Summer TV Roundup

Thus far I've been a little disappointed by the tube's offerings this summer. It just seems like in the past few years, there have been more reasons to look forward to primetime TV. But there are always a few diamonds in the televised rough, so I can't comlain too much. Here are some of my thoughts on summer TV:

* While I found "Big Brother" to be a nice guilty pleasure in its first three iterations, I just can't get into this season. This whole "Ex-Factor" has created more negativity than intrigue, and the entire cast is either boring or mean-spirited. The appeal of this show has just vanished for me.

* The best new summer show, by far, is "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy". All the hype directed at this funny, educational, and surpisingly suspenseful show is well-deserved. I'm a big believer in self-improvement and every episode leaves me a little bit inspired.

* There's been a lot of debate about whether "Queer Eye" is a harmful depiction of gay stereotypes- but critics are missing the point. I do think that two or three of the guys tend to fit the "flaming queen" role, but that's a very small aspect of the show. Homosexuality is rarely if ever discussed, and I think it's unfair to label "Queer Eye as the flagship show of gay America."

* I caught the under-hyped VH1 special "ODB on Parole" the other night and was quite pleased. Among the many nuggets of wisdom provided by the newly-named Dirt McGirt: "Yeah I got 13 kids. I pay all their child support. But there's 3... 3 or four of them that I really love." And by the way, how did the Osiris manage to gain 40 pounds while in jail? He looks like Shawn Kemp out there.

* I don't see what all the fuss over "The O.C." was about. Granted it was only one episode, but where was all the soap-opera twists and turns I've been reading about. And can they get the lead character to actually utter a few lines instead of his constant brooding?

* Every season of "The Real World," I go through the same process: Excitedly watch the first few episodes, enjoy the mini-dramas that occur early on, root for the cast members to hook up with each other, start growing irritated with more and more of the cast, eventually hate everyone in the house, stop watching by episode 12. Why do I always do this to myself?

* And speaking of "The Real World: Paris," why does that idiot Adam ALWAYS wear his Stanford gear? He's just dragging our good name down.

* If you aren't watching "Making the Band 2" you're seriously depriving yourself. Every week, a new disaster approaches, every week the band narrowly escapes. And you have to love a show featuring a grown man in a bow-tie; in this case it's P. Diddy's butler, Farnsworth Bentley adding some class to the proceedings.