I haven't always been a fan of reality television. I used to think it was stupid and scripted and just bad for my humanity. But then, Queer Eye came to Netflix and graced my screen. This show is so much more than just five fabulous gay men transforming a random person's lifestyle.
The show centers around the "Fab Five". This includes culture expert, Karamo Brown, fashion expert Tan France, Food and Wine enthusiast, Antoni Porowski, interior designer, Bobby Berk, and the ultimate beauty guru, Jonathan Van Ness. They each have a purpose and role in the transformations of the people they are assigned.
In the first season, the Fab Five's subjects are all from Georgia. A lot of people associate the south with being a traditional place with some very old opinions and values. One of those being that some southerners are still not as accepting of the LGBTQ+ community as they maybe should be in the year 2018.
The Fab Five, however, don't let these stereotypes get in the way of them getting to know the people they're assigned.
If you're a fan of the show, you know that these men don't just change their way of living. They can sometimes change their mind about the gay community, and have serious conversations that have serious impact for both parties.
For example, in season one, there is an episode where Karamo has a serious conversation with a cop that they are making over. He told the man that he was nervous to meet him due to the political climate in regards to policemen and the black community. They shared different opinions on the Black Lives Matter movement, but at the end of the talk they both acknowledge that both sides to the argument made sense. It ended up being a really important moment for both of them.
If a black, gay man can have an open and honest relationship with a police officer without hard feelings of any kind, it shows us at home, that it is okay to have these conversations as well. And that maybe if we just heard each other out without the hate that often comes with battling political issues, maube we could solve some things!
Another moment that was really beautiful in the show was when (season one) the Fab Five makeover a man who is extremely religious. Bobby Berk, who grew up in the Christian faith, and didn't receive much support from his family and community due to these beliefs took the opportunity to share that with the man. He expressed that he still had a relationship with God, but that religion was not apart of that relationship anymore.
At the end of the episode, the man, his name was also Bobby, expressed that he loved the Fab Five and that despite what some may think of old Christian beliefs, HE totally accepted them and god accepted them as well.
By far my favorite break through of the show so far though, was in season 2. The team gets together and helps makeover a trans man, Skylar, just after he got his top surgery. Tan France, the stylist of the group, expressed to Skylar that even though. he is technically apart of the community, he didn't understand a lot of what transgender people went through/what their experience was like.
He told Skylar that he always thought, 'What was the point of getting surgery? It is too expensive, etc.' He said he didn't understand until he met Skylar. This is the first time in the show where the Fab Five learn something and become more accepting rather than the person they are making over having a new cultural understanding. Tan is in tears after realizing how strong Skylar is, and the whole Fab Five have a new appreciation for members of the trans community knowing how hard their struggles can be.
The point I am making is that, yes, this show is hilarious. These men are so easy to look at, have amazing tips and talent. They make you laugh and smile and learn more about gay culture. But it's more than just a makeover show. It's a show about learning new things, listening to others, opening your eyes, and learning to accept a culture or person that is different from you. Whether you are gay, straight, black, white, bisexual, trans... everyone has something to learn.
And that's what this fabulous and incredible show helps the audience do.
