Season 5 Discussion

[Delphi]

All episodes now streaming.

[BusyOctober]

Such a nice surprise to see this new season after a spectacularly sh**** week!  As per usual, I cried for the Pastor and the Dog Groomer episodes.  Love theses guys so much.

[bosawks]

“The first 5 years is always a shit show.”, said so matter-of-factly was just perfect from Tan in episode 2.

[aradia22]

S5E1: There are so many other things to watch... but I just wanted some comfort food today. I wanted to feel good about people and maybe cry a little. I was a little worried that maybe this season would feel out of touch with current events.

I don't like the new theme song remix at all.

I got a bit of an awkward energy from the Fab Five. They seemed distant and awkward with each other. Not like there were bad feelings... just like, the banter wasn't crackling and the rhythm was off. Maybe it's just that they all have their own projects outside of the show and they hadn't been spending a lot of time with each other for a while.

I did still tear up when Megan said "Then why do you tell yourself that, child of God?" even though I saw it in the promo. 

Noah didn't look bad after Jonathan's makeover but I continue to think he takes off too much hair. If it's about the hair being unhealthy or needing to grow into the new style, I wish he would explain that. 

Bobby did a great job with the church. He didn't make a lot of changes but the color choices were so smart and made a dramatic difference.

I laughed at Tan trying to discipline Walter.

It was a sweet first episode back but not one that made a huge impact to me. I feel like the big moments were apart from the Fab Five. They were the other pastor and bishop that Karamo brought to talk to Noah and Noah's speech at the end.

I didn't know Bruley had passed away. So sad.

Edited June 6, 2020 by aradia22

[BusyOctober]

I was on such a roll with the happy tears and good vibes. Then I watched Abby the Activist.  Her activism is admirable, she is living her convictions. Abby has more passion and purpose then most 18 year olds. She will go on to do great things with that passion.  However, in addition to learning how to care for herself and amp up her style and confidence, she needs to learn to stop saying “like” in between every other word.  I had to FF through some of her scenes because the like count was approaching the thread count of my favorite Egyptian cotton sheets ( total indulgence, totally something Abby would not approve of).  That, and the nervous anxiety based giggling make her less credible. And until all of us Boomers and Gen X-ers die off, speaking like a tween and giggling could be detrimental to her causes.

[buttersister]

I'm going to try not to binge and enjoy the good feelings. Agree that the 5 energy is a bit different. Hugs seemed to remind themselves rather than flow naturally, but perhaps Pastor Noah was the first taped and it gets better (as the theme song promises).

Remembering Bobby and his church childhood, I was anxious for him. Appreciated that he did a fine job and was honest (no promises!) about turning to the church in the future.

Tan is good. That is all. Kamaro's calling was to gather that group who could help Noah, and he did, they did, and he was more helpful than in that way than some of the strained attempts of past seasons.

Antoni, nice to see ya! Looking good. Sorry you didn't have anything to do.

And those costumes in the interstitials are going to get old. Welcome back, gang!

Edited June 11, 2020 by buttersister
Better word

[Delphi]

I'm really not enjoying the revolutionary costumes in the new opening.   Even Antoni can't make the red coat sexy,  I miss his moto jacket. 

[debraran]

I watched first two and loved them. The gay pastor talking to Bobby made me tear up and reminded me of this PBS Moth story about a man, Jeff Rudell, who's mom just cut him off all together. It's under 10 min but worth a listen if you want. He's working in NYC now and okay but are you ever really okay?

https://themoth.org/stories/under-the-influence

Teaching moments are slow and many people need a lifetime (or never) to see things differently. Some accept for others but not their family and others like my mom learn that their teaching was just wrong about some things. Shows like this are for entertainment but also may touch someone and start that process of reevaluating their bias toward something.

 

[Empress1]

15 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

As per usual, I cried for the Pastor and the Dog Groomer episodes.

Me too (those are the only two I've watched so far). When the trans pastor asked why Pastor Noah would judge himself for how late he came out, "Child of God," I wept. That was so beautiful. His haircut (that barber was HOT) and beard shape-up made his whole face look thinner. He reminded me of Robin Williams.

I loved the dog groomer. You could tell she had dreams and skills but just needed some help. I was sure Bobby was going to redo her trailer (because ... yikes) and when he redid their apartment I was like "Ok, but ..." so it was great that they did that for her. (Her apartment did need help though. Very "my first apartment" realness. The place itself was nice, but they are definitely in that 20something "still getting our adult legs under us" stage of life.)

I love that Jonathan knows Black hair. It is not a small thing. And he outsources what he doesn't know - he was like, OK, braids make sense for her, I can't do them, let me bring in someone who does. The fact that he even acknowledged that traction alopecia is a thing in the episode with Miss Wanda the drill team coach last season is HUGE, to say nothing of how sensitive he was about it.

It's fun seeing them in Philly. I grew up there. (When they said where the dog groomer was from, they did a thing a lot of people do - they said the name of her neighborhood in Philly as though it's a separate town. It's not "Germantown, PA." Germantown is a neighborhood in northwest Philly - my dad grew up there and I have a ton of family there. Her address is "123 Fake St, Philadelphia PA 19144." The pastor's church was in Fishtown, which is another neighborhood - you wouldn't say "Fishtown, PA.")

[debraran]

Small update on dog groomer:

https://www.elitedaily.com/p/what-is-rahanna-doing-after-queer-eye-season-5-stylish-pooch-is-thriving-22962679

[PRgal]

I just watched Kevin's episode.  He's definitely not over his wife 😞 .  And to be honest, I'm not sure she's all that over him, even though she's seeing someone else.  Also, the episode makes it sound like his daughter was already in her 20s when they divorced.  She definitely doesn't look like she's 21.  Shows how it's difficult it is for Millennials to live on their own in many cities.   

