On today's very special episode of I'm Obsessed With This, Bobby chats with Queer Eye's Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, and Tan France. Everyone seems to be obsessed with their show, but what are they obsessed with? And how has becoming the object of people's obsessions changed their lives? Learn all that and more–including the story behind Tan's instantly iconic belt and why you should all be using #QueerEyeSwitch–during their revealing conversation. But before that, Christine Friar updates us on the latest installment of her obsession: Terrace House. Skip segments you'd like to keep spoiler-free with these handy time codes. (But wait, why on EARTH would you want to skip Bobby, Karamo, and Tan?!) Terrace House: 1:50 - 3:35 Queer Eye: 5:11 - 38:26 Call 754-CALL-BOB and share your current obsessions, and we may discuss it on a future episode! Once again, it's 754-CALL-BOB.
On today's very special episode of I'm Obsessed With This, Bobby chats with Queer Eye's Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, and Tan France. Everyone seems to be obsessed with their show, but what are they obsessed with? And how has becoming the object of people's obsessions changed their lives? Learn all that and more–including the story behind Tan's instantly iconic belt and why you should all be using #QueerEyeSwitch–during their revealing conversation. But before that, Christine Friar updates us on the latest installment of her obsession: Terrace House.
Skip segments you'd like to keep spoiler-free with these handy time codes. (But wait, why on EARTH would you want to skip Bobby, Karamo, and Tan?!)
Terrace House: 1:50 - 3:35
Queer Eye: 5:11 - 38:26
Call 754-CALL-BOB and share your current obsessions, and we may discuss it on a future episode!
Once again, it's 754-CALL-BOB.
[Music]
Bobby: Welcome to I’m Obsessed With This, a Netflix podcast about the shows and films everyone seems to be talking about and why. As usual, we’ll be having spoiler filled discussions on all titles, although this one’s just about Queer Eye. I don’t know how much you could actually spoil about Queer Eye, but I feel like some people want to know anyway. So, just check the time codes for when we start talking about Queer Eye and you can stop. Although, I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to listen to this. Because it’s great, right Christine? It’s great.
Christine: It’s great.
Bobby: But they’re going to be in the show notes as always with time stamps. I am your host, Bobby Finger and I am joined today by writer, Christine Friar, you heard her in the first episode, she’s here again.
Christine: I’m back, you guys.
Bobby: She’s a Queer Eye fan. Who isn’t, these days?
Christine: You know, I couldn’t tell you. What a delight.
Bobby: This episode is entirely devoted to an interview between myself, Karamo Brown, Tan France and Bobby Berk.
(Audio clip from interview)
Tan: Is it because we were the only cast willing to do it? Say yes.
Bobby: No, it’s because, you know what, you should edit that out.
Bobby: Yeah, my favorite thing about them is that they’re all exactly what I expected them to be. Which is very weird. It’s weird to be un-surprised by someone. To just get exactly what you expect.
Christine: Especially from, like, a reality series where you assume aspects of it are, like, produced, or, like –
Bobby: Heightened, yeah.
Christine: …exaggerated, like, they edited it to make them seem a certain way, but it’s, like, oh, no, Karamo’s a delight.
Bobby: Karamo’s, Karamo’s giving me advice. Karamo’s making me feel very important and special. Tan is making me feel fashionable, Bobby is making me feel like adult Bobby’s are okay.
Christine: Just naturally.
Bobby: It was just a very sweet experience, but before we go into that, Christine, what have you been watching recently?
Christine: Oh my gosh, what a question. I just caught up on all the new episodes of Terrace House, actually. They had, like, a new –
Bobby: I saw that. Those are…
Christine: …batch drop. And the thing that I’ve been noticing, or, like, I was texting friends about as I was watching last night, is this, like, aspect to the show where people, as the episodes go up now, in Terrace House, on Netflix, the people living in the Terrace House house have Netflix in the house. So, they can watch the episodes of their season as they go live and then people are, like, working that back into the plot. Like, they’ll be, like, oh, I saw in your episode that you said x, y and z to Bobby, but when you talk to me about it, you said a, b, c.
Bobby: Oh.
Christine: So, that hasn’t been a factor in previous installments and it’s really changing the nature of the show.
Bobby: Netflix is part of the narrative now.
Christine. Yes.
Bobby: That’s wild.
Christine: And, like, watching TV together is something that all of the paired off couples are starting to do as, like, a flirt, like, everybody’s Netflix and chilling in the house now where they used to have to be, like, I really like eating pancakes. Do you want to go to the pancake store with me? And now, they’re just kind of like, want to, like, watch something in the family room?
Bobby: I hear the new season of The OA is out, want to watch?
Christine: Yes.
Bobby: Oh, I love Brit Marling, cool.
Christine: And then they, like, kiss while they’re watching The OA and you’re, like, cool.
Bobby: Cool.
Christine: It’s the sweetest, most, like, wholesome show. It’s just, like, literally the girl who has the tension about watching Netflix this season, her whole arc is like, I’ve never kissed a boy before, and so she’s, like, kind of trying to protect that arc as she’s having a romantic thing. But then, like, her beef with other people, like, plays into the fact that she doesn’t want to talk about her romantic life on the show. In a way, that’s new.
Bobby: That’s sweet. I’m currently watching, I’m not done with it, The OA season two.
Christine: Oh, that just came out, right?
Bobby: Just came out on Friday. Have you, did you watch the first season?
Christine: I watched the pilot but not the rest of it, so, I don’t really know.
Bobby: It’s wild. Brit Marlin and the co-creator Zal Batmanglij have this very specific vision that’s just, like, extremely beautiful. Even if you don’t know what’s happening, which, in the first episode of the new season it’s, like, brand new people and so you’re sort of, like, am I watching the wrong episode?
Christine: Okay.
Bobby: But even then it’s just so lush and beautiful that it’s like, instantly mysterious and gorgeous.
Christine: It sounds like really tense subject matter or, like, really, like, difficult to access subject matter and then, like, presented in the most relaxed soothing way possible, sort of.
Bobby: Soothing and, like, profound and beautiful and so, it’s like –
Christine: That’s great.
