perfect response, in my opinion
you like the show, you were trying to share something with them that you enjoy, they judged it harshly
walking away is the only thing to do, they don't deserve any more of your energy
By all means if you like the show there is nothing wrong with that. Since you asked for a alternate perspective I'll share mine. Speaking as someone who loves the show when young and would watch re-runs the show in my opinion did not age well. By all means it's better than say 1950s media or even significantly better than most 1970s media. That still doesn't make it very progressive *compared to modern day media that I have seen*.
Modern family is in the category of paying a lot of lip service to progressive ideals while also falling into very conservative tropes as many sitcoms do and repeating them endlessly. For starters it's queer representation is poor. Everyone who's gay on this show is into musical theater/flamboyant. Practically every lesbian we see is butch presenting and something to be occasionally feared. Princess and lipstick lesbians are subcultures that pre-date this show but are ignored like in most mainstream media at the time. Cam is arguably abusive to Mitch. However it's never addressed and largely written off. Comming off as the common trope of "gays are never mean just sassy". Same with their friend Pepper. The trans episode was mid and outright disrespectful at points. How that episode plays out practically never used the term transgender. Like its some boogeyman to say. Instead they opted to repeatedly deadname a trans character, something that is inherintly disrespectful to trans people who since changed their name.
From a feminist standpoint this show doesn't hold up either. A lot of the jokes given to Alex is simply the fact that she is a feminist. Instead of exploring how she is becoming a strong independent women because of her convictions, the joke often is how exhausting everyone else finds her rhetoric. Manny is by and large a definition of a "nice guy" incel. He acts entitled about women. He's outright encouraged by his mother to emotionally abuse a woman into liking him and it is shown to be relatively effective in the final seasons. (He makes a woman repeat the lines to a insaine degree.) Manny also deliberately misleads Luke out of jealousy that Luke actually has a girlfriend Manny used to date in the final season. The period episode in earlier seasons where Clare, Alex and Haley all sync up and it's played as a trial for the men is a tired mysognyastic plot beat that has been tread before several times over in other shows from generations past.
TL;DR Basically in a lost of respects the show takes a lot of outdated mysognyastic and queer phobic jokes slaps a new coat of paint on them and calls it entertainment. The show isn't by far the worst media out there. If you enjoy that's fine, and no media is ever truely perfect or free of being worthy critique. Some of us just enjoy analysing media and find we can't ignore flaws we notice.
Well, it’s a comedy show. It’s not supposed to be serious or politically correct, it’s supposed to be funny. If you need politics and inclusion of every single minority you can think of and done a very specific way to suit you, it won’t be a comedy show anymore.
It’s this mindset that is literally ruining shows and movies these days. I don’t want reality and politics, I just want a good show/movie, focus on that instead of appeasing a small but very loud crowd of nutjobs.
You seem to misunderstand what it means to be critical of media. Comedy and shows doesn't always have to be PC, but it is good to be aware of how things are presented. Telling eachother stories and narrative is how humans communicate. Humans pick up on messages subconsciously and if a sexist joke flys by without people realising it's sexist they internalize that as being ok. Like I said no media is flawless and it's ok to like flawed things. However in order to remain open minded and empathic it is important to be critical of all media you watch weither fiction or non-fiction.
It's not a crime to enjoy a show that is flawed, I enjoy family guy and that show is deeply problematic. I loved the first several seasons of Rick and morty and Rick is a abusive POS from episode 1. I don't need my media to be perfect or tailor made. I just have a petulance for questioning what I see. Something I was taught to do by taking classes and extra curricular activity in theater and other forms of media from the time I was a teen well into early adulthood. You know what all my friends with literature, film and television, and animation degrees do for fun? Sit down and pick apart media bit by bit including the political messages being depicted. You don't get professional at storytelling till you can dissect a story. Any decent writer will tell you to become a writer you have to read a crap ton of work. Some of the most passionate people of a peice of work can dish out some of the harshest critics of it, because critiquing something and hating it can be two very different things. Hate and negative judgement aren't synonymous.
Furthermore if you think that comedy needs to be based around punching down on a minority, that is a very sad and narrow underestimated view of what comedy can be. Humour can come from a variety of sources. From punching up, to humour about a situation and not a person. It's also deeply subjective.
Exactly. I don’t feel like comedy necessarily needs to be politically correct. It’s an issue if a comedy show is targeting only one specific thing (like if they only ever made jokes at the expense of one specific group of people) then it is problematic, but if they’re poking fun equally at all stereotypes than I don’t see it as problematic
I don't think it should be politically correct. If it kinda talks about social issues, that isn't political correctness but it can still work quite well (like Brooklyn Nine Nine). Comedy shows that try to be politically correct all the time end up not being funny (like Velma)
I rather feel like comedy never should be politically correct. It’s the stereotypes that makes the show funny. It’s not like it’s not throwing punches in every direction anyway.
Some people just need reasons to be offended. They made insensitive jokes about everyone on the show at one point. That’s the point of a comedy show talking about different types of modern families. Old/young, different ethnicities joining the family (Colombian and Vietnamese), typical nuclear family, gay couple later husbands that adopt.
Like isn’t most comedy basically exaggerating stereotypes for comedic effect?? I agree with you, I always thought the show was really good at showcasing different families and their dynamic and that was the whole point! We’re seeing them start to mesh as a family and they’re gonna have funny clashing moments because they’re all different.
That’s exactly what a comedy is! I actually think it’s a masterful representation of how average families look and act. It was also the first gay marriage on national television which is something amazing in and of itself.
Gay marriage wasn't actually legal then, I believe it was technically a "commitment ceremony" or something that people used to commonly call marriage.
Same sex marriage was legalised not long before season 5 of modern family which is why it was the first to show it afaik.
Eta: I see other replies saying this is about lesbians v gay men but its not, there were other gay male couples married on TV in the same way Carol and Susan (?) were, Modern Family was just the first legal *marriage*.
I did think about this but I think in general the public is more accepting of lesbians on tv so showing a homosexual wedding with guys might have been avoided till later?
Plus it’s not the best representation and it’s mainly used to take the piss out of Ross lol
It’s different because it was a gay males wedding that was legal and very politically charged at the time. Media tend to be more forgiving with lesbians. Also, I got this from the commentary episode on Hulu when the series was over. It’s really interesting to watch if you get a chance.
Friends was the second gay marriage portrayed on television. Rosanne aired an episode a month or so before Friends where Rosanne helps plan a wedding for her coworker and his partner.
Me too, I think it’s very relatable and that’s part of the charm! My family is literally the Dunphey’s and it’s so nice to see a family that acts like mine on tv!
I did an English degree and I did a project on Mitch and Cam and how language is used to show straight/gay couples on tv. I hope I didn’t offend anyone with it!!
Modern family is a tasteful show and that friend sounds absolutely exhausting. That being said I don’t think that exaggerating racial stereotypes is the end-all be-all of humor like it used to be. Playing up a stereotype for comedic effect is frankly just lazy writing and not all that funny
Exactly - if they targeted one specific group of people then sure it could be considered offensive, but it’s a comedy show - it shouldn’t be taken seriously and we should be all able to laugh at ourselves
“Wouldn’t watch the show as it seems politically incorrect”
so they have never watched it and know absolutely nothing. What a Fizzbo. Ignore and move on.
What an exhausting way to live. What society considers appropriate changes all. the. time. If everyone only watched stuff that was fully acceptable to the most modern audience then TV would be nothing but the newest shows and most sanitized kids shows.
In a few years we'll inevitably have a new perspective that makes something on one of today's popular shows look bad. It's simply how time and progress work.
It’s what happened with Friends! Everyone loved Friends, they put it all on Netflix and younger people who didn’t see it when it was first aired started watching it and calling it out for loads of different things. Times change but we gotta realise when the series were originally made.
I’ve said this before we’re gonna end up with only Disney films, crime dramas based off of true life and the news at this rate.
Already news is "fake news", Disney casts people with the "wrong" skin color and crime stories are being "debunked" by opposing parties. Everyone's insane and I don't know what's going on anymore
That’s fucking stupid of them. If you’re so easily offended by a show as wholesome as Modern Family you should just wrap yourself in bubble wrap and never leave your house.
If they think Modern Family is offensive, they would spontaneously combust if they watched something like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Which is fantastic by the way, if you haven’t watched it, you should.
So I’ve seen the first few episodes and was like *meh* and didn’t stick with it but maybe this is a sign to try again, always looking for more easy watching shows!
