The New Queer Eye: A Makeover Show with Heart

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was a breakout hit for Bravo when it premiered back in 2003.  In each episode 5 gay men (the "Fab 5") made over unkempt, fashion-challenged straight guys, who were usually trying to look better for a girlfriend or wife, but also feel better about themselves.  Each member of the panel focused on a different aspect of the guy's life: food and wine, fashion, interior design, grooming, and culture (whatever that means).  The show connected with viewers because the hosts/experts really nurtured and built up their subjects.  They didn't just give them new clothes and make over their living spaces, they helped them build self-confidence and showed them simple ways to improve their daily lives.  The show wasn't about gay and straight, it was about people from different walks of life connecting with each other.

Now Netflix has revived the series with new hosts for 8 new episodes, shortening the title to Queer Eye.  The basic format remains the same, however now the makeover subjects all live in or around Atlanta instead of Los Angeles.  The experts are all appealing and have friendships with each other that definitely come across onscreen.  There's Antoni, the food expert; he's friendly and supportive, but food seems to have taken a backseat in this new edition of the show, because he only teaches the subjects how to make simple appetizer foods like guacamole, gussied-up hotdogs, and fancy grilled cheeses.  Tan, the style expert, definitely has a knack for helping his subjects dress better.  He doesn't try to drastically alter the styles of the guys that he dresses or take them to stores that would be out of their price range if they were to shop on their own.  Instead he shows them how to shop for casual and dress clothes at well-known chain stores like Banana Republic.  Bobby, the interior designer, gets his subjects involved in remodeling their homes and helps them repurpose pieces that they already own.  One subject, living in his deceased grandmother's house, was excited to see that some of his mom's outdated furniture from her childhood bedroom had been refinished and repainted for him to use.  Karamo, the style "guru", builds a personal connection with the subjects and helps them boost their self-confidence.  Finally, the standout expert of the show is the very (VERY) flamboyant grooming expert Jonathan.  He gives the men haircuts and shaves, but he mostly just dances around onscreen like a ball of gay energy.  At first I thought that his super flamboyant persona was an act for the show, but I soon realized that this is his actual personality.  He is who he is, and he doesn't try to tone it down for anyone.  And he has a big heart, also forming deep bonds with the straight guy subjects, despite their differences. 

The biggest part of the new Queer Eye that takes it a step above the original is its ability to tackle important social issues.  The new southern setting for the show provides more conservative-minded subjects, who would typically clash with the gay hosts.  But this show uses those differences as conversation starters.  After the gang is pulled over as a joke by their police officer subject's best friend (also a cop), Karamo (a black man) admits that he was initially scared because of the recent incidents of white officers shooting black men.  He later has a deep talk with the cop about race relations, and the two form a deep friendship by the end of the episode.  The hosts also tease the cop about the Trump/Pence signs that they find in his garage (and his "Make America Great Again" hat), but neither side gets into a big political debate or talks down to each other for their views, because thats not what the show is about.  In another episode, Bobby directly asks the "straight guy", a deeply religious father of 6, about his views on homosexuality.  The man is honest that he initially was against gay rights, and this turns into a thoughtful conversation about religion and sexuality.  The other makeover subjects are also appealing and clearly deserving of the Fab 5's help.  There's an old man suffering from lupus trying to reconnect with his ex-wife, a young closeted gay man who comes out to his stepmom in the most emotional scene of the season, a fireman who generously chooses to have his firehouse made over instead of his own home, a struggling stand-up comedian that still lives at home, and a young entrepreneur with an out-of-control beard and no nice clothes. 

Queer Eye, a simple makeover show, has turned out to be one of the best recently rebooted tv shows.  It manages to take a simple concept and use it as a means for tackling important social issues and connecting people from different walks of life.  Hopefully it will garner enough attention to earn a second season.  That’s where you come in, because you have to watch in order for this to happen.