Bobby: …it’s overwhelming in a peaceful way. You know, it’s, like, it hits doing both of things at once.
Christine: It’s challenging you and it’s relaxing. You’re enjoying yourself, but you’re thinking.
Bobby: It’s really nice. But, why are we talking about this. We want to talk to the Queer Eye cast members. So, let’s skip over to the interview with Karamo Brown, Tan France and Bobby Berk that I had last week in a beautiful hotel in the Park Hyatt. We sat around a coffee table on, like, a sectional, I wasn’t on the couch though.
Christine: Which park were you near?
Bobby: Central.
Christine: Oh.
Bobby: I know, such a beautiful hotel. I was, like, wow, if only.
Christine: The views.
Bobby: They were, like, oh, we have to go to our other hotel that was also beautiful. And I was, like, I’m going back home to my apartment Bed Stuy. I’m, like, I’m fine, I’m going to take the C. But let’s move on to that and talk about what they’re obsessed with and why people are obsessed with them.
Bobby: I am sitting here with the cast of Queer Eye. I have Karamo Brown with me, Bobby Berk right across from me and Tan France right there. The show is called, I’m just going to remind you what you’re here for because, I know you all have very busy schedules. You might not even know that there’s a podcast.
Tan: We totally knew what we were here for, so (inaudible 00:05:26)
Karamo: Yeah.
(crossover talk 00:05:26)
Bobby: This show, this show is called I’m Obsessed With This. We typically have just comedians, fans, writers, talk about the shows that they are watching, that they love, that everyone else is really obsessed with and they tell us why. But this is the first time we have the objects of people’s obsessions in the studio which is very fun.
Tan: Is it because we were the only cast willing to do it? Say yes.
Bobby: No, it’s because, you know what?
Tan: You can edit that out.
Bobby: I wanted, I wanted the three of you specifically. Though I have to say I was really excited that Bobby said yes, because I rarely meet adult Bobby’s. And, so, I was, like…
Bobby B: Ahh. But is your name, actually, Bobby.
Bobby: No, I was going to ask you that. I’m Robert.
Bobby B: It is. Mine is actually Bobby.
Bobby: I went by Robert only in college and then I d--, because I wanted to sound more adult. And then I graduated –
Bobby B: Now you go by Robby?
Bobby: …this sucks. No, I’m a Bobby. So.
Bobby B: I do have to say, though, that people take it upon themselves to assume my name is not, actually, Bobby, which gets quite annoying.
Bobby: Do you ever go by Bob?
Bobby B: No.
Karamo: The ironic part is, that’s what I call him.
Bobby: You call him Bob?
Bobby B: Yeah, he’s the only one that says that.
Karamo: I call him Bob.
Bobby: I’ve grown to love Bob.
Tan: I love...
Karamo: I’m the only one he allows to call him Bob –
Bobby B: Don’t like it.
Karamo: …just like, Tan’s the only person I allow to call me KK.
Tan: Hm-hmm. (affirmative)
Bobby: Really?
Karamo: I do not allow anyone else…
Bobby: That’s it?
Bobby B: I call you KK every once in awhile.
Karamo: I let it...
Bobby: I feel like that’s not allowed.
(crossover talk 00:06:40)
Karamo: Yeah, Tan is the only one that I allow to call me KK.
Tan: I can take, I like, I’ve liked being the only one that says it, but I do love calling you KK. I think it sounds adorable.
Karamo: Yeah.
Tan: The funny thing is, though, that’s not his initials, so, I’ve always found that weird.
Karamo: That is my initials. KK, Karamo Karega. That’s my first and middle name.
Tan: I thought it was…
Bobby B: I thought your middle name was Ann.
Karamo: No, you call me Karamo…
Bobby B: I’ve always called you Karamo Ann Brown.
Karamo: No.
Bobby B: When he’s in trouble.
Tan: Oh, man.
Karamo: But the reason I allow Tan to do it is because when I was growing up, I had, I didn’t have an appreciation of my name because I grew up in predominately white neighborhoods, I felt different and Tan is the only one with a very special name as well. And, so, I appreciate him because we’ve had similar, I don’t want to say struggles, but challenges of owning our names, knowing that our names are beautiful and so, when he calls me KK, it doesn’t bring back these feelings of, like, shame, it feels like a friend calling me KK.
Tan: (inaudible 00:07:30)
Bobby B: I was also tortured by name when I was little. I was called Boobie and Barbie and…
Tan: And that’s why we call you Roberta now.
Karamo: Exactly.
Bobby B: But I love that. It makes me sound powerful.
Bobby: My last name is Finger, so I was tortured for that more than – They, like, ignored the Bobby aspect...
Bobby B: Oh, I’m sure. Robert Finger?
Bobby: Yeah, and they were, they just went, they latched onto Finger.
Tan: I’m so sorry, I know that this is not okay, but I would have tortured you with that name.
Bobby: No, it’s fine. Everyone would have.
Bobby B: Tan is the worst.
Bobby: The most saintly among us would have tortured me for that name and it’s totally fine. I want to just begin asking, I know we had, sort of, a pre-conversation where I was just overhearing, but what are some shows just to sort of get, just to get the conversation going.
Karamo: I can tell you the one that I’ve been…
Bobby: Shows that you are obsessed with right now.
Karamo: Okay, yeah. The one that I binged this past weekend, literally, was a brand new Netflix show, it actually premiered the same day as season three of Queer Eye, which is Turn Up Charlie. And it...
Bobby: Oh, the Idris Elba one, yeah.
Karamo: Yeah. It stars Idris Elba, but Idris Elba is not the star of this show. There is a little girl who I am obsessed with. She is the daughter of Idris’ best friend who is precocious and she just says anything out of her mouth. I wish I was producing a Disney show because her archetype of a character is what I wish kids would follow. She’s rebellious and she does need guidance, but she also, she stays away from drugs, she stays- , I mean, but in a very real way. I just love her.
Bobby: That’s a comedy, right, like…
Karamo: It’s a comedy, yeah, no, it’s great. The show is a comedy, it’s really funny, the show’s amazing, Idris is just great to look at, I mean, he’s just sexy for no reason. The whole cast is great. I mean, I literally binge all eight episodes in a matter of, like, a couple hours because I still wanted more.