 

p.s. is it just me, or does Pastor Noah remind others of Robin Williams? 

[Empress1]

28 minutes ago, PRgal said:

p.s. is it just me, or does Pastor Noah remind others of Robin Williams? 

7 hours ago, Empress1 said:

He reminded me of Robin Williams.

Nope, not just you. 🙂 

 

[debraran]

2 hours ago, PRgal said:

I just watched Kevin's episode.  He's definitely not over his wife 😞 .  And to be honest, I'm not sure she's all that over him, even though she's seeing someone else.  Also, the episode makes it sound like his daughter was already in her 20s when they divorced.  She definitely doesn't look like she's 21.  Shows how it's difficult it is for Millennials to live on their own in many cities.   

 

p.s. is it just me, or does Pastor Noah remind others of Robin Williams? 

He said they were divorced for 6 years, I assumed she was in high school or college. Most of my kids lived home for a while, saved a lot that way but she didn't seem that old to me.

I only watched 3 so far, that one was not as interesting to me because he seemed so agreeable to the point that what he liked seemed to be what they liked. I did like his transformation and think his ex wife liked the attention and new look. ; )

I also thought pastor's smile reminded me of Robin.

Edited June 6, 2020 by debraran

[debraran]

Re the Dad Kevin, if you've watched it already, found this update this is a little sad but ends on a more uplifting note. Still rocking the hair.

Spoiler

https://www.thecinemaholic.com/kevin-abernethy/

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by debraran

[MerBearStare]

19 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

I was on such a roll with the happy tears and good vibes. Then I watched Abby the Activist.  Her activism is admirable, she is living her convictions. Abby has more passion and purpose then most 18 year olds. She will go on to do great things with that passion.  However, in addition to learning how to care for herself and amp up her style and confidence, she needs to learn to stop saying “like” in between every other word.  I had to FF through some of her scenes because the like count was approaching the thread count of my favorite Egyptian cotton sheets ( total indulgence, totally something Abby would not approve of).  That, and the nervous anxiety based giggling make her less credible. And until all of us Boomers and Gen X-ers die off, speaking like a tween and giggling could be detrimental to her causes.

I think this is a little unfair. She's only 18. Yes, she had a giggle, but she wasn't giggling at inappropriate times. And she said like, but not any more than most people. When they showed her speaking to the Philadelphia city council at the start of the episode, she spoke very well and I don't think she giggled or said like once. Just because she giggles and says like when off the clock doesn't mean she can't speak professionally when she's on the clock.

I don't know anything about the Sunrise Movement except their name has always reminded me of a cult. The communal living doesn't make it seem any less cult-like. 

3 hours ago, PRgal said:

He's definitely not over his wife 😞 .  And to be honest, I'm not sure she's all that over him, even though she's seeing someone else. 

Yeah, there was something off there. Why was she still storing stuff at his house? And when he set up boundaries and she said, "Can we still be best friends?" or something along those lines, I felt like she didn't want him to be over her even though she had moved on.

And on another note, I love their dog this season. He looks like a scrappy little survivor.

Edited June 6, 2020 by MerBearStare

[Vikitty]

I completely skipped the episode with the super young girl with anxiety and veganism, bc she's basically tumblr personified and tumblr is so 2018. And she was annoying.

Pastor Noah had me weeping.

Edited June 6, 2020 by Valerie

[debraran]

37 minutes ago, MerBearStare said:

. 

Yeah, there was something off there. Why was she still storing stuff at his house? And when he set up boundaries and she said, "Can we still be best friends?" or something along those lines, I felt like she didn't want him to be over her even though she had moved on.

And on another note, I love their dog this season. He looks like a scrappy little survivor.

 

I did note the second time I looked at Instagram pic in update above, she was there. I corrected the name.

Edited June 6, 2020 by debraran

[Vikitty]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

Re the pastor, if you've watched it already, found this update this is a little sad but ends on a more uplifting note. Still rocking the hair.

  Hide contents

https://www.thecinemaholic.com/kevin-abernethy/

 

Not the pastor, this is Kevin who was the hero who learned to dance for his daughter's wedding. Super sad to read, though.

[debraran]

20 minutes ago, Valerie said:

Not the pastor, this is Kevin who was the hero who learned to dance for his daughter's wedding. Super sad to read, though.

Thanks, I saw that few minutes ago and changed it. I had looked up both people but his was more involved. His ex was with him and daughter, not surprising but made you wonder..

Edited June 6, 2020 by debraran

[aradia22]

S5E2 I loved this client from the start except for the part about coloring the dogs' hair. I'm not sure any hair dye is that safe. Not going to kill you is not the same as not harmful to apply to your skin/body. 

Her bf having cheated on her was one of those red flags like... I don't know if the Fab 5 can fix this. Like, obviously she can make her own decisions but this issue might just be on a time delay. If this were a movie, the Fab 5 would sweep in and give her the confidence to realize that she's beautiful and she can find a guy who sees that and loves her height/size and values her enough to not cheat on her and not date for 10 years without more of a commitment.

Even if it was sponsored by Vistaprint, I thought all the branding and advertising materials were cute. HOWEVER, it felt like way too much to push on Rahanna to have her do a fashion show and also make treats. She's a one-woman business right now. It's enough to be a groomer. Maybe she can bake a few treats once a week. But the idea that she should be able to make dog fashion and an amount of treats she can sell while operating the grooming business is crazy. It's like they're trying to get her ready for Shark Tank, but she doesn't have any of the help or business infrastructure to scale up. 

I love Tan. JVN is sweet but Tan has a grounded way of speaking to people about things instead of just pumping them up that I really appreciate. I wish he could have taken her to a fancier store but it is probably very difficult to find mainstream stores that cater to really tall women. It's not surprising that she mostly shops online. Maybe they could have found a store for drag queens but I'm not sure that would have been a good choice.

