This term I’m taking a online journalism class that is required for my
minor at the University of Oregon. And we had to pick a TV show to watch and
write about it. I watched “Modern Family” on Wednesday, April 23rd
at 9pm on ABC. The show is considered a sitcom. The family travels to Australia
as Phil tries to fulfill his mother’s wish for him to visit the country where
he was conceived. Unfortunately, Phil’s attempts to embrace his native land are
met by a lot of rejection, while Jay and Claire let work into vacation time,
and Mitch and Cam get reacquainted with an old friend. The main guy Jay is
played by Ed O’Neill and he was known for being Al Bundy in “Married with
Children”. Jay’s wife Gloria is played by Sofia Vergara who was well known in
the Spanish language television networks. Jay’s son is Mitch played by Jesse
Tyler Ferguson his claim to fame before “Modern Family” is being in the TV show
“The Class”. Jay’s daughter in Claire who’s played by Julie Brown and her
husband Phil is played by Ty Burrell.
The style of the show is very modern with family dealing with everyday
drama between each other and problems they are faced with. They don’t dress
over the top or under dress, they show them in a nice house it’s not small but
it’s not huge. The mom Claire drives a minivan and works at her dads (Jay)
business. The show is presented in mockumentary style where the characters
frequently talk directly into the camera to connect with the audience. They
film at locations around Los Angeles using actual neighborhoods, schools, and
known places. It’s similar to a show called “The middle” where as it depicts
daily problems faced with in family and played on TV and in mockumentary style.
What makes this show unique though is it doesn’t just focus on one intermediate
family but three families that are all related to each other. You have Jay, his
wife, and their kids, then you have the Jays daughter Claire and her family,
and Jay’s son Mitch and his family.
Jay and Gloria doing one of their confessional interviews
The show depicts three different family lifestyles. You have the
traditional between Claire and Phil. A younger and older couple marriage with
Jay and his wife Gloria. Then you have the homosexual marriage between Mitch
and Cameron. In the traditional family Phil is the breadwinner of the family,
and Claire is the family manager. Then with Jay and Gloria it’s a little
different with it being an interracial marriage and being an age difference.
Jay is much like Phil with being the bread winner and then Gloria is a stay at
home mom who cooks, cleans and serves the family. But they also add on to her
Hispanic stereotypes by having a ditzy persona, misusing phrases and words.
Then with Mitch and Cam being a same sex couple dealing with the adoption of
baby girl. They have the stereotypical masculine and feminine traits because
they are a gay couple. But each one captures each trait; there isn’t one that’s
the masculine persona, and one that’s feminine.
Cam & Mitchell
According to an article I read on http://splitsider.com/2013/11/people-who-watch-modern-family-make-more-than-those-who-watch-bobs-burgers/.
Modern Family’s demographic is age 18-49 and the median income is $81,100 which
signifies that the show draws affluent and educated viewers. With the
commercials being 7UP, Orbit, L’Oreal, Magnum Chocolate, iPhone 5s, Target,
Verizon, Pronamel, Pizza Hut, You Tube, Garnier, Lipton Ice Tea, Mutual of Ohama,
Quantas Airlines. You can see that it’s trying to reach a wide range of people
but not necessarily just towards people of wealth and education. I personally
feel that the commercials are random. The only one that I feel directed towards
the audience was that Quantas Airlines because that’s an Australian based
company and in the last scene it shows the family flying back to Los Angeles on
it. Other than that I’m a student and I don’t have much income but each of
those products interests me except maybe the more girly ones like Garnier and L’Oreal.
If I were a visitor to the US I would say this show paints a chaotic and
disrespectful culture. The parents Phil and Claire are both kind of portrayed
as ditzy and weird. The kids don’t show much respect for them and kind of act
smarter than their parents. And are rude to one another and always fighting
with each other. It doesn’t really paint a great picture of an American family.
Clair, Hayley, Phil, Alex, and Luke
I really enjoy the show, I think it’s hilarious and there are parts I
can connect to my family. But sometimes it goes over the top on reflecting real
life. The show is very much a parody and is just trying to entertain its
audience with lots of humor with a little touch of sensitivity. Like this last
show with the family going to Australia because of Phil wanting to go on a
spiritual journal to connect with his mom. But during the trip he gets bite by
a jelly fish, hit by kangaroo which is all humor, and then he realizes that’s
Australia’s way of connecting with him spiritually.
Phil getting stung by Jelly Fish in Australia episode with Gloria
Overall this is a great comedic show that goes a little over the top for
some laughs. The only part I don’t like is how the kids act towards their
parents being snotty and rude. If I did that to my parents I would be punished.
I love how they all offer confessional interviews directly to an unidentified
camera person. Jay may say he pretends to love his daughter’s blueberry pie,
but in his confessional interview he says he really hates it. It really makes
the audience feel like they are a part of the family.
Critic Evan Mantel for the right wing, anti-gay Media Research Center
states that “Modern family relies on feelings which mislead” and that “there is
no logical argument in favor of gay marriage, but the sweetness of Cam and
Mitch is touching.” And I would totally agree. I’ve grown up in a very
conservative Christian family and was always taught marriage is to only be
between a man and women. But as times
are changing and shows like Modern Family are showing great stories it makes
gay marriage feel not so awe shocking as it used to be.
I watch this show regularly with my family. I follow a couple of the
actors on Twitter and Instagram. Claire’s husband Phil is played by Ty Burrell who
is from Oregon and went to Southern Oregon University in Ashland and is avid Oregon Duck fan. Also the
actor that plays Hayley Claire and Phil’s daughter, Sarah Hyland had a kidney
transplant to me that’s interesting because I’m getting ready to have my third
transplant at the end of June.
Ty Burrell huge Duck fan at Fiesta Bowl in 2013
I learned that the show is very modern stereotypical. With having a
stay at home mom, interracial marriage between a younger and older person,
along with have a same sex couple. I was surprised at some of the reviews that
people give the show. I understand they don’t like stereotypes but it is just a
show for entertainment. Overall I think the kind of culture TV is reflecting back at us today is a chaotic one where everyone does there own thing but eventually finds their way after several trials and tribulations. And that you can't accomplish everything on your own that sometimes you need you family when you least expect it.
Watch this episode here: http://abc.go.com/shows/modern-family/episode-guide/season-05/520-australia
Links
http://national.deseretnews.com/article/810/Do-families-seen-on-the-small-screen-reflect-the-families-of-today.html
http://tvcriticism2013.blogspot.com/2013/09/modern-family-gender-roles-and.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/fashion/23THISLIFE.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://splitsider.com/2013/11/people-who-watch-modern-family-make-more-than-those-who-watch-bobs-burgers/
http://dot429.com/articles/3135-right-wing-tv-critic-evan-mantel-modern-family-relies-on-feelings-which-mislead-and-are-dangerous
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