Queer Eye and grief

Abstract

Loss and grief are common occurrences. However, North American society is often considered as denying grief, with expressions of grief being hidden or misunderstood. Grief literacy is a movement which aims to increase understanding of grief. Mainstream media is one avenue by which public understandings of grief both are reflected and shaped. In this paper, we focus on the Netflix series Queer Eye to explore how it represents grief. A framework analysis was applied to 57 episodes, focusing on the ways in which the topic of grief is engaged, the narratives of grief are presented as well as demonstrations addressing grief literacy. Missed opportunities for engaging with grief are also detailed. The Queer Eye series challenges myths about grief and contributes to furthering grief literacy.