Well, OK, so Jenner has to rush things somewhat. The rules of the show require her to guess correctly which of the three men is straight and single, which is gay and partnered, and which is straight and partnered. Only then can she proceed to have her luxurious dream getaway with Mr. Available and plan their futures together. "I have to play detective," Jenner tells us.
And so Jenner assesses each of her gentleman callers based on tried-and-true signs of sexual orientation and relationship status. Does he have a dirty car? Straight. Does he wear a bikini bathing suit? Gay, for sure. Is he unwilling to hold her tightly during a waltz? Taken. Definitely taken. If she guesses incorrectly at the end of the episode, the man she chooses gets the dream getaway, to enjoy with his partner.
Yeah, it's as silly and fake and tiresome as can be. Unfortunately, the show doesn't exploit its own great potential for humor. As Jenner tries to sharpen her gaydar and her already-taken-dar, she employs a number of grotesque stereotypes, and yet she doesn't enjoy their ridiculousness. She appears to seriously think that if a guy sings opera, he's got to be a homo. Or if he looks her deep in the eyes while giving her a sensual massage, he must be a solo hetero.
There will be different contestants in each episode of "Gay, Straight or Taken?" so it's hard to predict whether future bachelorettes will be more playful. If they are, the series could become a frivolous send up of dating reality shows and the absurdity of gender clichés. But I doubt "Gay, Straight or Taken?" will morph into a comedy. After all, the players are much too busy working out at the gym and auditioning for higher-profile network reality shows to develop a sense of humor.
Matthew Gilbert can be reached at gilbert@globe.com. For more on TV, visit boston.com/ae/tv/blog.