Bobby: Do you find that it’s hard to make time to watch shows and, like, when you watch them, do you prefer to binge them just because you have, like, short bursts of time or do you scatter them out mostly?
Karamo: Well, I think that’s the reason most people binge is because they have a shorter period of time and they just know they can get them out. If I, if there’s ever a show that I scatter out and I do one here, one there, that means I’m not really that interested. The beauty of what, like, Netflix does, is that it allows us to say, oh my gosh, I want more and I want to consume it now. You know, it feeds to that, that desire. And so, if there’s ever a show that I’m like, oh, I don’t need to watch more of this, then it’s most likely I’m not going to go back.
Bobby B: I recently have started to love The Love Wagon.
Bobby: What is The Love Wagon?
Bobby B: I at first thought it was one of the stupidest things I’d ever seen and I’d watch my husband watching it and I’m like, uh, because I’m usually always, like, working on my phone while the TV is on, so watching something that’s subtitled, I will like will look away for two minutes and then not know what’s going on. But The Love Wagon is a Japanese based show and it is a show where they put a group of, I want to say eight or nine people, half male, half female, and they put them on these trips around the world in this pink love wagon trying to find someone in the group that they’ll fall in love with. And let’s say that Tan and I are on this love wagon and I’ve realized that I am madly in love with Tan and I want Tan –
Tan: I knew you’d use something to declare your undying love.
Bobby B: … I want Tan to come back to Japan with me and start a life. So, the next day I go to Tan and I’m like, “Tan-san, I love you, everything about you from your sushi shaped nose to your pretty little eyes…
Tan: Tell me more, Bobby-san.
Bobby B: … makes me want to love you. And here is a plane ticket to go back to Japan with me. So, tell me tomorrow, think about it, don’t rush,” and you usually only say that when you can see in their eyes that they’re really not into it. Oh, take your time. And then the next day, when Tan tells me that he indeed does not feel the same way I do, I have to go home to Japan by myself and he gets to stay and keep trying.
Bobby: So, you have to leave the love wagon?
Bobby B: You have to leave the love wagon if your love is not reciprocated.
Bobby: Oh no.
Bobby B: So, it’s, it’s, it’s kind of sad.
Bobby: It sounds gentle. It sounds like a Terrace House sort of way, sweet.
Bobby B: I mean, I mean, yes. They’re Japanese, so they’re so gentle and sweet about it. But yeah, you’re, like, rooting for them and, there’s this guy named Tom and cries about everything. Anytime somebody leaves, Tom, like, literally bawls.
Bobby: Sensitive Tom.
Tan: Japanese (inaudible 00:11:56).
Bobby B: It’s, yeah. Japanese, he must be a Pisces, too.
Karamo: I will say this, I’ve never seen the show, but I do think it’s something special about a show that shows the real need and desire for human connection. And the fact that sometimes we are rejected and that rejection does not kill you or hurt you, it actually is a tool that you can use to grow.
Tan: It’s Queer Eyes (inaudible 00:12:18).
Karamo: It’s what I do, baby.
Bobby: Karamo’s like, bringing exactly what we wanted. And we got it.
Karamo: Oh, okay, all right, well –
Bobby: It’s like, this is…
Tan: I said go…
Karamo: Tan brought what they wanted , too. Did you not hear that snarky comment at the beginning? That’s our Tan.
Tan: I bring you Tan (inaudible 00:12:36).
Karamo: Okay.
Bobby: What are you watching, Tan?
Tan: Oo, there’s a few things.
Karamo: You better say Queer Eye.
Tan: Do they have to be, like, Netflix originals?
Bobby: No.
Tan: Okay.
Karamo: You better say Queer Eye. Now what were you watching the other day about the, the, in Plain Sight, the Lost in Plain Sight?
Bobby: Lost in Plain Sight.
Bobby B: Really, God, you were really getting into that. Yeah, there it was.
(crossover talk 00:12:49)
Tan: I am obsessed with Abducted in Plain Sight. It’s insane. So, it’s a documentary. I do love a good documentary. I love Abducted in Plain Sight because the story is wild. And I live in Salt Lake City, so I’m obsessed with the Mormon culture. It just blows my mind. I can see how it happened. This, if you haven’t seen it, it’s, in my opinion, the show of the, the documentary of the year to watch. I know everybody’s going on about Michael Jackson, but we all know that story already. However, this one is just out of this world. This person managed to get abducted twice by the same person whilst in the same home. Like, that’s insane.
Bobby: I hate laughing at it. It’s just so absurd. It’s so awful.
Tan: But it’s so absurd it’s funny.
Bobby B: As Aaron Walker would say, that’s funny.
Tan: It’s true. But it gets, yeah, and it’s funny because it’s true. Okay, so many more, I can’t stop at just one. I’ll give you Cliff’s Notes on all of them. The Fix, there’s a guy called Jimmy Carr who’s very famous in England. I think he’s just making it here in the U.S.
Karamo: His laugh, oh.
Tan: So funny. And the show is topical, it’s interesting, I really enjoy the show. You asked Karamo why do you think people are binging. That was a show that I binged within a couple of days and it wasn’t because I didn’t have time, I just enjoyed it that much. And, if I like something that much…
Karamo: Oh, you spread it out over a couple of days?
Tan: No. Mm-mmm. (negative) I just didn’t have enough time in one day, but I insist on binging it within a weekend just because I loved it that much. If, and I do love that about a binge-worthy show, I could, or, like a streaming service, because I get to watch whenever I want and I don’t have to wait for it. Wait, I’ve got a couple more. The Crown? Obsessed. Like, full on obsession. I am positive that Claire Foy has put out a restraining order against me at this point.
Bobby B: I helped her go to the courthouse and get it.
Tan: Right. So, rightly, because it was becoming ridiculously obsessive. However, I was hesitant about Olivia Colman playing the Queen going forward. But then I was reminded of her exceptional talent in The Favorite, so, now absolutely she’s more worthy than anyone. I’m also loving The Great British Baking Show. I’ve been obsessed with it since it first came out in the U.K., like, nine years ago. And there’s kind of a spin off version of it called The Great Family Cooking Show or The Big Family Cooking Show, which is also fantastic. There you go. There are mine.
