Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Netflix is a television streaming service that offers access to thousands of shows, movies and performances right from laptops and phones. It is known for its constantly changing and wide variety of streamable content for a reasonably cheap price. One of the shows that has really caught my eye lately is “Queer Eye.”
This raw, real and oftentimes hilarious reality show follows the lives of five queer male friends as they travel the country remaking nominated contestants’ wardrobes, homes and lives. People nominate their friends, family members and coworkers to be featured on the show when they are hosting or going to be a part of a special event. Each of the five stars of the show is responsible for improving and renovating a certain aspect of the nominee’s surroundings. These include food, wardrobe, living space, look and hairstyle, and emotional and cultural awareness.
Antoni Porowski takes the role of chef in the series and teaches the nominated guests how to cook healthier and more efficiently, and how to incorporate new and diverse foods into their diet. Jonathon Van Ness, a flamboyant and energetic man, is responsible for changing the clients’ hairstyle, and sharing with them tips and new products to try and improve their overall self-care routine. Karamo Brown, a charismatic and charming star of the show, takes on the task of finding out why each client is special, and what they are dealing with emotionally and mentally. He takes the nominees out to different places, and allows them to confront their fears or help to end the setbacks that are causing them personal trouble.
Tan France, my personal favorite member of the “fab five,” makes it his job to dress and refit the nominated person into newer and more flattering clothes. Many of the people who go on the show are in need of help from “Queer Eye’s” men and really benefit from a new look and wardrobe. The experience is often very emotional for both France and the nominee. Bobby Berk, the fifth member of the Fab Five is the handyman of the show who spends his week renovating a part of the nominee’s house, living space or another area that the nominee has personal ties to. The point of his job is to improve the functionality and look of the space and to make the client and their family feel better about the situation that they are in.
Each of the Fab Five are equally influential in the betterment of the nominated client. The whole idea behind the show is to make the person who was nominated feel good about themselves, and more confident than they ever have before. This new look and confidence are shown off at the end of the week when the Fab Five gets to watch the nominated person present their new selves to family and friends at the event they were preparing for.
The show has four 4 seasons and has been airing since February 2018. The original idea for the show stems from the Bravo network series, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” that first aired in July of 2003. “Queer Eye” has 33 episodes available to watch on Netflix, with the newest episodes available as of July.
Each of the members of the Fab Five are eccentric, unique and unapologetically themselves in this beautiful series. The men share laughs, love and even sometimes tears as they work with the nominees to uncover some of their deepest insecurities and fears. Each member of the Fab Five also tells stories from their own lives — how they have conquered bullying and overcome obstacles to become the successful gay men that they are now. The show goes way beyond the superficial premise of just cleaning up people’s lives; it is emotional and ahead of its time.
