Casting PLAYING IT STRAIGHT

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 11:23am

This is hysterical.. I don't know if I could have passed for gay...bake a souffle? sing a song by memory by Barry Manilow?
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"Playing It Straight," which will debut on March 12, challenges a college student named Jackie to successfully select a straight man from the group of 12. If she succeeds, she and the man will split one million dollars. On the other hand, should she pick a gay man, he would then get the entire million-dollar purse and she would walk away with nothing.

Finding gay men who could play it straight was a challenge in itself. However, Fox's main concern was making sure it wasn't duped by straight men pretending to be gay just so they could win the money. That's when network executives implemented the controversial test.

"In the audition process, we made all men who said they were gay demonstrate to us that they actually like to be intimate with men," said Laura Duckettworth, vice president of reality TV programming at Fox. "They were permitted to bring a man with them or we offered to provide one. At that point, we made them engage in several acts of sexual activity with one another for a period lasting no less than 20 minutes."

In addition to taking part in the physical test, Duckettworth said all alleged gay contestants must pass a fashion test, bake a souffle and sing a song by Barry Manilow, Barbra Striesand or Bette Midler by memory.

Although Duckettworth has fielded many complaints from gay activists, she said Fox stands by its decision.

"A million dollars is not pocket change, and we needed to ensure that this show is on the up and up," she said. "Our viewers must know that the gays are gay and the heteros are heteros. If we did indeed get duped by a straight man posing as gay, then we at least have the satisfaction of knowing he endured 20 minutes of hell with another man."

[orion59]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 11:30am

Now there's an interesting audition process. If the guy they pick is hot, I'd prove my gayness for hours. I can't bake a souffle though.

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 11:31am

yeah- I could definitely handle the 20 mins :)

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 12:19pm

now, what exactly comprised the 20 minutes of sexual activity?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 2:04pm

I don't know any Midler, Streisand or Manilow songs by memory and I sure as Hell ain't gonna put on a 20 minute sexual show to prove I'm gay. Sounds like a glorified casting couch. If any of that is true, it sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen. The show is about breaking gay stereotypes, yet they rely solely on stereotypes for casting?

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 2:07pm

Is there any maggoty slop the folks at Fox aren't willing to slurp? Immoral beyond words.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 2:11pm

For a chance at a million bucks and 15 seconds of fame, people will do anything.

[jcr279]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 2:15pm

MisterMatt- I completely agree with you. I wouldn't do any of that to prove I was gay either. That article kind of pisses me off......

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 2:42pm

now at which point in the show will they be broadcasting the sexual hijinks of their cast or are they saving that for "playing it straight: the uncut (and the cut) version" that will go direct to dvd? what if one or two of the guys hook up? will they show her the guy on guy action to prover to her that she's picked a gay man? i have no desire to watch this show, but i am intrigued by these questions.

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 4:05pm

It's offensive on so many levels...

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 5:00pm

Did anyone catch FOREVER EDEN.. fox has become smut tv....

next: gay bi racial paralyzed midgets on a deserted island

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 5:23pm

wait, fox has "become" smut tv? the network that brought us "america's wildest police chases" and "cops"? i bemoan the moment when they slipped into becoming a smut network...i think that was about at inception.

[Jane2]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 6:51pm

I find it hard to even believe that article. They can't be serious~ Did that come out of the Onion, by any chance?

[RobbO]

Posted: 3/2/04 at 11:49pm

ooohhh, "gay bi racial paralyzed midgets on a deserted island." i hope that doesn't conflict with the next airing of the bachelor!