The COVID-19 crises has changed most of our lives. Working from home is now the norm for many, rather than a perk. Sports is mostly gone, replaced by esports simulacrums. Schools are shut down, as are most non-essential businesses.

And the folks from Queer Eye are now advising on and critiquing your digital homes rather than your IRL abodes.

Queer Eye interior designer Bobby Berk, without any actual homes to visit and makeover right now, is keeping busy by offering his assistance at turning your Animal Crossing trashpit into something easier on the eye.

Or at least that was the intent with this Tweet, which was phrased as a means of getting some “some special hiptips”.

The responses to that tweet were swift and plentiful, as any veteran of the internet would have expected. Still, the entire thing turned into something of a combination affirmation project of fun, with Animal Crossing players posting pics of well-maintained digital homes for Berk to lavish with praise, or those with messes of digital homes to which Berk gave suggestions akin to what he does on television. And, on occasion, Berk got to do something a little closer to his day job.

It’s both strange and interesting to see how we all adjust and adapt during these deeply weird times. Whatever the combination of video game escapism and internet fun this is, it’s something close to what many of us need at the moment. And, for a little Techdirt angle on it all, it’s a version of connecting with fans. One hopes this type of fan engagement will be remembered when this nightmare ends.

Techdirt.