Modern Family's portrayal of contemporary American families and diversity

¶ … Family: A cultural analysis

The sitcom Modern Family depicts an extended 'blended' family with an unusual composition. Jay Pritchett, the main character, is married to a much younger Latina woman named Gloria and has a stepson named Manny. Jay's son Mitchell is gay and lives with husband Cam and adopted daughter Lily nearby. Jay's daughter Claire is a stay-at-home mom and lives with her husband Phil and their three children Hayley, Alex, and Luke. Some aspects of the show reflect very typical sitcom themes, despite its embrace of intercultural and gay marriage, while other plot points are more contemporary and unique.

For example, in a recent episode (Season Six, Episode 7) "Queer Eyes, Full Hearts," the episode revolves around Mitchell feeling jealous of Cam after Cam becomes the focus of a recent news segment on Cam's status as a gay football coach. Manny is resistant to Gloria's insistence he take Spanish rather than French in high school. The most conventional storyline is that of the Dunphy family, where the high-strung Claire is upset at the fact that her twenty-year-old daughter Hayley cannot find a job. In the following Thanksgiving episode (Season Six, Episode 8), Claire's perfectionism is the dominant theme: she is so worried that her husband and son are cooking dinner that she cooks her own 'backup' turkey.

The show often depicts common sitcom battles (like two parents arguing about having to be the 'bad' parent) but there is acceptance of modern diversity: for example, Mitchell complains that he is always forced to be the disciplinarian with Lily, and when Lily refuses to get dressed up for dinner, he insists that Cam discipline her for a change, rather than himself. The show occasionally shows the gay couple obsessed with stereotypical concerns such as fashion and style but also shows a number of unconventional dimensions to their relationship, like Cam's love of football and the fact both men are parents together.

"Strangers in the Night" (Season Six, Episode 9) depicts Cam and Mitchell having to host a work colleague of Mitchell's at their home who is going through a divorce. The two of them recently purchased a beautiful white couch and the episode revolves around them trying to keep the couch clean without offending the messy, emotionally distraught houseguest. Mitchell and Cam's relationship is utterly accepted by both their families and Mitchell's employer. Although the 'situation' presented in the comedy does contain certain broad, stereotypical elements such as the gay couple's fixation on the beautiful couch, overall the humor derives more from the men's personalities and the witty dialogue than the fact that they are two married men.

Were an African tribe to see Modern Family for the first time, with no knowledge of American history, they would likely think that America was a far more inclusive society today than it actually is in reality. The vision of American culture presented by Modern Family is a forward-thinking and positive one in terms of sexuality and race where differences are not merely overcome but embraced. Although family members do fight with one another (such as Gloria's frustration that Manny does not want to learn Spanish and the fact she is often made fun of because of her difficulties with English), any reservations can easily be overcome.