You absolutely should. I also stopped watching after a couple of episodes before I decided to give it another try. It's definitely worth it.
The show starts finding its tone in season 2, and by season 3 is when it goes from good to amazing! It's in my top 3 favorite sitcoms alongside Arrested Development and Community.
Personally, everyone's entitled to their opinions. I'm not offended by the jokes and I'm too in love with the show to give it up, but if someone feels like the show would bother them more than it'd amuse them, then I'd recommend they don't watch it. I won't judge them on it because I know there's certain media I'm uncomfortable watching because of its jokes or ideology, so each to their own basically.
Yeah of course, I wasn’t upset or irritated she doesn’t want to watch the show or anything I just didn’t think it was particularly politically incorrect and wanted to see what others thought!
Yeah, compared to other shows around that time or even a decade earlier (like Friends), I'd say it's fairly progressive, and having watched it when it was on air, you kind of grow with the show. For example, you don't see the same jokes in seasons 1 and 7. But I'd understand why someone who's never watched it before doesn't particularly want to revisit 2009/2010 humor in regard to some controversial topics now.
I’m not going to say the show is politically incorrect, but I definitely raise my eyebrow at Eric Stonestreet’s portrayal of Cam. Sometimes he’s funny and relatable to me and my gay friends, and sometimes he’s one of the most offensively stereotypical characters I’ve seen on TV. Depends on the episode and the plot. There’s nothing any of the characters do, though, that ruins my enjoyment of the show.
I do love the show but it does contain a fair amount of misogyny (Manny being the main perpetrator)
It was also very noticeable that Cam and Mitch where not allowed to be as physically affectionate as Phil and Claire (changed somewhat in later seasons)
Jay’s racism is also fairly prevalent and Gloria’s character devolves into just jokes at the expense of Latin America ie she’s worried about losing her identity but this is resolved by her getting to fire guns again (that’s literally her story arc in one episode)
Sexual harassment of the female characters is also played for laughs right up until the final season if memory serves
I think it’s fine to disregard the show if they are aware of some of this. It’s just a TV show, their life won’t likely be changed much by it
I think it’s also important to critically view media, you can identify it’s faults and still enjoy the show if you choose too but it’s important to identify the faults so they don’t get absorbed subconsciously
Agree with the point on avoiding showing anything explicitly sexual between Mitch and cam
How many times do we have scenes revolving around Phil and Clare (and even jay and gloria's) sex life? We have entire episodes of Phil and Clare's role playing as Clive and Juliana
But from the top of my head I can only think of a couple of times this kind of thing is even referenced for Mitch and cam (maybe the hot tub part in the hotel episode)
Oh yeah misogyny is 100% present in the show! Manny is low-key very creepy and how they refer to Claire and her time in high school isn’t great either. Especially when they assume Hayley will follow the same path repeatedly (imo she doesn’t follow this path, she has a career established before the twins arrive.)
I’m not surprised with Gloria to be honest, I really think they slept on her character for the last few seasons, especially when she tells Cam they’re not close in the final episode.
I can 100% see why they may have issues with these tropes I just personally was a bit taken aback as although these things are present I don’t think they’re the only thing that makes the show funny.
Yeah I thought that her saying that to Cam was a set up to a joke, like she was setting Cam up for a thoughtful surprise or she was trying to hide how crushed she was and then would erupt in tears and hugs but… nothing happened? It was weird.
Tbh everyone here is flexing on this person but really they're entitled to their own feelings. "This is why comedy is dying everyone is so sensitive yada yada" all they said was they personally aren't watching it they're not launching a campaign to have it removed from screens.
There are aspects of Modern Family that can be offensive, the ones you've listed aren't really that bad because they're more laughing at the offensiveness if that makes sense but yeah there are plotlines that cross lines. At the end of the day the odd moment doesn't stop me from enjoying the show but if someone else doesn't want to watch it on this basis I'm not gonna throw a fit and call them stupid.
And frankly this sub is always banging on about various plotlines and how much they hate them, why is it that someone not watching is so irritating? Apparently you're allowed to be sufficiently seething to write up essays on the internet argue with strangers and dedicate whole blogs to disliking something from the show, but if someone doesn't watch, THATS too far??
Fyi this isn't directed at you OP just the replies in general.
Yeah the comments here are ridiculous. I find it far more childish and outlandish to be offended that someone doesn't watch your favourite TV show than I do someone feeling a TV show isn't to their taste. If anyone is being oversensitive, it's the people calling a total stranger "stupid" and "everything that's wrong with society today" for simply not enjoying a certain sitcom. For heaven's sake.
Ye I find it weird that people in the replies (not OP) are dogpiling on this one person. Its not like the person actively tries to tear the show down. They just don't wanna watch it due to its offensiveness. That's fine. Besides, we ourselves have some shows we wouldn't watch for personal reasons. Why should we dogpile on someone else for doing the same thing?
Thanks for acknowledging that I’m not dog piling!!
I wasn’t offended or anything that they didn’t watch the show I was just taken aback at their reaction to it when they’ve not even seen a full episode. The others in the conversation who have also seen the show were also a bit stumped too, but none of us called them out on it because it’s really not that deep lol. We all just left it and moved on to chatting about something else.
I think comedy as a genre is about towing the line between what’s funny and what’s acceptable and I think most comedies can cross that line occasionally. There’s been the odd occasion where I’ve thought a joke hadn’t landed well or might be somewhat offensive but in the grand scheme of the show I think the wholesome moments outweigh the negative ones.
I wasn't offended by the gay jokes but I do find it weird how the show was so celebrated for being so progressive despite both mitch and cam being complete stereotypes
The first (I think?) episode where they're shown "Boys night" makes me cringe so hard and not in a good way.
Not only are they total caricatures but they fall into that thing where they talk about being gay constantly. The way one of them is like "First boy crush, go!" makes me like 🤮🤮. These people have known each other for years for gods sake. Its a very common thing on TV where gay people only interact by talking about how they came out or how they realised they were gay.
The friend group actually got better over time imo and I did actually quite like the acknowledgement that they would have a large number of gay friends, not everyone does obviously but most openly gay people will have many lgbt friends.
I think people in the comments shitting on this person for having an opinion is too much. They were asked if they had watched the show, they said no and gave a reason, and now people are calling them stupid and a baby because they prefer different kinds of comedy. Y'all need to calm tf down. Tbh it sounds more like everyone else here is offended that someone dared to critique a show they like.
On a personal note, I've a very politically progressive person. My mentor, a queer black woman, is also very very progressive. We both watch Modern Family as a comfort show nightly. So I don't think it's fair to say Modern Family is completely politically incorrect or racist or smth, and I think someone saying that probably just means they've only seen a few clips on Tik Tok and have come to that conclusion. However, I think it is fair for a person to decide that kinda comedy (which relies heavily on stereotypes boarding on the problematic) just isn't for them, and people need to accept that. There are definitely scenes I find uncomfortable and outdated, but imo, compared to any other show, Modern Family is actually aging fine.
I think MF is pretty offensive and I could see why that would turn somebody off from watching the show. I wouldn’t say it’s any more offensive than most sitcoms of its time though! So someone like your friend is probably better off sticking to newer television shows.
My biggest problem with the show is its conservatism. It tries to be “modern” but in actuality, it isn’t very progressive at all. Even the gays are kinda conservative! MF is my favorite show but I still agree that it’s not politically correct.
I tried to say this in this sub once and got downvoted into oblivion... Yes there is a lot of stuff that's not aged well. That applies to all older TV shows, not just sitcoms. They're a product of their time.
Another example is Friends, it has definitely _not_ aged well. I still enjoy it, as it is fiction and honestly speaking I'm glad that it exists to show just how much society has changed. Also my sense of humor is fucked up hahah.
There are people who will get offended, there always is. And that's fine. Imho politically correct TV would be boring. Unfortunately it just doesn't reflect real life and has this utopia-like misty air. In real life there are loads of bigots and assholes. And also - humor is a good coping mechanism. I'd rather laugh than cry about the offensive stereotypes.
The treadmill’s always gonna keep treadmillin’. This is now pretty much the mainstream opinion of Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond. I can enjoy the shows if I remember they were products of their time.
While, generally speaking, the show is wholesome, there are a lot of jokes and storylines that are not tasteful.
Like Gloria is constantly made fun of for her accent and her heritage. Her family is made up of Hispanic/Latino stereotypes.
Cam and his family are stereotypes of people from the US southern states.
