How Queer Eye Helped Me Spring Clean My Life

The seasons are changing and finally we can say that spring weather is coming. We can put away our big long warm coats and sweaters and put on our light jackets or nothing at all. Now although this is the season to be spring cleaning and getting rid of clothes you haven’t worn in years and old shoes that are two sizes too small that you kept for sentimental value, instead I chose to spring clean something else, myself.

A couple weeks ago a good friend of mine got me into the Netflix series, Queer Eye. The show follows the fab five, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, Tan France, and Bobby Berk, as they help people, Heroes as they call them, by reinventing themselves though, new hairstyles, fashion that is comfortable for the Hero, home decor, new delicious foods, and better their self esteem and understanding their self worth.

Upon starting the show I originally wasn’t quite sure if it was something I would usually be into but always hearing it come up in conversations, media, and around campus I decided to listen to my friend and take a chance.

Minutes into watching the first episode I asked myself: Where have I been?

The Fab Five work with heros of all types, male female, transgender, lesbian, gay, straight, even helping two sister and they do it all out of goodness and kindness and only look to improve their heros and not take over and change them the way the Fab Five see fit but the ways the Hero’s see themselves.

Upon seeing and hearing the kind hearted words and inspiration of the Fab Five I started to take it to heart and bring their teaching into my own life.

Antoni – Food Can Help

Antoni Porowski, is the chief on board that teaches the Hero’s simple or some complex meals depending on the person’s prior cooking skills.

With Antoni he takes the time to learn about the person as well as take the time to teach them the best meal for them and their family for some. With Antonio I got to learn the new meals but in my own house I learned to try different meals and to not always go for the convenient microwave meals but to try and explore different meals as well.

One of the newer and fun meals I tried was a cucumber sandwich. Instead of bread I use half a cucumber and take out the middle. I then can put in cold cuts like cheese, turkey, ham, light mayo, etc.

When it comes to hair, beauty and grooming in general, Jonathan Van Ness is the one to call.

Jonathan – Self Care

Jonathan helps the Hero’s come into their true form with new hairstyles, beard styles for some, and even teaching some different facial care products that can help them feel better about oneself.

With Jonathan I never really understood how important it was or how stress relieving it will be to take the time and take better care of my face. I took the time to really focus on myself and destress while taking care of me. I decided to try the Innisfree Welcome Kit given to us from Her Campus in one of our survival kits. At the time I was hesitant since I’m so picky about what products I put on my face and in my skin. And to be honest I really liked it. The cremes were nice and when I first put it on I feared that it would clogged up my pores but it never did.

Tan – Clothing is Confidence

Overtime we become comfortable with our clothing or we feel like certain types of clothing may not look good or flattering on us. Tan France has taught each Hero certain colors, patterns, companies, etc. that are flattering as well as different ways that they can express themselves. Besides teaching us all about the French Tuck, Tan taught us and people like me that there is no one way or one company that knows me but multiple companies and some less expensive companies that can me feel good and flattering and don’t have to break the bank too.

Bobby – Clean Space Clean Mind

I don’t spend a lot of time at home since I practically live on campus six days of the week. So on my Saturdays when I don’t have work or class and as I have mentioned before, I made Saturdays Me Days. Being so tired from being on campus six of those days I choose to make Saturdays my rest day and I never put too much attention onto how my room was until I had spring break and was able to be home more than a day at a time. Noticing how messy my desk as well as my bed had become was an awakening for me.

I was able to carve out some time and start to throw out some old school work, reorganize my textbooks and notebooks and able to make my desk a workable and functional workstation.

Karamo – You are Loved and Deserve

Karamo Brown is known as the culture guy on the show but he does alot more. Having a background in Social Work and Psychotherapy he is able to get to the root of a problem one of the hero’s are having and can work from the ground up and get the Hero the best version of themselves and make them feel confidence in themselves knowing who they are or who they strive to be.  

With each hero there was a moment that everyone was able to relate to. If it was defining your own versions of being a women or defining your culture or even learning to break down your own personal barriers. Each person has their own struggle that even viewers are able to relate to and can learn from themselves. I learned more from Karamo and the Hero’s that I was able to bring into my own life and help curve the way I think about people or even myself.

One person in particular was in Season 3 Episode 5: Black Girl Magic, the Fab Five met Jess, a young openly lesbian women who was living in a small home with her best friend who nominated her. Jess was adopted and when she was a teen she came out to her adopted parents. Unfortunately her parents didn’t accept her and told her to leave their house and since then she had a strained or little to none communication with her parents. One of the challenges that she had was that for the longest time she didn’t know how a ‘black girl’ was supposed to be. She mentions that she has had a long and hard struggle with how she identifies herself and how she felt that she should act.

For me this is something that I struggle with as well. I too am adopted and have always and still struggle with my spanish side of me. I don’t know many spanish people and only knew how society has represented us. Going into high school and especially in college now seeing many different types of spanish people I know that there is no one way that I should act, speak or dress.

I didn’t realize at first how good the show was and how important it would be to me. With the help of Antoni, Jonathan, Tan, Bobby, and Karamo I have learned different ways to make delicious food, trying new night time remedies, being more confident in my clothing and apparel, cleaning up my room or even learning how to love and appreciate myself more. I have noticed that I am more confident, my calm and less anxious, and more appreciative of  my body, mind and soul.

• new me
• Queer Eye
• spring cleaning