Ive here. Now that I have the TV on in my room, it’s hard to miss the way it actively promotes social values. Everyone should be smiling and happy, including people with very serious illnesses such as cancer from taking the right medication. Unless it’s an Asian ninja girl or a cop, women are supposed to be goofs when threatened by men, and the categories sometimes overlap. Then there’s economic information, such as the fact that nearly every middle-class TV character lives better than their salary can afford.

This article delves into the subtle social and economic message of the hit show Queer Eye. Frankly, I’ve never been a fan of makeover-themed shows because they lead hosts/producers to impose their tastes on the subject. There are plastic surgeons on this path who make their female patients look alike.

By: Sonali Kolhatkar, Founder, Host and Executive Producer “Rise with Sonali,” Television and radio programming on Free Speech Television and Pacifica Radio, as well as for national economy Project of the Independent Media Institute. Depend on. . .Production national economy, a project of the Independent Media Institute

When Netflix recently released Season 6 of its hit reality showqueer eye,” I eagerly watched all 10 episodes, savoring Tan France’s precise fashion sense, Bobby Berk’s jaw-droppingly elegant interiors, Karamo Brown’s witty and insightful personal advice, Antoni Porowski’s versatile kitchen skills, and of course There’s a lovely quirky makeover by Jonathan Van Ness.

The show was hugely popular, scoring a whopping 100% from critics rotten tomatoes Season 5, here are the latest ratings available, and 97.2% No. 1 among all reality TV shows in the country. Its five hosts are undoubtedly charming and endearing, nominate for and have won Several Emmys.

The Five Tigers filmed their latest season in Austin, Texas, a liberal haven in one of America’s most conservative states, and each episode focuses on a handful of Texans who were lucky enough to be chosen to personalize the show One of the most expensive life coaching courses. The first episode was filmed in March 2020, just as the initial lockdown triggered by the global pandemic was announced. Filming was suspended for a year and resumed in 2021, with subsequent episodes discovering many of the show’s “heroes,” dubbed “heroes,” who are grappling with the impact of the lockdown, which is part of the U.S. post-pandemic economy The epitome of inequality.

While the Five Tigers show extraordinary sympathy for their heroes – do we dare to call them the “victims” of American capitalism’s brutality? Why A small business owner may struggle so much to make ends meet that they forget to buy new clothes, wash their hair regularly, eat healthy, spend quality time with their family or socialize. Instead, there is an assumption that living the working poor on the brink of economic catastrophe is just a way of life, and that their lives will be greatly improved if these heroes are reminded of the importance of self-love.

In fact, the hosts of “Queer Eye” are a diverse mix of four queer men (two of whom are people of color) and one non-binary, which is in contrast to the Democratic Party and its ilk. The socially liberal, fiscally conservative ethos fit perfectly. In fact, OprahMag.com senior editor Jonathan Borger enthusiastically think “Netflix’s ‘Queer Eye’ is Actually Make America Great Again. “Queer Eye,” Borge claims, offers “what Americans from all walks of life crave: hope.” What this hope means is unclear – the hope that the country’s unfair economic system will magically repair itself?

Liberal fans of the show were delighted to see the Five Tigers embody the goals of conservative gender and racial hatred that Democratic leaders have eloquently defended. The Photogenic host champions LGBTQ rights and proudly proclaims Black Lives Matter, while remaining silent about the injustices of the economic system they often encounter as victims.

While having such a diverse representation on screen is absolutely crucial, the Five Tigers seem to have turned into an attractive screen supplier to predatory capitalism, helping to protect The Neoliberal Fantasy of the Clinton Democrats. Frustrated with your life? Just buy some new fashion and a built-in sofa, and your problems will go away—especially if you’re paying for Netflix.

Indeed, the master has his own heavily capitalized About the show’s reputation (who can blame them?).the site fashion business “The show takes a positive approach to issues like LGBTQ rights and Black Lives Matter, while selling millions of dollars in products, from makeup sticks to subscription boxes,” explained the company.

