Queer Eye-The Remake We Truly Needed

2018 was a horrible dumpster fire, but the Queer Eye remake was one good part of the year.

2018 (or as many called it, 20gayteen) had some great moments and some not so great moments. Everything was pretty much a dumpster fire of bad, but there were some highlights, especially media-wise, that are worth looking at as this year wraps up. One of these highlights was the reboot of the show Queer Eye.

For those of you who for some reason haven’t seen Queer Eye, stop reading this and go watch it, (or if you don’t have time this exact second, maybe the description will hold you over for a bit). Queer Eye is a show with 5 gay guys, called “The Fab Five,” who each have their own set of skills in order to successfully makeover someone. Antoni Porowski is the food expert. He helps the people they makeover, create a great meal, or at least an appetizer, to impress their partner and/or family. Karamo Brown is the culture expert. Now, in his case, culture is a broadly used. He helps the person feel good about themselves or takes them to experience new things. He will have a heart to heart with the person and talk about real issues. Bobby Berk (who does not get enough credit) is the design expert. He will redo an entire house, and make it look amazing. Tan France is the fashion expert (and my personal fave). He will make the person look fierce, and dresses them in clothes their comfortable with, but still fashionable. And last, but never least, is everyone’s favorite Queen, Jonathan Van Ness (aka JVN). JVN is the grooming expert. He takes the unkempt person and gives them a new look and/or teaches them about proper grooming and how self-care is important.

For the first season, Queer Eye made over all men. It also primarily takes place in Georgia. They all range in ages, and all had very different lifestyles. Tom was the star in the first episode. He’s an older guy, who is comfortable in his lifestyle, and dresses, well, like an old guy would dress. He’s been divorced a few times and is reconnecting with his ex-wife. The Fab Five comes in and helps him out. Tom, however, teaches the guys about Redneck Margaritas (which is just tequila and Mountain Dew, and something I am trying over the break). They make him over, and he looks great. They have a heart to heart with him, and he cries (and so do we all). The rest of the season is the same, with some other memorable moments, such as AJ coming out to his mom, Bobby and Bobby (the father they made over later in the season) having a conversation about acceptance and the church.

Season 2 however, took a different approach. For the first episode, they made over a lady, known as Miss Tammye. She was a woman, who had a dream to make the community center a reality for her church. All the guys, except Bobby, were excited to do this. They all got to know Miss Tammye and fell in love with her. Bobby was reluctant when it came to the church. However, he realizes not all churchgoers are like the ones he knew when he was growing up, and eventually, Miss Tammye says something nice about the boys, and we all cry. The second episode is also a tear jerker as well because the sweetest proposal happens at the end of it. Later in the season, they make over a transgender man. He is not dressing for his size, and the guys help him find clothes and style him to look his best. Tan even gets a custom-made suit for him. A big moment in the episode though, is the guy, Skylar, and Karamo, trying to get his gender changed on the license. It was a big deal for him, and something I never realized how big of a deal it was, as most of us don’t even notice something like that. That episode also made me cry. Spoiler: every episode will make you shed at least 1 tear.

Queer Eye is important. First, it shows representation. You have five gay men, who are all different from one another, and each shares their stories to help relate to who they’re making over, and to the audience. They’re not afraid to hide who they are. Second, they show that there is nothing feminine about proper grooming or self-care. There is nothing wrong with taking care of yourself. They’re all about positivity about yourself and making sure you look good (even if that means throwing on a simple t-shirt and jeans). You need to enjoy how you look, and how you present yourself. They don’t think your ugly (like when Tom says, “you can’t fix ugly”, they immediately told him to stop that). They teach positivity, and simple steps, on how to be a better person, all while making you cry.

Not only do the Fab Five teach the people something, but the people they make over also teach us something. Each lesson is different but impactful and meaningful. Like Bobby in the first season, talking to the Fab Five’s Bobby, and how he teaches his kids to be respectful, and that there are many kinds of people out there, and wasn’t judgmental. Miss Tammye was the same way. She accepted people because they were good, even if they were different. Skylar’s episode gave us insight into what it’s like to be trans (and even had Tan having a small Q&A with him at the end to understand more about it. Each of these guys, and episodes have their own stories that need to be told, and that people need to hear. The show also makes you feel good and makes you want to change yourself for the better. Also, we could all use a good cry every once in a while.

So, if you haven’t watched Queer Eye, go watch it, and if you have watched it, go watch it again, like I do. Go feel good. Go cry.

(Season 3 will also premiere in 2019!!!!)

Rating: 10/10

This show gets a perfect 10 because there is nothing wrong with it. (AND JVN falling in love with every person they make over, no matter their gender or age, always puts a smile on my face!)

Also, below is a photo of a reunion that happened recently from the people who have been on the show! They still all look great!!

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