I was about to be so impressed that JVN could do braids... but then he called in someone else. I'm questioning his role on the show if this is going to keep happening. I think it's fine to defer to someone with better skills but so far we haven't really seen him fuss about beauty routines or that kind of thing either so he doesn't really seem to be doing much as one of the experts. They also called in a makeup artist (which is good because the makeup he's done on the show has not been impressive) but again, what is his role?

Bobby went back to that style where he basically drops whatever furniture store is the sponsor into someone's house. It was okay. Cute enough given that they had basically no furniture before that. I think the bedroom was the prettiest. The paint/wallpaper combo was a little loud but at least it had personality.

Tan dressed her really well. I loved the pink jacket and the clear heels.

I knew they were going to give her a new mobile grooming operation. It seemed a little small (like she had to crouch a little) but was obviously an improvement on the old RV.

It's so wholesome how supportive her parents are and how happy they are to see their daughter shine. I didn't cry but this episode made my heart happy.

[aradia22]

Quote

Small update on dog groomer:

https://www.elitedaily.com/p/what-is-rahanna-doing-after-queer-eye-season-5-stylish-pooch-is-thriving-22962679

Oh THANK GOD. Not gonna lie, a little part of me was panicking about how quarantine might have affected her business. I hope she gets a major boost from the show. 

[aradia22]

S5E3 I love Tan talking about how a suit should fit properly and not about French tucks. I want to know more about Tan's fashion knowledge but I refuse to watch an Alexa Chung show. 

I thought the dance lesson was a nice way for all of the Fab 5 to be involved at once. And it put less pressure on Kevin.

I love when Antoni teaches someone a really useful dish. I think it obviously helps when someone has more cooking ability but I also think there's sometimes too much emphasis on something for a party or a special occasion. He can easily adapt that recipe to make it for himself. 

Again, I feel like JVN took off a lot of hair. I think a little bit of a beard is cute. There's a reason guys maintain a beard to give their face more definition. He did look younger with the makeover. I'm just not sure I liked it better.

Where did they find that adorable dentist?

The house ended up being very Pottery Barn... but it worked. It wasn't just a sea of beige with the masculine dark tones (navy, brown, black, etc.) breaking it up.

They're really pushing the sponsors this season with the sink and Amazon Alexa. I wonder if every episode will have an obvious sponsor (beyond the home decor, clothing shop, and local businesses that always get highlighted because they're locations for filming). 

Kevin's makeover felt very old school Queer Eye. They really gave him a young, fashionable look. 

Unpopular opinion: I didn't think Kevin and his ex-wife were still in love with each other. I think there can be love between two people that's not romantic. Maybe their relationship got toxic. Maybe they didn't desire each other anymore. We don't know that kind of stuff unless the show tells it to us. People get divorced for a reason.

Lastly, did anyone else think that Haley's fiance (now husband) looks a bit like Kevin?

[debraran]

Just watched the pediatrician show, skipped DJ for later.  I liked it but was surprised she would want to do that about to start her private practice soon. I know they obviously got permission to film the children but it was cute to watch her interact. She seems like she would be friendly and fun to talk too.  I liked seeing her instagram and new baby she announces on the show. https://www.instagram.com/dr.yibeezy/

I also felt the 18 year old was a little bit of a FF episode. Maybe with some that is too young for a "makeover" type of show.

The stay at home mom with husband with ALS was sad but I oddly couldn't connect with her as much as I thought.  I stayed at home many years, felt the same in many ways, but maybe I was just tired. I liked how they respected her likes and dislikes and you really need to take care of yourself when you take care of others all day. It's a good lesson for many watching. 

I really liked Marcos and seeing his family and dreams of his restaurant. A nice change from the rhetoric you see daily on TV. I thought his strong personality blended well with the guys and I wish him well. The pandemic hurt so many especially these new business's. I see on his FB page he changed the dark wall and tweaked some things and I hope he finds success and the doors are open now. It's a tough business but he has the drive and support. The issue with his daughter I saw with one of my immigrant neighbors. It's very hard to change and although my neighbors son and mom made peace, she still gives him "the look" when she disapproves of something. : )

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Alma-del-Mar-100393338377010/posts/

https://www.bustle.com/p/what-is-marcos-doing-after-queer-eye-hes-still-perfecting-his-restaurant-22957779

 

 

Edited June 7, 2020 by debraran

[bijoux]

I don't know about Kevin and his ex still being in love, but I'd definitely say there's some co-dependence there. 

Another thing I don't get is Bobby puttung his bed with a hude headboard in front of his windows. It blocks out all the light and makes cleaining the windows a total pain. 

[PRgal]

I skipped over activist girl after reading some of the posts here.  DJ Ryan HAS to stop tanning.  His skin...his wrinkles...dude looks older than 37 that way.  I would have assumed solid Gen X, not Millennial/Xennial.  And pardon my geography, but how far is he from Philly?  I thought this season was about the Philly area?  

Also, I can relate to Ryan A LOT.  I don't have siblings, but sometimes, I feel like I'm less "successful" than my cousins (loads of people in finance plus one doctor and another working in tech).  I may have more than Ryan - unlike him, I'm married with a child - but at 40, I'm STILL trying to truly find myself (I have my interests - mental health awareness, for example (but I'm worried that people think I'm only doing this because it's the "cool thing to do" right now))!!!  At lease I'm not pretending I'm 25?  

p.s. I have NEVER thought of adding pickled grapes to pesto and chicken!

 

[moonorchid]

Loving season 5 so far. 
 