Bobby: Do you understand how they have time to watch all these shows?
Bobby B: No.
Bobby: You were just saying that you can’t make the time.
Bobby B: I, I actually really don’t.
Tan: I use flight. I truly do, we fly so much, I use flights. That, L.A. to New York or Salt Lake to New York is at least five hours. I can get most of my shows in in that time.
Karamo: I’m the oldest of the group, so, I’m from the 90’s and I like appointment TV. And I, I find time for TV. Bobby actually makes fun of me because I just set up cable in my new house and I asked for a DVR.
Bobby B: She has a DVR.
Bobby: Wow. Still?
Karamo: Why not?
Bobby B: And so, and so much so, he’s okay with living with the fact that the cable has to go across the threshold in the door of his beautiful new home.
Bobby: You can’t hide it? Can Bobby, like, come in and, like, hide the cables?
(crossover talk 00:15:45)
Bobby B: Right? Would hide the cable, but cutting it?
Tan: I also like, I’m sorry, I also like a DVR, I do.
Karamo: Thank you, Tan.
Tan: I really, really do. I really do.
Karamo: DVR’s are everything.
Tan: I know, I really, really, but also, let’s not neg-- neglect Terrace House. I’ve just started it and I find it very interesting. I hadn’t heard of it until we got out to Japan and one of their team told me about it and I thought, oh, I’m, I’m not into that kind of reality show, but it’s very, very good.
Karamo: I think we got a lightbulb.
Bobby B: I, I loved The Travelers. What’s the guy from Will and Grace? Will?
Bobby: Eric McCormick.
Karamo: Eric McCormick. So, it’s a Sci-Fi show, really, really good. I’m obsessed with Sci-Fi stuff. Lost in Space cannot wait for the new season to come out. I know they just finished filming it in Vancouver. Are we still talking about things we’re obsessed with?
Bobby: Yeah. It doesn’t have to be TV shows. What are you obsessed with?
Bobby B: I mean, I loved Marco Polo, too, but it, it’s gone.
Karamo: Right now, I’m obsessed with Bobby’s beard. I can’t stop touching it.
Bobby: So it’s like a, it’s like a very gentle, he’s, he’s ignoring it, it’s so gentle.
Karamo: Well, because I touch his beard, yeah, it feels…
Bobby B: Oh, I’m used to it.
Bobby: It’s more like a pet.
Karamo: So, some people’s beards grow very, like, mines, is tough. And Bobby’s is very soft. And my fiancé’s beard is not soft. So, like, when he kisses me, I’m always like, ugh, cut your beard. But I like Bobby’s.
Tan: You’re a really good person. You’re probably going to heaven.
Karamo: I know. I try.
Bobby: It looks, you’re both getting something out of this.
Karamo: We are.
Bobby: You’re, like, very soothed by, you’re soothed by it. It’s nice. I’m soothed by it, honestly.
Karamo: See?
Bobby: This is nice.
Karamo: I’m also obsessed with Miss. Vangie. Miss Vangie.
Bobby: Yeah, I was going say, I’m like, is this an international podcast?
Karamo: Miss Vangie.
(crossover talk 00:17:16)
Karamo: Totally obsessed.
Bobby: You can download anywhere there’s internet. Yeah, sure.
Bobby B: We are totally obsessed by the fact that when we are outside of America, we can watch Rupaul’s Drag Race on Netflix.
Bobby: Oh, right.
Bobby B: And watch current episodes.
Bobby: That’s nice.
Bobby B: And Star Trek.
Karamo: You better stop throwing shade to our boss.
Bobby B: I’m not.
Karamo: Guess who cuts our check.
Bobby B: I’m not.
Karamo: Okay.
Tan: Bobby doesn’t cut our check.
Bobby B: Those are on Netflix.
Bobby: I don’t think those checks are stopping any time soon as far as I can tell.
Bobby B: Do you know something?
Bobby: Oh, I don’t know anything.
Bobby B: Do we have another season? If you, do we get another season?
Bobby: I don’t, I have no idea.
Karamo: Oh, oh ,oh.
Bobby B: You kind of said that in confidence
Bobby: I’m sorry, how could you not.
Karamo: Oh, oh, oh. Russian Doll.
Bobby: Oh, Russian Doll.
Bobby B: Oh, I saw that.
Bobby: Are you, what are you looking through? Are you looking through your watch…
Bobby B: I’m looking through my view history.
Karamo: So, I, so, I watched actually the Russian Doll when I was in Japan and the lead actor is, first of all, just about as sexy as you can get. And then, secondly, I love this concept of what would happen if you had an opportunity to relive the same day and figure out how to make the mistakes that you couldn’t solve right again. I think there’s something interesting about that concept because I think we would all like a redo in so many different areas of our lives.
Bobby: Yeah, I think that’s one of the main reasons people love it, because they are imagining themselves in her shoes. Like, what would I do different today?
Karamo: Definitely.
Bobby B: In Russian Doll.
Bobby: I like that I’m not even telling them to, like, compliment Netflix as much as possible. I didn’t even say that.
Bobby B: You did. He did.
Bobby: Download it.
Bobby B: You did. This is great.
Tan: To be fair, okay…
Karamo: To be fair, we know who write our checks.
Tan: And also, I am, I have, I’m a younger person, but –
Bobby B: Girl.
Tan: ...on the outside, but inside, I am absolutely grandma…
Bobby B: Girl.
Tan: I am absolutely grandma.
Karamo: Girl, you grey too, you grandma. Especially on the outside.
Bobby B: You’re the third oldest, first of all, this is, let’s be very clear. The three people here are –
Tan: The eldest.
Bobby B: … the eldest out of (inaudible 00:18:52).
Tan: But this is the order. It goes…
Bobby B: It, it is the order it goes in.
Bobby: Is Antoni youngest?
Tan: No.
Karamo: No, Jonathan.
Bobby B: No, Jonathan.
Bobby: Oh, Jon, Jonathan, Antoni…
Bobby B: Yeah.
