At first glance, the TV show Shameless might look like just your average comedy show about any other family living in America. But within the first 30 seconds of the show, you'll see that that is not the case at all. Shameless deals with many real-life issues such as poverty, alcohol and drug abuse, and mental health. Their approach is different than what most people are used to. They don't always get their happy ending. Just when you think they have everything figured out they get thrown a curveball. But that's what makes this show so relatable and so brutally honest. Shameless is not afraid to show the harsh reality of what many people may be going through and is not afraid to cross the line when necessary. So let's get into it.
Warning Spoilers Ahead!
Living in Poverty
Poverty is a major theme you'll see throughout the whole 11 seasons of Shameless. Within the first five minutes, we are introduced to the Gallagher family and the tone is set to show the hint of struggles that will later come.
Fiona Gallagher, who is the oldest of all six children, is faced with the burden of taking care of her siblings. Being the oldest, she is left to be financially responsible, often taking multiple jobs to meet ends meet. Without the help or support of their parents, the Gallagher kids are left on their own to survive. Not only is Fiona forced to take multiple jobs to provide for her family, but we also see the other Gallagher kids doing what they must do to help. Phillip Gallagher, also known as Lip, while in high school was often paid to do other students' homework and even take their college entrance exams for them. Debbie Gallagher, who at the time was only around 12 years old, runs an at-home daycare to also help make money for the Gallagher family.
The Gallagher family works, whether in legal or illegal ways, to stay afloat. Similar to reality, they strive to break the cycle of poverty but some of them accepted it and others just fail to break the cycle due to other circumstances.
The Truth of Addiction
Addiction. Addiction is one of the main factors to reason why the Gallagher family lives in poverty. We see many characters struggle with it from Monica and Frank (the parents) to some of the Gallagher children. Whether it's alcohol, drugs, or even sex, Shameless is not afraid to talk about it.
Throughout all seasons, we see Frank struggling with addiction to the point where all he could think about is what his next fix is going to be and how he's going to get his hands on it. Frank cannot hold down a job neither can he help support his family. Any source of income he can get his hands on he uses it to fill and supply his addiction to drugs and alcohol. He'll do anything he can to get his hands on any type of drug or alcohol he does not care what it is. Later, towards the end of the season, we see Fiona and Phillip both struggle with alcoholism too, but they are able to successfully get sober, unlike Frank. There are even a few characters that dealt with the issue of being addicted to sex. Although kind of comedic at first, Shameless does a great job of showing that addiction is not just to drugs and alcohol.
Mental Health Issues
Shameless also tackles the issue of mental health illnesses head-on. Throughout the show, we see many characters who suffer from mental health issues. These issues range from depression, bipolar, anger issues, and phobias. It does a wonderful job of tackling these issues without sugarcoating it. We get to see these characters face the harsh reality behind mental health.
For example, one of the children, Ian Gallagher, later in the season is diagnosed with being bipolar. We get to see the highs and lows Ian faces and how he lives with his diagnosis and struggles to be happy and what he thinks is normal. We get to see his journey as he comes to accept that he is not perfect. As Ian says in an episode, “I am not broken, I don't need to be fixed”.
Shameless portrays these mental illnesses not in a negative way but in a way that sheds light on it. They do it in such a way that is not over the top nor is it just rushed over. They take the time to tell the characters' journey whether it was in one episode or throughout many seasons.
With each season, Shameless grew and adapted to the harsh reality of life. It tackled issues other shows wouldn’t portray or just skimmed over. It challenged social norms. It does a great job of showing the struggles of the lower class in America in a way that many viewers can relate to.
Citations:
Hendel, J. Showtime's 'Shameless' new show about poverty. The Atlantic. Retrieved from Showtime's 'Shameless' New Show About Poverty - The Atlantic
Bowen, S. (2019, January 28). How 'shameless' changed the conversation around mental health. Nylon. from How Shameless Changed The Conversation Around Mental Health (nylon.com)
'shameless' gets it right when it comes to harsh reality of addiction. Banyan Treatment Center. (2021, February 22). 'Shameless' Gets It Right When It Comes To Harsh Reality Of Addiction - Banyan Treatment Center
I thoroughly liked reading your review of the play. To be honest, I've never seen the show, but I've heard good things about it. I wasn't very interested in it before reading your piece, but it has made me reconsider. Many people don't see it on a daily basis, yet it's all around us! I appreciate how you looked through each of the show's criteria in detail and classified them.
Hey Amanda! Thanks for this topic! I used to watch Shameless not just for entertainment, but because it shows real scenarios that many people can relate to. Although the topics are not the prettiest to cover, that show was not afraid to show the struggles people go through.
Hey Amanda I loved this topic. I knew I wasn’t the only one that saw how many taboo subjects went on the show. It does portray what can truly happen in the real world such as living in poverty and having family members under substance abuse.
Hey Amanda this was a great topic,i agree tv shows often portray taboo subjects like substance abuse and poverty in a light manner to be more digestible to the masses. Its a great way to show people the harsh realities of the world we live in, I thoroughly enjoyed your post.
Hi Amanda, I love this post and your blog topic! I love watching TV shows and there is so much to shows than people think. I personally have never seen shameless, but so many people I know say this is a great show and after reading your post I can see why! Representation is so important in shows, especially about the issues you mentioned, like poverty, addiction, and mental health. I think these honest portrayals of issues in shows are also what make them great and stand the test of time.