"Because I'm a Lady, Ass-Face!"

I've come to the quick realization: you have NO idea who I am. And by this, I mean you only know my affinity for Enlightened. But if I am going to spend (at least) the next semester rambling on about television, perhaps it is best to get a feel for my "taste" before we start this odd rapport of writer and reader.

My oftentimes tumultuous relationship with television viewing began pretty early in my childhood when I stumbled upon a season four episode of Will & Grace. I remember it distinctly, it was the episode that Matt Damon guest-starred on, "A Chorus Lie," and I knew from that one episode that I was hooked. I didn't realize it at the time, but I had started developing my identity as a gay man, from as early as the fifth grade. I just didn't know it then. But several years later, I came to terms with this reality, and in a way, if it wasn't for Will & Grace, I dot think I would be half the person I am today. Yawn, I get it. I could post article after articles about the impacts of the media on shaping our identities, but I won't bore you. We all know this. But start to recognize those shows in your life that have helped you through difficult times, those that you can return to at any point in your life. It's crazy, but I still pop in my old DVDs of this sitcom, the sitcom that started it all, just for comfort. Will, Grace, Jack, and Karen are all old friends. And because, of course I own all eight seasons and the series finale on DVD.

I was not at the age to completely understanding what "binging" meant, and to this day, I try to avoid that phrase. It simply comes down to a matter of watching a series in rapid succession, and I didn't have easy access to that when I was a youngster. I caught episodes of W&G when I could on TV, or I would rent out seasons at a time from Family Video. Otherwise, I watched whatever was available to me. I didn't even know what Netflix was, nor have I ever had DVR. What was a young midwest gay kid to do?

I even have this image hung up in my bedroom.

Six Feet Under changed everything for me. Will & Grace started as a past-time. But there was this quality about SFU that intrigued me. I had not seen an episode of it, but I was developing my taste in film and I had just seen American Beauty. I wanted to explore Alan Ball's career. I begged and begged my parents for the DVD collection of Six Feet Under, and after badgering for so long, I received the entire series on DVD for Christmas. I was scared. This was it, the first series that I was going to fly through. And boy did I! 5 seasons, an hour for each episode. Although I was in the middle of my sophomore year of high school, I managed to watch Six Feet Under in its entirety in two weeks time.

And what an adventure that proved to be. With fleshed-out characters, a premise that was simultaneously kooky and grounded in humanity, and a cast that inhabited these individuals with precision, I found myself head-over-heels. Today, I find myself talking to people and their latest TV obsessions. I had never had one like that, one that told one, long, gradual story. Whereas Will & Grace was episodic and I could watch any episode and catch myself up, this was a brand new world for me. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole series, and although I typically consider myself to be an emotionally closed off person, the series finale devastated me. When I say devastated me, I mean sobbing. Sobbing for two hours after I watched the episode, sobbing in the shower. SOBBING.

When asked what my favorite shows are, I say that Will & Grace and Six Feet Under are interchangeable. Both series came into my life at critical times and have since influenced my thoughts and feelings on television. They set the bar, and I am always on the hunt for series that stack up. Have I? You bet.

A few more shows swoop into my favorites list, because of course I compile a list of all my favorite series. I'll offer up a concise list of some of these shows in the accompanying weeks. I don't want to give everything away in the second post. But suffice it to say that when you start with Will & Grace and Six Feet Under, you will start to gain a feel for what we are going to talk about. We may cry. We may laugh. And ultimately, things are going to be a little gay.