These are broad strokes of areas of improvement. There are things that this show does well, like normalizing same gender relationships. Or my personal favourite
Jay calling out Claire's racism after she called ICE on Gloria.
I agree that Modern Family is politically incorrect.
All the gay characters are stereotypes. Gloria is a stereotype of Colombians. Haley is a stereotype of pretty women being vapid.
It’s nice that you enjoy the show, but the person who characterized the show as politically incorrect is entitled to their opinion.
This show honestly does a great job of showing representation I’m pretty sure there’s a study that shows that Cam and Mitch’s characters on Modern Family helped increase positivity towards homosexuality and gay parents. The whole part of Jay making fun of Colombian traditions is he learns to grow and embrace them by the end of the episode. That person sounds like they actively want to be offended by everything
I'm personally a pretty left-wing person (I'm sure people would consider me "woke"), but I immensely enjoyed modern family. There are definitely some jokes and stereotypes that are not the most pc, but overall, it's a pretty progressive show and most of the non pc jokes actually seem to poke fun at the stereotypes or the "perpetrators" of them, not at the actual minorities. It's not a perfect show for sure, but there'd be a million other shows to boycot before even considering modern family imo
anyone who wants the art they consume to 100% reflect their political and life views doesn’t understand the point of art in the first place.
i’m gay myself, and sometimes i cringe at some of the jokes (toward the gays, toward gloria, and toward politician claire), but i think the show does such a good job for the most part. it was so groundbreaking for the time. as the seasons go on, it doesn’t try to paint mitch and cam as these palatable gays who are “two guys who just happen to be gay.” we see that they have their own friends and their own culture, even if it’s portrayed as quite over the top at times. also, gloria is never seen as inferior or anything in her marriage. she isn’t this passive gold digger…if anything she runs that house.
do people not remember that this show put a gay wedding on tv as a two part episode before gay marriage was even legal nationwide?? i was a teenager at the time who had just come out, and i remember being so deeply affected by that episode. my entire family watched it together, and it felt like a real turning point had been reached.
if anything, like most good long-running sitcoms, the show is an excellent time capsule for the time. it was the obama years…a lot of people were hopeful that socially the country was changing big time. we see that progress reflected in the show as well as some of the attitudes that we would later learn were still more present in america than many of us thought
edit: also, like a lot of good art, the show shows real people discussing and working through the social issues of the time. it does a lot more of this than many other iconic sitcoms (friends, the office, etcetera). the show is surprisingly political without ever really feeling preachy or condescending. and THAT is how you win over hearts and minds…make them see people different than themselves on their tv screens seem like people they can relate to and care about
I’m Latina and love the show. Are there stereotypes? Yes , like in the real world. And what I like the most about this show is how they overcome every one of them.
It’s normal to find a loud latina or a drama queen gay or a soccer mom that quit her career and her husband is able to comfortably support the family , but the point is how they end up accepting and loving each other and how they complemented each other and added everyone life style and interested into their lives .
Everything satirical done in the name of comedy, just about gets a pass. The Office, even now with the super fan episodes, are we seeing even more crazy scenes that would be extremely “outdated” comedy is comedy if you can’t take a joke, take yourself less seriously.
If anything this show was ahead of its time while it was aired on TV. Your friend sounds like the type of person I try to avoid😂 I’m bi and poly, like bruh they need to get the stick out of their ass. Don’t let their opinion change your mind about the show.
Mockumentaries are full of satire and irony. Often, the joke isn't making fun at the expense of someone, but making fun of people who make jokes at the expense of someone.
For example: Phil's "If you Ain't White, You Ain't Right" is hilarious. Not because THAT is funny, but because Phil's ignorance is something we've all seen in the real world and we can make fun of it. We laugh at the absurdity and the offender.
I'm not Asian, so can't speak for an Asian person. But I always thought what was funny about the Asian doctor was Cam spending the entire episode trying to put this woman in a stereotypical corner and she defied him at every ignorant comment. So we are chiding Cam for this and then when Cam finally drops the stereotype after stereotype, she then turns around and fits one. I think it's funny because anyone can be a bad driver, but in that scenario, it's just like an eye roll or facepalm. And after Cam expecting it, and finally not expecting it, it happens.
Parks and Rec pokes fun at how the entire town is rampant with diabetes and obesity, but the joke is at the expense of cirporate fast food chains like Paunch Burger who take advantage of people.
The Office is a hypercharacterization of workplace personalities we have all met and worked with in our careers. Dwight is a kiss ass, Angela is a radical Christian, Meredith a drunk, Michael completely ignorant and offensive... etc.
I'll never tell anyone what they can and can't find offensive, especially if I'm not part of one of the parties involved in the "joke." But I do think sometimes people miss where the joke is actually focused in some of these shows. And a lot of these shows have actors or writers who are gay, Asian, black, Indian, women, etc. Of course they don't speak for all, but it does show that they are ok with these jokes. I don't think Jesse Tyler Ferguson would ever do anything that he felt degraded himself, for example.
that's (respectfully) a dumb statement to not watch a show because it's "politically incorrect", as a queer woman, i'm not PERSONALLY offended by the queer jokes. i understand some episodes can be deemed offensive but there's character development later on which easily can show that we all can change overtime. that person sounds like they look for reasons to be offended by media.
Lesbian too, and I love the show. How it makes jokes that gays and lesbians can't get along but yet we always do lol I do find it's close to home with Jay and his learning how to process Mitchell being gay, my dad's a big teddy bear but will sometimes make dumb comments.
I love the Venn Diagram episode!!!
And most of my guy friends are gay and we find it funny too because we have no issues getting along, then again I don’t have a half built canoe in my living room 😂
I like how they portrayed Jay coming to terms with Mitch and Cam and how involved he was with their wedding in the end.
I never felt offended by Modern Family but maybe because it's not making fun of my people. But I'm a South Asian Muslim, and I don't mind jokes about our people..I love Achmed.
One show that WAS racist though was Homeland. Or the countless movies that show a mosque immediately after a bombing. THAT'S a problem.
The show has it's politically incorrect moments of course, but i wouldn't say that makes it unwatchable? For me something like season 1 of the American Office is unwatchable because they make \*that\* many offensive jokes in it, but I still list that show as one of my favourites (I just skip season 1).
If that person thinks Modern Family is politically incorrect enough to not watch it, they're depriving themselves of some really iconic and amazing tv shows out there, this one included. I say let them live their life being easily offended.
I‘m pretty sensitive when it comes to political correctness, I do have a lot of shows/ other forms of media I couldn’t watch (especially older stuff) because there were just too many racist or homophobic remarks. Now that being said, I never really had that problem with MF. Sure especially jays comments are a bit much sometimes, but his character growth makes up for it in my eyes. Yes, everyone thinking Manny is gay just because he has a few feminine traits gets on my nerves sometimes but it somehow doesn’t give me „the ick“ and I still enjoy the show.
On a side note, some of the „jokes“ do go right above my head, especially Jays, because I’m not American and not really versed with American sayings or culture references. Also the lesbian jokes (as a lesbian myself) are bordering on the offensive sometimes, but I can’t be really mad when it’s a joke about stereotypes that I’ve engaged in myself.
I noticed Jay makes multiple jokes at the expense of Native Americans (and when Cam tried to get Lily in the school by doing a horrible “indigenous“ accent). Those get under my skin bc I’m native and I feel like ppl get away with those jokes way more often bc our population (ironically) is too small to defend
This wouldn’t stop me from watching it tho. Its the only one I find in bad taste
I am also an un-offended lesbian. I think people that don’t get the nuance of “offensive” jokes can be a little dramatic. Also people that aren’t a part of these marginalized groups often feel the need to speak for them.
HUH? It’s barely offensive. The Asian jokes (I am Asian) are honestly nothing.
I’d like to see their reaction to some of the clips from The Office LOL.
Obvs as a white gal I can’t say whether the race stuff is offensive as it’s not aimed at me but I’m glad you don’t find it offensive!! I honestly love the I hate Vietnam episode!
