Frasier Crane is Even More of a Jerk Than We Thought

We all love the classic NBC sitcom Frasier, but let’s face it, Dr. Frasier Crane could be a real dick sometimes. Whether it was relentlessly belittling his father’s pedestrian tastes, consistently slut-shaming Roz, or trying to snap a photo of his unconscious girlfriend without her consent.

But one of his most egregious acts of jerkery becomes evident when you examine the layout of his condo. There are multiple fan-made floor plans for Frasier’s apartment, and they all show the same thing; a secret room behind the kitchen that we never actually view on the show. This isn’t all that unusual; a lot of TV homes defy logic, like how Seinfeld’s apartment is basically a spatial impossibility not unlike the Overlook Hotel. 

But seemingly, the hidden area in Frasier’s place served a purpose: an unused laundry room. Which wouldn’t be a big deal, except for the fact that Frasier didn’t do his own laundry; Daphne did. It’s unclear what exactly Daphne’s deal with Frasier entailed; she was his father’s live-in physical therapist, but that arrangement also involved her essentially being everybody’s butler. She cooked, cleaned, and was seemingly responsible for answering every single doorbell. While housekeeping duties aren’t in and of themselves a problem if they were specifically included as part of her job description, there were also Frasier’s puritanical rules that initially included a ban on all sexual activity, which seems … illegal?

Throughout the course of the show, we saw many instances where Daphne was forced to take the elevator down to the basement while carrying a load of Frasier and Martin’s soiled clothes to wash in the communal laundry room. But then, in the ninth season, we learned that Frasier’s apartment had an unused laundry hook-up, but the room was being used to … store Frasier’s hat collection?

Which is extra insane because there’s not a single instance in the 11 seasons of the show (minus Halloween episodes) where Frasier is ever seen wearing a hat. He had disposable income to spend on gourmet food and opera subscriptions but couldn’t be bothered to spring for laundry facilities? Daphne is pissed off about it in this one episode, but then it’s never mentioned again until, in the following season, it’s casually revealed that Frasier did get a washing machine after Daphne moved out. Truly he is a monster.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter! And check out the podcast Rewatchability.

Top Image: NBC Universal