Review: Queer Eye Put Tears in Our Eyes

The reboot of Queer Eye is freakin’ quirky. Based on the extremely popular series from the early 2000s titled Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the show dropped the latter part of its title and started streaming on Netflix February 7.

It follows the Fab 5—five queer men who set out to make people feel good about themselves, regardless of sexual orientation. Playing on the stereotype that queer men inherently know fashion, the group heads out to help those who have lost their way in terms of grooming, clothing, diet, interior design, and culture.

In the heart of the Trump Administration, the men make the focus of the show “acceptance rather than tolerance,” and begin the journey by heading to Dallas, Georgia to meet 57-year-old, heterosexual man Tom. He’s a quintessential Southern man who drinks “red-neck margaritas” consisting of tequila and mountain dew, wears polos and jorts and eats the same meal every day of his life.

Tom is an immense sweetheart. Hesitant at first, he eventually becomes more comfortable and acts outside his comfort zone.

Unfazed by the guys’ energetic energy, they all easily get along even though they lead completely separate lives. At one point, Tom asked Bobby “who’s the wife and who’s the husband” in his marriage, to which Bobby and Jonathan answer “that’s sexist; let’s unpack this.” This interaction, wherein both sides are patient and friendly with one another, proves to be one of the highlights of the episode—and eventually leads to some tears being shed at the end.

In the final moments Tom said, “I’ve never hung with gay guys before, and they were great. They were so open with me, and I was open with them.”

This commonality Tom and the men share proves the show is appealing for both queer and non-queer audiences.

While the show is not overtly political, the subtle hints of acceptance mixed in with playful humor make the show entertaining to watch and binge-able. Grab your red-neck margaritas, and let the glo-ups begin!