The environmental activist is getting a bad rep imo. I watched her episode and she wasn’t nearly as annoying as what I thought she would be. I appreciated when she said while driving less would help, the bigger problem is corporations...that to me is a more educated and mature view in environmentalism then I’ve seen in most people. I also thought a lot of her mannerisms shown were coming from anxiety and honestly weren’t that bad to me. I found her really sweet and well meaning. I hope she keeps on keeping on with her passion. 
 

I don’t think there are lingering feelings between Kevin and his ex but there was definitely a lack of boundaries. And yes, I also thought the daughters fiancé looked. LOT like Kevin and it makes me feel weird when I see future son in laws who look like the brides dad. 
 

The pastors episode made me cry, cathartically. 
 

 

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, PRgal said:

And pardon my geography, but how far is he from Philly?  I thought this season was about the Philly area?  

Point Pleasant is about an hour and 15 minutes from Philly. Philadelphians go "down the shore" in summer and Point Pleasant is one of the shores. (You would say "I'm going down the shore this weekend," and someone might respond "Which shore?" and they'll tell you Cape May or Point Pleasant or whatever beach town they go to.)

He really does look older than he is. I'd say 45. Tanning has made him leathery. And his t-shirts and cargo shorts also aged him. He looked great in the jeans and brown shoes Tan put him in. I have the Peter Thomas Roth cucumber gel mask Jonathan used on him - I use it more in winter when my skin is dry. (I also have his charcoal mask, which I use in the summer when my skin is oilier.)

I thought the 18-year-old activist got a bad rap here too. (I have a friend who works with college students and he says a lot of them are pissed because prior generations fucked up the world and left them holding the bag. Abby's attitude was familiar to him - as he put it, "At least she's channeling it positively.") She really did need to just chill the fuck out, and I mean that kindly. I had a similar conversation with a friend just yesterday about the civil unrest we're experiencing now - we're not going to solve it overnight and movements need people coming to them ready, not burnt out. When she said "If I mess up dinner, it's bad for the whole house!" I was like, "then y'all will have cereal. It is not that serious." I doubt she's the only one who is unsure in the kitchen in a house full of people under 25.

I've watched the Tyreek episode twice and I haven't even finished the season (I'm watching them two at a time). I love him! His loctician hooked him UP. I thought it was so nice that he had so many friends - he really does seem to have cultivated a found family, and I think that's wonderful. When his best friend was like "You can't see the resemblance? We're brothers!" I said "Awwwww!" out loud. And I loved what he said about how he didn't get to have these kind of deep conversations with men so he was grateful for it. That is very real, especially in the Black community.

I thought it was interesting that Tyreek lived in Fishtown. Fishtown has always been a white neighborhood, and when I was growing up it was a neighborhood in which Black people were not welcome - I was expressly told to avoid it because "they don't like us over there." The racial demographics have stayed the same (I think it's like 7% Black), but more white people with money have moved in. There was a clash just earlier this week between "the old and new Fishtown."

[Clare]

I really liked this season.  They picked a really good group of people to give their Fab 5 treatment.  I didn't think there were any episodes where they tried to push too far (Karamo). I love Bobby and as usually he does about 60% of the work and the other 4 devide up the the other 40%. 

I found the DJ Ryan episode a little off.  I liked him but really felt like there was something else going on with him.  Hope he stops tanning, he looks about 45, I couldn't believe it when he said he was only 37.  It's aging him.

Also really loved the young guy that used to be homeless.  Bobby did a great job with his space.  He seemed like such a sweet heart.  Hope him and his foster mother stay connected.  

[aradia22]

S5E5 I skipped over episode 4 because I didn't want to pay that much attention while watching right now. I'll watch it later. 

I was prepared for Abby to be annoying based on this thread but she was fine. Her most notable speech pattern is the upspeak but it has nothing to do with her age. Her mom does it too. I think she was a sweetheart. She just came across as a shy, suburban teenage girl. In time she'll become less nervous and more articulate. 

This episode reminded me a lot of the episode with the trans guy who loved Todrick Hall in that it was more about a communal space for a group home and I don't think Abby needed that much help. I'm sure it was great to have the Fab 5 boost her confidence for a week but she would have come out of her shell on her own eventually and she wasn't in that much danger of burnout. 

S5E6 I didn't intend to watch it but it autoplayed and I was doing chores so I just let it go. It was interesting to have a client that they didn't encourage to be more professional or to grow up but to pursue his dreams if that's what he really wants. I was unsure about the DJ business. I assume from the lack of music equipment that he doesn't actually write or remix songs. So his business would be more like being a DJ at parties. I did appreciate them talking about the physical insecurities men have even when they are in shape. I think it's downplayed because beauty ideals are much more harmful to other groups, but it's important that men are heard too. I didn't really think Bobby needed to mess with the downstairs communal living area but whatever. The bedroom and bathroom did look better, if a little hotel-ish. The office looked a little cheap. 

Also, what's going on JVN? Why couldn't he do this makeover?

[aradia22]

Quote

The environmental activist is getting a bad rep imo. I watched her episode and she wasn’t nearly as annoying as what I thought she would be. I appreciated when she said while driving less would help, the bigger problem is corporations...that to me is a more educated and mature view in environmentalism then I’ve seen in most people. I also thought a lot of her mannerisms shown were coming from anxiety and honestly weren’t that bad to me. I found her really sweet and well meaning. I hope she keeps on keeping on with her passion. 

That reminds me, I also think her energy changed throughout the episode. So maybe she was also just intimidated by strangers and these adult men (all of whom were taller than her so I assume she's kind of short), not to mention the crew filming and wanting to make a good impression for her cause on a television show. As she got to know the Fab Five and they were very sweet with her (vs. being as critical as they can sometimes be with the people who need tough love) she seemed much more comfortable. I didn't really notice her saying "like" as much as offering constant verbal confirmation (okay, wow, yes, etc.). It's not my thing but it's something some people do to show that they're listening and understanding and I imagine it might be a habit formed from organizing a large group of people or coordinating with someone you don't know well on a project. But anyway, I think we police young women's speech and voices too much.

