The debut episode of Shameless airs this Sunday and introduces the tragicomic family of poors called the Gallaghers. Alcoholic, longhaired single father Frank (Anthony Van Engelen) is too busy carousing to care for his children, leaving his daughter Fiona (Emmy Rossum) to raise her five siblings in Chicago. Yes, poverty, that old bleak specter. We have here, the premise goes, a show set among the masses.
Shameless depicts poverty in far more than a quantitative sense. The show plays on so many stereotypes as to be white-trash porn. People steal cars, they steal from UNICEF, from the collection plate at St. Tim’s. “That’s my fucking bike!” a little girl yells at a fleeing Gallagher. Frank smokes, drinks (a lot), and is no stranger to the local cops.
Tags: Alien Workshop, AVE, dramedy, Emmy Rossum, poverty, Shameless, Showtime, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, tragicomedy, UNICEF
boil the ocean 
January 8, 2011 at 5:03 pm |
Just watch the UK version instead btw.
January 8, 2011 at 7:38 pm |
what Cobs said.
January 9, 2011 at 6:26 pm |
seriously, why do americans have to remake every single program the UK makes? are you that fucking unaware of anything outside of your little bubble that you can’t handle the idea of watching something that doesn’t have any americans in it? you know all these series are shitpiles compared to the british originals
January 10, 2011 at 12:28 am |
My bad dude, I’ll have my liaison cancel the show right away
January 10, 2011 at 12:36 am |
You’re gonna call out all 300 million people? I’m not happy with most of them either, but I’m sure less than 1 percent of the population gives a shit
January 9, 2011 at 8:34 pm |
I don’t get it. Unless it is a pointed criticism of AVE for being a hipster white thrash poser. But a recent post implies affection for his pool dog aggroness. I don’t get it.
January 9, 2011 at 10:25 pm |
^Liam? is that you?
Beady Eye is killing it
January 10, 2011 at 3:31 pm |
@Rocuronium: i think he’s just pointing out that they look alike.
January 11, 2011 at 1:12 am |
Oh yeah.. I guess the hair does. I guess I know WHM too well to think he looks like anyone else….
Never heard anything about the brit series, don’t have Showtime, but I’m glad to hear that WHM is getting a role other than his usual shmoe.
January 10, 2011 at 3:42 pm |
What chuck said. I like both the uk and us version of the office – both for different reasons. Just one example. I’m too tired to elaborate more on this silliness.
January 11, 2011 at 1:53 am |
interesting post. Has AVE had any new footage lately? Love to see a new part…
January 11, 2011 at 2:59 pm |
looking forward to a discussion of the Lucas Lee character in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.