Netflix has been rising in the ranks of content producers lately with the likes of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” and “The Great British Baking Show,” among other successful recent Netflix originals. However, I would argue that the best thing on Netflix right now is the show “Queer Eye.”
The show revolves around five men who enter the lives of various people and show them how to improve their lives. The five men who compose the cast each have different roles and bring unique perspectives and skills to the series. Jonathan Van Ness is in charge of grooming, aka hair and skin; Tan France handles fashion and styling; Antoni Porowski teaches cooking lessons; Karamo Brown coaches on culture; and Bobby Berk works on interior design. Together, the Fab Five are able to help their subjects in every aspect of life.
Each episode features a new subject who has been nominated by their friends or family to have their lives made over by the Fab Five. Typically, the subject is a straight man, but there are a few episodes with more diverse subjects. Every episode takes place over a week. Each of the Fab Five gets chances to shine throughout each episode, and some episodes feature one of the guys more prominently than the others.
For example, in Episode 6 of Season 1 (“The Renaissance of Remington”), the man who is being made over wants to carry on a family tradition of hosting dinners for his mother and siblings. Because of this, Antoni gets to shine in this episode. In each episode, by the end of the week, the individual has a completely new outlook on life.
Not only do the people who get made over learn valuable lessons, but the viewer also learns from watching the show. The main message of “Queer Eye” is that we are all valuable members of society who deserve love. Jonathan is the most enthusiastic promoter of self-love, as he constantly calls everyone queens. He teaches everyone on the show to love themselves.
Queer Eye also promotes inclusivity. The show is filmed in the South, primarily Georgia – an area that has a history of homophobia and exclusion. In fact, many of the makeover subjects of “Queer Eye” are themselves homophobic. “Queer Eye” seeks to show uneducated people what the queer community is really like. By spreading this awareness, the Fab Five increases kindness and inclusiveness in an area where it is lacking. It is broadcasted throughout the world via Netflix.
The version of “Queer Eye” that we watch today is actually not the first of its kind. The original Queer Eye aired from 2003-2007. It was for many people the first time they ever saw the queer community represented on screen.The original show aimed to simply promote tolerance of gay men. It was certainly groundbreaking and a good first step into representation of queer culture in TV.
The 2018 version of “Queer Eye” has a mission of promoting acceptance, not just tolerance. I highly recommend “Queer Eye” for anyone looking to broaden their horizons and anyone looking for a good cry – I always get emotional at the end of the episodes). There are two seasons with eight episodes each, available on Netflix around the country.