Quote

I love Bobby and as usually he does about 60% of the work and the other 4 devide up the the other 40%. 

So true.

[Empress1]

I don’t know if y’all watch Big Mouth, an animated show also on Netflix, but the Fab 5 played themselves on an episode & made over one of the characters. They directly addressed that Bobby (& a team of people) does the most work. He’s like “while Jonathan gave you a haircut & Karamo told you to believe in yourself, I rebuilt your fucking house.”

Here's the link to the Big Mouth/Queer Eye crossover.

Edited June 7, 2020 by Empress1

[PRgal]

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

 

I've watched the Tyreek episode twice and I haven't even finished the season (I'm watching them two at a time). I love him! His loctician hooked him UP. I thought it was so nice that he had so many friends - he really does seem to have cultivated a found family, and I think that's wonderful. When his best friend was like "You can't see the resemblance? We're brothers!" I said "Awwwww!" out loud. And I loved what he said about how he didn't get to have these kind of deep conversations with men so he was grateful for it. That is very real, especially in the Black community.

I thought it was interesting that Tyreek lived in Fishtown. Fishtown has always been a white neighborhood, and when I was growing up it was a neighborhood in which Black people were not welcome - I was expressly told to avoid it because "they don't like us over there." The racial demographics have stayed the same (I think it's like 7% Black), but more white people with money have moved in. There was a clash just earlier this week between "the old and new Fishtown."

I didn't comment on Tyreek as I didn't want to comment on his hair without sounding racist.  But anyway, since you mentioned the loctician, I just wanted to say this:  In such a fat-phobic society, did he really not realize that his hair made him appear even bigger?  And our fat-phobic society equates fat with being a slob?  His new hair made him look so much better!  

[Empress1]

9 minutes ago, PRgal said:

I didn't comment on Tyreek as I didn't want to comment on his hair without sounding racist.  But anyway, since you mentioned the loctician, I just wanted to say this:  In such a fat-phobic society, did he really not realize that his hair made him appear even bigger?  And our fat-phobic society equates fat with being a slob?  His new hair made him look so much better!  

He may have, but remember, he's only had some semblance of financial stability for a year or so. That's how long they said he'd been in his place. He said he started growing them three years ago, so he started when he was still homeless. Proper loc maintenance is time-consuming and expensive. One of my friends (the same one who works with college students) has had locs for maybe 10 years now and he spends a ton more time and money on his hair than I do. I think a lot of people think locs are no-maintenance and that's really not true. (The loctician washed his hair, right? People also think people with locs don't wash their hair, and that's also not true.) He said he intentionally grew them but my guess is he didn't put much into it - just stopped getting haircuts and let them form ("free form," as Jonathan said), and didn't/couldn't put much effort into them. Uniform dreadlocks like the ones he ended up with, or Ava DuVernay's,  are created - they don't just happen when you stop cutting your hair.

Tyreek had like two inches of new growth that had to be dealt with (you have to have new growth retwisted the same way you have to have your roots colored as they grow in if you color your hair), plus his locs were all different sizes, which the loctician also handled. I was wondering if she combed him out and started from scratch. Tyreek was probably in that chair all day. Who could be bothered with that when he was sleeping in a shed?

[WhineandCheez]

Does anybody else think Antoni looks drawn and a bit haggard, with a kind of darkness around the eyes this season? He just doesn't look well

[bijoux]

14 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I don’t know if y’all watch Big Mouth, an animated show also on Netflix, but the Fab 5 played themselves on an episode & made over one of the characters. They directly addressed that Bobby (& a team of people) does the most work. He’s like “while Jonathan gave you a haircut & Karamo told you to believe in yourself, I rebuilt your fucking house.”

Here's the link to the Big Mouth/Queer Eye crossover.

It's not that I don't like Queer Eye, but damn, this may be my favorite episode of it. 😂 Okay, second favorite. I don't know if anything will ever top Tom for me. But I can tell you that I'm going to check out Big Mouth. 

33 minutes ago, WhineandCheez said:

Does anybody else think Antoni looks drawn and a bit haggard, with a kind of darkness around the eyes this season? He just doesn't look well

I notice the same at least a season back, but now I'm wondering if he's using smudged eyeliner. 

[Empress1]

11 minutes ago, bijoux said:

But I can tell you that I'm going to check out Big Mouth. 

I LOVE Big Mouth. It's about a group of middle school kids going through puberty, from the mind of Nick Kroll. Maya Rudolph does what I think is some of the best work of her career voicing the Hormone Monstress. I highly recommend it.

49 minutes ago, WhineandCheez said:

Does anybody else think Antoni looks drawn and a bit haggard, with a kind of darkness around the eyes this season? He just doesn't look well

I think he's pretty private with his personal life but every once in a while something will come out that makes me think Antoni has had some sadness in his life. I think there was something about addiction struggles? And in Tyreek's episode he said he hadn't spoken to his mother in five years. I wonder about his backstory sometimes.

[Enigma X]

Antoni has mentioned his mom briefly in other seasons. I think in season one or two he went into the rift pretty deeply. I think his mom is homophobic.

I think Antoni is attractive but have always thought things got janky around the mouth area.

[bijoux]

Wow, Antoni really did peg Abby down right. High strung as f* is just right. Oh my God, girl. I do wish she'd realx and breathe for her own sake more than a bit. That's why I loved seeing her with the councilwoman who had such great chill, all together energy. I do wish Karamo had spent some time trying to find out what her stress reliever might be. Honestly, I have nothing but praise for her dedication and passion, but she needs to streamline it or she's going to burn out. 

