leannacherner

[leannacherner]

Queer Eye: The Fab Five’s Influence of Culture and Self-care

“More than a decade after the original series went off the air, Netflix rebooted the "Queer Eye" franchise with a new lineup and new setting. Instead of taking place in New York City, the show takes places in communities in and around Alatana. The Fab Five forge relationships with men and women who often have different beliefs from them, leading to moments of social commentary interspersed with style advice. Advising people in need of lifestyle makeovers are food and wine specialist Antoni Porowski, interior designer Bobby Berk, grooming consultant Jonathan Van Ness, fashion designer Tan France and culture expert Karamo Brown, who reality TV fans may recognize as one of the housemates on "The Real World: Philadelphia." David Collins, who created the original show, is on board as an executive producer.”

I have been a fan of reality TV for years. Whether it be HGTV, Keeping up with the Kardashians or The Bachelor, reality TV has always been one of my favorite forms of entertainment. There is something so amazing about watching a person take care of themselves and be better. I remember hearing that there was a going to be a reboot for a show called Queer Eye For A Straight Guy, I had no knowledge of the show other than what my brother in law told me. “It's about these gay men who come in and fix straight men’s lives”. I asked more questions about this show and was told it was about five gay men, known as the Fab Five are given the task to make over a straight man’s life. The Fab Five line up consisted of Carson Kressley, Jai Rodriguez, Thom Filicia, Kyan Douglas, and Ted Allen. Each member specializes in their own specialty, whether it be fashion, grooming, design or food. The episodes followed the structure of a straight man needing help, being shy and then opening up to the Fab Five.  

In this picture, we have a straight man getting a facial, nails and hair done. There is an implication of feminization in this.

The issue with the original Queer Eye is that it operated with the following set of the presumption that straight men need help, that gay men hold the answers and can fix a straight man’s life and problem. This notion invokes the straight men are clueless and gay men hold the power. Furthermore, it insinuates the assumption that gay men are closer women than straight men and that gayness is a guarantee to have a more fashionable and attractive life, that gay men know what women want, and that the problems of straight masculinity can be addressed through simple grooming, culinary, and home-décor fixes.

Flash forward to now, Queer Eye differs from its origins. The show is much more than gayness or straightness or fixing a person to fit in society. The premise now is to help a person feel comfortable and more comfortable in their skin, to give them the confidence and power to be themselves with the influence of each member of the group.

The Producers of the show recently stated that the show’s purpose is “to turn Red States pink”, but the show achieves much more than that. 

The show highlights all of our similarities and reaffirms the notion that despite all the difference in opinions, we all share the need to feel good in our skin.

Treat Yo Self 

In a refinery29 article, Emily Baker discusses how there is a new generation of Netflix-bingers, who watch other people be better, do better and live better, than us. Queer eye highlights the importance of self-care, which is a universal desire. Whether you are conservative or liberal, the want to feel good in one’s skin is a feeling everyone can connect to

While the show highlights the journey of each person, some of the audience who are on social media are in the mindset that this is five gay men fixing people. 

This reboot is so necessary for today’s climate. We need shows like Queer Eye to prove how important confidence and self-worth are. The show displays self-care as a form of empowerment. So often on TV, we see millionaires flaunting their $40,000 bags and Cartier bracelets, but here we see humility, vulnerability, and open-mindedness. 

Queer Eye on their Influence   ( The members of Queer Eye discussing their influence on the view)

A perfect example is Joe Gallois, who was a 33-year-old comedian living in his childhood bedroom in his parent's house. He lost a ton of weight, but still wore baggy clothes and lacked confidence. The Fab Five helped Joe in every way, and when they originally watched him do stand up, the saw his lack of confidence and were so eager to help him. By the end of the show, Joe built up the courage to ask a woman who he has been friends with for a while.

Before The Show:

After the Show 

This begs the question: Would he have built up the courage to do this if it weren't for the show?

Just in the pictures, we can see a boost in confidence. 

The show can be summed up by this one quote from Bobby Camp who appeared on the fifth episode of the show.

This show reaches out to its viewers challenging the societal pressures each person deals with and encourages the idea of authenticity and self-care. Through doing this, they encounter issues of sexuality, identity, and politics. But at the end of each episode, they formed a bond with each person they helped. This show builds bridges in places that are known to burn them in the southern states of America.

Queer Eye is more than just a show on Netflix. It is an empathic experience that immerses the viewers into the world of each person. 

