Shameless – Series 1, Episode 1 – Representation

I have watched the majority of the Shameless series and so know a lot about the main characters in
the Gallagher family, but if I was to look at the very first episode of Shameless in series one, Paul
Abbott represents the main characters well by the use of mise en scene, music, cinematography and
stereotypes. He represents regional identity and sexuality through this and the audience can
immediately see this through the characters.

If we take the four characters that we see the most in this episode, Lip Gallagher; Ian Gallagher;
Fiona Gallagher and Steve McBride, we can tell a lot about their sexuality and regional identity right
from the beginning:

Character (Actor/Actress) Regional Identity Sexuality

 At the beginning of the episode,
the community are throwing
cans into a fire – this mise en
scene immediately shows that
the people are branded as lower
class people – with the crime
and police arriving in the shot.
 He is wearing tracksuits and
Lip Gallagher (Jody Latham) scruffy clothes; being the
stereotypical Manchester boy.
 He is intelligent because of him
knowing Physics well and really
doesn’t fit with the idea that the
northern people are ‘less
intelligent’ than the south.
 The way that Ian talks is the
stereotypical way that a
teenager would talk to his
mates/brother – with the
Ian Gallagher (Gerard language used.
Kearns)
 The mise en scene shows that
Fiona Gallagher (Anne-Marie they have intercourse in a
Duff) kitchen, which is not the most
romantic of places and also
minutes later, Fiona’s father
Steve McBride (James
(Frank) is dragged in and put
McAvoy)
onto the floor where they just
were.
 Straight – Normal teenage
boy; has a sexual encounter
with Kareen but she offers
it to him whereas a
stereotypical teenager
would ask for it. While this
is happening, Karen’s mum
is only a few metres away
from them; incorporating
humour because of the
music being played to her
mum from the TV.
 He boasts to Ian about it
(his brother) and when he
finds out about Ian’s
sexuality he sort of looks at
the folder in horror.
 Gay – Lip finds his folder
(Kylie Poster)
 He cries when Lip finds out
(showing that he is
sensitive) – feminine
 He does not look the
stereotypical gay person
and you could not tell if he
was gay or straight by just
looking at him.
 When Fiona and Steve have
intercourse, the audience
can hear birds/Spanish
guitar (romantic) just
before the sexual scene and
intertextuality is used
because she uses the word
‘neigh’ which refers to
Monty Python and the
‘Knights who say Neigh!’
  The use of fast paced shots
when the intercourse scene
takes place contrasts with
the slow close-up shots
while the romantic music is
playing previously before.

Overall, Paul Abbott represents the characters well by the use of these devices and really plays the
stereotypical and binary opposites together so that the audience can see the difference between the
characters’ sexuality and their regional identity and how the stereotypes do not always fit with the
actual people that live in council estates in Manchester.