‘Shameless’ TV Series: Shameless About Reality
When thinking about successful TV series, shows about poverty don’t necessarily cross the mind. Due to Statistica’s leading genres of prime time TV, comedy, drama and reality take the top three. Although these genres do portray some reality, they are mostly about the entertainment factor. Shameless on the other hand touches on subjects that are usually uncomfortable to watch such as sex without love, underage sex, addiction, abuse, criminal intent, and racism. Paying off bills is also usually never a topic of discussion in comedy, drama, and reality. The TV series Shameless, however, is focused all around money and the lack of it in the Gallagher household. Each of the characters find a way to scatter some money, usually illegally. And when money is high, Frank, the alcoholic father, finds a way to get his hands on it and spend it on more alcohol and drugs. This TV show, and Netflix series, focuses on real life problems of a poor family along with drama and un-predictableness. To viewers who never experienced being in a broken family, the reality of the show’s depiction of poverty may seem unclear. However, viewers with personal experience can determine the truth and extremes of the show. Shameless, while being a popularly rated TV series, expresses truth about poverty, mental illness, and family addiction from personal experience accounts; however, due to the variety of personal situations, it’s displayed issues may seem heightened and glamorized.
Pictured: Paul Abbott, creator of Shameless (UK Version)
Shameless is centered on a family revolving around addiction. Frank, the father, is an abusive alcoholic and drug addict along with his wife, Monica, who is also diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The children of these two have to take the fall from their deadbeat parents and basically raise themselves. The twisted characters and plots of the show didn’t come from nowhere, however. The creator of the show, Paul Abbot (who originally started the UK Shameless version), unfortunately came from a similar background. He grew up in a family with eight children, Abbott being the second youngest. A lot like the story line of Shameless, Abbott’s mother left the family and his father soon after, leaving his pregnant sixteen-year-old sister in charge of the family. Each character is linked to someone in Abbott’s family. However, the character, Ian, isn’t directly linked to Abbott. Abbott had a gay nephew who had trouble coming out and faced different challenges with his family and society for his orientation, like Ian does in the show. Abbott says, “A nephew of mine trusted me enough to tell me he was gay, although his family still doesn’t know. It’s harsh growing up in an environment where you know you won’t be accepted and he wouldn’t be, he’d be cut out socially” (Abbott, Paul). Abbott also wanted to defy the way his family stereotyped someone who is ‘gay’ and made the character, Ian, tall and beefy to show that orientation isn’t associated with appearance (Jensen, Michael).
Along with being a gay character, Ian, is diagnosed with bipolar disorder which he inherited from his mother, Monica. Shameless takes a couple of episodes to show the different transitions Ian is in before he was diagnosed. Then, when he is diagnosed, they display the effects of the medication on Ian from his point of view. This is done to show both sides of the disorder. Abbott felt the need to incorporate mental illness in the show because it is not an easy topic to discuss, it makes people uncomfortable sometimes and understanding it rather than ignoring it is important (Abbott, Paul). Cameron Monaghan, the actor playing Ian, in a video explains the preparation methods he uses to try to accurately portray bipolar disorder. He states he reads many autobiographies and documentaries written by people with the disorder to best understand what it is like (Monaghan, Cameron). From many personal accounts, Shameless was given an applaud for how they portrayed this disorder. Meg Zulch from “HelloFlo” expresses how much she relates to Ian Gallagher and how he is a role model to her. She states her dad and herself are both diagnosed and see negative correlations between the disorder and medication, such as lithium, on TV all the time. Zulch says, “Most shows I’ve seen growing up hadn’t mentioned mental disorders and psychotropic meds at all, while some portrayed features of bipolar treatment as extremely negative or even dangerous… people with bipolar are not monsters.” She then continues saying how Shameless shed a positive light on coping with bipolar. Ian Gallagher gave her hope in finding a job, creating a life, and moving on even with the disorder (Zulch, Meg).
Pictured: Ian Gallagher, played by Cameron Monaghan
Pictured: Ian Gallagher & Mickey Malkovich, played by Cameron Monaghan and Noel Fisher
Not only with the relation to Ian, some find themselves in Mickey’s shoes. Mickey, Ian’s boyfriend, is there every step of the way: when Ian goes into the psychiatric hospital and when he gets out. On the account of Paolina Milana, Shameless’ reality of mental illness flooded memories back to her childhood and her second hand experience to her sister and mother’s illness. The characters of Frank, Mickey, and Lip all identify with her father and herself when dealing with someone unstable and ill. Milana states, “Just like Frank who tried to care for Monica, Ian’s mother, on his own, when she exhibited signs of bipolarity, so, too, did my father for my mother, when she began hearing voices, acting ‘crazy,’ seeing and believing things that weren’t real…” Milana also expresses how she would make panicked calls to her older sibling when one of them was having an episode, like the character Lip did. And like Mickey, she used threats and authority to force them into a facility to receive the help they needed. Milana’s final statement was that she was grateful for Shameless for ‘keeping it real’ and creating awareness to change the way people with mental illness are treated and viewed (Milana, Paolina).