Karamo: Jonathan is who I, I like to consider him a toddler with a hand gun.
Bobby: Oh.
Tan: He would not like that reference.
Bobby B: Oh my God. He’s going to, oh God.
Karamo: You do not have to cut that out.
Bobby: Okay. Okay.
Tan: Keep, I insist.
Bobby: Back in.
Tan: I didn’t realize you could download shows and it was actually Jo – Jon Levy who said, wait, our shows are downloadable, I said, what are you talking about?
Bobby B: Jon Levy is one of the vice presidents of Netflix.
Bobby: Oh, okay.
Tan: And, yeah, I had no idea until literally six months ago. And now, that is the reason I don’t need the screen on my Delta flights because I watch it all on my phone.
Bobby B: I saw someone…
Karamo: And, and we all fly so much that there’s nothing left.
Tan: There’s nothing left.
Karamo: First of all, can I just let you all know this? Everyone who is listening, just so you know, I am the most professional out of the three of these, because yet –
Tan: Lies
Bobby B: Excuse me?
Karamo: … have they had to touch, they have not had to touch my mic., because...
Bobby: That’s true.
Bobby B: Because you are also sitting in a corner of a sofa –
Karamo: No, no, no, no.
Bobby B: … where you don’t have to move side to side.
Karamo: No, it’s because every time I want to make a point, I turn my head back to the mic. So, let’s just really (inaudible 00:19:57)
Bobby B: You know what, I have a point to make. Karamo is a lovely young man.
Karamo: Thank you.
Tan: I know, clearly, such a dweeb. Such a dweeb.
Bobby B: You know what else is amazing on Netflix? Sabrina.
Tan: I…
(crossover talk 00:20:10)
Karamo: Sabrina.
Bobby: I haven’t watched Sabrina.
Bobby B: You know what? I loved the original so much that I was, like, mm, this is going to be stupid. I don’t care how many hot young guys they pile in there, I’m not going to like it.
Karamo: There was only one hot guy in there.
Bobby B: Mm, nope, there’s, there’s a few. But I loved it. She’s amazing in it. Maniac, mm, never, mm, couldn’t.
Tan: Oh, I really, yeah.
Bobby: But, did you start it?
Karamo: Yeah, I got through, like, three episodes and I was like…
Tan: You have to get to episode five and then you really start to enjoy it.
Karamo: Okay. If I have to get through almost the whole thing –
Tan: No, no, no, it’s…
Karamo: … before I’m enjoying it –
Tan: It really starts to…
Karamo: …then there’s a problem.
Tan: It really starts to fall into place around about episode five.
Karamo: I’ve really started to fall asleep about episode three, so, I missed five.
Bobby B: Instant Hotel?
Bobby: Oh, I love Instant Hotel. I just finished it.
Bobby B: Yes.
Bobby: It’s so good.
Bobby B: Something you would be like –
Bobby: It makes no sense.
Bobby B: …this is so stupid, but you get it so obsessed with these idiot’s lives and you’re like, no I can’t believe, Bondi and her mom and…
Tan: No, I, I haven’t seen it. Though you’ve got me thinking about though. Have you seen Stay Here? I really like Stay Here.
Karamo: Of course. It’s the same design team as Queer Eye.
Tan: I know. It feels very Queer Eye, it’s actually a very sweet show. Ooo!
(crossover talk 00:21:17)
Tan: One more, one more, one more. Final Table.
Bobby B: Oh, my God, the cinematography is gorgeous.
Tan: Final Table is very well done.
Bobby: So, there are probably people around the country, at least, probably the world –
Karamo: Thinking these guys are crazy.
Bobby: … that are probably having these conversations about Netflix, but specifically Queer Eye because they’re obsessed with your show. And you were just saying you were traveling, you were in China and there were so many fans there. How does it feel, like, to be the object of an obsession? Like, do you, how does that, how do you process that?
Bobby B: It was crazy, so last night, I flew out of Hong Kong, so I had an evening in Hong Kong to meet up with some friends and they were going to some launch party for Vogue Magazine in Hong Kong. And we get there and I’m, like, I’m still, like, when I’m in foreign countries think that I can just, like, go around places and it’s fine. And we get all the way up to the party, nobody recognized me and I was, like, oh, this is great. But then one girl saw me and started squealing and crying and then that proceeded to, like, every two minutes somebody coming up and bawling and crying, like, just so happy to see me and all of my friends who, like, know me are, like, what the, what is going on.
Bobby: So, it seems to me, at least, that it was sort of this, like, huge surprise hit or maybe the, the fact that it would have been successful is sort of a given, but the fact that it would have been as successful and as popular as it has become, kind of a cross demographics.
Karamo: Definitely. I think we’re in a space right now, especially in our country where people feel disconnected from each other, I mean, social media, it sort of breeds this disconnection of where you feel as if you’re included in other people’s lives, yet you haven’t talked to them in years. And I think what our, is good about our show and then the interactions we have with the people who support our show is that their feel connected to us through the television. But then when they meet us in person, they realize we’re just exactly the same and we love to connect with them, support them, show them love, give them encouragement, inspire them. And I think there’s this bit of a balance that we try to strike that is an honor for us to be able to play that small role in this world, but also to know that people do love and support us.
Tan: And it’s nice that, that, I know you didn’t ask for this point specifically, but it’s nice that a show can bring families together and it’s, I mean, I know I swear a lot on the show, perhaps I should bleep that out. It’s nice that it’s multi-generational, like, you can, there aren’t that many shows that a 10-year-old can sit and watch with their parents and their parents can sit and watch with their parents. It’s lovely that there is a show out there that’s positive and encouraging and, and it’s something that every generation can learn from. I, I think there’s, it’s nice to have a fa - - a show that brings a family together and a community together. I love that we, we went to, we’ve been doing interviews all day and we went to a building that is, it’s a multi-magazine company. And they were saying how weird it is that people get so excited that we’re coming to the building and everybody’s talking about it in, in the hallway by the water cooler like it’s, it’s, it is shocking to know that we’re on a, a show that people are so desperately wanting to talk to their friends about and engage with.
