Netflix’s first episode of Queer Eye was released on Feb. 7, 2018. The show is a reboot of Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, where five homosexual men would fully make over a heterosexual man in dire need of some changes.
The new show features the same main components but does it even better. Five guys, each specializing in an individual area of expertise, find a man in need of some lifestyle improvements. The “fab five” make changes to these men’s diet, fashion, home and more – all in the course of a week. But what’s so special about this new series is its unique approach to social issues that are still alive today.
So far, each episode has featured a different person and comes with a different approach to achieving acceptance regarding homosexuality and racial issues. Not only do they give them complete makeovers, they help their clients see things from a different perspective – and sometimes the transformation happens on both ends. In one episode, Karamo – who is in charge of culture – had a heart-to-heart interaction with a client who is a police officer in Georgia. As a black man, having that conversation with a white police officer had an important effect on him and his idea of society. In another episode, Bobby – in charge of interior/exterior design – spoke with his Christian client about how he grew up in a religious environment that constantly referred to the term “gay” in a derogatory context. The client assured him he was welcome in his home and that, under his beliefs, gay people are not “pedophiles” or “bad.”
While these important conversations are happening, clients are also being encouraged to work towards becoming a more confident version of themselves. So, the transformation by the “fab five” is all around a mental, physical and personal one. It embraces these cultural divisions and intends to look for a peaceful middle ground.
The show has already helped several men discover their strengths and transformed them for the better. It’s a small representation of where we could be headed, socially. It normalizes things we wouldn’t necessarily have before and brings attention to these difficult topics.