Glamorous (Netflix Series)

A young upcoming assistant clashing with some industry towering pushy boss has been idea behind many entertainer. Ugly Betty was one of my fav shows in this regard. So I was actually looking forward to watching this show, where the above narrative has nicely been queered up for this Netflix series that releases in a perfectly timed Pride month. What I felt of the show is something I'd write later, but the show is 10 episodes of about 4-45 minutes each and its after a long time that I binged a whole show in one sitting. Also, the fact that the show is set in New York, my city , and has plenty of local references that probably only New Yorkers will get, I loved it.

20-something gender non-confirming queer man Marco wants to make it big as an influencer, works in the make up department of a mall and has no idea what he wants to do in life. He gets attention from Madolyn Addison, the owner of a luxury makeup brand , which Marco also happens to be a huge fan of and lands the job of a second assistant to her. As Madolyn seeks to reinvent a brand that Marco once called bland, the new assistant learns the ropes of an adult job and his adult life. The show navigates this corporate environment in the midst of Madolyn's attempt to make a sale of her company so that she can bring the company back to regain the glory that it once had. As you can expect, there are plenty of characters in the show who are equally important and provide us with entertainment and drama with the story moving forward.  We have Marco's polar opposite potential love interest Parker, a gym built finance guy who somehow gets attracted to Marco and pursues him relentlessly but also is probably ashamed of being seen with him in public; then we have the cute and nerdy Ben, his co-worker who finds Marco attractive from day 1 but because Marco is so smitten by Parker, Ben keeps getting pushed around as friend with occasional benefits. We then have Chad, Madolyn's son, a very energetic gay man, who is probably a little dull in his head but whose heart lies in saving his mother's company and also looking for her love and validation. We then have Madolyn's assistant Venetia, a bisexual female who is equally critical, since she almost kills the company but also eventually saves it. And we have whole host of other characters.

Glamorous doesn't try to be anything that it is not. It’s a glossy, self-consciously campy workplace soap like the one I had mentioned in the beginning, and guess what, thats exactly what I needed to see. Something superficial, funny and full on gay. You may find all the characters and the story forming the usual tropes of a typical soap opera, but it was still fun for me. The tale of star-crossed mentor-mentee is populated with a generous helping of love triangles, corporate sabotages, unresolved parental issues, several musical performances, and plenty drag sequences.. What's not to like? Well, the moment you start taking any of this seriously and start questioning the logic or motivation behind certain actions, then I can see why a lot of folks will question the show. With all the drama with these individuals, the shows main focus is on Marco's love and Madolyn trying her best to save her company, while the looming consultant does their best to buy the company. It was so nice to see the actress from Kim's Convenience playing this consultant role. I missed her. Our leading actors take a while to get used to but they all put in great relatable performances. Miss Benny playing Marco is amazing and does a very confident commendable job. The masterstroke of course is casting off Madolyn. Although I do have the say that I would have liked her character to be more sassy rather than passive aggressive border lining bored. All the other actors just fit in and leave an impression. Sure, I can question and would want to know why Parker was so interested in Marco and when Parker would push around Marco, he would end up doing the same with Ben; so how come one is ok but other in not; and many such sequences. But the brisk pacing and the cast’s charisma make up for the occasional half-baked plot or clunker joke. It's easy, addictive viewing, the kind you'll accidentally binge through on a hangover without even realizing you're suddenly on episode ten, and thats exactly what happened with me. I wasn't laughing out. Loud or anything but it just breezed through.

Does Glamorous always give complex topics like this the depth they deserve? That might be up for debate, but the fact that they even factor in at all instantly makes the show more interesting. This show is a winning and earnest coming-of-age story furnished with silly gags that speak to its specific audience. The tone is fashion-magazine breezy. With characters who cut across sexual orientations, scenes set at a queer club that most of them visit, a story line that gently sends up the commercialization of Pride, and guest appearances by LGBTQ celebs, it’s a very queer show—one that moves effortlessly through a spectrum of identity. I also expect many queer folks to dismiss the show of not really discussing the underlying issues, but at a time when it's become more acceptable to dismiss queer experiences entirely, there's something truly bold and even revolutionary about centering a proudly femme, gender nonconforming lead in fluffy entertainment like this. We all deserve some light entertainment in this hellscape world. (7/10)