Shameless, mainly about poverty, shows the real life ‘no collar’ family barely making it by, by going to extremes, usually illegal ones, to make ends meet (‘Shameless’: Poverty…). To viewers who have never experienced this type of poverty, the measure’s the Gallagher’s take may seem extreme, however, to some it seems completely understandable and normal. In Dustin Rowles, “The Only Show On Television That Honestly Understands What It’s Like To Be Sh*t Poor In America,” he explains how Shameless hits home. Rowles describes how he most identifies with Lip, going to a college not knowing basic skills, such as how to change font on a computer because he was never able to afford one (Rowles, Dustin).
Although Rowles agrees with truth behind Shameless’ depiction of poverty, he does say some things are heighted and over dramatic like Lip smashing car windows just because he is frustrated or Frank collecting illegal social security checks just for some money. Most of the scenes that are over dramatic are for keeping viewers entertained and intrigued. These dramatic scenes also make Shameless unpredictable and unlike other TV series. However, the bad luck that seems to follow families like these bares true. Rowles describes an example, “if you finally get a job that pays above minimum wage, for instance, it's almost guaranteed that your car will break down the next day, and you'll lose that job because you can't get there on time.” This type of bad luck was shown in Shameless when Lip beat the odds of getting into college, then arrives late to his first exam in wet jeans and no shoes because he got locked out of his room. Rowles also explains how in the show most of the characters get do-overs and many second chances when in real life that isn’t the case. In real life, second chances aren’t handed out so easily and you have to deal with the bad luck you receive (Rowles, Dustin).
Pictured: Lip Gallagher played by Jeremy Allen White
Shameless puts a lot of effort into keeping their show based on the reality of life in poverty; the writers of the show come from similar backgrounds with little to their name. John Wells, Shameless’ showrunner, explains how one of the writers comes from a broken family where the father left while the mother dealt with mental illness. Another writer also came from serious poverty to the point where food wasn’t even totally accessible. Wells decided to keep their names private (‘Shameless’: Poverty…). Although Abbott’s job didn’t include choosing the writers, he explains how he wanted writers who understood the truth of living in such circumstances (living in poverty and coming from disorientated families) (Abbott, Paul). This allows Shameless to get real life experience behind the script of it all. The creator, Abbott, and the many writers of the script all contribute to the reality of the show and are given credit for their accurate portrayal. Although their experiences are unfortunate, it has helped them create a life for themselves by sharing their childhoods. They also have succeeded in creating awareness for these types of families in poverty, addiction, and mental illness.
Although Shameless does portray some stereotypes; they defy probably the clearest one: white families living in poverty. Shameless defies this by setting the Gallagher family in the South Side of Chicago. Typically, poor white families are depicted in trailer parks somewhere in the middle of the United States and Abbott does say he and his writers had a hard time resisting the suggestions to do so. However, like his UK hit, he wanted the Gallaghers to be in the city and immersed in urban life. Frank is constantly in and out of hospitals, Fiona finds her way throughout public assistance programs, and the rest of the siblings find a way to make money off the needs and resources of city life (Stuever, Hank).
Without the urban life, Shameless’ characters and story line would be much different, even the Gallagher’s neighbors would be different. One of them, Fiona’s best friend, Veronica, is an African American who is unofficially married to a white guy named Kevin. Mixed race couples are common in diverse populations such as Chicago. Carl, after getting out of juvi, also created many black friends and is trying to pursue an ethnic girl to be his girlfriend. And most evidently, the Gallagher’s youngest member, Liam, is black although it is unclear how since DNA testing showed Frank to be the father.
Pictured: Frank and Liam Gallagher
Many immigrants and characters from different descents are also portrayed such as Svetlana, the Russian bartender and once hooker, and Yanis, another neighbor who expresses pride in his Greek heritage. If Shameless was set in a trailer park mid-America, the diversity of the show would be lost. The diversity also holds a truth to it. Since America is known as “the melting pot”, it makes sense to see so many different characters and personalities within the show.
