Forget the fanfare--one man is accusing the Queer Eye crew of bad taste.
The beef's got nothing to do with Carson Kressley's witticisms or Kyan Douglas' obsession with proper hair-product application; instead, Blair Boone is taking issue with the show's producers, who dropped him as the original culture vulture--a role later assumed by Jai Rodriguez.
Boone has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy producers for breach of contract.
According to a report in the New York Post, the jilted former Fabber is asking for $105,000 in damages from Queer Eye LLC for being dumped after only two episodes of Bravo's hit summer series.
"The producers said NBC and Bravo had to let me go, that it basically had to do with the fact that the show had a different idea with what they wanted to do with the 'culture guy,' " said Boone, who quit a fulltime job as an ad manager-writer at Metrosource magazine to join Queer Eye.
Viewers might remember him from the second and third episodes, which aired on July 15 and then the following week.
Boone was then replaced with Rodriguez, a Broadway veteran whose credits include a stint as Angel in Rent. "It wasn't working out with Blair, and we decided to recast," executive producer and cocreator David Metzler told Entertainment Weekly.
Had the show flopped that, presumably, would have been the end of it. Instead, the Fab Five became media darlings, taping guest appearances on the Tonight Show and Good Morning, Miami, making cameos at the MTV Video Music Awards and inking a $1 million book deal with Clarkson Potter--Queer Eye for the Straight Guy: The Fab 5's Guide to Looking Better, Cooking Better, Dressing Better, Behaving Better, and Living Better, hits bookstores early next year.
Now, Boone wants his share.
"When I see the million-dollar book deal, I have to clench my teeththat's what I expected to see and [to] be a part of," said Boone, who walked away with a grand total of $6,000 for his two episodes.
Before filing the suit, the show offered Boone "a little bit" of money to "go away" said his attorney, Ariel Berschadsky.
But the former ad manager believes he's due a grand total of $105,000, which accounts for 35 episodes, a "full production year," at $3,000 a pop.
"We think this is a serious lawsuit and we're willing to go to trial," Berschadsky told the Post.
"If they had sat [Boone] down and said it wasn't working out, we want to offer you X amount of dollars, then everyone leaves happy," he said.
Producers had no comment.
Boone's case could prompt futher Fab Five contenders to come out of the woodwork. According to a former Culture Guy candidate, James Hannaham, who wrote about his experience on Africana.com, only two of the original Queer Eye five from the never-aired pilot episode made it to air, fashion maven Kressley and food and wine specialist Ted Allen (interior designer Thom Felicia is the remaining member of the makeover troupe). The other three spots were recast after NBC's purchase of Bravo last November.
Worse still, the first Fab Five lineup only earned $2,000 per episode.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
Blair was pathetic. We watched the episode he was on several times and he just stood there going "Uh huh, ok". He had nothing that set him apart, no personality shining through and there was a reason he was let go, duh lol.
He simply didn't make the cut, so how he thinks he can sue and win is dumb The show would not have kept doing so well if they had kept him.
Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy.
Personally, I didn't like Blair at all. When I saw Jai on the show for the first time, it just seemed to fit SO much better. He seemed to belong. I agree that, had Bravo kept Blair, the show would not have gone as far as it has. There's something about these five (fabulous) guy that click, they work well together. I'm sorry that he quit his job and everything, but he needs to move on... . He didn't make it, it's not the end of the world as we know it. Plus... Jai is much cuter
PS- Hey guys... I'm new here!
"If you want to sound like the biggest geek ever... say that again." ~ Thom Filicia
"I said walk, not march like a weird little troll!" ~ Carson Kressley
Ted: Who's food are you eating?
Jai: *with a full mouth* The straight people's...
Last edited by MightyMorgan on 09-29-2003 at 08:45 PM |
Blair didn't seem like he even fit in with other guys. He just seemed kind of distant and useless. Jai is a great addition to the Fab 5 and if he hadn't been a part of it, I'm not sure if I wouldn't have skipped out on the show. Jai brings a fun flavor to each episode that Blair could've never brought. His lawsuit should be dropped.
Kyan: "Some people say I look like Keanu Reeves."
Carson: "Some people say I look like Ellen Degeneres."
Thom: (making fun of a grumpy guy in the Jeff Toale epi) "He's crazy. I hate this guy. When are we leavin'?"
Ted:"They're making fish filets wrapped in banana leaves and seasoned and grilled."
Thom: "How gay is that?"
Ted: "It's sooo gay!"
omg! blair did nothing at all! the episodes he was in were great expect for him being in it.. i think that they would've been even better if jai would've been in em' BLAIR was so bad w/ the other fab five he just didnt seem to click with them AT ALL!!! good thing that the "davids" decided other wise! or i prob wouldnt have been so attached to watching queer eye cuz blair made it boring for me.... Blair = Jai is just better and if blair cant except that he got "let go" and wants to sue, so wat he probibly lost n e way..... or is going to lose.
09-04-2003 11:37 PM
BLAIR.... 
The show would not have kept doing so well if they had kept him. 
Jai is just better and if blair cant except that he got "let go" and wants to sue, so wat he probibly lost n e way..... or is going to lose.