[leannacherner]

The dark side of economics

The Economics of RCG Taxes and income in America will forever be a controversial topic to discuss. Though they might be simple at first, there are so many factors and issues that must be looked at when discussing it. Many hold their own opinion of who should be taxed, how much should they get taxed, where should the tax money go to etc and in this unit, The Economics of Race, Class, and Gender, touches base on this issue. Currently, the top 1% living in the United States are earning the greatest sum of the nations income since the Great Depression. Discussed in the “Income Gap is Widening” the inequality of income is in fact increasing. This gap has almost doubled in the past 36 years. According to “Billionaires Are Us” the wealth gap in the United States is the third most unfair of industrialized societies; The average CEO will make 431 times the salary of an average worker. And this causes many to argue about what is just. Personally, I believe that people should be taxed equally. I think taxes should be equal even for those who are not rich or wealthy. One reason why this approach could be useful is because if levels out the playing field among the races and classed in America. Also, I believe that income should not be soley based on what your job description is. Variables such physical strain should weighed more heavily in getting income. I would never be able to do such back breaking work and I believe the hard work should be at a higher income. I believe that their hard work should be accounted for. Many people who are not CEO's or big business men do not get the credit they deserve. Furthermore, one issue with taxes is: where should the tax money go? I believe that taxes should be allocated to helping areas of interests like: supporting areas that are known for high poverty rates, bettering the education system, and the military. I believe it's critical that we help people who are less fortunate so that they can essentially close the gap between the middle and affluent classes. I believe that taxes should be going to areas that will help society and the nation. There are many ways to approach taxes and Throughout this unit, there were several articles that we read and discussed about how different ethnicities have different incomes. This unit also states that people who earn/receive less than a BA have will 3 time less the lifetime than someone with a college degree. This is s crazy fact that puts things into perspective. Having equal tax will help people everyone be on a leveled playing field.

[leannacherner]

In class assignment

This woman who was a teacher announced that she was gay. And then after she told an official at the school she was gay, and asked her what would happen if she got married, she was asked to come in for a meeting. The school gave her a letter rescinding her offer and offering her severance pay – a full year's salary – in return for her silence on the matter.The letter also asked Brown to agree not to sue and to not “disclose such terms” to anyone except family members, attorneys, and accountants.They even had the gall to script her Facebook message for her, with a heart emoticon included: Friends, I want to let you all know that I will no longer be at St. Mary’s in the fall. Please message me if you know of any jobs available <3," the letter states. This is so wrong on so many levels. This is homophobic and just mean all together. I cannot understand why they felt the need to fire a teacher. Perhaps, I would understand if they just wanted her to keep her sexuality to herself, but this is so wrong. A recent study suggests that “the risk of suicide for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning people has been known for decades now. Research literature provides the estimate that gay, lesbian and bisexual people attempt suicide at a rate 2–4 times higher than their heterosexual peers.”  Is this right for students to see an innocent teacher be fired for sexuality without even knowing? One day, I hope that this type of situation will be rare, but sadly it is a common occurrence in today's society. 

https://www.unh.edu/counseling-center/article/bullying-and-lgbtq-suicide

[leannacherner]

Unit 4: Problem Solving

Today, there are several social problems that occur. At first, these issues seem simple and resolvable, but there is more than meets the eye. When analyzing an issue, one solution usually seems like an answer to solve it completely, however when further analyzing the issue, the issue becomes even more complex. 

Ellen Barry’s article,“Judge Tells Immigrant Mothers: Learn English or Else”, provides a complex issue in society. A Tennessee judge tells a Mexican immigrant mother that her child will be taken away from her if she does not learn how to speak English. Originally, I thought that the judge was racist, but there is so much more. Perhaps, it would be better for her and her son in society, but the harshness of the judge bewilders me. The Tennessee Judge stated his intentions to the mother that “ If she would make a greater effort to assimilate into American society, opening more opportunities to her own children.” After reading this, I thought that this was a legitimate statement, but then how do you determine a good life? Can one really say that one will have a good life if one learns English?

Is taking away a child from their mother beneficial? There are so many studies that conclude that it does more harm than good. A child should not be taken away just because his or her parent has trouble learning and speaking English. That is simply unjust.  

When looking at this social issue, I cannot give a full answer because I end up contradicting myself. There truly is no answer and no matter how simple one makes it, there are so many factors that go into these issues. As Bob Dylan said: “ the answer is blowing in the wind” 

[leannacherner]

Why Transgender Identity  matters?

The issue that society faces when talking about Transgender Identity is that many do not truly understand transgender identity. Chaz Bono is in a relationship with a women and is considered hetrosexual, even if he was a woman before his transition. However, people confuse sexual orientation and gender identity and mix them up. People who are transgender are still the same. Many people look to media as a resource to learn new information. But if the journalist and pundits do not educate themselves, they cause confusion in society.  News and media need to be educated on transgender issues to stop misinforming society about the transgender community.  

[leannacherner]

Crash

When I was watching the movie ‘Crash’, I couldnt help, but see so many race, class and gender issues being demonstrated. When pulled over by the police for doing sexual acts, the woman looked at the man as if he had to do something to be a man. She was angry because he did nothing. This social construction of how gender are supposed to act is demonstrated through the lack of it in this scene. 

When buying a gun, the salesman acts differently towards the shopkeeper than he would to his daughter. He looks at the daughter as an inferior and looks at her as she is weak and doesn't understand guns, when she asks for specific bullets. 

Finally, the scene that got to me the most was when the cop shot the black citizen because of prejudice and preconceived thoughts. Before, he did not see himself as a racist, which may not be the case, but in times of impulse, he acted on these prejudice thoughts that black people usually have guns and are dangerous. 