Pictured: Veronica and Svetlana
Shameless, on the accounts of many personal experiences, does bare truth in their depiction of poverty, mental illness, and addiction. The personal accounts described all shed light on the TV series and agreed in their portrayal, while news articles and interviews exposed the thought and dedication made to that reality behind the show. Most of the bloggers who expressed their feelings on Shameless appreciated the awareness it was spreading towards poverty and most importantly, mental illness. Although the show can be viewed as crude, tragic, and extreme, to some it gives hope and sheds a positive light. To those dealing with poverty, it unveils the notion that getting out of a slump is possible, like Lip did when he went into college and Fiona when she got a real job (with health benefits). And to those dealing with mental illness, Shameless gives them a role model, Ian, who conquers his disorder and gets a job, moves on with his life, and doesn’t let it affect him negatively. Although some aspects in the show may be heighted and over dramatic, the reasoning behind those scenes are for the entertainment factor and un-predictableness. Overall, from the personal accounts, news articles, and interviews, Shameless’ representation of the poor, addicted, ill Gallagher family can be dubbed realistic.
Works Cited
Abbott, Paul. Personal Interview by Karina Banas. Email. 5 March 2017.
Jensen, Michael. “Interview: TV Writer Paul Abbott’s Childhood was “Shameless”” Logo, 8 Mar 2011, http://www.newnownext.com/interview-tv-writer-paul-abbotts-childhood-was-shameless/03/2011/ . Accessed 19 Feb 2017.
Milan, Jason. “Diversity vs. Normalization on Shameless.” Half-Hour Friendships, no. 3, 2015, http://scalar.usc.edu/works/just-axinn-for-it/diversity-vs-normalization-on-shameless . Accessed 20 Feb 2017.
Milana, Paolina. “Showtime’s ‘Shameless’ – Ian Gallagher and Me.” The Huffington Post. 21 Mar. 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paolina-milana/showtimes-shameless-ian-g_b_9508152.html .Accessed 20 Feb 2017.
Monaghan, Cameron. “Shameless: Accurately Portraying Bipolar Disorder.” Showtime, 2017, http://www.sho.com/video/52297/shameless-accurately-portraying-bipolar-disorder .
Rochlin, Margy. “’Shameless’ Brings Home America’s Poor Next Door.” The New York Times. 31 Dec. 2010,
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/arts/television/02shameless.html?pagewanted=all. Accessed 19 Feb 2017.
Rowles, Dustin. “The Only Show On Television That Honestly Understands What It’s Like To Be Sh*t Poor In America.” Pajiba, http://www.pajiba.com/think_pieces/the-only-show-on-television-that-honestly-understands- what-its-like-to-be-sht-poor-in-america.php. 19 Feb 2017.
“‘Shameless’: Poverty gets the TV treatment, but what message does it send?” The Huffington Post. 5 Sept. 2012, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/05/shamleess-poverty_n_1857327.html. Accessed 19 Feb 2017.
Stuever, Hank. “What’s the best show about poverty, crime and crazy sex? It’s ‘Shameless.’” The Washington Post, 7 Jan 2016,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/whats-the-best-show-about-poverty-crime-and-crazy-sex-its- shameless/2016/01/07/caaaacf8-b1c9-11e5-9ab0-884d1cc4b33e_story.html?utm_term=.39c3b25bc416. Accessed 19 Feb 2017.
“William H. Macy: Ready for More Shameless.” The Interro bang, 12 Jan. 2013, http://theinterrobang.com/william-h-macy-ready-for-more-shameless/ . Accessed 20 Feb 2017.
Zulch, Meg. “Why Shameless’ Portrayal of Bipolar Disorder Is Important.” HelloFlo, 29 Dec. 2016, http://helloflo.com/shameless-portrayal-bipolar-disorder-important/ . Accessed 20 Feb 2017.
Reflection On Project #2
For Project #2 I decided to research the reality of the ideals shown in the TV series, “Shameless”. I had my big breakthrough for this project after I went to my scheduled conference time and got ideas from Professor Bradley. The focus of the project shifted more onto the aspects of poverty and mental illness represented in the show and a large portion of it was on the character, Ian Gallagher, played by Cameron Monaghan. I knew this is when I had my break through because my writing became clearer and transitioned better. It was also more specific rather than about all aspects of the show. I knew what information to look for in my research and what I wanted in my paper. It was able to show in my writing because it made sense and my thoughts and ideas weren't scattered all over the paper.
Along with the conference with Professor Bradley, the revisions from my group classmates also helped. They pointed out my strong points and weaker points in the paper which helped my focus on things I needed to work on. My group mates also saw little mistakes I made that I missed which helped with the grammatically side of my paper.
I really liked this paper and I’m glad we were able to choose our own topics because I never knew “Shameless” could be based off something real. I learned a lot from it and I think that was part of one of the intentions for this paper.