Watching the New Season of ‘Queer Eye’ Is Basically Self-Care
Last night, I sat down to watch the new episodes of Queer Eye in advance of writing this review and felt a small pit in my stomach. I wasn’t really in the mood to watch them, and I hated the idea of pulling my eyes away from the news for even a few hours to do so. But! Watching TV and telling you about said TV is my job, so I fired up the Netflix machine anyway. Four hours later, after hitting “next episode” until I fell asleep with JVN’s voice in the background, I can honestly say I’m so happy I did it. If you’re looking for a brief mental mental break, the new season of Queer Eye just…hits.
This new set of episodes feels pretty much like the rest of them. The Fab Five spent the season in Philadelphia, where they helped “heroes” from seemingly every walk of life. The first episode focused on a gay pastor who was hoping to find himself and upgrade his church. The second focused on a woman who started a small pet-grooming business but continued to hit road bump after road bump. Each episode has plenty of that Queer Eye magic—JVN’s lovable humor, Tan’s signature stylistic flair, Bobby’s incredible home renovations, Karamo’s sensitive pep talks, and Antoni’s avocados.
I wrote last year about how I felt like Queer Eye had lost some of its teeth. The show, which started as a way for people who were different from one another to connect and break down barriers, had become less about those differences and more about the makeover itself. Don’t get me wrong, I love a makeover more than anyone else, but it just felt like the meaning of the show had gotten lost in the shuffle. But sitting here now, I like that the show is just…doing its thing. The only message it’s forcing on me is that of love and acceptance, which feels more appropriate than ever and also provides some much-needed joy. What seemed like a disadvantage a year ago now seems like a serious strength.
I’m not saying the new season of Queer Eye is going to solve the problems of the world. It’s definitely not. And the fact that I can even afford to look away from the news for a bit is a sign of my own privilege. (Although one could argue that everyone should probably take a break from the internet to decompress every once in a while.) But if you’re looking to spend roughly 50 minutes taking your mind off everything going on in the world right now, this show might just do the trick. Worst-case scenario, you’ll see some great home renovation porn.
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