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Work Out Pumps Up Gay Visibility on Television
by Matthew Weiss, July 19, 2006
Whoever came up with the idea to set a reality show at a gym deserves a medal. Hot, sweaty people lifting weights and running on treadmills? Young trainers flirting with one another left and right (with no regards to particular sexualities)? Friends talking trash like it's nobody's business? That's my idea of entertainment. Bravo's new reality show, Work Out (debuting tonight at 11/10c), combines the gym glamour of the 1980's movie Perfect (which starred Jamie Lynn Curtis and John Travolta) with the dysfunction of the Real World and the homosexuality of Boy Meets Boy. It's campy. It's cheesy. It's fake. But you can't look away. The premise of the show is simple. Out lesbian Jackie Warner is the owner and manager of Sky Sport and Spa, an exclusive sports and fitness facility located in Beverly Hills. A 360 degree skyline view mixed with the celebrity clientele make the gym harder to get into than Lindsay Lohan's birthday party. Jackie works with a team of trainers that not only love working out, but who look good doing it. Even better, three out of eight of these trainers are gay. However, all of them are very sexual beings which isn't surprising as few thing go more hand-in-hand with pumping iron than sex (especially in Los Angeles gyms). Work Out plays that up to a maximum. Girls flirt with boys. Boys flirt with girls. Boys flirt with boys. Everyone really just wants to hook up. And there's nothing wrong with that, right? The best part about Work Out though is that it doesn't include just one “token gay” as do so many shows. In fact, Work Out showcases three different types of gay folks. You have the “straight-acting” Doug Blasdell. At forty-three, he's older and more mature than most of his co-workers, frequently dishing out advice to everyone else whether it be personal or professional. Doug is also in a committed relationship and lives what he refers to as a “normal” life. Then there is twenty-five year old Jesse, a flamboyant pretty boy from Seattle who is more of a club kid. He represents the young, fun, sexual side of being gay. He's hot. He's sly. And he's the teacher's pet who immediately steps on everyone's toes. Finally, you have Jackie herself, who runs her own business and doesn't take crap from anyone. Lipstick lesbian all the way, Jackie's tough love gets her respect and success. If only she could transfer that into her own relationship with girlfriend Mimi. The two mix as well as oil and water, and it seems obvious that their relationship is headed down the tubes. Combine all of that with the “campiness” of the gym and pumping iron, and what gay man won't want to watch? (Plus, keep your eye out for singer Jody Watley who makes appearances as a regular client). The rest of the cast of trainers is just as eclectic and diverse. |
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