“Queer Eye Germany” new on Netflix
Feeling good in German living rooms: “It’s a matter of life and death”
These are the German Fab 5 at “Queer Eye Germany”: David Jakobs, Jan-Henrik Scheper-Stuke, Aljosha Muttardi, Ayan Yuruk and Leni Bolt
© Netflix
Netflix is launching a German offshoot of “Queer Eye”: The make-over show provides touching moments just as reliably as the US model. But why do we need a German version? the stern spoke to three of the new “Fab Five”.
It’s one of the few programs that reliably touches the heart: With “Queer Eye” Netflix has a long-running favorite that moves viewers to tears. Now the makeover show has got a German branch, and with it its own “Fab Five” – that’s what the moderation team calls itself, consisting of five queer people who turn the life of a hero*ine inside out from hairstyle to interior in every episode. For example, that of a teenager who, as an orphan, feels lost in everyday life. Or that of the single father who sleeps in football bedding and wants a date once more. Or that of the gay soccer coach who is afraid of coming out.
At first glance, “Queer Eye” is a makeover show with a lot of good humor, but it comes with a political message. And that’s exactly why it fills a gap in this country too. “It’s important to also have a representative office in the German-speaking area and to normalize things like queerness and to say: It doesn’t matter how you are or want to be – you’re great. So that we can also bring this feeling of well-being into German living rooms,” it describes Aljosha Muttardi, who is responsible for health issues on the German show as a trained doctor. David Jakobs sees just how necessary this is from the negative comments that cavorted under their Netflix introduction video. “It was a confirmation that we still have so much to do. Only when we educate a lot more and change something for future generations can people like us do really well,” says Jakobs, who prefers the pronouns she/her and takes care of the topic of beauty at “Queer Eye Germany”.
Discrimination in everyday life: That’s why “Queer Eye Germany” is relevant
Non-binary people still face a lot of hostility and intolerance. “In Germany we experience discrimination in everyday life,” says Leni Bolt, pronoun she/her, who as a work/life coach at “Queer Eye Germany” is responsible for the well-being of the heroes. “Especially people who are obviously queer, like David and I, for example. That can be at the post office, where I have to show the ID card that still has my dead name on it “These are moments that the majority of society doesn’t think regarding, but which are super stressful for us. That’s why Germany can use tutoring and hopefully we can give a push,” she says.
The recent scandal surrounding the AfD politician Beatrix von Storch, who made disparaging comments in the Bundestag regarding the Green MP and trans woman Tessa Ganserer, showed how necessary this push is. “It’s really a matter of life and death. That sounds so blatant, but queer people and especially people who have been discriminated once morest multiple times have a significantly higher rate of depression and suicide. That’s why this thing that happened with Tessa Ganserer can, for some people a death sentence. Because it can be traumatizing when people see it and are reminded of how little they are accepted and wanted by parts of society,” emphasizes Muttardi.
The American “Queer Eye” regularly addresses difficult topics such as racism, homophobia and transphobia, addiction or religion. But that was not always so. The original aired on American TV for the first time in 2003. At that time, “Queer Eye” still played heavily with the stereotype that gay men are particularly well versed in questions of style. The Fab Five of the time initially only styled straight men, giving the clichéd bitchy homosexuals. With a reboot in 2018, Netflix then approached a bolder, more political variant. The new American “Queer Eye” stars around Tan France and Jonathan van Ness are now considered the mouthpiece of the LGBTQI community and also express themselves politically.
“Queer Eye Germany” can build on this point – and yet the team knows that some things are different in Germany. “In general, as Germans, we are much more reserved. We had moments like this when we roll into a home: In the USA it’s loud and rioting – and we tend to ask first: May I hug you? That’s a huge difference,” says Jakobs.
A strength of the show – both in the US and in the German version – is that the “Fab Five” are willing to open up emotionally and also to talk regarding themselves personally. That can be very emotional, says Bolt. They would often have processed the shooting together followingwards, as a team. By the way, nothing is scripted. “The show also lives from that: that you empathize and it feels real,” says Muttardi.
“Queer Eye Germany” will be available on Netflix from March 9th
