Coming from a family that is more Martin than Niles, this half-hour sitcom was my first, and arguably most potent, window into fanciness and has shaped my personality as much as any other single influence. It probably has to do with the tender way in which it portrays the habits and predilections of Frasier and Niles that make it unique from nearly all other American television. Generally, the Fancy character is flat and fleeting, there to act as foil for some more traditional character. Even on Cheers, where Kelsey Grammer's character first appeared, he was often giving the Fancy perspective more than participating in major plot developments.
So the fact that Frasier's point of view is so unapologetically Pro-Fancy, and that it flourished for over a decade is absolutely stunning. Plots found the brothers Crane fighting over chairmanships of wine tasting clubs and the garishness of show-business, sitting in sensory depravation chambers, name dropping furniture designers, and sporting the finest double-breasted suits the decade had to offer. The show was even divided into acts, each with a clever title to welcome the scene.
Aside from the general mis en scene, there are a few specific scenes, that without even re-watching, I call to mind as pivotal in my understanding of the world around me.
1. Niles Crane keeps his cellular phone in the breast pocket of his jacket: As cellular phones were just beginning to infiltrate society, Niles was at the vanguard of the new etiquette.
2. Niles Crane referring to a hatch-back as a hunch-back: the conceit being his total isolation from "real life," we're treated to the view that what we may take as merely mundane could be even worse than we suspect. Niles later refers to a "Mini - Van," which, when awkwardly pronounced, leads us to believe that Niles is also unaware of another segment of vehicle outside the luxury sedan.
3. Frasier name-drops Ray & Charles Eames: toward the end of a passionate argument, Frasier appeals to a female character, "You think I don't want to throw you onto that Eames lounge chair and prove to you that it's the finest made chair in the world!?" I couldn't have been out of my early teens and this sparked my first realization that some chairs are different from other chairs, and that some things are better than other things. Prior to that things were stuff. After that, things were objects. This could take up a thread on its own, but you get the idea.
4. It was ok to be Fancy: the show assumed Frasier & Niles' tastes were never portrayed as anything more eccentric than an excited Yankees fan. The comedy was lovingly wrought from situations that happened to be fancy, but didn't require it. As mentioned, the fight over chairmanship of the wine tasting club never conceded that it was a foolish thing to argue over, but that it was foolish for brothers to argue in general. Blood was thicker than bordeaux, so to speak.
5. Through the looking glass: just as TUWFs (Those Unconcerned With Fanciness) puzzle at our ability to remain nonplussed about college basketball and Tom Clancy "novels", Frasier showed our equal, if not greater, measure of bewilderment at someone who doesn't care about the weight of fabrics, the age of scotch, or the number of complications in a timepiece.
As I undertake a grand re-watching, I'm sure other tid-bits will come to light, but sufficed to say I am who I am partially because of the things I saw on Frasier. I welcome any Frasier related anecdotes that may have inspired you.
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