The original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was a groundbreaking show when it originally premiered in 2003. The reboot, simply titled Queer Eye, keeps the feel while embracing the gender revolution that’s happened in the twenty years since the original show’s premiere.
While the original series focused on the revolutionary idea of gay men making over straight men, the reboot embraces both inner and outer beauty and visits the homes of men, women, and gender non-conforming people all across the country. Below are five things the Queer Eye reboot does better than the original series (and five things it does worse).
Better: The Name Of The Show
Ditching the For the Straight Guy from its title, the Queer Eye reboot quickly and efficiently conveys its new mission statement. They aren’t out to makeover just the straight men of the world anymore. In its four seasons, the newly reformed Fab 5 have made over gay men and women, trans men, straight men and women, and even a fire station. Additionally, the new title fits into a hashtag and is worthy of going viral. While the original name of the show had a catchy rhyme, Queer Eye is short, sweet, and to the point.
Worse: Be A Makeover Show
The original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy launched firmly in the era of the heyday of makeover shows alongside Trading Spaces and What Not to Wear. While its cast was revolutionary, the structure was not, and the original series flourished as a straightforward makeover show. However, the Queer Eye reboot has vowed, as the tagline says, to be “More Than a Makeover,” frequently getting bogged down by social justice issues and the emotional weight of its subjects to have the same feel as a classic makeover show.
Better: Representation
Anyone who watched the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy series can tell you that all the episodes looked pretty much the same, with most episodes featuring white straight men as the recipient of makeovers. And aside from Jai Rodriguez, the cast looked pretty much the same, too.
The reboot has made a concerted effort to be more diverse within the Fab 5 and also with the heroes they are making over each week. Considering the queer community, and America at large, is a beautifully diverse place, this is one fabulous update.
Worse: Being Nothing But Fun
If you want a cathartic, feel-good cry, few shows on today can do a better job of delivering it than the Queer Eye reboot. However, by taking on the emotional burden of making over the interior of the heroes, as well as the exteriors, the reboot loses some of the snap of the original by having so much emotional weight. There’s something to be said for how breezy and fun the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was, and those moments are few and far between in the reboot.
Better: Cross-Country Treks
The new Queer Eye isn’t just more diverse with its casting, it’s also more diverse in location. While the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was filmed in the New York City metro, the reboot takes the Fab 5 on the road to places where more difficult conversations can occur with different minded people. Forcing interactions with men and women who may never have met queer people before in Georgia and Missouri allows for a makeover not just on the outside, but on the inside, and has made the new series stand out from its original.
Worse: The New York Glam
The original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was filmed entirely in New York City and its surrounding suburbs. Perhaps the farthest they ever went for a mission was New Jersey. While the reboot has taken on the people of the heartland in its effort to bridge divides, it has lost a bit of the glamour of the original series, and the breathtaking moments of seeing the original Fab 5 walk down Houston Street. Surely there are plenty of people who still need help in New York.
Better: Culture
No shade to the original culture guru Jai Rodriguez, but the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy didn’t quite know what to do with that portion of the episode. What does it mean to be an expert on culture anyway?
The new Queer Eye’s culture expert, Karamo Brown, a licensed therapist, has taken the title to new heights, utilizing his time with heroes as therapy and more. While every member of the Fab 5 preaches self-love, Karamo gives each hero tools to get there.
Worse: Cooking
Take a casual scroll through Twitter when a new season of Queer Eye drops to see how divided fans are on the new food expert, Antoni Porowski. Even those who love him have to admit, he doesn’t appear to be as stellar a chef as the original food expert, Ted Allen, who has since gone on to host Chopped. While Ted confidently taught the straight guys in his day cocktails and recipes, Antoni more often food shames the heroes and makes a variety of avocado-based recipes. At least it allows for plenty of memes.
Better: Tolerance Versus Acceptance
As fashion expert Tan France says in the reboot’s first episode, while the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s Fab 5 fought for tolerance, the new cast must fight for acceptance. Many other catchy moments get at this boiling down of the reboot’s mission statement which goes beyond, “We’re here. We’re queer. Get used to it.” While the idea of not going away, of being loud and in your face, was an important first step in the fight for equality, the idea of love and acceptance comes next.
Worse: Skewer Masculinity
By focusing only on cisgender straight men in the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the original series allowed for a skewering of gender politics rarely seen on television today. For better or worse, stereotypes exist for a reason, and the original Fab 5 did a fantastic job of playing into them and making fun of them as well. The reboot has taken on more of a healing tone with its straight male heroes and is more reluctant to point out their flaws than the original, despite however many they have.
