The Blair Boone Interview
by Jade Esteban Estrada
When the cameras panned out to get a shot of the cast of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy who were guests of honor seated closer to the stage than some of the award winners at the 20th Annual MTV's Video Music Awards, Blair Boone was suddenly sick to his stomach. The 31-year old music journalist who was originally hired by Bravo to be the "culture guy" in March 2003 admitted he "would have loved to have been there in that seat that night." Unsatisfied with a laughable settlement from Queer Eye executives, the former "Fab Fiver" (with the emotional support of celebs like Howard Stern) is suing the show for the year of work he was promised. The reasons he was let go are a little fuzzy, but one thing is clear--this is queer guy is in need of some straight answers.
On the website for the show, under most frequently asked questions is "What Happened To Blair?" The only answer is that actor Jai Rodriguez has taken over. End of discussion. I had a chance to sit down and talk to Blair over dinner at IKE, a trendy restaurant in the East Village in New York.
While the waitress is taking his order, I take a moment to review the lowdown. He was hired by Queer Eye, L.L.C. He did two episodes. The show is a monster hit and then was unceremoniously replaced by Rodriquez. Did I mention he's gorgeous?
Jade: O.K. Give me the dirt. Who did you not get along with?
Blair: (Laughing) We all got along well! Carson was like the mother hen because he had been there the longest. Kyan and I had an immediate connection, Ted and I were both writers and Tom and I both went to Syracuse University. We had a great relationship.
Jade: I hate to tell you this but I read on E Online that you were "seething" when you heard about the million-dollar book deal for the cast. Is that true?
Blair: (he takes a breath and smiles warmly) The only two times I really had to breath were the VMAs and when I saw that there was a million dollar book deal in the works. I really had to make sure I was sending out good energy into the universe. Jade, some pills are hard to swallow.
Jade: Is there someone special in your life? I'm not coming on to you, I promise, I'm just curious.
Blair: I'm single. I don't think anyone would have put up with me during this roller coaster time in his life. Music journalism is my passion.
Jade: Had it always been your dream to do a show like Queer Eye?
Blair: Oh, no. I thought that this would be a great stepping-stone for my career. I hope to one day host my own music program.
Jade: So let's go back a bit. How did you find out about Queer Eye? Did they find you?
Blair: I'd done a music review on a jazz pianist. His publicist was so pleased with the piece that he called me and let me in on the audition for Queer Eye. I'd never considered it seriously. But I went anyway. We spent the day there on the set. It was set up very much like the show "The View." We were videotaped. We were seated around a coffee table and we just talked about hot topics. They were looking for chemistry between Carson, Ted and Kyan who were already cast. The only people left to look for were the culture guy and the interior design guy. The auditions were intense. They really were watching who could match their enthusiasm. They wanted relationships. You could not be awkward.
Jade: I would have been so awkward and nervous!
Blair: No, you couldn't be. It was all about the chemistry. They wanted to know if you could hold your own. They did another configuration and I was kept again and again.
Jade: So how did you find out you got it?
Blair: The last callback was on a Friday. They said they would call over the weekend. Saturday, nothing. Sunday, nothing. Monday they called and said they wanted me to quit my job and come in on Tuesday.
Jade: Now, wait. You were working at Metrosource here in New York, right?
Blair: Yes. I actually started working for Queer Eye right away kept working for Metrosource on the weekends to soften the blow. I was exhausted.
Jade: So you're on board. What was that like?
Blair: The energy in the group was infectious. On the inside you KNEW it was going to be a hit.
Jade: O.K. Let's speak frankly, now Blair. Were there any problems that you foresaw that could have contributed to what happened?
Blair: Well. I could see immediately that the other guys had a very clear, thought out function on the show. Grooming was grooming and interior design was interior design. My area of expertise as the culture guy was music and French. You can't teach either of those things in an hour show! There was always this vibe of "we have to define the culture guy and we have to define him fast." It was never hidden. None of us really knew how to solve the problem.
Jade: Hmm. Go on.
Blair: I think the producers started to say to themselves…"let's just tell him what to do..." I had ideas but I thought this would be the best way.
Jade: Is the show scripted?
Blair: No, not at all. It's a reality show.
Jade: Where do they get the straight guys?
Blair: They get them from casting calls.
Jade: How did they inform you that you were no longer going to be on the show?
Blair: We do a 12-hour day on Friday at Queer Eye. Saturday is for preparation for the next week's show. I got "the call" on Sunday afternoon from the executives. They wanted to meet me for coffee at four in the afternoon. This wasn't really that unusual as we often got together over coffee to discuss new ideas.
Jade: How did they break it to you?
Blair: They said that the network had a change of heart. They were "disheartened" by this turn of events. They were not sure what was going to happen nor were they sure what they were going to do.
Jade: How did you feel in that moment?
Blair: I was shocked. But I was just letting it slowly sink in. Then the next day I got a fax solidifying everything we had discussed the previous day. It was official. I received a letter of termination.
Jade: What do you hope to gain by taking legal action?
Blair: Justice. I'm not asking for anything more than the year of work I feel I'm owed. I'm not out for anything more. I think I'm in good hands with my Legal Counsel, Ariel Berschadsky.
Jade: Have you met Jai Rodriquez?
Blair: I saw him at the agency one day before all of this happened. I didn't really know who he was at the time.
Jade: So now we move on--what are you doing now?
Blair: I'm interviewing now with several different magazines. I took some time to go back home to Houston after it happened so I'm refreshed and ready to move on to the next level.
Jade: This reminds me of when Hollywood tried to screw Margaret Cho. She came back better than ever. Do you think this has made you stronger and wiser?
Blair: Oh, yes. But I just can't help but look back on all of the camaraderie that was displayed on TV and see it as…"pretend." It can happen so quickly. Now, it all seems kind of false.
Jade: Well, here's to keeping it real, your new music show and a future full of possibilities.
Blair: Exactly! Cheers!
Find out more about Blair Boone at www.BlairBoone.com.
Jade Esteban Estrada's music can be heard on the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning police drama "The Shield" on FX. Visit his website at www.GetJaded.com
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