Karamo Brown, Bobby Berk, Tan France and the rest of the ‘Queer Eye’ guys are at PaleyFest talking about their new season, and how the show has really helped humanity.
This year’s PaleyFest had a star-studded lineup which includes actors from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Ozark, One Day at a Time, and Queer Eye to name a few. For those who don’t know Paleyfest LA it’s almost like a comic-con for TV shows. Each show they feature has a panel of actors and the creators from the show to talk behind the scenes, what to look forward to, etc. While normally the event is held in person, this year each panel is recorded and available to watch on Youtube.
Right now we’re gonna talk about everyone’s favorite feel-good show, Queer Eye. A spin-off of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, this show has gained major respect and rose to international fame. The show expanded to do a Queer Eye: We’re in Japan! special and one episode in Australia.
During the first four seasons, the guys stayed in Georgia and around Kansas City, Missouri, the newest season we’re going to be going all around Pennsylvania. Here are the top 3 moments from this year’s PaleyFest interview.
Moving on Up (Literally and Figuratively): When posed the question of what it was like to focus the show in a more populated area versus the rural area the show normally takes place in, Tan France answered by saying “by being in a bigger city and more liberal, there wasn’t that much of a conversation of who we are and what the 5 represent”. The main difference he says as far as interactions between the Fab 5 and the heroes is that the area was more diverse so it wasn’t like who are you kinda thing. As far as the actual stories are, the stories of the heroes aren’t very different from what the audience is used to seeing. Bobby threw in that the guys definitely got to spend more time with each other because they were always in traffic!
Hosting and Helping: The guys were asked about their hosting and what it’s like to host a show with five people while not being scripted. Karamo said he’s so proud of the group that they are all able to work together to help that individual person grow in a matter of four days. Antoni chimed in by saying sometimes an individual (or hero) connects with one of the guys on a different level, and when that does happen the other four are able to bring out another layer of that person and are able to work together. Tan had a different experience since he was just a host on another show. While he didn’t have an earpiece or have a script when doing Queer Eye veruses the other show, the job of a host is to guide and shepherd the audience and individual through an episode. In his opinion they are different but they also have the same goals. Jonathan also said a lot of it is listening, because sometimes things don’t go the way the guys plan. He used an example where sometimes he has a hair moment in mind for the hero and wants to spend this time on them, but they really need Karamo and spend more time with him so they all work together to adjust to the needs of the hero.
When asked what’s been the most rewarding part of being on the show, Bobby spoke first by saying he had to do with the religious community. He said he has preachers and other heads of ministries reach out to him saying before the show they thought being gay was a choice and after hearing the guys speak openly about the struggles of being gay, especially Bobby pleading with God to make him straight, they learned it was how people were born. They also told Bobby they have since stopped preaching the negativity. Jonathan answered by saying when fans see the possibility of hope and acceptance has been the most rewarding part for him and every mean comment worth it. Tan said it was hearing people from the Middle East or Asia saying he’s not alone and helping them feel more united and more confident. Karamo believes the biggest impact for him has been that people are starting to focus on their mental health more since the show’s release. Antoni also agreed with Karamo’s point of mental health. He also added that allowing people to really show their vulnerability and that its ok to not have everything figured out. He loves that he’s able to show the audience it’s ok to be open and honest.
I truly believe this show really changed the social landscape for years to come. When the show was rebooted it was hyped up. The difference with this show versus others is Queer Eye really lived up to the hype. I do have to say, as weird as it sounds, this show really restored my faith in humanity. I think for this season to be released when tensions in our society are so high, it really is a breath of fresh air a lot of us need.
Season 5 is out now on Netflix!
