Shameless Sex

Showtime’s drama Shameless is well known for its intriguing storyline that deals with very real themes as it follows a dysfunctional family in a low income neighborhood of Chicago. Though sometimes a bit exaggerated, overall the show does a great job of depicting and dealing with issues that are very relevant and not always properly represented in popular media – namely sex. From the very beginning of the show, audiences were introduced to the various characters that make up the Gallagher family. The clip below shows a brief look at the characters that are changing the way sex is depicted on television.

Fiona, the older sister, tackles stereotypical portrayals of women and sex. According to Ferguson et al. (2005), Fiona would be classified as the ‘promiscuous female’, yet the show is successful in making it clear that this is not a bad thing. In all ways, she owns her sexuality, and confirms the sexual script that women can have sex like a man (Markle, 2008). Unlike other television shows, Fiona is not punished for her promiscuousness; but rather, it is displayed as a very normal aspect of her life. Therefore, the show succeeds in normalizing sex and subtly encourages women to own their sexuality, a theme that shines through many other female characters on the show.

Similar to Fiona, is her younger brother Lip, who also embraces his sexual freedom from a very young age. In the first episode shows Lip’s sexual encounter with a girl from school, a very real depiction that does not over romanticize sex. In this way, viewers are getting a very real and raw depiction of sex.

This blunt approach to sexuality continues throughout all the seasons of the show as viewers watch the family grow up. When the time comes for the youngest sibling, Debbie, to lose her virginity, Shameless continued its ways by normalizing the awkwardness that often accompanies having sex for the first time. In defying the trend of overly romantic virginity loss narratives that occupy primetime television, the show is further normalizing sex and an integral and inevitable part of life. Though Debbie’s virginity loss likely follows the urgency script, apparent in her desperation to have sex with her older boyfriend, it shows a refreshing depiction of sexual encounters, in which the girl is pressuring the boy to have sex (Kelly, 2010). Therefore, the show is again promoting women, and young girls to be more comfortable with their sexuality.

Lastly, Ian Gallagher, the middle child, is also breaking down sexual stereotypes and representing a very real depiction of gay youth and the coming out process. While Ian’s sexuality is openly accepted by his family, his community remains a bigger obstacle, particularly for his boyfriend, Mickey. Mickey has to hide his orientation for a long time before his is able to embrace is sexuality and come out to his family and the community. This storyline is important to the show because is showcases the struggles of the coming out process, but it also shows the positive aspects of acceptance, very apparent in the clip above when Ian comes out to Fiona. In addition, Ian and Mickey’s relationship is not overly gendered, as Holz Ivory, Gibson, & Ivory (2009) would suggest. The show provides a very real depiction of two men in a relationship, again normalizing sexuality, no matter what type. Therefore, LBGT adolescents can see this more real depiction where the gay characters are not being over caricaturized and they may also be able to gain useful, somewhat accurate information about the coming out process (Bond, Hefner, & Dragos, 2009).

Overall, Shameless is successfully tackling sexuality in the media by providing very real depictions of the role of sex in life. The show provides a variety of perspectives that make it a more accurate and relatable source of information regarding sex compared to other television series. It has real entertainment value and is able to portray the raw facts of life and overtly depicts sex for what it should be -- shameless. 

References

Bond, B. J., Hefner, V., & Drogos, K. L. (2009). Information-seeking practices during the sexual development of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals: The influence and effects of coming out in a mediated environment. Sexuality & Culture: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly, 13(1), 32-50. doi: 10.1007/s12119-008-9041-y

Ferguson, T., Berlin, J., Noles, E., Johnson, J., Reed, W., & Spicer, C. V. (2005). Variation in the application of the 'promiscuous female' stereotype and the nature of the application domain: Influences on sexual harassment judgments after exposure to the Jerry Springer Show. Sex Roles, 52(7-8), 477-487. doi: 10.1007/s11199-005-3713-y

Holz Ivory, A., Gibson, R., & Ivory, J. D. (2009). Gendered relationships on television: Portrayals of same-sex and heterosexual couples. Mass Communication & Society, 12(2), 170-192. doi: 10.1080/15205430802169607

Kelly, M. (2010). Virginity loss narratives in “teen drama” television programs. Journal of Sex Research, 47(5), 479-489. doi: 10.1080/00224490903132044

Markle, G. (2008). “Can women have sex like a man?”: Sexual scripts in "Sex and the City". Sexuality & Culture, 12(1), 45-57. doi: 10.1007/s12119-007-9019-1