How are various characters represented in a episode of shameless?

In this lesson we watched the channel 4 drama shameless, we watched the very first episode of the 1st series these were the outcomes of the program:

As soon as the show started i noticed that thew scene was in a council estate In Manchester, this gives me a stereotype impression of this program being informal and aimed at the young adult range. As the music started Frank (the character) started a narrative talk about the culture there so as soon as it starts a person in the culture is giving a view standard of where he lives so we now where we are and whats going on.

Its' like we're looking out of his eyes and the style of music blends into his voice and characters actions which makes the intro interesting and successful to the audience.

Then we were given a task to follow, we had to describe the characters in as much detail as possible. We also paused every 10 minutes to look at peoples different views towards these individual characters in shameless.

My results where as follows:

Steve: Middle class man due to clothes, when was in nightclub he was opened minded and cocky towards the girls and bouncer which also shows over confidence. When he faces Fiona when talking at her house he gives a strong eye contact towards her to show that he's interested and taking notice of her conversation in every aspect/ open minded. And also he's clever in words towards Fiona and Veroina maybe a lady's man (male gaze). He's a open minded and can be sarcastic towards to female genders, he uses this techniques to either win the girl and he plays hard (male gaze) but when he gets the girl ... Fiona he shows his emotions and feelings towards her in more in depth situations. Also we see a hidden back life to Steve that instead of working he pretend to and steels cars, yet again we see is sly emotions appearing but yet again earn him want he wants. Basically a clever man and mostly gets what he wants.



Fiona: A shy and independent character, she maybe feel uncomfortable due to the way of she follows Veriona actions and her lifestyle or could be a quiet and sly character. Her dress sense is red dress and high heals =, form of sex or male gaze as showing curves and body, but also she can dress chavy, this maybe from the family side. Her dad is Frank in shameless but he acts like a child as he's carryed in drunk by police, so shes like the adult of the house. Also tears of frustration as her night is ruined with Steve so she may want freedom in life, also this shows non typical attitude. But she can't be miserable as she has to keep the family in shape, this shows strength and a strong bond in the Gallagher family. Also when she starts seeing Steve she talks to him in a defensive way and also plays hard, maybe she is still insecure about if he enters her lifestyle it might be on extra on the family, so yet again we see her being self aware about life opportunity's.But also i think Fiona uses her depression as a reverse physiology affect and shows it when she is on the phone to Steve e.g. "You can get laid anyway" so it's like she's desperate for the answers of Steve, maybe to move on in life or if she finds the right answer. But at the end of the episode we see Steve as a farther icon when he's serving food to her family so she No's she's made the right choice and benefits from it. And also she easily lead into love aswel and is very forward with Steve.



Lip: Your typical teenage male (16-21 years old) loves abit of the old banta and is a sarcastic and very open character. He acts innocents towards people so that they will show him attention, so he likes to be known. Also as every human insists if something goes bad he runs away from the situation or finds anything to overcome it. Also we find out he is intelligent as he got a high grade in physic's so he may no some points of how people react in every day life this is properly way we see him act in a different type of style towards different characters in the program. And also he can be gobby and speaks his mind. He's also very passionate about his family as when he see's Ian in the shop with another guys trainer on it represents that he's been doing something with him, (the shoe is a prob to represent a dilemma in the episode). But then we see at the end of the episode that he has a go at Ian but then he has a joke with him and accepts the fact that he is gay, also he steps down to his level when Ian is smoking and joins in with him, this could show he's trying to make Ian commutable talking to him and he's in the same zone as him. He cannot win and change him so he follows him and keeps the bond with him but has the banta still going because he's still a bit disappointed.


