spotlight QUEER EYE
A NEW FAB FIVE FOR 2018 A CONVERSATION BEYOND COLORS WITH
REINVENTING, REDEFINING AND MOVING FORWARD
KARAMO BROWN & TAN FRANCE
by joel martens Sometimes it seems that no matter how much the world has changed, when you look
just below the surface it can often feel like nothing has changed at all. Our current political climate and the rise in anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-immigrant mentality and the widening color divide are perfect examples of what, at first glance, feels like a return to a darker age and time.
To be sure, we have had some setbacks and they lately continue to come at a frightening pace. But, when you look at the broader picture, taking the longer view, the world has definitely changed a great deal…And, it has done so for the better. It wasn’t that long ago that the closet was the place relegated for most of us in the LGBT community and it wasn’t a nice place to live, at all. Fear was often the mainstay for many: police raids, institution- alization and persecution were the norm and up until the mid-point in this century it was something we had to live with.
Fast forward to 2018. Though we have had a series of setbacks, gay marriage is still the
law of the land and we for the most part are free to go about our business in relative safety. In fact, most of us, though certainly not all, are able to take for granted the way of life so hard fought for by our forebearers.
How does this all relate to a television show that focuses five gay men on a male subject and tasking them with remaking their lives onQueer Eye you might ask? Well, let me tell you what I’m thinking…
For its time,Queer Eye (thenFor The Straight Guy) was a cultural phenomenon when
it debuted in 2003, as the show took on a group of straight men and rearranged their lives, albeit pretty superficially. We certainly didn’t talk about their feelings or delve too deeply into their personal lives, at least past their clothes, eating habits and living rooms. I make this observation with respect however, the show was definitely reflective of its time. But undoubtedly, five gay men as leaders on a popular television series was indeed remarkable. Context is everything…
Now let’s chat about change and how it’s reflected in the current reboot ofQueer Eye, (sans For The Straight Guy, which was dropped to add a more universal appeal). The most recent fab five are decidedly different and they are for several reasons: The most obvious being that they are definitely more colorful than the previous cast…and we mean that quite literally. Karamo Brown and Tan France have taken the show a step forward being persons of color and in turn, reflecting different cultural sensibilities. Something lacking in the first iteration and it’s a long overdue,welcome change. Unique also, because it has been removed from
the New York’s sophisticated streets with all its designer access and relocated to Atlanta and its surrounding area, which for certain changes the vibe of the show…fairly dramatically. The comfort of big city exposure is gone and is replaced by the not-so-liberated sensibilities of the Deep South. Another notable difference is one not so obvious.
The show still takes on men who are in sore need of a remake, but this time, the change goes a little deeper, digging into the reasons for the disarray and the unkemptness of their lives… A sometimes- emotional journey, I’m sure many relate to. Karamo Brown explained this aspect of the show
the original fab five: ted allen, jai rodriguez, carson kressley, thom filicia and kyan douglas
28 RAGE monthly | MARCH 2018
best, “My background in social work just lent itself to being a listener and providing a service for someone…I literally did it day in and day out. Someone would say, “This is what my backstory is, this is the trauma I’ve had in my life, this is where I hope to be. Can you help me?” It was all about really understanding and meeting them where they lived, so that I could help them to figure out where they are.” He went a step further with, “One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that you can provide someone with permanent housing, you can provide them with food, you can provide them with clothing all day long, but until you change their mindset and their hearts that is never going to stick.” That’s what I really tried to bring to the show,” Brown continued. “Trying to figure out a way to make it entertaining—fixing their hair, fixing their outfit, fixing their house—that’s all fine. But, if they don’t feel like they’re worthy of it, all they’re going to do is destroy it again. If they’ve never felt beautiful, then the minute you leave they’re just going to revert back to how it all was before.” Delving a little deeper, Brown talked about the motivators often hidden behind lack of care and how they worked to help their guys maintain the changes. “What makes me feel like I want to go back? What makes me feel like I’m not worthy of
| MARCH 2018
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