Queer Eye: Make Me Over and Over
The Queer Eye reboot guys. (Netflix, 2018)
What’s the lifespan of a good makeover show?
Picture it: New York City in 2004. Five gay men show up to a straight man’s residence. They call themselves the Fab 5, and they each have a special skill in either fashion, home design, cooking, grooming, or self discovery. They start picking apart the straight man’s interior decorating choices, wardrobe, and grooming habits, essentially displaying his bad habits for the entire world to see. By the end of the week, the straight man has been totally transformed by the Fab 5 into a better version of himself. This was the premise of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (later shortened to Queer Eye). I liked the show when it originally aired, and watched most of the episodes, but the series came to an end four years after its debut.
Then, in 2018, Netflix announced that they were rebooting the show with a new Fab 5 and continuing with the name Queer Eye. The rebooted version was still going to focus on transforming someone, but the new subjects were not only going to be straight men. Netflix also changed the location for the series to some southern states.
I was excited to watch the first season of the reboot, and almost instantly liked the new hosts. I was stoked that they were not only going to focus on straight men, or heroes, as the Fab 5 like to call them. It also seemed like some of the people were individuals that give back to their communities, so it really seemed like these heroes were deserving of a makeover and some much needed recognition, rather than just someone who didn’t know how to dress themselves appropriately.
The show is now on its eighth season, and I hate to say it, but I’m kind of over it by this point. Eight seasons is long for any show to run, and it feels like Queer Eye has run its course. Before I delve into why I’m over it, let’s take a look at some positives.
As mentioned, I like that the new series doesn’t just focus on straight men, as opposed to the original series. The new series has a variety of people that are getting help. There are straight men, straight women, queer folks, trans people, and more. It was really refreshing to see that more than one demographic was being mentored. Diversity and inclusion are important for audiences to see, and Queer Eye hit the mark with that.
The Fab 5 are all very personable, vulnerable, and kind with their heroes. There are times when they are emotional when interacting with the hero, and it seems genuine. When the Fab 5 sees the full transformation at the end of the episode, you can tell that they really connected with the hero. They do seem to authentically care about the people that they are making over, they want them to change for the better, and they are trying to help push them towards that necessary change.
Finally, it’s all in good fun with these new hosts. In the original show, when the gurus were going through the subjects’ wardrobes and homes, it could get a little snarky and uncomfortable. The new Fab 5 are still funny when pointing out the ick factors in these peoples’ homes and wardrobes, but it’s done in a much more light hearted way where it doesn’t feel like an attack.
But, is this enough to keep the show going? Like I said, I’m at the point where I might not watch the next season if there is one. Just like with any show, there are some problematic areas.
The latest season feels very rinse, wash, repeat. Like many reality makeover shows, it follows a pattern for each episode. The Fab 5 gets a little back story about their hero, the audience sees some small clips of that person as they go about their daily life, the group shows up and gets a little wild going through the hero’s home (or wherever the decor makeover will happen), each host has a small heart to heart with the hero, and then they’re off! It’s the same every time and that can become boring.
In addition to the repetitiveness, the latest season felt lackluster and slightly lifeless. There were episodes in the past seasons that made me bawl my eyes out, but with this new season, I only shed a couple of tears during some of the episodes. It feels like the soul of the show is so tired and so routine that there isn’t much left to give. There are no more surprises to be had.
There’s a rumor that there will be another season. If the new season happens, one of the Fab 5 has announced that he will be departing (Bobby Berk, the design person). Maybe by bringing in a new persona, it might revitalize the show but I have my doubts. I hope Netflix can revamp Queer Eye so it loses that repetitive aspect, which would allow the show to run for a little bit longer.