Just over a year ago, Netflix released “Queer Eye,” and a month ago, the third season premiered. It goes without saying that the show has garnered love and support from viewers around the world, given that three seasons have been produced in such a short period of time.
The show, which is a reboot of the early-2000s series “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” stars five gay men who make people over and assist them in becoming the best version of themselves. Each member of the cast, known as the Fab Five, brings a different area of expertise to the makeovers that is done. Antoni Porowski is the food and wine expert, Tan France is the style expert, Karamo Brown is the culture expert, Jonathan Van Ness is the grooming expert, and Bobby Berk is the design expert. In each episode, the Fab Five work in tandem to develop a plan for the person receiving the makeover, dubbed heroes by the Fab Five, to help them see the beauty, value and purpose of being their authentic selves.
Each episode is filmed over the span of a few days, and viewers are shown the journey that each hero undergoes while spending time with the members of the Fab Five. The show is heartwarming and notorious for making viewers cry happy tears thanks to the personal stories and journeys of each hero that is featured.
Antoni Porowski
An incredible chef with a passion for sparking peoples’ interest in making food exciting and personal, Antoni tailors recipes and recommendations to each hero. Although he faced criticism for the recipes he passed on to others in the first season, he aims to create recipes that he believes will best serve the lifestyle and palate of each hero. Whether it’s a simple guacamole recipe for someone who has never sliced an avocado or a more complicated recipe for someone who has pushed their love for cooking away for too many years, he is dedicated to helping heroes see that cooking is something worth putting effort into. For many, it can be easy to get stuck in a rut, preparing the same meals every day or eating out every night because they can’t cook. Antoni seamlessly passes down his knowledge to those who need it most.
Tan France
A staunch supporter of the French Tuck, Tan has an incredible eye for fashion and always seems to find the perfect clothing to make each hero as comfortable and fashionable as possible. In order to successfully dress the heroes, he pinpoints and refines the styles that will best suit each individual. For most people featured on the show, their previous styles lacked personality. By putting them in the right clothing, Tan is able to help the heroes find what makes them comfortable, both literally and figuratively. In nearly every episode, Tan adds a French Tuck to hero’s outfits, which helps elevate a simple look and can boost confidence in a split second.
Karamo Brown
Although he is known as the culture expert, Karamo has a background in social work and is boved by many for the manner in which he helps others see the best in themselves. For many heroes, confidence and a positive outlook on life are foreign concepts – possibly because of past experiences or mental barriers that are holding them back. Karamo takes the hero’s experiences and helps them navigate whatever internal battles they may be facing through activities like boxing or knocking down boxes that represent the walls that keep them from finding their place in the world. Oftentimes, Karamo’s segment makes viewers cry as he does everything he can to help the heroes see the best in themselves.
Jonathan Van Ness
Through his exceptional eye for style, Jonathan helps establish good grooming habits and transforms each hero’s look in order to better fit their personality and style. For some, it’s a simple haircut, for others it’s a complex haircut, and maybe even the shaving of a beard. Jonathan helps refine the styles that each hero aims to achieve, and in some cases, takes them in a complete other direction that better suit them.
Bobby Berk
In each episode, Bobby and his team work together to redesign the homes of the heroes. This part of the episode is often the most touching, as Bobby transforms the living spaces while keeping them true to the style and personality of the person they are meant for. He does incredible work on the show, and always finds a way to incorporate one’s story and background into the design that he chooses. For many, the original living space was representative of the mindset and barriers that the person being made over was dealing with. Giving them a fresh (and stunning) start is often emotional for everyone involved. I’ll admit that I tend to cry the most in these scene and Karamo’s scenes, as they are typically the most intimate and personal.
The Fab Five
The dynamic of the Fab Five is truly one of the highlights of the show. Each member has a distinct and lovable personality that makes the show all the more enjoyable to watch. The scenes where they’re all together are a personal favorite, as they’re very funny and personable. Whether they’re spilling facts about their personal lives or making fun of Tan for his endless love of French Tucks, the Fab Five are undeniably enjoyable to watch as they make magic happen in the lives of ordinary people.
All members of the Fab Five make it clear that each hero is worthy of love, from both themselves and from others. While some shows focus on the makeover aspect in a more negative light by insinuating that the person being made over must be made over completely, Queer Eye helps bring out the best parts of each hero and brings them to see themselves in a more positive light.
The original version of the show, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, aired from 2003 to 2007 on Bravo. The title alone limited the types of people that were made over on the show, and the reboot has branched out to cater to all types of people. In response to the cultural shifts that have taken place since the original show first aired over 15 years ago, Queer Eye aims to emphasize acceptance of people of all kinds. The gender binary is often touched on in the show, as the Fab Five help explain that exploring one’s feminine vs. masculine side is encouraged to help each individual find who they truly are. In an episode from the most recent season, Bobby was shopping with one of the heroes when they said that they weren’t sure if what they were looking for was more masculine or feminine. Bobby explained that there is truly no reason to define one’s taste or preference according to gender norms. Amen to that, Bobby.
In each episode, it’s clear that all members of the Fab Five want what’s best for each hero they encounter. Their passion for what they’re doing on the show shines through in everything they do, and it makes the show all the more pleasant to watch. Season three was released March 15. If you’ve never seen it before, you have 24 episodes to watch in total. The show is uplifting, relatable and all-around transformative as it tackles important cultural and social issues and provides simple ways to overcome them — all while being a ton of fun.