By Caitlin Shannon
It’s April, the month most dreaded by college students, when due dates begin descending upon us like the rock descends upon Sisyphus (shout out to my educated honeys who know their Greek mythology). And so, obviously, April is also the perfect time to start binging a new Netflix series. And that Netflix series, after of course you’ve watched both seasons of One Day at Time, is the reboot of Queer Eye.
Queer Eye is the perfect mix of House Hunters, every good Food Network show and What Not to Wear with the flamboyance of RuPaul’s Drag Race. I know, guys, I know. It’s hard to believe that a show could be this perfect but it truly is. In each episode the five guys, Karamo, Jonathan, Tan, Antoni and Bobby, visit a new man and revamp his entire life. Yes, his entire life. It’s like Extreme Home Makeover on steroids, it’s Extreme Sad Boi Makeover.
Each of the five queer eyes takes on a facet of their client’s life and together they make him into the man he’s always wanted to be. Bobby, the resident interior designer and DIY guru, transforms the men’s spaces. Whether it’s a living room, a tiny apartment or a firehouse, Bobby takes tired, disorganized spaces and makes them not only functional but reflective of the man’s personality and considerate of their needs. Antoni, the soft-spoken and dreamy chef, helps men nourish their bodies while teaching them some impressive skills in the kitchen. Tan, the most fashionable man on this planet (seriously he will make you feel bad about that one time you wore pajama pants to the supermarket), makes sure the men look their best. He artfully takes their personalities, lifestyles and body shapes and curates a beautiful wardrobe for them that makes them look like an entirely new person. Jonathan Van Ness, a favorite of fans for his proclivity of saying “yas queen,” is the beauty guru with locks as luscious as Jared Leto’s before he went crazy. Jonathan gives the men new hairdos, shows them how to take care of their skin and sometimes even takes them to get mani/pedis. Karamo, the culture expert, encourages the men to be more vulnerable and does everything from rebuilding relationships to rebranding their businesses. Honestly, we all need five gay guys to come into our homes and revamp our entire lives.
Perhaps one of the most important parts of the show is that it somehow manages to be a makeover show while also addressing important issues in our society today. From police brutality, to toxic masculinity and the relationship between religion and the LGBTQ+ community, the show is able to transform these men’s lives while also slowly transforming our society into a kinder, more accepting and tolerant place.
With eight episodes at 30 minutes each Queer Eye is the perfect way to procrastinate those final papers, that problem set or your last internship application. Be prepared to laugh, cry and find your life to be just a little bit gayer than you left it.
Caitlin is a Spanish and Music double major with an English minor.
