furniture and eating out. It's entertaining and well written, making it at easy read that's good if you want something to just sit down with and glance through for a few minutes or so.

Well worth the money. I wish I could have given it to my sophomore roommate, maybe then I could have gotten from my bed to the door.