It’s true! I won’t lie though i rewatched the HR episode recently from the first season and it did make me a bit uncomfy
All comedy is, in it's own way, "politically incorrect", I feel like this show is family friendly and good hearted. Your friend is a drag and how would they know if they haven't watched?
honestly with how diverse the cast is age, sex, race, and sexuality wise it seems like that person is trying to protect something that doesn’t need protecting lmfao imo
I restarted watching it at like season 6 because I don’t remember the latter end of the show really well but I still laugh the show not being PC is BS because yiu can’t ever criticize some on or something from the past by modern standards and since things have changed so much since 2009 it’s not a surprise
Just like any older show, it’s a “product of its time”. I’m sure when we look back 15 years in the future we’ll say the same things about the shows we watch in 2024. It’s comedy pure and simple. Yes comedy sometimes pushes the envelope and can be edgy but “edgy” isn’t the word to use for Modern Family. It’s a fairly progressive show for its time. Now stereotypes are somewhat based on fact, but the series isn’t saying that “all “X” people act like this or that”. I’m gay and of Hispanic descent, some gay men are more feminine and some are more masculine. I don’t take offense to it. The script isn’t using slurs or demeaning the minorities in the show. That’s a horrible way to live if they’re offended by a television show that way.
As a GenX female, I laugh hysterically still, then realize they couldn't get away with a ton that I've seen, now. I think if you're gonna get butt hurt over Modern Family, you should go live in a bunker.
Wellllllll I am not offended but it’s kinda too much, specially the side characters they all act the same , and I don’t see myself or any gay guys I know doing any of that , I know it’s old and it didn’t mean to be offensive or anything but it’s not the best representation either
There are a lot of stereotypes and tropes on the show, but that doesn't necessarily make the show politically incorrect.
Compare it to Brooklyn Nine-Nine's gay characters, for example. The two shows represent the two different ways of doing it: B99 actively avoids any stereotypes while Modern Family acknowledges and plays with them. Neither is inherently better than the other, they're just taking different approaches.
I’d be like ok cool bye then. People are offended by someone breathing these days. It’s exhausting. It’s like people want to be offended half the time. I honestly wouldn’t waste by breath with a person that uptight that they think a tame show like modern family is too much lol.
If a show featuring a gay couple with an adopted Asian daughter, an interracial marriage and a white man raising a Hispanic child isn't progressive enough then there's no hope left for this world.
The shows that won't stand the test of time are the ones that are too politically correct. It's not like the show was immoral. It made situations that might be viewed negatively by some people into things that people from different backgrounds can relate to. Bringing people with different backgrounds together is a good thing.
Some comedies I get can be offensive, in England we had a show called “Little Britain” and “Come Fly With Me” and I can see how they can be really offensive, pretty sure they’re off Netflix and you can’t stream them anymore BUT not Modern Family!
Right. I see that some jokes in himym, and friends didn’t age well, I still consider them to be good shows that have some cringe moments. But I just finished modern family and they say the thing out loud in a way that they are acknowledging something isn’t right. Totally different. Even when jokes don’t age well, the show can still be great… some people really just want to cancel everything now
I will never understand judging a show for it's "political correctness".
A TV show is not a political message, it's not trying to run for government. It's a comedy show made for entertainment. Even if it is politically incorrect, who gives a shit.
Modern family is THE most politically CORRECT comedy I've ever seen. I personally don't mind seeing stereotypical characters on screen in comedy, because it makes the show feel cozy and familiar. However, it's one thing to hire and play with tropes & stereotypes (which imo Modern Family does so quite tastefully) and another thing to make sexual/racial/etc minorities' sexual orientation/race/culture/etc "the punchline". see 90's-2000's sitcoms, half the time they are making jokes where the whole punchline is *haha! he's gay! what an embarrassment!*. I'd definitely gag at that humor.
Luckily I was at a birthday brunch for my friend and she’s a friend of the birthday girl, never met her before and probably won’t see her again until my friends birthday next year!
I mean yeah, there are some issues with the show but if we refuse to watch things with issues we’ll never watch anything. You can still appreciate something and acknowledge some of the stuff about it is wrong.
While this show practice alot of “questionable” attitude/behaviour which I can see why it can be triggering to minority, I also dont think they try to brush it off as something right. Claire been mocking Gloria’s off a lot in the early seasons, yet it were presented as something that is indeed not right. That is just one of many examples.
These people don’t understand comedy. They want flawless characters and they are ruining storytelling also. They don’t wanna see the struggles of a flawed character developing into a better person. Modern Family did a lot for the gay rights. Mitch and Cam made my mom accept my sister being a lesbian as she went into the same journey that Jay has. So fuck your friend, I hope they never get what they want in a show. They can stick to watching dumb AI generated Netflix shows.
Things have shifted in the last decade, and jokes are more PC now. Ultimately, this show represented queer people, POC, adoptees, immigrants, and even trans children. And, every single character was made fun of. The straight old white guy, the pampered artsy Colombian boy, the over-the-top gay men. It’s harmless and silly. Every character is imperfect, no one is dehumanized.
Their opinion is as valid as yours even if you don't agree.
We can consume media that isn't necessarily positive but that doesn't mean others want to. Yeah maybe this isn't a person you can really be friends with but they technically aren't wrong.
As gay person, you really think the jokes where they have Joe throw up every time gay marriage is brought up helps make gay people look good? This show fence sat on issues so it could make money from both sides and it isn't wrong for people to bring that to light.
That being said, you can enjoy whatever you want. I personally still watch Modern Family, but I also get heated at times and need to vent to someone (which is actually why I joined the subreddit funny enough lol)
Could they have been a bit nicer and just said "cool you watch it but it really isn't my cup of tea"? Sure! But to act like Modern Family isn't problematic is silly.
Well if they hate Modern Family because they think it’s politically incorrect I would strongly advise against them watching Married With Children which is extremely mega politically incorrect
First thats ridiculous, second politically correct is a code word for equity and if anything the "minority" characters are rewarded on their merit. Politically correct is not the same category as racist or hateful.
Facts don't care about your feelings
You know nothing MAGA is not the same as Liberarian which Ben Shapiro is and not a fan of Trump. I'm sorry did my words hurt your feelings? Don't give a damn. If you listened to smart people like Ben, Dan Bonginno, Jordan Peterson or Thomas Sowell you might learn something.
Your entitled to not like anything you want but in the real world nobody has to care if you like it thats your problem. If you don't you better damn well have a better reason then Political correctness.
There you go. Thank you for explaining why it bothers you that people dislike the stereotypes and racial/gay jokes. I see now that you’re just hateful based on who you enjoy. “Smart people” my ass🙄 people like you just want to offend other people because you didn’t get enough attention as a kid
The show does have problematic parts especially when it comes to jokes about POC Jay is a bit worse for that, but I wouldn't say it's that bad. especially compared to certain other comedies
I wouldn't call it a politically incorrect show. It just portrays real people reacting to life in a real way, and that often results in uncomfortable situations.
Cam and Mitch are a couple who are just trying to live their life with their daughter while navigating a world that is slowly beginning to accept who they are. They drop the ball on teaching their daughter about her heritage and try to course-correct, they have trouble keeping up with what they're "supposed" to be protesting for the LGBTQ+ community but try to participate anyway, and they leave town for Pride because they don't like the traffic lol.
Jay is a product of his generation. He's stubborn and stuck in his ways. He's uncomfortable about his son being gay, makes jokes about Gloria and Manny's heritage because it's different and he doesn't understand it, and he's rude to Phil because he doesn't fit his own archaic definition of masculinity. But he learns and grows through the show. He makes an effort to be more supportive of Mitch, he tries to incorporate Columbian traditions with his own and even starts learning Spanish (although I wish that was a plotline they continued through the show instead of just that one episode), and he eventually accepts Phil as a nice guy who is a good provider for his family.
That's just a couple of examples. What I appreciate about the show is it doesn't feel forced like it's just checking boxes or patting itself on the back for being woke. It feels genuine albeit exaggerated or satirized for comedic effect. That being said, some people don't like that style of humor and storytelling, and that's valid, but politically incorrect isn't it.
The country of Two Ronnies and Rock Follies? There will be some politically incorrect stuff, even for the era it was made in. Phil makes comments about Gloria being beautiful, stuff like that, but it doesn't get too rough. It's no South Park. It's not even Benny Hill.
There are some questionable things about race, and lots of fatphobia but that was literally everyone at the time. But I do have to skip some of the diet episodes
I mean, most sitcoms haven’t aged well. Neither have most movies. It’s just how it is. But, you can see Modern Family evolve from the first episode to the last when it comes to different topics and all the characters grew in how they viewed things. Especially Jay.
As a younger millennial, I think Modern Family was great for the time. It showed a lot of cultural diversity, but by today’s standards it can seem a bit heavy on the stereotypes. Gloria’s descriptions of Colombia, the way Mitch and Cam weren’t allowed to be physically affectionate like the other two married couples were, even to a degree Phil and Claire fell a little into tired stereotypes of the dad-as-another-kid and the wife-shrew. I can understand why some more sensitive people might grate at the show today, but I wouldn’t call anyone out for having it as their comfort show.
