New York, NY – October 13, 2003 – Arnold Schwarzenegger had to weather accusations of misconduct towards women and reports of Nazi sympathies in his race to become the new governor of California. Now the question is – can he survive Fuse? The new music network is known for its irreverent humor and one of its top shows, "Behind the Music that Sucks," is taking on the new Governor-Elect on November 8th.
The new animated episode – "The Arnold Eye for the Girly Guy" – is a spoof on the enormously popular show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" on Bravo, featuring an animated Michael Jackson as the makeover subject, with Arnold Schwarzenegger leading the transformation effort. The new episode will premiere on Saturday, November 8th at 7 PM and will kick off a three-hour marathon of "Behind the Music that Sucks" featuring the best of the past episodes including parodies of Eminem, Marilyn Manson and Jon Bon Jovi. The marathon will re-air at midnight on November 8th and again on Sunday, November 9th at 7 PM and at 1 AM.
"At Fuse, we always strive to keep current. We are constantly reevaluating the rapidly moving cultural climate through feedback from our viewers. Obviously, Arnold, Michael Jackson and 'Queer Eye' are three hot topics that everyone is talking about right now," said Marc Juris, President of Fuse. "So of course, we took these and gave them our own distinctive, irreverent spin to appeal to our viewers."
"The Arnold Eye for the Girly Guy" was written by David Carson. In the episode, a team of personalities set out to make over Michael Jackson, transforming him from a "girly guy" into a "manly man." The team, led by ringleader Arnold Schwarzenegger, includes Rosie O'Donnell, Ashton Kutcher, Howard Stern and Snoop Dog. Throughout the episode, the team coaches Jackson in the five areas of "Queer Eye" expertise – Food & Wine, Grooming, Fashion, Culture and Interior Design – while poking fun at Jackson's often wacky behavior.
"Fuse is known for pushing the envelope," said David Carson. "They gave me free rein to have fun with these characters and this episode. I am always able to take it just a little bit further with Fuse, and I know the viewers appreciate an honest, funny, unconventional voice."
"Behind the Music that Sucks," created by New York-based production house Heavy, is an animated parody of the VH-1 series about the rise, fall and redemption of pop stars past and present. The show mixes creativity with humor for absurd results. In addition to Michael Jackson, some of the celebrities that have been spoofed include Eminem, Marilyn Manson, Jon Bon Jovi, Dr. Dre, Trent Reznor, Kurt Cobain and Shirley Manson.
About Fuse
Fuse is the nation's only all-music, viewer-influenced television network, featuring music videos, exclusive artist interviews, live concerts and specials – all rooted in the music experience. Fuse reflects the rapidly changing interests and attitudes of its 12-34 year-old audience by uniting the media platforms that are at the center of their communication and entertainment – TV, online, and interactive games – and by incorporating their opinions and suggestions into its on-air and online programming. More information about Fuse is available at www.fuse.tv.