By Lauren Bishop
Enquirer staff writer

David Collins

ON THE AIR

The 56th Primetime Emmy Awards will air 8-11 p.m. Sept. 19 on Channels 9, 22. One of the awards for which Queer Eye for the Straight Guy has been nominated - outstanding direction for nonfiction programming - will be presented during this ceremony. The other two awards, outstanding reality program and outstanding art direction for a variety or music program, will be presented at the Creative Arts Awards on Sunday. E! will telecast that ceremony 8-10 p.m. Sept. 18. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy airs 10 p.m. Tuesday on Bravo.

David Collins has had a very good year. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the brainchild of the 37-year-old West Chester Township native, has been nominated for three Emmy Awards.

Collins' partner of 14 years, Michael Williams, won a Best Documentary Feature Academy Award for producing The Fog of War along with director Errol Morris.

And Scout Productions, the film and television production company headed in part by Collins and Williams, has more likely hits up its sleeve, namely Queer Eye for the Straight Girl. Collins put out a call for experts for that Los Angeles-based show in Cincinnati, but we'll have to wait until January to find out whether any local men will be the next Carson, Thom, Jai, Kyan or Ted.

Collins took a breather to answer a few questions after a recent trip home, where he says he ate so much Skyline chili that he could taste it just by talking about it. (Somehow, we don't think Ted, Queer Eye's food and wine expert, would approve.)

Question: Why did you decide to cast (for "Queer Eye for the Straight Girl") here?

Answer: I went to school at Ohio University and (grew up in) Cincinnati. That whole world is where I came from, so I feel like the people (are) - you know, the old joke, the corn-fed boys. We got the handsome, smart boys in Ohio. I think the Midwest perspective is an important one. It's been really interesting, throughout my career in New York and in L.A., what an amazing bond people from Ohio have.

Q: Any plans to bring "Queer Eye (for the Straight Guy") here anytime soon?

A: We're hoping to take the show on the road. We're doing three episodes in Dallas. That's kind of a test ground to see what the show on the road would be like. Come on, if I'm going to choose a few places to take my show, one of them would definitely be Ohio and Cincinnati.

 Q: Just where did you grow up?

A: I grew up in West Chester. I went to Lakota High School. Senior class president, 1985. My big reunion's coming (next) year. I just started getting contacted and I have to say I'm excited about it. I've been the bad senior class president, though. I think I'm the one that's supposed to be organizing it. And I've done nothing.

Q: If you did bring the show here, where do you think the Fab Five would go shopping?

A: Kenwood (Towne Centre) was always really nice when I was there. But definitely, bring them down into the city, too. We gotta get people back downtown.

Q: What kind of influence do you think "Queer Eye" has had?

Fortune magazine had done some research and found that men are 10 to 15 percent more likely to go shopping on a Wednesday following an episode of Queer Eye.

A: As far as the actual overall effect, you know what it did? It broke down the walls. It used to be such a thing that if I like shoes, or I worry about my hair, or how I look, that it made me gay. When it's broken down, hey, just because you watch football, (it) doesn't make you straight. And just because you actually care about your skin, (it) doesn't make you gay. That part's come through. A guy doesn't have to feel that he's questioning his masculinity because he wants to exfoliate his face.

Q: Anything else you want to talk about?

A: Skyline Chili rocks! The first thing I did when I got off the plane and my dad picked me up (was go) right to Skyline Chili. A five-way, with two cheese coneys on the side with onions and mustard. I'm addicted. I miss it so bad. My mom Fed Exes me cheese coneys. She'll fly with two dozen cheese coneys on Thanksgiving and we have them as appetizers on Thanksgiving in New England.

E-mail lbishop@enquirer.com