# Queer Eye 4-6: Mark Fa **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636 "2004-04-06T22:46:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/1 "2004-04-06T22:46:48Z")
Fa? > [@](#): > > Name: Mark Fa. > Age: 40 > Height: 6’ > Weight: 172 lbs > Status: Married > Occupation: Carpenter > Category: Mullet Wearing Straight Guy > Location: Westwood, New Jersey > Event: Step-Daughter’s 18th Birthday Party > There comes a time in every man’s life when he has to face the truth, and sometimes that truth isn’t pretty. For Mark, that moment came when his stepdaughter Karly announced, “I love you, but I am embarrassed by your mullet.” Who could blame her? Mark’s “business up front, party in the back” hair is automatically a topic of conversation in every room he enters, and has made him the target of ridicule on more than one occasion. > Like a bolt from the blue, Mark suddenly realized that a change was in order, one that would involve more than just his hair. With a little — OK, a LOT of help, Mark hopes to adapt his look and his style in ways that will enable him to be more involved in the things that matter to daughter Karly and wife Roe. The Fab Five’s mission: help Mark make Karly’s 18th birthday memorable by revealing a new look at a special party he’ll plan just for her. > PROBLEM AREAS > …has an enormous mullet, held together by gallons of gel and spray. > …his fingernails are more like komodo dragon talons. > …his mutton chops and waxed moustache went out of style in the 19th Century. > …his wardrobe only comes in two flavors: handyman casual and stuffy, old man formal. > …his fondness for '80s metal and religious music is way out of step with Roe and Karly’s tastes. > …his home is a mix of nice but overly-cluttered rooms with bare, half-finished projects. > …prepared a meal for Roe on their first date, but hasn’t cooked again since. > “Mark saw a Civil War picture of an ancestor of his, and he thought that would look good.” — Roe, his wife Tonight…a mullet _dies_. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/2 "2004-04-07T00:04:12Z")
Yay! It sounds like they’re getting back to the REAL fixer-uppers, not Joe Wannabecomedian needs 3 hairs cut. If it’s half as funny as it sounds, I may just die. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/3 "2004-04-07T02:51:16Z")
Great episode! Mark started out rough and in desperate need of a makeover. All of the Fab 5 made a contribution, even Jai, and Mark cleaned up beautifully/ My word, but that man is fuckable. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/4 "2004-04-07T03:10:40Z")
Holy frickin’ makeover! It didn’t even look like the same guy!!! Fabulous. I can’t get over the fact that the food connoisseur shopped at Costco. 😛 Where do I get me a Billy to do my chores? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/5 "2004-04-07T03:17:09Z")
Really rad change in the guy’s appearance. _This_ straight boy’s impresed. Good attitude about it all, too. (Though he worried everyone when he said he wants to grow it out a bit…) He kept his clothes hanging in the basement??? Whaaa? Come on, even i use my closet. Or the doorknob. Or the exercise bike 😃 Then again I don’t have a basement. I liked how he had the presence of mind to bring in his buddy Billy to take over some of the detail work – a lot of the problems the other guys have had related to trying to do 27 different things within one hour. Nice reality-check by using Costco as a source: that will hit home with a lot of people outside the “cosmopolite” urban centres. Once again Jai is pretty much limited to gift-suggestions and a lifestyle item that doesn’t look like it has jack to do with anything. (The girl BTW seemed to make out like a bandit with the iBook and the LCD TV. Then again it probably came from selling all those Barbies… also, great to see a close family where they’re actively supportive of gay issues [funny if crude t-shirt]) And I see that for next week they’ll be rolling out the _pilot episode_. _Minus_ Thom, Jai and Otto’s Sweet, Sweet Kyan[sup]TM[/sup]. That oughta be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/6 "2004-04-07T03:55:08Z")
I love the guest at the party who stared at him for like 30 seconds and then shrieked “OH MY GOD!” She honestly had no idea who he was! Karly made out like a bandit, but what about the kitchen? All those new appliances and furniture? This was NOT a cheap episode! Aaaaaamazing! ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/7 "2004-04-07T04:20:24Z")
DAMN, but the straight guy turned out good looking with that haircut. I hope he doesn’t try to sneak back to a minimullet. ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/8 "2004-04-07T07:11:18Z")
