Queer Eye is no longer about tolerance. It’s about acceptance. Over the course of eight episodes, five new hosts and experts transformed eight men in and around Atlanta ranging from straight white conservative men, hip men of color, and they even helped a gay black man come out to his stepmother after his father passed away.
The key to Netflix’s makeover show is, of course, the five experts. A quick power ranking:
5. Bobby Berk kills it with redesigning homes. I want him in my apartment to help me. But… I don’t really know who Bobby is at this point.
4. Tan France’s fashion is amazing. He’s pretty low key throughout the series, but his segments are usually my favorites.
3. Antoni Porowski loves simple foods. He reminds me of John Mayer and Craig Manning from Degrassi. He seems the most uncomfortable at times and is also learning how to command an audience.
2. Karamo Brown has the least about to do. He’s the culture expert, but usually, he just falls into helping men find something good about themselves. He ranks high for me because a) he was on Real World and b) his fine ass looks good in bomber jackets.
1. Jonathan Van Ness is a walking soundbite and gif-maker. He is the most flamboyantly out queen on the show and knows how fierce he needs to be to make good TV. His hair is fabulous and his rompers are iconic. I need more of him in my life.
These five men use their queer eyes to dissect men who are in need of help. They all fall into their own expertise, but the truest moments come from personal revelations. You can see how in love they are with helping thrice divorced Tom who wears jean shorts and drinks Mountain Dew and tequila mixed together. He’s a grandpa but was extremely willing to let five gay men into his basement apartment. The men connected with him the best and it’s clear this wasn’t the first episode they filmed. They were comfortable with one another and this produced the best story.
What amazes me about the reaction to the new Queer Eye is how broad the fanbase seems to be. My social media is rampant with glowing reviews by both queer and straight friends. People are sharing Buzzfeed articles filled with GIFs of their favorite moments of the show. Everybody – and I mean everybody – wants to cuddle with JVN. If someone says they don’t – they’re lying.
The creator says he wants to shift the second season from Atlanta to near his hometown in Cincinnati to give a new perspective on the culture in America. Moving from the relatively mixed south (Georgia may be Red, but Atlanta is primarily Blue) to the Rust Belt of America would offer new insights into masculinity and the dynamics between straight and queer.
Bravo, Queer Eye. Looking forward to new episodes in the future.
ADAM VITCAVAGE 