(Mods: I put this here instead of Cafe Society because the topic could easily generalize beyond the TV show. But please move it if you prefer.)
So, James is told that one of the remaining contestants is straight. His only rule with respect to finding out who it is is that he can’t ask directly. But what’s so hard about that? Rather than the rapid fire questions he threw at them — which seemed to make ALL of them uncomfortable — why didn’t he just come onto them? Wouldn’t that have been more reliable?
His questions really didn’t reveal anything of importance to him. But wouldn’t asking the guy if he’d like to make out in the back of the limo pretty much settle it? Wouldn’t a straight guy have a hard time trying to fake enjoyment of that sort of intimacy? (I believe I would.)
Maybe I’m being naive here, but it seems like turning up the heat was the best way to get his answer: some heavy thigh rubbing and tongue kissing. What am I missing?
The straight guys were pre-screened as to whether they would be willing to kiss a guy. Other than that, every gay man knows at least one straight guy who has kissed another guy and liked it.
The possibility of a non-nookie clause on the show, perhaps to preclude any investigative endeavors of the sort described above or simply to shield the audience from man-on-man affection, was brought up in http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=204163]an earlier thread on Boy Meets Boy. AFAIK I don’t think there was any consensus as to whether or not such a clause actually exists.
The possibility of a non-nookie clause on the show, perhaps to preclude any investigative endeavors of the sort described above or simply to shield the audience from man-on-man affection, was brought up in http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=204163]an earlier thread on Boy Meets Boy. AFAIK I don’t think there was any consensus as to whether or not such a clause actually exists.
Bear in mind also that James is looking for a boyfriend/partner and coming on to them too ham-fistedly could drive away the two gay guys. The mates were all a bit taken aback by James’ questioning in ep 5 so coming on strongly or pressing for displays of affection/making out might not go over that well (although I think James could pretty much do whatever he wanted to with Wes at this point). Each of the mates has kissed James on the mouth at least once and we have not seen any shots of excessive mouthwash use following. At least two of them have been somewhat affectionate and demonstrative (Franklin rested his hand on James’ hand/wrist at the spa and James and Wes held hands after the limo ride…can’t remember anything specific about Brian) so some physical intimacy seems to be OK by the producers. From what I’ve seen and from Andra’s description of James he doesn’t strike me as the most emotionally demonstrative or publicly affectionate person anyway. Andra mentioned after he kissed Darrin that she had never seen him kiss a man before. So putting heavy moves on a guy is probably not his style at all.
I do see the point that coming on strong isn’t James’s style, but we’re talking about 25 grand here plus the difference between picking someone who can return your affections and someone who can’t. It just seems like to me that he needs to be flexible enough to adapt to the circumstances. He already changed his style when he began his inquisition, so why not simply inquire more physically and less verbally? After all, talk is cheap.
If the show won’t let the guys touch very much, then couldn’t he sort of do sex-by-proxy questions? In other words, press the guys to discuss their sexual fantasies, like:
What part of a man’s body do you like most?
What would you like to do with me if we could be alone naked?
What are your favorite techniques for pleasing a man?
Wouldn’t these sorts of questions leave straight men more or less stammering to find suitable responses?
But James isn’t about sex; he’s about feelings. Someone, I think it was gobear, in one of the BmB threads in Cafe Society made the point that James doesn’t seem able to admit to himself that he just wants a guy; he has to ascribe some goodness to the guy as well, some sense of niceness or attractive personality trait. Dan was a big liar but James wanted him, so James went on and on about how good-hearted he was and whatever. I think gobear’s assessment is pretty accurate and I think James would rather cut out his tongue than ask some of the questions you suggest (although I think “what’s your favorite part of a man’s body” would be within the realm of possibility). James’ whole mindset is about emotions.