Bobby: What’s the most, like, memorable interaction with a fan that each of you has had? And, just to keep it, like, positive, the most memorable, like, positive, uplifting kind of, I, I’m so glad I’m doing this moment you’ve had with a fan?
Tan: Oh my gosh, so many. I can’t think of many negative ones. So, you don’t need to preface it with that.
Karamo: Yeah, I don’t, I don’t think, I don’t think we would be able to quantify just, or break it down to one, because of the nature of our show, it’s so positive, the only interaction we ever get from fans ninety-nine percent of the time is always positive, heartfelt, you’ve changed my life, you’ve supported me through something, I’m so glad to meet you, it’s just really feels to be in a space where people are, like, connected with us. It, it just is amazing.
Tan: I’ve not yet come across a situation where it’s been negative where I’ve felt uncomfortable or somebody said something really inappropriate, so, it does, all I feel is positive about the show and, and we’re in a, the most privileged position.
Bobby B: Yeah.
Bobby: I’ve got to say, I, in, in terms of just my own experience watching it, because I watched it over a couple days…
Bobby B: Did you watch season three?
Bobby: Yeah, I just watched season three.
Bobby B: What’s your favorite episode?
Bobby: Well, I’ve, I’ve, I had already watched all of it…
Bobby B: Who’s your favorite hero?
Bobby: No, I have, I have a favorite episode.
Bobby B: Which one of us do you like the most?
Bobby: I liked, I liked the Jess episode.
Tan: Yay.
Bobby: The black girl magic episode. And I…
Bobby B: What was your favorite scene?
Bobby: Oh, when she went and met her sister. Well, saw her sister –
Bobby B: That was pretty special.
Bobby: …in the library and, like, held her, and like held her niece and, like, was in, sort of and uncomfortable way and it was, like, I’m not used to this, but I want to be used to this, it was just the sweetes.
Karamo; She almost didn’t have to be used to it because I almost kept her.
Bobby: It was so sweet. And I know that the, the point of the show, or one of the many points of the show is to, kind of, cross, cross boundaries, cross demographics, cross types of people, do, do what you do to as many types of people as possible.
Bobby B: Yes.
Bobby: But, personally, like, as a queer person, that was, that was the episode that, that spoke to me the most and the one that I was the most warmed by. And the same with the, the first season with –
Bobby B: With A.J.
Tan: A.J.
Bobby: …with A.J. who was having trouble, like, coming out to his, like, family. Have you ever considered just doing a season that’s Queer Eye for queer people?
Tan: I, I th, I...
Bobby: Like, what do you think about that?
Tan: I wouldn’t want to, I wouldn’t want to exclude other people from it. I think that it’s nice that every season there’s an episode that, a, a, group of people can connect with. I think if we just made it exclusively an LGBTQIA season, I don’t think it would be as well received as, as a season that’s as diverse as our, season, don’t get me wrong, I do think that there’s a, a massive, it’s, it’s massively unbalanced TV right now. It’s mostly skewed to a straight audience or a heterosexual audience, but I don’t think we need to play into that or try and counter balance it by having purely a gay season. And, quite honestly, I love the trippy bitch moment of Queer Eye when you can, a straight person who’s probably not used to watching or hearing a gay person’s story, we give our perspective, we give our opinions but it’s not a, I’ve got quotation marks here, gay episode. I like that somebody can just be earnestly watching the show and then they’re surprised that they connect so strongly with A.J.’s story because they’ve never heard that story before. I don’t think people would be as inclined to watch a fully gay season.
Bobby: The diversity across all of those categories is really nice and I love the episode with, and I forgot her name, the, the woman who, the camo woman, the hunter.
Tan: Jody Castellucci.
Bobby B: Jody.
Bobby: She was wonderful.
Kamaro: I thought you said the camel woman at first and I was, like…
Tan: The one with the double hump.
Kamaro: That’s season four.
Tan: You know, she was very cute.
Bobby B: She did. My god, they looked so good.
Tan: Yeah, she was very cute. I loved her house.
Bobby: And I am sorry to do this 180, but I, speaking of things that I am obsessed with, I’m obsessed with the belt that you wore throughout a lot of the season. Can you tell me about that. What was going on with that? When I saw it, sort of, changed directions, and I was like, oh, we’re planning new ways to wear this.
Bobby B: Remember he was here during the pre-convo. So, you might as well be honest. You heard the pre-convo.
Tan: No, that was a bag.
Karamo: Yeah.
Bobby: Oh that was a bag, not a belt?
Tan: Yeah, the second, the one that you saw across my body –
Bobby: That was a bag?
Tan: … that was a, that, yeah, it comes in a bag as well.
Bobby: Oh, I thought it was, you were wearing a belt. I was like, well, now I’ve got to buy this thing and wear it like this now.
Tan: No, it comes as a bag, it comes as a belt, it comes as a few different things.
Bobby: Okay.
Tan: We saw the girl with her bag on today. It comes in a bag, I promise, it comes in a bag.
Bobby B: We did. They really, she had it on.
Tan: But that’s not why I wore it.
Karamo: Tell us, Tan.
Tan: No, see, here’s the thing. I want to be, want to encourage people to explore how they dress and so, I was exploring, too, and I just wanted to try something that I hadn’t done before shut up Bobby Berk. And here’s the thing, I, I put it on and I knew it would be controversial with our producers. And there are certain producers that I won’t name who definitely looked very uncomfortable with my wardrobe this season because it was, it was too casual and they didn’t understand why I would wear a belt outside of my sweatshirt. However, I love looking, and I, the thing I love about being on Queer Eye is I’ve never gotten to express myself the way I want to. I was raised in a very strict, south-Asian household. I was raised in a, a town that didn’t encourage creativity in your style and if you dressed like that, you would have been beaten for being a homo. And so, I love that I have, am, have the luxury of being on a TV show where I am very clearly a homo. I’m not trying to hide it, and so if I want to wear a, my belt outside of my fucking sweatshirt, I will, might wear my belt outside of my fucking sweatshirt.
Karamo: Watch your mouth.