This movie is a reflection of society and I think the movie truly conveys issues surrounding race, class and gender perfectly. 

[leannacherner]

Not white, You're black..... I don't think so.

“ if you’re not white, your black”. Although I understand this statements point. I cannot read it without feeling unsettled. Having different ethnicities all over the world create diversity and difference, but if one is not white, they are not black, unless they are. Not being white doesn’t mean you are classified as black, but rather not white. If I am not black, am I white? Is there no other shades between black and white? Does black include Asians, Latinos and Indians? Isn’t this wrong?

Entertainment uses minorities as a form of comedy, however to say that they are not truthful is wrong. I went to a play called "jewtopia” and it mocked Jews and generalized them. I found the play to be funny. These stereotypes have some truth in them. I do not support racism, but if we can make fun of whites, are we not allowed to make fun of blacks or Asians? When someone makes a comment on being a ‘cracker’, is it as bad as calling a black person a 'n***er. Where can we draw the line and even more so, can we draw a line? In an article, written by Pojamn, presents the issue of hypersensitivity, which actually betrays MLK's dream of a color blind community. "What's gone wrong? The basic problem is that a racist past cannot be undone through more racism. Race-conscious programs betray Martin Luther King's dream of a color-blind community, and the heightened racial sensitivity they cause is a source of acrimony and tension instead of healing." https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=43448

[leannacherner]

Los Intersticios: Recasting Moving Selves

This article talks about this woman who is being questioned constantly by the way she looks if she is muslim or cuban. This causes her to question her identity and makes her feel self conscious. She does feel the need to belong, however she is baffled by the framework to misread her body and disconnect her from the way she is. She concludes that “ethnicity needs to be a recast so that our moving selves can be acknowledged. 

[leannacherner]

Difference: is it real?

Difference— it defines who we are, but what if everyone claims to be different? Are we all the same? Am I just as different as you are to the next person? Or am I the same? 

Though I knew that difference exists in today’s society, I never thought that these differences could complicate everything.  I didn't really realize the difference and existence of white privilege.  A part of me felt guilty, even though I didn't chose this upon myself and it is shown that white privilege is active in both the conscious and subconscious of one’s mind.

Difference is also what controls us, whether we like it or not. Women generally are ‘weaker’ than man, physically. And in the end of the day, when reaching equality, I can't help, but think if its even possible? Is it just a never ending fight that we are striving to win? 

Difference is what defines us in society and despite everyone being different, I think every person is truly unique and there is no one exactly like another. I don't believe that a person is  defined by his or her race, class or sexuality. 

Difference is so complex and almost an issue that cannot ever be ‘fixed’. Normal is no longer the ‘norm’, difference is now considered normal. 

In a perfect world, I would love difference to represented in everything, but I don't know if that is a possibility in the next 10 years.

 The differences that are evident in today’s society like sexuality and race are so complex and cannot be put into a ‘box’ because there is so much more than just that box. 

[leannacherner]

Homophobia used as a weapon of sexism.

Patriarchy— an enforced belief in male dominance and control— is the ideology and sexism that holds it in place. However, who do gender roles serve? Are gender roles just an arbitrary system? 

There are three powerful weapons: Economics, violence and homophobia. 

Violence:

Women who are beaten up sometimes go back to their beaters because they cannot support themselves, which ultimately binds these women to their violent men. Some may ask why these women are beaten up and men would say that it is  a way to put their women in their place. Violence and the threat of violence controls individuals from fear. 

Economics:

Economics is  the  the root cause of sexism because if someone cannot acquire basic necessities, then they are in a lower class. However Economics is  a driving force that keeps oppression in place. 

Homophobia:

Homophobia works as a weapon for sexism because of its powerful arm— Heterosexism. Heterosexism is perceived as the ‘normal’ sexual identity because of social construct. Gays and Lesbians continue to be an unormal part of society, which is shown by the violent threats to their community. Some lose jobs because of their sexual identity. The only true way sexism will be eliminated is if society works on homophobia as well. 

[leannacherner]

The Social Constuction Of Sexuality

There is no true natural human sexuality. This is not a way to make our sexual feelings seem unnatural or obsence, but is actually an explanation of how society interprets sexuality  as socially acceptable forms of expression. Christianity created the idea that sex should only be for the procreation, but later became that sex can be used outside of procreation, but between married heterosexuals and then raise children to be asexual, but also raising them to explore themselves or really try to learn about sex to be informed. It is then thought that the “heterosexual” and “homosexual” category in unnecessary, and it is concluded that sexuality as a whole should not be a guide or a channel through how you go about your life. Gender should not be a factor in falling in love, because one falls in love with an individual, not their gender. Personally, I believe that gender is not a factor of love and people fall in love with an individual, not their sex or gender. I think gender is a label to make people have a sense of belonging in a personal issue like gender or sexuality. In my opinion, gender is nothing, but a label in society and is simply a way for people to feel ‘normal’ in a personal issue.