I applaud everyone for doing whatever they could to be compatible with her lifestyle. I will say though that that first dress Tan put her in was very mumsy and I saw it on the clothes rack in her room. At least have it taken in, Tan. She was drowning in it. All the other outfits looked adorable on her. 

I did laugh at Jonathan commenting about giving her her mom's haircut because I thought it a second before. It's good, though, it suits them both. 

And okay, speaking of Jonathan, no way would Tan advise one of their guests wearing some of his clothes. It's not a matter of style, but rather that some clother are obviously too small for him. I'm not trying to shame him, but he should sometimes think about going up in size. His first pair of denim shorts was the most egregious culprit. 

The communal space looked really young and fresh. I wish that Bobby had given her room a bit of a makerover even if I understand his argument about the transient nature of the house occupants. It's probably because I'm the fives's age, but all I could think was, please, give these girls beds. Oh, to be 20 again and able to sleep on the floor, I guess. 

[bijoux]

20 hours ago, Empress1 said:

Point Pleasant is about an hour and 15 minutes from Philly. Philadelphians go "down the shore" in summer and Point Pleasant is one of the shores. (You would say "I'm going down the shore this weekend," and someone might respond "Which shore?" and they'll tell you Cape May or Point Pleasant or whatever beach town they go to.)

He really does look older than he is. I'd say 45. Tanning has made him leathery. And his t-shirts and cargo shorts also aged him. He looked great in the jeans and brown shoes Tan put him in. I have the Peter Thomas Roth cucumber gel mask Jonathan used on him - I use it more in winter when my skin is dry. (I also have his charcoal mask, which I use in the summer when my skin is oilier.)

It feels like a habit he inherited from Mom. Who really seems like a lovely woman, both physically and personality wise, but she also looks like she's been baking non-stop since 1970. But dude, that mask is miraculous. It made so much difference from just one use. 

18 hours ago, aradia22 said:

Also, what's going on JVN? Why couldn't he do this makeover?

No idea. To add to it, why didn't they do something about the beard color? Not necessarily going grey if Ryan felt uncomfortable with it, but make it look more natural at least. 

I'm going to call out the Five here. What was it with that comment about Ryan buying a house when he doesn't have a family being like a woman buying a wedding dress before meeting her future spouse? First, sexist. Second, why wouldn't he buy a house? He needs to live someplace, so why not make an investment if he has the money? He's obviously doing well for himself judging by that piece of real estate. At least Bobby was against this attitude straight off and either he or Karamo spoke about Ryan actually living his life and inhabiting the house regardless of his marital status. 

Another thing that bugged was Antoni nagging about the frozen meals. Yes, it would be good to bring more fresh food into the mix, but the dude has two jobs. He obviously needs some time savers. 

The bit we saw of him with his brothers was typical guy stuff, but it was touching how good he was with the kids and how genuinely happy the sisters-in-law were for him. The family came off like a good bunch. 

[PRgal]

Marcos's episode brought tears to my eyes.  I have the same issues as Jennifer - clashing with my parents (though I didn't run away).  Ugh, dealing with their way of child-rearing/parenting and mine, well, let's just say there's a lot of nagging from them when it comes to baby/toddler food  choices (I want to give him more plant-based meals while my parents think I'm starving him.  He's a skinny kid, but it's not like eating meat would bulk him up.  I can give him hummus and avocado for fat).  

By the way, their restaurant hasn't opened yet (thanks, COVID-19), and they've said that they're going to make some menu changes, such as adding (American-style) breakfast foods.

Now on to the doctor episode:  Even as a child of East Asian immigrants, I can't believe how much she lacks confidence in terms of her appearance.  Yes, in general, East Asian (and to my understanding, South Asian) parents DO NOT praise their children, both in appearance AND their skills (what they say often sounds critical and harsh to us - like "look at _____!  She just completed her life saving certification!  When are you doing yours?"  or sometimes, they'd praise a friend's kid in a way that sounds like you suck at the same thing), but MY GOODNESS!  I mean, my confidence isn't exactly that great, and I always feel that I'm "not good enough," but I don't think I'd ever feel as she does about how I look.  My mom DOES criticize me and always wants me to pick out my (totally unnoticeable) grey.  At least she hasn't suggested that I colour my hair.  Not yet, anyway.  If no one can see it, why bother?  Or why bother, period?  

Edited June 8, 2020 by PRgal

[debraran]

4 hours ago, PRgal said:

Marcos's episode brought tears to my eyes.  I have the same issues as Jennifer - clashing with my parents (though I didn't run away).  Ugh, dealing with their way of child-rearing/parenting and mine, well, let's just say there's a lot of nagging from them when it comes to baby/toddler food  choices (I want to give him more plant-based meals while my parents think I'm starving him.  He's a skinny kid, but it's not like eating meat would bulk him up.  I can give him hummus and avocado for fat).  

By the way, their restaurant hasn't opened yet (thanks, COVID-19), and they've said that they're going to make some menu changes, such as adding (American-style) breakfast foods.

Now on to the doctor episode:  Even as a child of East Asian immigrants, I can't believe how much she lacks confidence in terms of her appearance.  Yes, in general, East Asian (and to my understanding, South Asian) parents DO NOT praise their children, both in appearance AND their skills (what they say often sounds critical and harsh to us - like "look at _____!  She just completed her life saving certification!  When are you doing yours?"  or sometimes, they'd praise a friend's kid in a way that sounds like you suck at the same thing), but MY GOODNESS!  I mean, my confidence isn't exactly that great, and I always feel that I'm "not good enough," but I don't think I'd ever feel as she does about how I look.  My mom DOES criticize me and always wants me to pick out my (totally unnoticeable) grey.  At least she hasn't suggested that I colour my hair.  Not yet, anyway.  If no one can see it, why bother?  Or why bother, period?  