Tan: And so I do love that I’m in a very privileged position to say I want to express myself. Even if this is a lot, a bit too gay for people. I have every right to, to be as gay as I want to be. And, ex-- and, and express my individuality and my personality through my style. I am the style guy on our show. Even if you question what I’m wearing, I have, I have the freedom to wear what I want to wear because I am constantly saying to people, I want you to use style as a way to feel good about yourself; to feel confident about yourself. And so, that was my version of it. I feel, I felt incredible in the outfit and I look back and remember how I felt in the outfit that first episode with Jody Castellucci. I put that belt on and there were so many people on set who gave me the eye of shame and I just think, I don’t care what your hetero normative ideas are of what I should be fucking wearing. I want to wear what makes me feel good. And so, to see it so well received makes me so proud. So proud. And I, how’s it not going to affect what people what to wear that and imitate my look. Wonderful. I’ve seen this so many times this last week, the show came out five days…
Karamo: Five days, yeah, five days ago.
Tan: Five days ago.
Karamo: Five days ago?
Bobby: Five days ago.
Karamo: Is it five days ago?
Bobby B: Five days ago.
Bobby: I think five days ago.
Bobby B: Is it five days ago?
Tan: I think it’s about five days ago. To know that I can walk down the street in New York and I see somebody is wearing it and they come up and they’re really excited to tell me they’re wearing their belt outside their clothing because of what I wore, I’m like, okay, I did that.
Bobby B: It worked.
Tan: It worked.
Bobby: It does have that affect on me, like, I, I mean, I can’t, I can’t speak for the people who are on set, but, as a viewer, when you see that happening and, especially because it’s you, you are the fashion expert, my interpretation was like, oh, that’s, must be cool. Like, that must be interesting, or, like, that must be new. Like, if, it, as a viewer, there’s no sense of ridicule or mockery. It just, it seems so…
Karamo: Right.
Bobby: You’re also very established in your, in your roles that it just seems correct no matter what it is.
Tan: Great. Great. That makes me happy.
Bobby: So, that doesn’t exist outside of – In terms of each other’s roles, which category, which other role do you think you are most obsessed with? Like, not you, like if you could be, if you can’t be culture, you can’t be lifestyle…
Bobby B: Karamo is definitely obsessed with interior design, lately.
Karamo: I am. I’m, I would want to be a designer.
Tan: Can I add this one thing before we go into it? We honestly do, we’ve all talked about it.
Karamo: We’ve talked about it. We know.
Tan: We are desperate for an episode where we switch.
Bobby B: Where everybody switched.
Karamo: Yeah.
Tan: I don’t think they’ll ever let us do it, but I desperately would love to.
Bobby: For one episode.
Bobby B: I would wish they would just, this, this one, like…
Bobby: Just for YouTube only, take it off the proper season.
Karamo: I mean, the thing is, I think it’d be fun to also see us supporting each other.
Tan: Oh my gosh, Nick, we should totally do that as alt content.
Karamo: The only other person that I would want to do culture, which is really not culture, it’s mental health, is, is Antoni.
Bobby: Okay.
Tan: Gosh, I would say, probably Jonathan for, now that it, the, now that culture, the category has changed, I think, I think Jonathan would do a better job.
Bobby B: Yes.
Karamo: No, no, no, no, no, no. I would say Antoni because Antoni is the only one who has a degree closest to my degree. And so…
Bobby B: Degree don’t mean nothing.
Karamo: No, no, no, but he actually, when we have some deep conversation, he actually understands a lot of the fi-- philosophies of –
Bobby B: All right. All right.
Karamo: … what, you know what I mean, so, I understand. So, like, sometimes Jonathan is talking. I love what Jonathan says, Jonathan’s speaking from his heart and he’s actually saying, hey, like, you know, you should, you know, be yourself and love it. But there’s also a methodology to, behind this. This is not just me giving people encouragement. The reason that people cry is because I understand how to get to the core of what their issues are and then start to plant those seeds so they can have the emotional and mental growth they need. And I think Antoni would be the best at it.
Tan: All right.
Karamo: Personally…
Tan: No, no, no, I thought it was…
Karamo: And I think I would be the best at design because Bobby’s seen my new house and Bobby? For being in there in three weeks?
Bobby B: Well…
Bobby: I heard about a dangling cord.
Bobby B: I, I have seen his new house, but I do have to say that every single thing in it is the exact stuff I’ve put in the loft and he just didn’t realize it. So.
Tan: Oh is that where that stuff went?
Bobby B: Yeah.
Karamo; No, no, no, I didn’t take stuff from the loft.
Bobby B: I was, like, oh, I, I love that you have the same chairs that I chose for the loft. He’s like, it, oh yeah, that was like, and the –
Karamo: Listen, any ti –
Bobby B: ...and the same sectional –
Karamo: Things…
Bobby B: … but a different color –
Karamo: Things get…
Bobby B: … He’s like, oh my God, it is.
Karamo: Those are the only two things that I took, but it got, I thought they were super comfortable, so why would I go spend time trying to figure out what it is.
Tan: So, you didn’t design your home. Bobby Berk designed your home.
Karamo: No. No, the rest of it is designed beautifully. Bobby? What do you...
Bobby B: It is. It’s beautiful.
Karamo: Thank you. Thank you.
Bobby B: It’s, lots of blues and –
Karamo: Grays and purples…
Bobby B: …stuff from the Loft.
Karamo: There’s only two things from the Loft.
Bobby B: And grays and it’s very Bobby Berk.
Karamo: Two things that are similar to the thing.
Tan: Did you know there’s an Instagram account called Blue Gray Bobby Berk?
Karamo: Yes.
Tan: It, It’s really cute.
Bobby: Wait, what is that?
Karamo: It’s an Instagram account because he only puts blues…
Tan: It’s a fan account.
Bobby B: Well, because people think that I should just use all the colors of the rainbow even if that’s not would make our hero happy.
Tan: I know, so, it’s not.
Bobby B: I’m like, if my hero’s favorite color is blue and that’s what’s going to make them comfortable in their home I’m going, I’m going to use blue. Or if they don’t express a favorite color, I’m not just going to be, like, okay, I’m going to give you orange. I’m probably going to use a neutral gray or something, so that way, you’re still comfortable in your own home.
Tan: And those colors are of the moment. Get over it, everyone.