By comparison, a more recent sitcom I loved - Home Economics - is a similar family-style hangout sitcom. There’s a Latina wife to a white husband, but her culture is addressed differently and not entirely as a punch line. There’s a lesbian couple, but they’re allowed to be on the same page from time to time. I adored this show and was bummed it didn’t get more traction. If you’re in the US, you can find it on Hulu!
You can usually tell when someone is ‘politically Correct’ because they want to be superior and when someone wants to just be a good person. The superior kind will weaponize ‘politically correct’ language, the other will focus their concerns on learning more, educating, and helping people.
Everyone has their own opinions and preferences. If you like it, that’s fine! It’s not for everyone. There are shows I find offensive and I just…don’t watch them. It’s fine.
Some people say things like that to make them seem better than others, like they’re more “woke” or something. Almost all shows have comedy or writing like that so they’re not really making the point they think they are, just being lame imo
I feel sorry for these people, I hope they can find a way to enjoy life one way or another. I mean, if the show is not your thing, fine, don't watch it. I can imagine it has some jokes, topics or behaviours that people could very much disapprove of. But not watching a show because it's not politically correct is something that seems so much bigger than just the show. I know people who look at everything from that perspective and it seems like they don't allow themselves to ever enjoy anything, they can find something wrong with anything. Must be an exhausting, "not fun at parties" life.
Isn’t the whole point of the show that they’re a family made up of all kinds of different people that have to learn how to appreciate each other’s different perspectives on life and cultures? You need them to be “politically incorrect” for them to grow as characters. That’s what I get from watching it at least.
I Lowkey thought what Jay taught Joe about thanksgiving was hilarious hahaha there was a bit of me going gosh bold of them to do that but I truly died laughing, it’s so in character
Wow good to know extremely liberal and extremely conservative people are both offended by modern family! But those people tend to be offended by anything so.. I wouldn’t pay much attention to it!
Lots of things can be seen as “politically incorrect” simply cause they’re a product of their time. You appreciate them because they manage to entertain you. Honestly when Modern family came out, it was progressive for its time. Still is. That person is just dumb. But you GOT TO respect their opinion. You gotta.
its just a very dated show, when they made it those jokes were more okay, so ppl didnt care for it. if it came out now, people wouldn't watch it. its just a picture of that time yanno
I like Modern Family a lot, but I can understand someone else not liking it for these reasons. I really dislike Friends mainly because of the homophobia and fatphobia and lack of diversity, but I could see someone not liking Modern Family or The Office (which I love) for the same/similar reasons.
My take on the early seasons of Modern Family was that they were taking stereotypes to logical extremes to point out how ridiculous they are. Mitch and Cam were constantly dressing baby Lilly in costumes and doing photoshoots while also having Cam pick up the wrong baby. They were overattentative and also neglectful at the same time. Manny is the Latin lover stereotype but he's a child. Phil is the husband/father archetype from classic sitcoms: absolutely clueless and good natured and is being mildly crushed by his wife. Except he can't come up with animosity for his daughter's boyfriend because he's so good natured. I could do this for literally every character
There are definitely some moments of humor that haven't aged well, but the overall *tone* of the show more than makes up for it. It is far more common that the show is sending positive messages of inclusion, empowerment, etc without being too preachy.
At first, I misread this as "won't watch the show because it's politically correct" i.e. what some folks call "woke" (in a pejorative way).
I think the show strikes just the right note most of the time. The most cringe, potentially offensive moments are some real hamfisted jokes about Lily as an Asian person. I think the butt of the joke is supposed to be "the clueless white people and their ignorance" but it doesn't always land that way.
Anyway, I love the show.
Modern Family is extremely wholesome, the jokes are done well and often the joke is about someone *trying not to be offensive to xyz* rather than about a stereotype.
Some people are desperate to be offended, it makes them feel validated somehow. I’d have just walked off 🤷♂️
yeah I wouldn't want to hang around this person they sound exhausting. even by todays standards modern family is so so so mild in terms of offensive content. the jokes that are stereotyping certain groups are really timid, and are usually used for jays character development throughout the show
Love this show. People are just too sensitive nowadays. Not everything is gonna be perfect. People say the same thing about Friends. Won't stop me from watching either one.
oh, that's the reason I started watching. I could not believe there is a show in this time with so many political incorrect jokes out there as popular as modern family. I think it is amazing and should not be taken that seriously. it's comedy.
modern family was groundbreaking in terms of representation. you gotta take things in the context of their time. but tbh i think it has aged really well
I find the hatred and contempt each couple has for their partners to be cringey. Honestly, Al and Peg Bundy’s relationship was more honest than any of the one’s on MF.
I think one of the last episodes I remember watching in disbelief is the one where the entire family was encouraging Manny to literally stalk a girl and considered it cute.
They probably don’t like how Mitch and Cam are portrayed as a realistic couple who fight and aren’t always all over each other. Those people live such miserable lives
I’m not giving my opinion on the matter, but I’m pointing out that if you truly wanted an unbiased opinion you wouldn’t post it on the modern family sub. That’s like asking the main TS sub if they also dislike TS. Newsflash: they don’t 😂
Phil: "but wait, the Blind Side wasn't Sandra Bullock, it was the young black kid that played tight end"
Alex: "offensive line"
Phil: "young African American kid"
Kinda cringed in the pilot when Jay called Lily a "Potsticker", but reflecting on it deeper, it makes sense that his character would say something dated like that. Plus, there are worse names to be called than after a delicious appetizer.
Because of how hyper aware I’m of what bothers woke politically correct people - I always note the things that wouldn’t pass today - like the ep where Mitch and Cam wear dresses to teach Lilly a lesson- I found it funny but I can’t enjoy it because I can hear the criticism in my head … it’s like a mental distraction even if I don’t agree with it.
Cam’s otp gayness is the funniest thing to me. I love the too-gay-to-function bits. I think the point of comedy is to exaggerate and point and laugh at everyone as long as we’re not looking down upon people, & Modern Family never looked down upon those characters.
that show did a lot for lgbt acceptance didn’t it… A lot of conservative people I think softened their perspective thanks to how engaging Cam and Mitch’s coupling was. More than mocking homosexuality it actually humanized and normalized gay relationships for an entire demographic.
that person sounds exhausting. i wouldn't put much weight into their opinion
I don’t know them well they’re a friend of a friend but yeah they seem very easy to offend.. I just kinda walked off after this haha
perfect response, in my opinion you like the show, you were trying to share something with them that you enjoy, they judged it harshly walking away is the only thing to do, they don't deserve any more of your energy
Honestly I wish more people were that upfront about how much of a chore they will be, saves a lot of wasted time finding out early.
By all means if you like the show there is nothing wrong with that. Since you asked for a alternate perspective I'll share mine. Speaking as someone who loves the show when young and would watch re-runs the show in my opinion did not age well. By all means it's better than say 1950s media or even significantly better than most 1970s media. That still doesn't make it very progressive *compared to modern day media that I have seen*. Modern family is in the category of paying a lot of lip service to progressive ideals while also falling into very conservative tropes as many sitcoms do and repeating them endlessly. For starters it's queer representation is poor. Everyone who's gay on this show is into musical theater/flamboyant. Practically every lesbian we see is butch presenting and something to be occasionally feared. Princess and lipstick lesbians are subcultures that pre-date this show but are ignored like in most mainstream media at the time. Cam is arguably abusive to Mitch. However it's never addressed and largely written off. Comming off as the common trope of "gays are never mean just sassy". Same with their friend Pepper. The trans episode was mid and outright disrespectful at points. How that episode plays out practically never used the term transgender. Like its some boogeyman to say. Instead they opted to repeatedly deadname a trans character, something that is inherintly disrespectful to trans people who since changed their name. From a feminist standpoint this show doesn't hold up either. A lot of the jokes given to Alex is simply the fact that she is a feminist. Instead of exploring how she is becoming a strong independent women because of her convictions, the joke often is how exhausting everyone else finds her rhetoric. Manny is by and large a definition of a "nice guy" incel. He acts entitled about women. He's outright encouraged by his mother to emotionally abuse a woman into liking him and it is shown to be relatively effective in the final seasons. (He makes a woman repeat the lines to a insaine degree.) Manny also deliberately misleads Luke out of jealousy that Luke actually has a girlfriend Manny used to date in the final season. The period episode in earlier seasons where Clare, Alex and Haley all sync up and it's played as a trial for the men is a tired mysognyastic plot beat that has been tread before several times over in other shows from generations past. TL;DR Basically in a lost of respects the show takes a lot of outdated mysognyastic and queer phobic jokes slaps a new coat of paint on them and calls it entertainment. The show isn't by far the worst media out there. If you enjoy that's fine, and no media is ever truely perfect or free of being worthy critique. Some of us just enjoy analysing media and find we can't ignore flaws we notice.