I’m glad Marcos kept the name but seems to be trying to find his footing.  I think breakfast/ lunch is good idea and lightening the black wall . I hope the publicity will help him initially and later the food and good taste and quality keep it open .
 

The gym owner was in quite a funk.  His transformation was dramatic especially his living space and he’s reaching out in social media during covid  which is good. He made some online workouts. Sadly his on and off again girlfriend is off but still very good friends. I liked his interactions with Karamo very much. Black men especially aren't told to connect with their feelings often as my husband has told me from his early days.
 

Edited June 8, 2020 by debraran

[aradia22]

Quote

I'm going to call out the Five here. What was it with that comment about Ryan buying a house when he doesn't have a family being like a woman buying a wedding dress before meeting her future spouse? First, sexist. Second, why wouldn't he buy a house? He needs to live someplace, so why not make an investment if he has the money? 

I'm not sure that was just their organic opinions. I don't question that much of the show is unscripted and that the Fab Five are saying what feels appropriate in the moment. But it's also a reality TV show. And reality TV shows have writers. They have producers that prompt with questions for talking heads. They have at least a rough outline of what they want to accomplish every time they film a staged segment. So I'm not going to get too mad at them for being presented with the idea that him buying a home is anticipating a family when it's the message they got before meeting him and also part of the narrative for the episode. I do think there's a rough idea that this is more of a family home than a house for a single man. But also, yeah, unlike the wedding dress (which for most people costs somewhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars), a house is an investment and it makes no sense to rent or buy a smaller starter home if you can afford the larger house now. I suppose there's a question of choosing the appropriate home in the right neighborhood WITH his partner. I do think it was a fair critique to say he wasn't really using the whole house and was just hiding in his messy room. 

Quote

Another thing that bugged was Antoni nagging about the frozen meals. Yes, it would be good to bring more fresh food into the mix, but the dude has two jobs. He obviously needs some time savers. 

Eh... how long does it take to cook a chicken breast? 

[debraran]

I admit I buy the healthiest frozen food I can buy and sometimes it's that or cereal, p&J or when I'm dead tired or rushed. I have a feeling he does the same thing but just trying to give good advice.

They need to edit a lot and some shows they have a little input on what is put in, Karamo did with a show with they guy who was shot, but mostly out of their hands. Conversation around that statement could have been cut out.

I liked reading how angry Tan got when they didn't tell the guys about the police pull over and almost quit. (Dega Don't episode)This was before the protests but being asked to step out without knowing why is very real fear. Everyone has to learn what is "funny" to them isn't to others.

I liked Ryan's shout out to the behind the scenes staff.

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by debraran

[PRgal]

On 6/8/2020 at 12:51 PM, bijoux said:

It feels like a habit he inherited from Mom. Who really seems like a lovely woman, both physically and personality wise, but she also looks like she's been baking non-stop since 1970. But dude, that mask is miraculous. It made so much difference from just one use. 

 

Actually, I think someone needs to nominate his mom for the show.  Her hair reminds me of the other kindergarten teacher when I was in kindergarten.  In other words, her hair hasn't changed since 1985 or so. 

 

The gym owner:  Wow...I was ready for someone to say that he doesn't look like he showers much (after hearing that he wears the same outfit day in and day out).  Also, it sounds like his gym doesn't have proper changing facilities.  Is that legal?  

[aradia22]

S5E7 This episode was fine. It reminded me more of a standard sort of makeover show like What Not to Wear until her conversation with Antoni that really dug into her relationship with her mom and her insecurity about people leaving. Of course, the seed was planted earlier with Karamo. No person who says they take on responsibility so that people need them isn't dealing with insecurity. 

Karamo then connecting that to her husband's ALS and not wanting to lose him made sense but I kind of got the feeling that it was part of her personality already. Also, while it was a good chat, I'm not sure the path metaphor was helpful. 

The JVN haircut was... fine. I didn't mind the big hair because she likes that look. But when they showed the back of her head, the layers looked weird. I saw no effect from the shine treatment. It just looked like a boring... possibly kind of bad haircut.

Bobby's take on the outdoor area wasn't too fancy but was a nice update to what had been there. The decor in the house was very beige and gray again but Jennifer seems to like that in home decor. It had the vibe of one of those very serious spas where they keep the lighting low and everyone is very quiet all the time. I wonder if they spent less on this update to her home than some of the others. It's not that it was bad but it seemed like less of a radical transformation. These seemed like changes she could have easily made in her own time. 

I didn't really like the outfits Tan was putting together for her but from the quick view of her closet, it seemed like he pulled some good pieces. 

I like this new trend of the hero dancing in the interstitial with the Fab Five.

[debraran]

Re changing facilities, a women’s gym I went too had no shower but 2 single use bathrooms. Owner said most showered at home of used a cheap gym nearby for showers. I thought it was odd but didn’t normally shower at gym. It was too expensive so I didn’t kero membership long.  Did he have bathroom for members? 

[aradia22]

S5E4 Tyreek's laugh is delightful. He's a sweetheart. I just want the best in the world for him.

JVN's "no, why are you up there, I'm down here" joke made me laugh so hard.

I love Bobby so much. I love that he's not just the home renovation/decor guy. He can talk about his past being homeless and working multiple jobs and building up his business. He can talk about his difficult relationship with his parents and his issues with organized religion. He brings so much more to the table than just his skill set. 

I love Antoni but I kind of wish that in a future iteration of Queer Eye, that the food person would be a nutritionist. It's not that everyone needs to learn healthy eating habits but I think it would be nice to leave someone with more of a meal plan or a book of recipes instead of the knowledge of how to make one dish. Compared to Tan's wardrobe of clothes and Bobby's complete home makeover, learning to cook one thing doesn't feel like it's going to have as much long term impact. 

