Modern Family

[merriehaskell]

I like this show. It's amusing, and I identify strongly with Phil and Cam. It also makes my husband reliably clutch his gut and guffaw once per episode, usually during a Luke one-liner, and that alone is worth watching the show, because it's funny to watch Dann watch it

Comments

[theferrett]

Huh. I hadn't thought about that. But you're right, they are all stay-at-homes. And really, Haley should be brought into the family business.

It's interesting, because on one level Cam and Mitch are the stereotypical flighty, bitchy gay couple, and on another level they're fully realized human beings. It's a comedy, where everyone's boiled down to a set of traits, but in a sense I think it's way better to have these stereotypes on screen and laughed at (and along with) than it is to have them hidden from view.

And I adore the subtleties of Jay and Manny's relationship. It is real.

[merriehaskell]

The show plays a really fascinating balancing act between stereotype and full characterization on almost every front. It's interesting...

[defectivewookie]

Looking at Claire's situation, I think back to a time when her kids were not 12-18; when they were young enough to have required day care, I could see her making the decision to stay home much the way Cam is. After years away from work, it would be difficult to get back in, especially since Phil would have been doing really well in real estate when Luke was about 5-6

[merriehaskell]

In the end, I think the show is opting to answer the question "who watches the kids" with "stay at home parent" in order to keep the cast a little more manageable.

That makes loads of sense.

I understand your mom's situation--that happened a lot with our parents' generation. It happens significantly less with ours, however. I just find it odd that it's never even been addressed with Claire. What did she used to do before the kids? She literally has no identity outside of "Mom" and "hyper-competetive Halloween decorator."

[defectivewookie]

My savvy and intelligent wife, upon hearing about our back and forth, reminded me that Claire did, in fact, have a job before the kids

[merriehaskell]

My compliments to your savvy, intelligent, and far-above you wife. :)

Okay, that stands corrected!

And yeah, their single-income earners all do QUITE well based on their houses. I appreciate at least that Cam and Mitch either rent or own a condo, but it's not exactly squalor for all that it's not free-standing.

MORE CLOWN GIGS FOR CAM!

[spiziks]

I've noticed also how unlikely it would be that all the households are single-income. Claire should definitely be working somewhere. Luke was nearly 10 when the show started, for heaven's sake! And the show is titled MODERN FAMILY. Where do you find a modern family in which only one parent works these days?

They =have= had Cam complain about giving up his career as a music teacher to stay home with Lily a few times, but Lily's in nursery school now (they did a whole episode around it), so why wouldn't Cam hunt for a job? If nothing else, they could get a number of episodes out of it, how Cam can't find work, even though he's looking hard.

[merriehaskell]

I never caught the Cam career--cool.

I can see him putting off a return to work--they're trying to adopt another baby, and Lily is still pretty young, so it might be a "she's really only at daycare 2-3 days for the socialization/give Cam a breather." That's pretty common.

But Claire. Claire! *throws hands up*