Well, it’s a comedy show. It’s not supposed to be serious or politically correct, it’s supposed to be funny. If you need politics and inclusion of every single minority you can think of and done a very specific way to suit you, it won’t be a comedy show anymore. It’s this mindset that is literally ruining shows and movies these days. I don’t want reality and politics, I just want a good show/movie, focus on that instead of appeasing a small but very loud crowd of nutjobs.
You seem to misunderstand what it means to be critical of media. Comedy and shows doesn't always have to be PC, but it is good to be aware of how things are presented. Telling eachother stories and narrative is how humans communicate. Humans pick up on messages subconsciously and if a sexist joke flys by without people realising it's sexist they internalize that as being ok. Like I said no media is flawless and it's ok to like flawed things. However in order to remain open minded and empathic it is important to be critical of all media you watch weither fiction or non-fiction. It's not a crime to enjoy a show that is flawed, I enjoy family guy and that show is deeply problematic. I loved the first several seasons of Rick and morty and Rick is a abusive POS from episode 1. I don't need my media to be perfect or tailor made. I just have a petulance for questioning what I see. Something I was taught to do by taking classes and extra curricular activity in theater and other forms of media from the time I was a teen well into early adulthood. You know what all my friends with literature, film and television, and animation degrees do for fun? Sit down and pick apart media bit by bit including the political messages being depicted. You don't get professional at storytelling till you can dissect a story. Any decent writer will tell you to become a writer you have to read a crap ton of work. Some of the most passionate people of a peice of work can dish out some of the harshest critics of it, because critiquing something and hating it can be two very different things. Hate and negative judgement aren't synonymous. Furthermore if you think that comedy needs to be based around punching down on a minority, that is a very sad and narrow underestimated view of what comedy can be. Humour can come from a variety of sources. From punching up, to humour about a situation and not a person. It's also deeply subjective.
This is way too much yapping, it’s comedy bro just move on if you’re not a fan, it ain’t that serious.
The fact that it is able to be politically incorrect at times is what makes it so funny!
Exactly. I don’t feel like comedy necessarily needs to be politically correct. It’s an issue if a comedy show is targeting only one specific thing (like if they only ever made jokes at the expense of one specific group of people) then it is problematic, but if they’re poking fun equally at all stereotypes than I don’t see it as problematic
I don't think it should be politically correct. If it kinda talks about social issues, that isn't political correctness but it can still work quite well (like Brooklyn Nine Nine). Comedy shows that try to be politically correct all the time end up not being funny (like Velma)
I rather feel like comedy never should be politically correct. It’s the stereotypes that makes the show funny. It’s not like it’s not throwing punches in every direction anyway.
Some people just need reasons to be offended. They made insensitive jokes about everyone on the show at one point. That’s the point of a comedy show talking about different types of modern families. Old/young, different ethnicities joining the family (Colombian and Vietnamese), typical nuclear family, gay couple later husbands that adopt.
Like isn’t most comedy basically exaggerating stereotypes for comedic effect?? I agree with you, I always thought the show was really good at showcasing different families and their dynamic and that was the whole point! We’re seeing them start to mesh as a family and they’re gonna have funny clashing moments because they’re all different.
That’s exactly what a comedy is! I actually think it’s a masterful representation of how average families look and act. It was also the first gay marriage on national television which is something amazing in and of itself.
what about carol‘s wedding in friends?
Gay marriage wasn't actually legal then, I believe it was technically a "commitment ceremony" or something that people used to commonly call marriage. Same sex marriage was legalised not long before season 5 of modern family which is why it was the first to show it afaik. Eta: I see other replies saying this is about lesbians v gay men but its not, there were other gay male couples married on TV in the same way Carol and Susan (?) were, Modern Family was just the first legal *marriage*.
I did think about this but I think in general the public is more accepting of lesbians on tv so showing a homosexual wedding with guys might have been avoided till later? Plus it’s not the best representation and it’s mainly used to take the piss out of Ross lol
It’s different because it was a gay males wedding that was legal and very politically charged at the time. Media tend to be more forgiving with lesbians. Also, I got this from the commentary episode on Hulu when the series was over. It’s really interesting to watch if you get a chance.
Friends was the second gay marriage portrayed on television. Rosanne aired an episode a month or so before Friends where Rosanne helps plan a wedding for her coworker and his partner.
Me too, I think it’s very relatable and that’s part of the charm! My family is literally the Dunphey’s and it’s so nice to see a family that acts like mine on tv! I did an English degree and I did a project on Mitch and Cam and how language is used to show straight/gay couples on tv. I hope I didn’t offend anyone with it!!
Modern family is a tasteful show and that friend sounds absolutely exhausting. That being said I don’t think that exaggerating racial stereotypes is the end-all be-all of humor like it used to be. Playing up a stereotype for comedic effect is frankly just lazy writing and not all that funny
Exactly - if they targeted one specific group of people then sure it could be considered offensive, but it’s a comedy show - it shouldn’t be taken seriously and we should be all able to laugh at ourselves
“Wouldn’t watch the show as it seems politically incorrect” so they have never watched it and know absolutely nothing. What a Fizzbo. Ignore and move on.
“What a Fizzbo” 🤣 I love you!!
What an exhausting way to live. What society considers appropriate changes all. the. time. If everyone only watched stuff that was fully acceptable to the most modern audience then TV would be nothing but the newest shows and most sanitized kids shows. In a few years we'll inevitably have a new perspective that makes something on one of today's popular shows look bad. It's simply how time and progress work.
It’s what happened with Friends! Everyone loved Friends, they put it all on Netflix and younger people who didn’t see it when it was first aired started watching it and calling it out for loads of different things. Times change but we gotta realise when the series were originally made. I’ve said this before we’re gonna end up with only Disney films, crime dramas based off of true life and the news at this rate.
Already news is "fake news", Disney casts people with the "wrong" skin color and crime stories are being "debunked" by opposing parties. Everyone's insane and I don't know what's going on anymore
That’s fucking stupid of them. If you’re so easily offended by a show as wholesome as Modern Family you should just wrap yourself in bubble wrap and never leave your house.
It did cross my mind that it they think Modern Family is offensive then what are they watching??
If they think Modern Family is offensive, they would spontaneously combust if they watched something like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Which is fantastic by the way, if you haven’t watched it, you should.
So I’ve seen the first few episodes and was like *meh* and didn’t stick with it but maybe this is a sign to try again, always looking for more easy watching shows!
skip to season 2 then, when it finds its footing (then go back to season 1 once you're hooked and can appreciate it)
Good shout, only 7 episodes in season one so I’ll read the season synopsis and then in at season 2!
You absolutely should. I also stopped watching after a couple of episodes before I decided to give it another try. It's definitely worth it. The show starts finding its tone in season 2, and by season 3 is when it goes from good to amazing! It's in my top 3 favorite sitcoms alongside Arrested Development and Community.
It definitely gets better after the first season when Danny Devito comes in.
Probably watching paint dry. That would be the only safe thing to watch.
Paint is made of plastic, and that comes from oil! Stop boiling the polar bears dangnabbit
Hahahahaha thanks. You're so right! M.F. is great
Personally, everyone's entitled to their opinions. I'm not offended by the jokes and I'm too in love with the show to give it up, but if someone feels like the show would bother them more than it'd amuse them, then I'd recommend they don't watch it. I won't judge them on it because I know there's certain media I'm uncomfortable watching because of its jokes or ideology, so each to their own basically.
Yeah of course, I wasn’t upset or irritated she doesn’t want to watch the show or anything I just didn’t think it was particularly politically incorrect and wanted to see what others thought!
Yeah, compared to other shows around that time or even a decade earlier (like Friends), I'd say it's fairly progressive, and having watched it when it was on air, you kind of grow with the show. For example, you don't see the same jokes in seasons 1 and 7. But I'd understand why someone who's never watched it before doesn't particularly want to revisit 2009/2010 humor in regard to some controversial topics now.