Self-care is incredibly expensive—another fact that’s been left unstated throughout the show, but it silently screams at viewers in every product-filled scene. While the price of things is never mentioned, we can safely assume that shopping at a custom clothing store, meticulously cutting and styling your hair at a boutique salon, enjoying one-on-one therapy sessions, and shopping at a health food store costs a lot of money. store and take the time to cook healthy meals based on whole foods. The most expensive was the magnificent home and office makeover that Queer Eye gave its heroes, eliciting awe in the audience. Many of the Season 6 winners also received new, state-of-the-art Apple computers as part of their remodeled homes and offices.

There is no doubt that the life of any average American would be significantly improved if they could get the full budget of an episode of Queer Eye to spend on their minds, bodies and families. The main difference between the lives of its heroes before and after is just money — and there’s a lot more.

Money is rarely, if ever, explicitly mentioned. Instead, Queer Eye casts its heroes as lucky people far from success, rather than often on the brink of financial ruin. Before 2020, Economic inequality is steadily rising Racial boundaries are especially stark in the United States, where black Americans have the lowest incomes and wealth compared to whites. The pandemic has exacerbated this already unfair situation, richest american Abnormally disproportionate benefits.

But in a world inhabited by Queer Eye, there is a meritocracy at work that creates a level playing field where hard workers can achieve the American Dream, while losers do so simply because they forgot to set the time Take care of yourself. The visit of Queer Eye’s fairy mother and father magically erased the struggle and perpetuated the myth of self-care as a panacea in the audience’s collective mind.

In fact, Queer Eye deliberately promotes the concept of the “deserving poor” (as opposed to the undeserving?).the show’s casting phone Season 6 is dedicated to “deserving people, couples, family, friends and colleagues within a 90-minute radius of Austin who can really benefit from ‘improving.'”

The idea that help should be given only to those who deserve it is at the heart of neoliberal economic thought.although Republicans Advocate for policies such as welfare work requirements, or drug test For housing assistance, some Democrats They also embraced the idea that those receiving government aid should prove they really deserve it. These are vague moral standards set by elites who may never have to worry about a rent bounce next month.

Indeed, all of Queer Eye’s heroes seem worthy of help. They work hard but often need to be reminded of the positive impact they have had on their family or community. Heroes of season six include advocates for homeless Austinites, health care workers who run clinics for low-income communities of color, founders of nonprofit shelters for special-needs animals, careers driven by the pandemic And a struggling rapper who cheated, a group of high school graduates from a low-income trade school who barely survived distance learning, and more. They’re the kind of people who would get the kind of support that government and social services need in a just society, or the kind of support that high wages can buy, so they don’t need the help that Queer Eye provides— Generosity is so generous that it’s unlikely to resemble winning the lottery.

Many of us can relate to the “Queer Eyes” hero because we’ve been in this situation before or now, wondering if we can pay next month’s bills, praying we stay healthy enough To avoid medical bankruptcy, to hope for a job offer with a decent wage, to wonder when and how we’ll pay off our student loans, or to forgo vacation because we can’t afford it.

While the issues facing the show’s heroes are all too relevant for most Americans, most of us will never be lucky enough to endure the week-long therapy sessions and the expensive lives of the Five Tigers Retrofit. So instead, we fantasize about Netflix’s enticing pabulum as we consume it.

I also found myself tempted to succumb to a fantasy if I could give myself a wonderful makeover that channeled the charm and confidence of the Five Tigers while chanting a silent “Yes, Queen!” Me in the mirror, I meet the demands of life. It’s a tempting concept to imagine that we should be successful because we work hard and play by the rules of American capitalism. Conversely, if we fail, we are certainly not worth it.If we don’t deserve help, then we Blame it, not the system that perpetuates inequality.

So why is it that reality TV’s job is to spread heartwarming joy and illuminate inequality in a bleak world? In fact, it’s not. But popular TV shows like “Queer Eye” have become part of maintaining the unfair status quo in the myth of maintaining the “deserving poor” and personal and expensive self-care as a panacea for poverty eradication.

Here’s a queer-eyed tip: the show’s protagonists had better acknowledge and address inequality as a deeply unfair and inherent feature of American capitalism, especially given that more Americans than ever Realize that the current system is blatantly manipulating against them.