I want him, I want him, I want him! For the record, I’m talking about the straight guy. They’ve had some well turned out guys before (once they were cleaned up), but this one takes the cake. My, but what a good looking man! Yum. I love that fact that the Fab Five shop where the straight guy would shop. Costco, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and best of all, Nordstrom–middle America’s answer to Neiman Marcus! The promo for next week’s show said it had never been aired, but wasn’t there at least one show with someone other than Jai? A black guy named Blair, maybe? (If that’s right, then something is seriously wrong with my memory–why should I remember that when I can’t remember my fax number?) Was Kyan (excuse me, Otto’s Sweet, Sweet Kyan) also a late arrival? You know, _What Not to Wear_ (both the British and the American versions) make over a guy every once in a while. I wonder what the Fab Five could do with a straight woman? I mean as far as giving her a life-changing make-over. Jeesh. ---
**Author:** ![Club\_33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@Club\_33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Club_33)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/9 "2004-04-07T10:25:51Z")
Actually, I saw on the news tonight that they are planning to do a “Queer Eye for the Straight Girl” series. ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/10 "2004-04-07T12:45:22Z")
> [@Kallessa](#): > > The promo for next week’s show said it had never been aired, but wasn’t there at least one show with someone other than Jai? A black guy named Blair, maybe? (If that’s right, then something is seriously wrong with my memory–why should I remember that when I can’t remember my fax number?) Was Kyan (excuse me, Otto’s Sweet, Sweet Kyan) also a late arrival? I was starting to think I was the only one to remember the lost Fab Fiver. He was the Jai in, IIRC, the second episode of the series. I didn’t remember his name though, even if I did remember the Pillars of Hercules as the Final Jeopardy answer last night. I think Kyan’s always been there. It should be interesting to see who these other boys are that didn’t make the cut, but by now, America demands the “correct” Five. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/11 "2004-04-07T13:07:05Z")
> [@Kallessa](#): > > I wonder what the Fab Five could do with a straight woman? I mean as far as giving her a life-changing make-over. Jeesh. Mark’s wife could really use some sprucing-up, especially now that her husband is so suddenly hot . . . ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/12 "2004-04-07T13:14:53Z")
Dang! Who knew there was a Hottie under all that hair? (And I want that stove - they said GE Profiles series, right? Off to search!) ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/13 "2004-04-07T13:51:49Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > I love the guest at the party who stared at him for like 30 seconds and then shrieked “OH MY GOD!” She honestly had no idea who he was! > > Karly made out like a bandit, but what about the kitchen? All those new appliances and furniture? This was NOT a cheap episode! Aaaaaamazing! True but they shopped at Costco, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Nordstroms rather then some of the ultra tony boutiques of the past. Plus he went to a reasonably priced hair place. So plenty of budget was left- BTW, given the plug GE got for their Profile line I am sure they donated those items. Overall this was a 10 out of 10 episode, just about perfect in every way. I enjoyed the hell out of it. The family, the Fab 5, the changes, the guy being smart enought to bring some help (“Hey Bill, you can get on TV if you help me make Pizza” Bill: “Hell Ya!”). _This_ is the show I love. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/14 "2004-04-07T13:54:38Z")
> [@DeVena](#): > > Dang! Who knew there was a Hottie under all that hair? > (And I want that stove - they said GE Profiles series, right? Off to search!) Yep! Don’t forget the matching Fridge. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/15 "2004-04-07T15:46:58Z")
I dunno. I’m sensing ‘the beginning of the end’ for this show. I really hope I am wrong because I love the show. What am I talking about? Product placements. It used to be that the stuff the bought or the places they went were casually mentioned, much like you would tell a friend “oh, I went to IKEA”. I really noticed it with the episode with the Korean guy. Kyan: Here are some CREST white strips. You really should use CREST white strips (as the case is perfectly facing the camera). Guy: Really? I need CREST white strips? WOW. CREST ROCKS! I exagerate, but not much. Now I noticed it in this episode with GE. I realize someone has to pay for the stuff, but I worry that now the show may be more about ‘the stuff’ than the make overs. I also bet that Kyan will be approached to do a skincare line for men. Ted will get a contract with Oxo or AllClad. Carson will get a line of clothes. Thom already has peir one, but it’s a short skip to becoming the filling the void our Martha left. Jai? Um. Maybe he’ll um, endorse something. (I hear he’s recording?). Just you watch… oh one last thing. Carson’s hair didn’t look so good. I like his usual wispy hairdo better. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/16 "2004-04-07T16:16:08Z")
