Glamorous, on Netflix: Make-up obsessed Marco gets a dream job at a glamour firm, starts a journey of self-discovery, and falls in love with a man. The episode descriptions use "he/him" pronouns, but Marco is played by -- and based on the experiences of -- trans actress Miss Benny. So maybe he'll be coming out as trans at some point.
Scene 1: Marco awakens. He's a boy with a femme girl hairstyle and a room decorated with pictures of high-heel shoes. Asking himself if "the struggle to be a grown-up is realer than real," he puts on his frilly pink gown and heads for the makeup table -- well, more like a makeup warehouse, puts on his face, and starts talking to his internet followers: "I am a makeup artist and beauty industry professional who works with all the major brands, including Glamorous by Madolyn." Looks like he's already pretty self-discovered.
But in real life, he has a part-time job behind the make-up counter at a department store, he has minimal followers, and his Mom, whom he claims "helps with my content," could not be less interested. But does that stop the dynamo make-up artist? Nope. "We're going places!"
Scene 2: Mom has called in some favors and enrolled Marco in a paralegal training program. Do you need to call in favors for that? Can't anyone enroll? "But Mom, I already have a job!" "It doesn't pay anything. You're 22 years old: start taking your life seriously, and start paying me rent!" Settle, dude. You know how many famous make-up artists there are out there?
Scene 3: At the mall, Marco sees his idol, Madolyn, looking at a display of her own products. She explains that she's doing important research in her customers' buying habits.
It's not just about the make-up, dude. "I'm a customer!" "Ok, let's see what you got. Give me a makeover."
Marco goes to work, while criticizing his idol's make-up! Smooth move, dude. It's not selling. Customers consider it safe and banal. They want fantasy. "When I do my makeup in the morning, I want magic! I want to feel like a star!"
Madolyn is mesmerized. No one has criticized her for 20 years. "You have some important things to say about makeup. Want a job?"
Scene 4: Marco going to work in a glass-and-steel skyscraper. At least he gets to wear his high heels and a totally femme hairstyle. The first assistant, Venetia, introduces him to Madolyn's son Chad (Zayne Phillips, top photo), who is in a meeting while running on a treadmill....with his shirt off....um, his muscles gleaming....um...does he need a personal assistant?
"Is this the superstar Mom hired from the mall?" Chad asks. Superstar? I thought he was just opinionated. Then he criticized Marco for wearing heels: "I'm gay, but I'm not...gay." The word you're looking for is "femme," as in the Grindr ads: "No femmes, no fats."
Next on the tour: Product Design, and another gay guy, Ben (Michael Hsu Rosen, left), who trips all over his tongue while trying ineptly to flirt. "He gets like this when he's excited," his coworker explains. "I don't get like anything when I'm excited, which I'm not," he stammers. "But I could be."
Dude, are you talking about your penis?Next up: Social Media Influencer Alyssa, and her assistant Nowhere, a 1960s hippie. "I'm an influencer, too!" Marco exclaims. "Yes, but you just have 1,000 followers, and half of them are bots."
Finally Madolyn's office, with all of her awards, magazine covers, mirrors, and make-up. I'm getting flashbacks to Wilhemina Slater on Ugly Betty. except Madolyn seems much nicer. Marco the Dope criticizes her again: "You seem very...comfortable!" "I beg your pardon? I take chances! I'm cutting-edge!"
Scene 5: Marco telling his followers about his first week, sugar-coating the slapstick mishaps that we see in a montage. The First Assistant Venetia discusses with her friend: "He's flopping like a Katy Perry single." "Good -- then our jobs are secure. If he were doing a good job, we'd have to sabotage him."
Scene 6: Madolyn criticizing Super Hunk Chad's ideas for the new line. "This is exactly what we send to Sephora every year. We need to be bold -- take chances."
Chad: "Or we could just sell the company to World-Famous Make-Up Company and be rich(er). You could even stay on as Creative Director, and I could do something besides sell...ugh...makeup." Chad's going to be the Big Bad.
More mega-hunks after the break
