If you're anything like me, you didn't jump on the Shameless bandwagon until recently. A friend told me about it, so I figured I would give it a try, since I was looking for a new show on Netflix anyways. After the first episode, I was hooked, and within a few weeks, I had finished the first six seasons.

For those who haven't seen the show, it's about a poor family living in a slummy area of Chicago. The father is an alcoholic, who often disappears for days at a time while leaving his daughter in charge of his other five kids. The show comically (and sometimes sadly) shows the struggles the family goes through to get by on a daily basis. If you haven't seen it yet, it's a great show to start, with more seasons on the way.

While watching, I found myself thinking a few of the same thoughts repeatedly, and I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one..

It should be noted that this show is not for anyone that gets offended easily or has a clean sense of humor.

1. I really hope no one walks in on me watching this.

I used to think The Tudors were bad, until I saw this show. In accurately depicting the every day lives of the fictional Gallagher family, the events that occur behind closed doors certainly aren't off limits. There would often be scenes of nudity that were by far some of the most graphic that I'd ever seen in a TV show. I would always find myself making sure the volume wasn't too loud, just in case someone were to walk in while I was watching. This is definitely not a show to have on if you have young children around!

2. Am I a bad person for laughing at this?

Shameless spares absolutely no one when it comes to offensive comments. Religious groups, different races, sexual orientations, people with mental/physical disorders, the list goes on and on. I would often find myself laughing hysterically at some of the comments that would be made by the characters, as well as some of the actions they would take along with the comments. One particular example of this was when Kevin and Veronica took in Ethel as their foster daughter. Upon learning that she came from a religious cult, and was one of multiple wives to one man, Veronica made the comment of not wanting to send her back to the "Waco wackos." This is just one example of the outrageously inappropriate and offensive comments on the show. As I stated earlier, it definitely isn't for those that get offended easily.

3. Does this kind of stuff actually happen?

It's almost hard to believe that some of the things that happens on Shameless happen in real life. One of the crazy schemes in the first season was when Frank admitted that he had buried his Aunt Ginger in the backyard almost a decade earlier and had been collecting her Social Security checks for years. A few weeks ago, I heard a similar story (this time in real life) of a family in Coshocton, Ohio that buried a deceased family member in their backyard and continued collecting their Social Security checks. This makes me wonder how much of the stuff that we thought was hard to believe actually happens in the real world..

4. How does anyone live like this?

Some of the schemes that the Gallaghers use to get by, along with their friends, often make me wonder. Fiona has what she calls a "squirrel fund" that the family collects funds for in the summer to get them through the winter. Veronica does weird tasks for people that pay to watch her on a webcam. Lip and Kevin sell illegal substances from an ice cream truck to make some quick cash. Carl often steals from delivery trucks and grocery stores to get supplies for the house, and even joins a gang at one point. Not to mention, their house looks as if it could collapse at any minute, but somehow they always seem to make it all work out. I'm not sure I could function in some of the conditions that the show portrays.

5. This is actually a really good show.

Despite the inappropriateness, and the unconventional methods Fiona uses to raise the kids, the show actually does have a really good message. The message being that family sticks together, no matter what. There will be ups and downs, but what really matters is who is there for you when you're both at your best and your worst. It also brings awareness to mental disorders as well as alcoholism, and how to approach things with an open mind in a nonjudgemental way. Shameless really does embody the values that many families share, and is definitely worth watching.