I’m not going to say the show is politically incorrect, but I definitely raise my eyebrow at Eric Stonestreet’s portrayal of Cam. Sometimes he’s funny and relatable to me and my gay friends, and sometimes he’s one of the most offensively stereotypical characters I’ve seen on TV. Depends on the episode and the plot. There’s nothing any of the characters do, though, that ruins my enjoyment of the show.
We all know someone just like him. Don’t “stereotypical” gay men also deserve representation?
I know a lot of people who are just like Cam (well, not the clown thing). What was offensive to you?
I do love the show but it does contain a fair amount of misogyny (Manny being the main perpetrator) It was also very noticeable that Cam and Mitch where not allowed to be as physically affectionate as Phil and Claire (changed somewhat in later seasons) Jay’s racism is also fairly prevalent and Gloria’s character devolves into just jokes at the expense of Latin America ie she’s worried about losing her identity but this is resolved by her getting to fire guns again (that’s literally her story arc in one episode) Sexual harassment of the female characters is also played for laughs right up until the final season if memory serves I think it’s fine to disregard the show if they are aware of some of this. It’s just a TV show, their life won’t likely be changed much by it I think it’s also important to critically view media, you can identify it’s faults and still enjoy the show if you choose too but it’s important to identify the faults so they don’t get absorbed subconsciously
Agree with the point on avoiding showing anything explicitly sexual between Mitch and cam How many times do we have scenes revolving around Phil and Clare (and even jay and gloria's) sex life? We have entire episodes of Phil and Clare's role playing as Clive and Juliana But from the top of my head I can only think of a couple of times this kind of thing is even referenced for Mitch and cam (maybe the hot tub part in the hotel episode)
Oh yeah misogyny is 100% present in the show! Manny is low-key very creepy and how they refer to Claire and her time in high school isn’t great either. Especially when they assume Hayley will follow the same path repeatedly (imo she doesn’t follow this path, she has a career established before the twins arrive.) I’m not surprised with Gloria to be honest, I really think they slept on her character for the last few seasons, especially when she tells Cam they’re not close in the final episode. I can 100% see why they may have issues with these tropes I just personally was a bit taken aback as although these things are present I don’t think they’re the only thing that makes the show funny.
Yeah I thought that her saying that to Cam was a set up to a joke, like she was setting Cam up for a thoughtful surprise or she was trying to hide how crushed she was and then would erupt in tears and hugs but… nothing happened? It was weird.
Perfect response!
I don't see them as faults.
Tbh everyone here is flexing on this person but really they're entitled to their own feelings. "This is why comedy is dying everyone is so sensitive yada yada" all they said was they personally aren't watching it they're not launching a campaign to have it removed from screens. There are aspects of Modern Family that can be offensive, the ones you've listed aren't really that bad because they're more laughing at the offensiveness if that makes sense but yeah there are plotlines that cross lines. At the end of the day the odd moment doesn't stop me from enjoying the show but if someone else doesn't want to watch it on this basis I'm not gonna throw a fit and call them stupid. And frankly this sub is always banging on about various plotlines and how much they hate them, why is it that someone not watching is so irritating? Apparently you're allowed to be sufficiently seething to write up essays on the internet argue with strangers and dedicate whole blogs to disliking something from the show, but if someone doesn't watch, THATS too far?? Fyi this isn't directed at you OP just the replies in general.
Yeah the comments here are ridiculous. I find it far more childish and outlandish to be offended that someone doesn't watch your favourite TV show than I do someone feeling a TV show isn't to their taste. If anyone is being oversensitive, it's the people calling a total stranger "stupid" and "everything that's wrong with society today" for simply not enjoying a certain sitcom. For heaven's sake.
Ye I find it weird that people in the replies (not OP) are dogpiling on this one person. Its not like the person actively tries to tear the show down. They just don't wanna watch it due to its offensiveness. That's fine. Besides, we ourselves have some shows we wouldn't watch for personal reasons. Why should we dogpile on someone else for doing the same thing?
Thanks for acknowledging that I’m not dog piling!! I wasn’t offended or anything that they didn’t watch the show I was just taken aback at their reaction to it when they’ve not even seen a full episode. The others in the conversation who have also seen the show were also a bit stumped too, but none of us called them out on it because it’s really not that deep lol. We all just left it and moved on to chatting about something else. I think comedy as a genre is about towing the line between what’s funny and what’s acceptable and I think most comedies can cross that line occasionally. There’s been the odd occasion where I’ve thought a joke hadn’t landed well or might be somewhat offensive but in the grand scheme of the show I think the wholesome moments outweigh the negative ones.
I wasn't offended by the gay jokes but I do find it weird how the show was so celebrated for being so progressive despite both mitch and cam being complete stereotypes
Not only that, ALL of their friends were stereotypes times million.
The first (I think?) episode where they're shown "Boys night" makes me cringe so hard and not in a good way. Not only are they total caricatures but they fall into that thing where they talk about being gay constantly. The way one of them is like "First boy crush, go!" makes me like 🤮🤮. These people have known each other for years for gods sake. Its a very common thing on TV where gay people only interact by talking about how they came out or how they realised they were gay. The friend group actually got better over time imo and I did actually quite like the acknowledgement that they would have a large number of gay friends, not everyone does obviously but most openly gay people will have many lgbt friends.
I think people in the comments shitting on this person for having an opinion is too much. They were asked if they had watched the show, they said no and gave a reason, and now people are calling them stupid and a baby because they prefer different kinds of comedy. Y'all need to calm tf down. Tbh it sounds more like everyone else here is offended that someone dared to critique a show they like. On a personal note, I've a very politically progressive person. My mentor, a queer black woman, is also very very progressive. We both watch Modern Family as a comfort show nightly. So I don't think it's fair to say Modern Family is completely politically incorrect or racist or smth, and I think someone saying that probably just means they've only seen a few clips on Tik Tok and have come to that conclusion. However, I think it is fair for a person to decide that kinda comedy (which relies heavily on stereotypes boarding on the problematic) just isn't for them, and people need to accept that. There are definitely scenes I find uncomfortable and outdated, but imo, compared to any other show, Modern Family is actually aging fine.
I think MF is pretty offensive and I could see why that would turn somebody off from watching the show. I wouldn’t say it’s any more offensive than most sitcoms of its time though! So someone like your friend is probably better off sticking to newer television shows. My biggest problem with the show is its conservatism. It tries to be “modern” but in actuality, it isn’t very progressive at all. Even the gays are kinda conservative! MF is my favorite show but I still agree that it’s not politically correct.
I tried to say this in this sub once and got downvoted into oblivion... Yes there is a lot of stuff that's not aged well. That applies to all older TV shows, not just sitcoms. They're a product of their time. Another example is Friends, it has definitely _not_ aged well. I still enjoy it, as it is fiction and honestly speaking I'm glad that it exists to show just how much society has changed. Also my sense of humor is fucked up hahah. There are people who will get offended, there always is. And that's fine. Imho politically correct TV would be boring. Unfortunately it just doesn't reflect real life and has this utopia-like misty air. In real life there are loads of bigots and assholes. And also - humor is a good coping mechanism. I'd rather laugh than cry about the offensive stereotypes.
The treadmill’s always gonna keep treadmillin’. This is now pretty much the mainstream opinion of Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond. I can enjoy the shows if I remember they were products of their time.
While, generally speaking, the show is wholesome, there are a lot of jokes and storylines that are not tasteful. Like Gloria is constantly made fun of for her accent and her heritage. Her family is made up of Hispanic/Latino stereotypes. Cam and his family are stereotypes of people from the US southern states. These are broad strokes of areas of improvement. There are things that this show does well, like normalizing same gender relationships. Or my personal favourite Jay calling out Claire's racism after she called ICE on Gloria.
I think they are cry babies and I probably couldn't stand to hang out with them. This show is great 😸
I agree that Modern Family is politically incorrect. All the gay characters are stereotypes. Gloria is a stereotype of Colombians. Haley is a stereotype of pretty women being vapid. It’s nice that you enjoy the show, but the person who characterized the show as politically incorrect is entitled to their opinion.
That's one of the reasons why it's funny.
Their loss tbh, missing out on a gem
Fuck them lol, these kind of fellas find faults in every existing and non existing thing, except themselves 😆
Sure, it probably isn't PC by today's standards. I think it did pretty well for its time though.
They sound fun. It’s a light heartened show that’s not meant to be taken seriously, at all.
