Skip to main contentThese days I am beginning to think straight men aren't scared that gay guys will get in their pants. I think a lot of straight men are much more concerned queers will invade a much more private space--the family home.
It's not foggy notions of what gay sex actually looks like that makes the Bible-thumpers freak out--that fear seems far too advanced for conservative America's compassion, I mean, comprehension. What are really messing with straight heads are the more mundane images of two married gay men going about their daily lives: washing dishes, making beds, and, god forbid, attending a parent-teacher meeting.
TV came out of the dark ages when Ellen allowed mainstream America to see what a sitcom lesbian looked like: pretty much like everybody else. Now comes a reality TV show that could offer the chance for viewers to see that same mundane inside view of what a gay family looks like.
As if the world needs another reality show, you're thinking. But Wife Swap is planning to do something that TV hasn't ever tried--not just to break up families but to actually piece them together again. On its surface, the show's concept offers a new twist, while its timing presents a great opportunity for the queer generation.
The show, which is scheduled to air on ABC this fall, will film two moms, of two different families, who have agreed to switch places for 10 days. Fox-already has its own version, Trading Spouses, and the idea's kind of like TLC's Trading Spaces, except instead of the players getting a new kitchen, they get a new chief cook/bottle washer, and, if they're lucky, a new outlook on life. Or at least that's what the producers predict will happen once the cameras start rolling.
Here's where Portland comes in. Associate producer Tania McKeown thinks our town has the potential to provide some talent. The show is looking for families, McKeown says--all types of families.
When I called McKeown and suggested it would make great TV to swap a Portland family with two dads, she wouldn't confirm whether the producers would follow up on my suggestion.
But think about it. Wouldn't you like to see a show swapping a nice little gay family from a nice little city in the Northwest? It's not only a way to change attitudes--it's a chance to change history.
That's what MTV's The Real World did when it made sure to include queer people from the get-go in a show about "seven different strangers." Who can forget how Pedro Zamora changed the face of AIDS during the '94 season set in San Francisco? His honest portrayal of how he lived with his disease was inspirational to everyone.
And now, as all of us in the gay community struggle with the reality of queer marriages and adoption, maybe reality TV could be the medium to present a new face of normalcy for the whole world to stare at--our own.
So we've got a chance to make Wife Swap as ground-breaking as the Real World. If you're a (wink-wink) mom who would like to trade in her family for a while, or a family who'd like to see what life would be like with a different kind of mom--say, a gay one--then call (212) 905-6059 or email theswap@rdfmedia.com. Tell them Willamette Week sent you. And happy wife-swapping!
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at www.theswaptvshow.com .
WWeek 2015