Ian: Very easy to read from the start, very independent and shy but when he's involved he acts like 'Mr.big' and thinks he knows it all. Body language towards people edgy and static like he's got something to hide, later on we find out he's gay so we have a slight different view when he acts different towards men than girls. Its like he likes to be hidden away from the family, maybe because he the quiet one or he likes to get up to things as we see in the shop. And the shop might be his getaway from problems and situations in his life as you see his character is more sociable and happier when he's in there. Also he's very emotional when it comes to his sex when Lip argues with him. He raises his voice above his this shows that he might be scared of coming to reality with it and what the family will think of him or he hiding away so it shows the Lip you will listen to me and me only. Also violence is involved that Ian pins Lip down to the bed, this could show he's not a sissy boy and also it could show gay forms as he's touching a male, and also it shows more power and dominance. Then when he's sitting in the van at the end he's smoking a fag, this shows stress.

Frank: It is my favourite character as for the comedy point of view and also he shows intelligence in his sayings. Frank is your local piss head, fags booze, banta, "partys!" he's the role model of not being this character. The key aspect we see in Frank is right at the very beginning when he see him muttering on, but what i see is that he describing his life enviroment and how messed up it is and what he's become out of it and questions him self of why i became this. Also he describes his family at the start, this shows he does have a connection with the family and what might other people think of them, so he has a bond with them. But the way he acts and talks people don't really take notice of him because they stereotype him for a low life piss head. The thing is with Frank he's like the famous Gallagher brother but the binary opposites of not having the money. And his solution is to think what life about..... party's and bringing people together so he might be lonely in his age region.

Also in apart of the episode we him carryed in being drunk and disorderly by the police but the police are used to this so we no he's a local in the place for this dilemma, but also he's selfish to his family, he's the only farther and the kids more or less behave like the adult, he's the big kid but also its shows them not to end up like him and get something out of life. It's like he showing this is me and don't be me.

Also in another part of the show we see him looking in a washing machine, he no's his house and this is a new washing machine, but the camera angle is placed in a abstract point of view like the washing machine is looking at him, and makes him look like a caveman wondering what it is, this maybe used for comedy or a interest in the program for viewers.

And he likes to imtimidates people aswel, for when Steve turns up and walks outside his house he stops and looks at him in a strange and confused way, he could be still drunk or thinking what going on, so he does care about the family but is single minded and carry's on his walk to the daily pub. And then later on we see him come in and try to intimidate Steve again, so he's getting to no Steve and what he's here for, he does in a pissed and funny way to keep him in the comfort zone and questions Fiona about the washing machine and, she said Steve, so he may think " I could get things of Steve and more booze and fags maybe?" so he changes his emotions and grabs the keys and locks the house and has a party to make him feel welcoming, also he might be forgiving to Fiona after what he done the other night and they all start going to his level of drinking and fags. But when they steep to his level he talks more intelligently towards them and he looks like the intelligent person out of them all, maybe we see another Frank or he just used to this every day.

Veriona: The loud and i don't care what u think of me character. Your typical stereotype of a "slapper" don't be fooled by the photo she can be a loud mouthed self optioned stuck up women. But this type of attitude gets her somewhere like with men as in the male gaze some men like bad girls. Also she's like a role model for the place she lives in, her accent and her actions towards people and also her body language and dress sense. She's not really open minded as she swears quite alot, she attacks people with the insult and swearing instead of looking at it and trying to sort it out, maybe a lazy character. Also we her dancing in a nightclub typical stereotyping again, either getting drunk or looking for male attention.

Her dress scene is tarty and and tight clothes yet again she's part of the male gaze showing her figure body, curves, bum, arms, shoulders,legs, etc... Her colours are red a black, easy colours to see and also represented as sexy colours on a women. And the way she acts towards people is crud but sometimes kind hearted aswel. But also she can be very forward to views with people e.g. the bouncer she him a "fat twat" as he doesn't let her back in the nightclub. She acts a bit like a kid, if she doesn't get what she wants she'll make a big scene about it, grabs attention.Also she's very cheeky and makes herself at home anywhere as she walks into Franks house and help herself to vodka and drinks, yet again attention to people and also she doesn't care.

But also looking at all these character they have a bond with each other and links, they all live in the same place, they have nearly the same stroylined background but with a few different extra dilemmas and also sometime they all think screw it lets get wasted and have a party as we see in the end of the show. And they all no each other more or less.