In case you don’t know who I am or why you should be reading this blog in the first place, let’s do a basic intro:
My name is Diego and I’m the newest member of the ChatterBlast family. You’ll probably find me at any point creating visual content for our clients, editing photos from an event, or even an occasional facetune for a specific coworker (you know who you are).
So now that you know who I am, let’s get back to the reason you clicked this post in the first place. We can start with a couple of basic questions:
Do you ever find yourself reading the comments your friends leave each other on their latest Instagram posts?
Have you found yourself interacting with your friends more on social media than you do in real life?
If you answered yes to both, then you might have a lot in common with a specific quintet of friends.
Things are about to get FABULOUS
If you haven’t seen it yet (which I don’t know how you wouldn’t have unless you live under a rock), Netflix has released a new version of the critically acclaimed reality show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, or as it is now known, Queer Eye. If you’re like me and binge watched the entire season in one take, you might have found yourself wanting more from the Fab 5. It turns out you’re in luck since you can follow/stalk them on Instagram!
Obviously. It’s 2018 – everyone stalks everyone on Instagram.
We’ve got Tan France @tanfrance, Karamo Brown @karamobrown, Antoni Porowski @antoni,Jonathan Van Ness @jvn and Bobby Berk @bobbyberk. The whole gang!
At this point you’re probably asking yourself “Great. They’re on social. What else is new? What are they doing that is different???”
Well here’s the thing: they aren’t that different at all – and that’s exactly what makes them special.
Here’s why.
Can you believe?
Check out the casts’ pages. One thing you may notice right away is how much love they spread to each other’s posts.
It’s not just a simple double tap, either. The cast is constantly interacting with one another in the comments. This is where the marketing comes in.
Are they genuinely commenting on each others posts out of interest and friendship? Are they truly as close in real life as they are in the show? Maybe it’s written into their contract to interact with each other to add another layer of realism to what we see on screen?
Woah. Makes you think.
Lets go a little deeper and take a look at some of these interactions.
Like hello! This basically sounds like a conversation my friends would have on our own photos. It’s that context right there that makes you really question, if only briefly, the authenticity of these interactions. Are they really friends outside of filming? I sure would like to think so!
Let’s dive into some more:
We all have that one friend we follow that’s a thirst trap. There is no exception to this even if you are on a Netflix Original television show. I think I can hear Kim Kardashian quaking in the distance.
Fun fact about Tan: He didn’t want to be on the show because he doesn’t like getting his photo taken or being in front of a camera… Yeah, we all have that friend that says they’re camera shy but get 67K likes on their selfie.
And here we see a more intimate moment between two cast members, they could have just left us with the image and we would of been content but Jonathan had to throw in that extra feels in those comments. This post feels like one of the most authentic things I’ve seen between cast members of any show.
But again…. Is it real???
The last example is the cutest. Simply in the fact that they don’t even know Bobby’s significant other like they know him, but still express their love is heartwarming.
Yes, queen!
Ok, so now that we’ve seen some of these interactions, we’ve got a clearer idea of the real friendship seemingly maintained even when cameras aren’t rolling. They make themselves more approachable and relatable.
Here’s the thing: By having these interactions with one another and giving their friendship an additional layer of visibility beyond the show, it in turn extends the magic of the show beyond what we are limited to in a single season on Netflix.
It keeps the conversation going, reminding you to Google at least twice a day “when does season 2 of Queer Eye come out?”
So are they really this close of friends or are they just marketing their show?
Truthfully, I’d like to think that it’s a combination of both.
They’re being smart by using all of these tools and possibilities that they provide to keep their fans happy which, in the end, results in more people talking about the show and more people requesting more seasons.
In the current age of social media being the core of a lot of peoples’ social interaction, the Fab 5 (and even maybe Netflix) have clearly taken note.
I’ll leave you with this: Next time you’re scrolling through your feed and you see Bobby, Tan, Jonathan, Karamo, or Antoni posted a photo, keep an eye out for all the banter among these five people that became friends by helping people love themselves for who they are.