> [@Only Mostly Dead](#): > > I was starting to think I was the only one to remember the lost Fab Fiver. He was the Jai in, IIRC, the second episode of the series. I didn’t remember his name though, even if I did remember the Pillars of Hercules as the Final Jeopardy answer last night. I think Kyan’s always been there. It should be interesting to see who these other boys are that didn’t make the cut, but by now, America demands the “correct” Five. Carson and Ted were the first two hired for the show. It looks as though the episode next week will have them but the other three guys will be different. I was wondering if Blair would be in next week’s ep or if there was a third culture guy. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/17 "2004-04-07T16:23:31Z")
I liked the tip about reheating pizza in the skillet rather than the microwave. And I think Baboon is right that the show is waning, but I don’t think it’s the product placements. I think it’s the straight guys and their SOs. Part of what people like about these makeover shows and their offshoots is the celebration of the reveal. We want to see change for the better. Happiness. We want to see the blooming of a flower rescued from a bad gardener. And we saw that early on. An artist whose career and life took off. A boy from the country who came to make it in the big city, and got the foundation he needed to succeed. A slacker who had taken a bullet for his mother, and was ready to stop being a burden in her life. Nowadays, all they do is clean up people’s houses and buy them new clothes. Last night harkened a bit back to the old days. They need to head more in that direction. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/18 "2004-04-07T16:32:57Z")
> [@Bad News Baboon](#): > > oh one last thing. Carson’s hair didn’t look so good. I like his usual wispy hairdo better. I disagree. He looked like a grown-up in this episode. (He acted a little less obnoxious as well which I appreciated.) The “wing-y” hair is too 13-year-old girl for an adult male, regardless of sexual orientation. I had two nit-picks about this episode: One, JUST SAY NO TO OPEN CABINETS! This is fine for a quick transformation until he can upgrade the doors, but the one thing open cabinets result in is all your dinnerware eventually being covered with dust and cooking grease (if you have a greasy diet.) Two, did the grooming guy tell him the exact wrong way to file nails? It should be from the side to the center (with the growth of the nail) and I could’ve sworn he told him from the center down (against the growth of the nail, which is a no-no.) I could have mis-remembered that though. BTW, what is the time frame for this show? I know they imply it all takes place in one day, but seriously, it has to be more like a week, right? (I’m thinking last week’s guy said something about “It’s been an amazing week!”) ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/19 "2004-04-07T19:58:53Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > BTW, what is the time frame for this show? I know they imply it all takes place in one day, but seriously, it has to be more like a week, right? (I’m thinking last week’s guy said something about “It’s been an amazing week!”) I caught a couple of minutes of the Fab 5 on Orpah’s after-show and they said it took three days. I’m with **Baboon** on Carson’s hair. Didn’t like it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636/20 "2004-04-08T14:15:29Z")
Agree with pretty much everything everyone’s said except about product placements overwhelming the show. There were always product placements, but the 5 have said and I have no reason to doubt them at this point that they won’t recommend a product just for placement purposes. Note that the hair and skin products change in every episode. If they were being placed for the sake of placement one would think that the same products would appear in multiple episodes. (Does anyone other than Crest even make a whitening strip?) Blair IIRC was in two eps, Adam Zalta and the guy with the girlfriend who stole the Trenton hooker’s boots. He was last heard from suing the producers for something like $350,000. What was the deal with Mark’s wearing two pairs of underwear? He pulled down those boxery things and had on some black bikinis underneath? What the…? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/queer-eye-4-6-mark-fa/238636.md?page=2)