Modern Family

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Winnow
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Modern Family

Post by Winnow »

I watched the first season of this show and enjoyed it.


It features Ed O'Neill (Al Bundy) in his 60's with a young wife from Columbia. His son is gay in a relationship and has adopted Vietnamese baby daughter. His daughter married a real estate agent, they have three kids, one smart, one clueless, and one dumb.

Doesn't sound that interesting from the description but it's got Al Bundy which makes it worth checking out.

30 minute shows. Download 3 of them and give it a try. If you don't like it after three shows, move on!
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Aslanna
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Re: Modern Family

Post by Aslanna »

I watch it but I have two complaints:

- The Columbian woman's accent is too heavy and sounds faked/forced. Maybe that's how she actually talks but I don't like it!

- The gay couple seems way more gay then most gay people I've known irl. They pretty much come of as a cliched stereotype to me.


Personally I enjoy Community more. It floundered a bit during the first season but the second was pretty consistent.
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Re: Modern Family

Post by Psyloche »

I really enjoyed this show as well. I haven't watched since Season 1, but intend on going back at some point and doing it.

Regarding Aslanna's comments, her accent is a bit forced, but being married to a Puerto Rican who has a strong accent with certain words/phrases makes it pretty entertaining to us. In fact, many of her mix-ups have happened to us or are very similar. The gay couple definitely has some heavy stereotypes but I think they balance them well with the chubbier one seeming more flamboyant about it actually being from a farm and more masculine in many activities vs the other. Definitely worth the 30 minutes for me.
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Re: Modern Family

Post by laneela »

Actually, Sofia Vergara (the actress who plays Gloria) is not forcing an accent. That's exactly how she talks. I think while all of the characters are a bit over the top (it's a sitcom, not a documentary), the stereotypes are pretty on-point. I think the show is brilliant. The nuances in the dialogue are what do it for me. It's extremely well-written.

Plus, Phil Dunphy is almost as awesome and quotable as Barney Stinson if you're paying attention.
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Re: Modern Family

Post by Spang »

I really like this show. It's one of the few good shows on TV. Also, I wrote an article about it:

Cam and Mitchell: 'A Subtle Means of Support of Same-Sex Marriage'

A flamboyant, stay-at-home dad who occasionally dresses up as Fizbo the clown and an uptight, Fizbo-detesting lawyer make up one of the most prominent gay couples on television. Cameron Tucker and Mitchell Pritchett, along with their adopted Vietnamese daughter, Lily Tucker-Pritchett, are one of three families on ABC's hit comedy “Modern Family.”

“I'm pretty sure it's the first time that a gay male couple has been depicted on television, at least in a recurring role,” Rodger Streitmatter, professor at American University's School of Communication, said. “I think it's in many ways a trailblazing show; it has a [gay male] couple that is very committed to each other. That's unique, that's pioneering.”

Interestingly, the flamboyant, gay character is played by a straight guy, Eric Stonestreet, while the uptight, not-very-flamboyant character is played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson who is gay in real life. “Jesse and I are going to be friends forever,” Stonestreet told Donna Freydkin of USA Today. “This show has put us together.”

Freydkin writes, “Their sexuality is secondary to their characters' story lines, which focus on the humdrum and often sweet aspects of couplehood.”

Streitmatter agrees: “Their gayness doesn't really define them; it's part of who they are, but it's not the only element of who they are.”

“The other part that I think is unique about that particular depiction of gay people, is most of their issues—most of the topics—don't have so much to do with them being gay,” Streitmatter said. “It's more about issues involving the child, or issues involving other relatives, which I think is different from many of the programs that preceded it.”

The gay couple is portrayed as a very normal couple, often times more normal than their straight-couple counterparts of the Dunphy's and the May-December couple of Jay (Mitchell's father) and Gloria Pritchett. “They pretty much are normal,” Streitmatter said. “They have a house, they have a child that they're raising, [and] they have issues with family members.”

However, unlike the other two couples, Cameron and Mitchell never kiss, which has led to some controversy and the creation of the Facebook page “Let Cam and Mitchell kiss on Modern Family!” According to the page, “Cam & Mitchell … have not been shown sharing even a brief kiss throughout the series' first hit season.”

Marcia Crittenton posted on the wall, “Every child should see affection between his/her parents, and Lily is no exception.”

“There was a whole episode—a significant part of the episode—devoted to public displays of affection between these two guys,” Streitmatter said. “One example of Mitchell being uptight, is he never wanted Cameron to touch him or kiss him when other people were around, so that became a plotline for one of the segments.”

Streitmatter, in his book “from 'perverts' to 'fab five': The Media's Changing Depiction of Gay Men and Lesbians,” writes, “I'm keeping my fingers crossed that, at some point before the end of my lifetime, the double standard that keeps gay characters from engaging in the same sexual activities as straight characters will finally end.”

The writers and producers of “Modern Family” cleverly show their support for the gay and lesbian community. “I think it makes a difference, you know, to have a program like that on as sort of a subtle means of support of same-sex marriage,” Streitmatter said. “I don't think the guys are married, but they are together as a committed couple, and are certainly likable and appealing and admirable.”
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Re: Modern Family

Post by Leonaerd »

Phil regularly makes or breaks the show. I want to see his character in other prominent roles.
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Re: Modern Family

Post by Psyloche »

I've seen her in other movies, interviews and various other stuff; seemed a bit forced to me. She does have an accent, but I didn't think it was to the same degree that comes off in the show. For the jokes they use in the show, I think it works perfectly fine. Really though, more people should watch it, because it's a funny show!
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Re: Modern Family

Post by masteen »

It truly is a magnificent... wait what?

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Re: Modern Family

Post by Aslanna »

I was just sharing my complaints! Like I said I still watch it.. Whether or not it's a 'forced' accent or not doesn't matter.. It still seems that way to me and I think it's a bit over the top.

I just would find it a better show if those two things were changed. Which I doubt they will be.
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Re: Modern Family

Post by Boogahz »

So, she should force her accent to have less of an accent?
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Re: Modern Family

Post by Aslanna »

Yes. Thanks for asking.
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Re: Modern Family

Post by Boogahz »

wouldn't that be a "forced" accent which you said you didn't like? :P
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