Bobby B: Yeah. Like, why does Bobby always use blue.
Karamo: And just in case anyone was wondering, as of 30 minutes ago, Bobby just released BobbyBerk.com, which everyone should go to.
Bobby: Oh.
Bobby B: Well, it happened while I was on a plane, yes, please, go to that. I didn’t know it was up yet.
Bobby: BobbyBerk.com? I’m going to go to it right now.
Bobby B: Yeah, so, it’s my new editorial website, so it will focus...
Bobby: Oh, it’s beautiful..
Bobby B: Oh yay. It will focus on not just design, but fashion and food and health and fitness and travel. It’s a little new precursor to something else I’m working on, so.
Bobby: Nice. That’s really nice. What would you do if you couldn’t design for an episode? An episode where you had to do one other thing?
Bobby B: Probably cook.
Tan: It’s called food and wine.
Bobby: Food and wine.
Karamo: Cook? I think I’ll cook.
Bobby B: Okay.
Karamo: Where are the Cheetos?
Bobby B: I’m not Karamo.
Bobby: Food and wine, Bobby, food and wine.
Bobby B: Yeah, I’d do food and wine for, no it would be food and wine.
Karamo: I, listen, I already know. I can tell you, we don’t even need to go down this list. Based on being around these individuals and their expertises outside in what we all do –
Bobby: Spill that tea, Karamo, spill that tea.
Karamo: ...I think that Antoni would be culture, I believe that Bobby would be food and wine, I believe that Tan would be grooming, I believe that Jonathan would be fashion and that I would be design.
Bobby: I like this all. I like this, like fan-fiction version of the show.
Karamo: And, seriously, and, because, think about it, Tan is extremely well groomed all the time, and it also is not too far in line from what he does with the fashion.
Tan: Yeah, and I actually do love to do, I would love to do hair. It used to be my dream as a kid. I’d like to do hair.
Karamo: See? And then, the thing is, is that the one that takes…
Bobby: (inaudible 00:36:07)
(crossover talk 00:36:09)
Karamo: The one, the one out of all of us that takes the most fashion risks next to Tan would be Jonathan who...
Bobby B: Okay, like Jonathan takes far more risks than Tan.
Karamo: But what I’m saying is that, is he, he, he, he dresses, there’s no gender, there’s no gender confines to what he will wear. And I think that would be great for both our male and female heroes. He loves to experiment, he can kill a heel, and so I think that would just open up him to being able to say, I’ve shopped both with women and men. Like I said, already with Antoni, why, design, I have OCD. And I love things to be structured and look a certain way, so, I would enjoy so much just to fix everything.
Bobby B: It’s true. He has to have his Coke cans lined up in just a certain way.
(crossover talk 00:36:53)
Karamo: So, I think, whoever is listening to this, I would like to start a hash tag. What can we say? Change…
Tan: Alt, Alt Queer Eye? Alt Queer Eye?
Bobby B: Alt Queer?
Karamo: Yeah.
Bobby: Queerer Eye.
Karamo: Queerer Eye.
Tan: Queerer Eye.
Karamo: No, that’s not going to, it’s going to be hard for people to put in.
Bobby B: Confused Queer Eye?
Tan: The Queer Eye Switch. The Queer Eye Switch.
Karamo: Queer Eye Switch. I like that.
Tan: Yeah.
Karamo: Hash tag, Queer Eye Switch.
Bobby B: Queer Eye Switch. Queer Eye Switch.
Karamo: I want everyone to start putting it.
Tan: Hash tag.
Karamo: Put hash tag Queer Eye Switch.
Tan: Queer Eye Switch.
Karamo: You’ve got Twitter and Instagram. Hash tag, Queer Eye switch. Hash tag, Queer Eye switch. And get us to a place where Netflix will allow us to switch categories for one episode.
Tan: We have a lovely young lady in the corner who I believe is checking if that hash tag is a thing right now.
Lady in Corner: (inaudible 00:37:36).
Bobby: Do you think it would be (inaudible 00:37:38).
Bobby K: Just like I was (inaudible 00:37:39).
Bobby: Tan, what about you? Well, I mean, I guess, Karamo already answered all the questions.
Tan: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Bobby: That would be grooming.
Tan: Yeah.
Bobby: Wonderful. Thank you for sitting with me and talking about this.
Tan: Thanks, Bobby.
Bobby B: Thank you.
Karamo: Thank you.
Bobby: So many people are obsessed with you, I’m obsessed with you, you’re obsessed with each other and I think that is one of the reasons why the show is so successful, because you’re all very clearly buddies. I mean, I saw beard stroking earlier. It was lovely. You don’t do that with someone you’re not obsessed with.
Tan: To be fair, Bobby touched my penis, too, so, we’re really close.
Bobby: Oh, you didn’t tell me...
Bobby B: I didn’t mean to, and I’m still kind of upset about it. But…
Bobby: An even stronger sign of obsession.
Tan: You’re welcome.
Bobby B: Exactly.
Bobby: Oh my God. One of the oldest signs of obsession. Well, thank you for being here.
Tan: Thank you so much.
Bobby B: Thank you.
Karamo: Thank you.
Bobby: That was Karamo Brown, Bobby Berk and Tan France. Thanks, bye.
Tan: I thought you were about to get my name wrong and I was so excited.
Bobby: Oh my God, what, what would I have said?
Tan: I thought you might say, just, like, Tom something.
Bobby: Tom.
Tan: It’s Tom.
Bobby: Weren’t they fun?
Christine: Yes. What a great group of guys.
Bobby: I wish they could talk for another half hour. I loved every moment of it. I felt like they saw me, you know? They, like, knew me?
Christine: They, like, saw through you, but, like, also were building you up at the same time.
Bobby: They were building me up. I felt like I became a better person after talking to them. And I hope you became a better person by listening to them. How could you not? All episodes of the third season are now streaming on Netflix. So is Terrace House, so is The OA, but I’m Bobby Finger, that was Christine Friar and we will be back in two weeks with another episode of I’m Obsessed With This and if you want to call in with your own obsession, please call 754-Call Bob and we might play it on the next episode of I’m Obsessed With This. See you in Two Weeks.