Shahada's hair is gorgeous. I love all the colors. She did a great job with Tyreek's hair as well.

If I'm honest, I thought the living room home decor was still very beige. But there were pops of stylishness. The kitchen was gorge. The office was a little tiny. I don't know that those shelves were a great choice but otherwise, great classic masculine colors. The typewriter was so cheesy. He's in his late 20's. Does he even know how to use one? I certainly don't. I'm not sure I loved the yellow headboard for the bed but otherwise, gorge.

Tan got him such an interesting looking selection of clothes. I wanted to see him model more of them.

I feel like the way they handled Tyreek having a conversation with Ruth felt very... reality TV. There was a lot of deferring to create a big moment. It was like on Housewives where everyone talks about the tension between two characters all episode and then there's a big fight at the very end. Like, Karamo could have easily just told Ruth what Tyreek thought about why she gave him up. He could have told Tyreek the truth that Ruth told him. 

The final tip of the episode was gross. Don't freeze your jeans. Just wash them.

[aradia22]

S5E9 Lilly is almost too relatable for me. Her story is the story of so many people who grew up as the child of Asian immigrants. And as a woman, there's also the "having it all" question. That doesn't mean her story is any less valid or important but it impacted me less. I did like Lilly a lot though. She seems very sweet. I did get the impression that she's a lot more fun and tapped into culture than she let on in the episode. 

I don't know how learning to make pizza was a good field trip. It's difficult to get your oven hot enough to make a good pizza at home. It's not a good home cook recipe. It's one of the things that's actually better to get at a restaurant or as takeout/delivery. I'm curious if that tiny pizza oven is any good. 

I felt like Karamo's language could have been better as he was talking with her before the pottery class. I think they got to a good place... that she should push past the discomfort and interrupt situations knowing that she isn't an outsider and that she is wanted. But before that it sounded like he was putting a lot of pressure and responsibility on her for failing to be there. 

I was worried JVN would interpret an easy to maintain haircut as chopping her hair short. I don't know that the highlights were that necessary but I was happy he didn't cut her hair too short. I am noticing that he tends to curl the women's hair in the same way. I'm not saying every episode of Queer Eye should channel Shear Genius but I am genuinely starting to doubt JVN's hairdressing skills. If nothing else, maybe he's out of practice.

Bobby did a stunning job with the decor this time. It was very... young family. I love the pops of color and the interesting pieces. It reflected that the dad is artistic without trying too hard to be quirky or trendy. The thought behind everything at Annabelle level being her things was so clever. Annabelle's room was cute though that was a bit of a weird looking bed. It looked more like a couch. The master bedroom had fancy hotel vibes. Personally, I thought it lacked coziness. 

I've been noticing Diptyque candles this season. Very fancy. I wonder if that was just a choice or product placement.

I didn't love every item of clothing Tan chose but I do appreciate that it looked like he paid attention to what she likes but gave her a more polished, grown up version of it. There were polka dots and florals but they weren't in childish cuts/silhouettes. Some of those outfits were stunning. She does have an amazing figure for clothes.

[aradia22]

S5E8 I was interested in Marcos' episode because it seemed like a good opportunity for Antoni to show off his restaurant experience.

It was so cute how happy his family was to see the Fab Five. Every once in a while it's nice to see people who are clearly fans of the show.

I feel like this was one of those episodes with a lot of unspoken stuff. Marcos and Jennifer and the rest of the family kind of danced around what the conflict was. Was it curfew? How she was dressing? Who she was hanging out with? Where she wanted to work? Her not wanting to work in the family business? I feel like we got a very vague and sanitized version of what caused the rift.

JVN manages to speak Spanish entirely with an American accent. But it's cute that he tries to make the effort. It was nice to see him give someone a decent haircut. I do think the encouragement to use mousse made it look unnecessarily greasy.

They really skipped over the Tan makeover by just focusing on hats. Did they try on clothes at all or did he just show him all the new clothes at the end?

I didn't love the exposed wood in the restaurant but otherwise, they did a great job of making it look like a trendy space. Pops of color, nice table settings, neon sign, dark walls... It wasn't over the top Insta-friendly but it looked on trend with the current aesthetic for a small eatery. The chairs did not look comfortable but maybe you don't want people to lounge about too long.

That little boy is SO CUTE.

[aradia22]

S5E10 There have been a lot of unfurnished spaces this season or homes that were fine but needed a bit of an update. Nate was a reminder of a real trash space that had a lot of clutter.

I would totally watch Karamo's version of Marie Kondo-ing someone's space. He had more of that tough love energy in earlier seasons.

I've been hard on JVN this season but I always appreciate how sensitive he is to people's insecurities about their hair or appearance. 

This was another unnecessary Karamo metaphor. I feel like the show is better than these stunts. I get that sitting around talking is less visual than what the other guys do but some of these come across as very silly. I remember something in a past season where I think someone wrote on a mirror. 

LOVE that they brought Shahada back instead of switching to whoever was working in that particular salon.

Not gonna lie, the way they accented his hairline looked a little odd. Maybe it'll look better as the dye fades. Otherwise, great makeover. He looked so handsome. 

The gym looked so much better. The art was a little cheesy but Bobby made it look like a bare bones set up in a good way. It looks like somewhere people could do Crossfit. The kitchen looked pretty and grown up. The bedroom was the same. It felt a little... juvenile. I guess it doesn't really feel young but it doesn't look sturdy. It reminds me of like IKEA furniture. But it was definitely a vast improvement.

Wix sponsorship. So many sponsors this season. Have there always been this many sponsors???

Oh my God, when Tan gave him the glasses... so handsome.