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Everyone has that show that makes them feel-good cry. Mine is Queer Eye.

Everyone has that certain show they turn to for comfort. Perhaps you're in need of a hearty belly laugh, a massive distraction, or a feel-good cry. 

My show has always been Queer Eye.

I grew up watching re-runs of the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy while snuggled up on the couch with my mum, and it was everything you want in a show — nostalgia, human interest stories, fun and frivolity, 'transformation' and more. 

The Fab Five stars of the reboot — Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Bobby Berk and Karamo Brown — are all sunshine personified.

But amid the high energy, constant group hugs and friendly banter, there is often a deeper storyline that hits you. Not too much to want to turn away, in fact, it does the opposite. It draws you in.

Watch the trailer for the latest season of Queer Eye. Post continues below.


Video via Netflix.

In the new season out this week, one of the first episodes takes the Fab Five to a fraternity house in the deep south of the US. On face value, a frat boy house is not exactly a group you would consider to be the most inclusive. 

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It's a feeling one of the Fab Five members expresses, Jonathan Van Ness — who identifies as non-binary — saying they were apprehensive about putting themselves in a fraternity environment.

As part of growth and healing session with the show's 'culture expert' Karamo Brown, the group spend the afternoon together talking about their feelings, led by Brown. From the get-go it's clearly a foreign concept to them.

When Brown asks the group what they've been taught about what it means to be a man, they all say the exact same thing. To provide. To be strong. 

Each of them say they have never cried before in front of another person, nor do they talk about mental health.

Then within minutes, each of these young men's facades start to break.

One opens up about seriously struggling financially. 

Another feels they are "losing the battle" of adult life. The next guy says he shuts down every time "things get hard".

One starts to cry, saying "shame on me" for not knowing what his friends were going through.

Like dominoes, each one becomes more vulnerable than the next, voicing their challenges, the state of their wellbeing and "the crazy mental load" they feel trapped underneath.

But despite how heavy the moment might sound, it makes you feel hope — because for this group of young men, they have seen the benefit of toxic masculinity being dismantled before their eyes. These sorts of emotionally eye-opening moments continue again and again throughout the episode to varying degrees of light and shade. All thanks to five, fabulous queer icons. 

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As Jonathan Van Ness says at the end of their time with the fraternity group: "I was really scared about [being here]. I've not always had young men be like the kindest to me, and this has been quite a healing experience for me. I'm very inspired by you guys and I'm very proud of you guys."

*Cue a very snotty crying session.*

The Queer Eye episode where the experts help the fraternity house guys. Image: Netflix. 

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The heartfelt moments are too many to count throughout the seven seasons of the show, and the multiple spin-offs.

We have Tom Jackson, the man from Georgia who had very little to do with the LGBTQIA+ community and opened his arms to the Queer Eye 'transformation experience', in the end marrying the woman that the Fab Five team helped him woo. 

There was A.J., a gay man who had struggled to come out to his stepmother, but with the Fab Five's guidance, was able to share with his family who he is and who he loves.

Who could forget the episode with Angel, a trans woman, and her journey of wanting to express her gender identity on the outside for the first time.

And perhaps my all-time favourite episode is with an elderly man called Kenny, who has been struggling to cope with the loss of his parents and dog. But with the support of his new queer friends, he manages to get his stride and zest for life back.

Look, I could go on forever about why Queer Eye is brilliant. Ultimately, what the show does best is give you a giant dose of humanity, wrapped up in warmth, laughs, tears and a sense of feeling whole again. And right now, I think we could all use a bit of that. 

Queer Eye season seven is now available to watch on Netflix.

Feature Image: Netflix/Mamamia.

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