‘Queer Eye’ stars discuss identity, culture at Bovard

Stars of Netflix’s Emmy award-winning reality anthology “Queer Eye” Jonathan Van Ness and Karamo Brown joined moderator JP Karliak for a conversation on gay identity and culture and their careers in entertainment at Bovard Auditorium on Saturday evening.

Sponsors of the event included the USC Speakers Committee, Student Assembly for Gender Empowerment, Queer & Ally Student Assembly among other culture and LGBTQ organizations.

Van Ness and Brown — who are the grooming and culture experts on the show, respectively — were met with an enthusiastic welcome from a packed auditorium of USC students, many of whom jumped out of their seats as the stars took the stage.

Karliak, a voiceover actor and alumnus of the USC School of Dramatic Arts, opened the conversation with praise for “Queer Eye” and asked Van Ness and Brown about the strides the show has made in queer representation. Brown thanked fans for contributing to the show’s success and reminded audience members of their power as consumers to demand improvements to on-screen diversity.

“When you go to a film and you don’t see people of different races, gender expressions, sexual orientations, or religions, that means you’re telling these executives that this is okay with us — and it’s not,” Brown said. “So understand [that] the power is literally in your pocket.”

Karliak breached the subject of how to balance reaching out to people who disagree with their political viewpoints while retaining respect for them. Van Ness said he could attest to such tense situations in his interactions with all sorts of clients as a hairstylist. Brown, who was previously a social worker and practicing psychotherapist, shared his insights and experiences.

“First, try to be an empathetic listener and then use that to guide the conversation in a way that can help us all grow,” Brown said.

Van Ness offered advice for how to deal with people who are not accepting of his identity as an openly gay individual, reminding the audience of the distinction that must be made in such situations.

“You have to remember which baggage is yours and what’s someone else’s,” Van Ness said.

The closeness of Van Ness and Brown’s friendship was apparent throughout the conversation, as they constantly butted in to compliment or affirm one another with an “amen” or “yas, queen.” When discussing sensitive topics, including Brown’s recent public admission that he had attempted suicide at age 26, Van Ness comfortingly placed a hand on Brown’s knee.

They discussed the importance of having a support system of fellow queers and allies, citing each other as examples in their own lives. Brown brought up how just on the car ride to USC, Van Ness distressed about a personal problem and Brown offered him constant affirmations: “I got you. I support you. I’m with you. I love you.”

Karliak asked why the pair had a particularly close working relationship, which they attributed to their disparate yet well-matched personalities.

“Karamo is genuinely inquisitive and caring and calm … from the screen to real life that’s very much the case,” Van Ness said.

“It’s funny because the opposite of me being very is someone [like Jonathan] who’s like, ‘This is me, baby, and you’re gonna love it no matter what,’” Brown said. “I think he and I are opposites ends on the spectrum … so when I see him I’m like, ‘Yeah, we would have totally dated before we both got married to our respective spouses.’”

“And I’m like, ‘Don’t you write a check you cannot cash, honey,’” Van Ness quibbed back to rampant laughter from the crowd.

After the talk, students participated in a Q&A session. They also brought up issues that are grappled with beyond and within the LGBTQ+ community such as the exclusion and erasure of certain sexual identities, with Van Ness saying he thinks transgender people are underrepresented on “Queer Eye.”

Student attendees were enthused by the stars’ presences but wanted to hear more about the show’s production as it enters its upcoming third season, which will take place in St. Louis after completing two seasons in Atlanta.

“It was exciting to see the stars of ‘Queer Eye’ in person and see how vibrant and true to the show their personalities were,” said Rudy Falagan, a sophomore majoring in fine arts, who attended the talk. “I did wish they talked about the show more critically and allowed for a more holistic discussion of the show and how to improve its message in the future.”

With regard to his vision for the future of “Queer Eye,” Brown said he wanted to see a more gender-inclusive Fab Five, a nickname for the show’s five stars which also comprises stylist Tan France, chef Antoni Porowski and designer Bobby Berk.

“Five men are not the arbiters of all things amazing … we need to tell network executives, with our dollars, that we want someone who identifies as trans, or as gender-queer,” Brown said.