Scared Straight

I decide to watch ``Queer As Folk'' and to imagine the reaction from straight women viewers. And, suddenly, the obvious occurs to me: Duh, wait a minute! I am a straight woman viewer.

So understand where this critique is coming from, because, really, I cannot quite envision a mass audience tuning in to this graphic Showtime series about homosexuality. Only on cable, folks, only on cable. (``Queer As Folk,'' adapted from a hit British series, premieres Sunday at 10 p.m.)

How graphic? Hmmm. Let's just put it this way: A scene of anal sex - featuring two naked males huffing and puffing, panting and moaning - goes on for what seems like hours. Unlike HBO's ``Oz,'' the prison drama in which such activity is never joyous or consensual, this seemed like a more enthusiastic congress.

I sat there watching the scene and thinking: If I wasn't getting paid to look at this, I just might change the channel to HBO's ``Sex and the City'' - much more me.

And that's basically the story with ``Queer As Folk.'' A homosexual audience will obviously feel the thrill of vividly experiencing a TV series that unabashedly explores gay life and sexuality. A heterosexual crowd may tune in to see one episode and flee midway through, opting for endless loops of ``The Thorn Birds'' on Romance Classics, which yesterday was renamed Women's Entertainment.

The only straight characters in ``Queer As Folk'' are mothers who either abhor or applaud their sons' homosexuality, or misguided women who chase the straighter-appearing gay men. Then there are the prejudiced bashers who bait our heroes.

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