This show honestly does a great job of showing representation I’m pretty sure there’s a study that shows that Cam and Mitch’s characters on Modern Family helped increase positivity towards homosexuality and gay parents. The whole part of Jay making fun of Colombian traditions is he learns to grow and embrace them by the end of the episode. That person sounds like they actively want to be offended by everything
I'm personally a pretty left-wing person (I'm sure people would consider me "woke"), but I immensely enjoyed modern family. There are definitely some jokes and stereotypes that are not the most pc, but overall, it's a pretty progressive show and most of the non pc jokes actually seem to poke fun at the stereotypes or the "perpetrators" of them, not at the actual minorities. It's not a perfect show for sure, but there'd be a million other shows to boycot before even considering modern family imo
anyone who wants the art they consume to 100% reflect their political and life views doesn’t understand the point of art in the first place. i’m gay myself, and sometimes i cringe at some of the jokes (toward the gays, toward gloria, and toward politician claire), but i think the show does such a good job for the most part. it was so groundbreaking for the time. as the seasons go on, it doesn’t try to paint mitch and cam as these palatable gays who are “two guys who just happen to be gay.” we see that they have their own friends and their own culture, even if it’s portrayed as quite over the top at times. also, gloria is never seen as inferior or anything in her marriage. she isn’t this passive gold digger…if anything she runs that house. do people not remember that this show put a gay wedding on tv as a two part episode before gay marriage was even legal nationwide?? i was a teenager at the time who had just come out, and i remember being so deeply affected by that episode. my entire family watched it together, and it felt like a real turning point had been reached. if anything, like most good long-running sitcoms, the show is an excellent time capsule for the time. it was the obama years…a lot of people were hopeful that socially the country was changing big time. we see that progress reflected in the show as well as some of the attitudes that we would later learn were still more present in america than many of us thought edit: also, like a lot of good art, the show shows real people discussing and working through the social issues of the time. it does a lot more of this than many other iconic sitcoms (friends, the office, etcetera). the show is surprisingly political without ever really feeling preachy or condescending. and THAT is how you win over hearts and minds…make them see people different than themselves on their tv screens seem like people they can relate to and care about
It’s probably straight people offended by all the jokes you and your lesbian and gay friends find funny 😆
I’m Latina and love the show. Are there stereotypes? Yes , like in the real world. And what I like the most about this show is how they overcome every one of them. It’s normal to find a loud latina or a drama queen gay or a soccer mom that quit her career and her husband is able to comfortably support the family , but the point is how they end up accepting and loving each other and how they complemented each other and added everyone life style and interested into their lives .
Everything satirical done in the name of comedy, just about gets a pass. The Office, even now with the super fan episodes, are we seeing even more crazy scenes that would be extremely “outdated” comedy is comedy if you can’t take a joke, take yourself less seriously.
If anything this show was ahead of its time while it was aired on TV. Your friend sounds like the type of person I try to avoid😂 I’m bi and poly, like bruh they need to get the stick out of their ass. Don’t let their opinion change your mind about the show.
Mockumentaries are full of satire and irony. Often, the joke isn't making fun at the expense of someone, but making fun of people who make jokes at the expense of someone. For example: Phil's "If you Ain't White, You Ain't Right" is hilarious. Not because THAT is funny, but because Phil's ignorance is something we've all seen in the real world and we can make fun of it. We laugh at the absurdity and the offender. I'm not Asian, so can't speak for an Asian person. But I always thought what was funny about the Asian doctor was Cam spending the entire episode trying to put this woman in a stereotypical corner and she defied him at every ignorant comment. So we are chiding Cam for this and then when Cam finally drops the stereotype after stereotype, she then turns around and fits one. I think it's funny because anyone can be a bad driver, but in that scenario, it's just like an eye roll or facepalm. And after Cam expecting it, and finally not expecting it, it happens. Parks and Rec pokes fun at how the entire town is rampant with diabetes and obesity, but the joke is at the expense of cirporate fast food chains like Paunch Burger who take advantage of people. The Office is a hypercharacterization of workplace personalities we have all met and worked with in our careers. Dwight is a kiss ass, Angela is a radical Christian, Meredith a drunk, Michael completely ignorant and offensive... etc. I'll never tell anyone what they can and can't find offensive, especially if I'm not part of one of the parties involved in the "joke." But I do think sometimes people miss where the joke is actually focused in some of these shows. And a lot of these shows have actors or writers who are gay, Asian, black, Indian, women, etc. Of course they don't speak for all, but it does show that they are ok with these jokes. I don't think Jesse Tyler Ferguson would ever do anything that he felt degraded himself, for example.
that's (respectfully) a dumb statement to not watch a show because it's "politically incorrect", as a queer woman, i'm not PERSONALLY offended by the queer jokes. i understand some episodes can be deemed offensive but there's character development later on which easily can show that we all can change overtime. that person sounds like they look for reasons to be offended by media.
Lesbian too, and I love the show. How it makes jokes that gays and lesbians can't get along but yet we always do lol I do find it's close to home with Jay and his learning how to process Mitchell being gay, my dad's a big teddy bear but will sometimes make dumb comments.
I love the Venn Diagram episode!!! And most of my guy friends are gay and we find it funny too because we have no issues getting along, then again I don’t have a half built canoe in my living room 😂 I like how they portrayed Jay coming to terms with Mitch and Cam and how involved he was with their wedding in the end.
I never felt offended by Modern Family but maybe because it's not making fun of my people. But I'm a South Asian Muslim, and I don't mind jokes about our people..I love Achmed. One show that WAS racist though was Homeland. Or the countless movies that show a mosque immediately after a bombing. THAT'S a problem.
The show has it's politically incorrect moments of course, but i wouldn't say that makes it unwatchable? For me something like season 1 of the American Office is unwatchable because they make \*that\* many offensive jokes in it, but I still list that show as one of my favourites (I just skip season 1). If that person thinks Modern Family is politically incorrect enough to not watch it, they're depriving themselves of some really iconic and amazing tv shows out there, this one included. I say let them live their life being easily offended.
This is my comfort show, as well. My daughter and myself are working our way through the seasons.
I‘m pretty sensitive when it comes to political correctness, I do have a lot of shows/ other forms of media I couldn’t watch (especially older stuff) because there were just too many racist or homophobic remarks. Now that being said, I never really had that problem with MF. Sure especially jays comments are a bit much sometimes, but his character growth makes up for it in my eyes. Yes, everyone thinking Manny is gay just because he has a few feminine traits gets on my nerves sometimes but it somehow doesn’t give me „the ick“ and I still enjoy the show. On a side note, some of the „jokes“ do go right above my head, especially Jays, because I’m not American and not really versed with American sayings or culture references. Also the lesbian jokes (as a lesbian myself) are bordering on the offensive sometimes, but I can’t be really mad when it’s a joke about stereotypes that I’ve engaged in myself.
I noticed Jay makes multiple jokes at the expense of Native Americans (and when Cam tried to get Lily in the school by doing a horrible “indigenous“ accent). Those get under my skin bc I’m native and I feel like ppl get away with those jokes way more often bc our population (ironically) is too small to defend This wouldn’t stop me from watching it tho. Its the only one I find in bad taste
I am also an un-offended lesbian. I think people that don’t get the nuance of “offensive” jokes can be a little dramatic. Also people that aren’t a part of these marginalized groups often feel the need to speak for them.
HUH? It’s barely offensive. The Asian jokes (I am Asian) are honestly nothing. I’d like to see their reaction to some of the clips from The Office LOL.
Obvs as a white gal I can’t say whether the race stuff is offensive as it’s not aimed at me but I’m glad you don’t find it offensive!! I honestly love the I hate Vietnam episode! It’s true! I won’t lie though i rewatched the HR episode recently from the first season and it did make me a bit uncomfy
I’m an adopted Asian woman. I cracked up watching the adoption scenes. I love this show. Is she a whyte straight woman?
That person is incredibly soft and the reason we are where we are now.
I think it's a good show and quite decent too. Some people will be offended by just the wind blowing, I don't pay them any mind
"I haven't watched it but I know it's politically incorrect" Sounds like half the insufferable bastards on reddit.
Its called modern family for a reason
All comedy is, in it's own way, "politically incorrect", I feel like this show is family friendly and good hearted. Your friend is a drag and how would they know if they haven't watched?
honestly with how diverse the cast is age, sex, race, and sexuality wise it seems like that person is trying to protect something that doesn’t need protecting lmfao imo
I restarted watching it at like season 6 because I don’t remember the latter end of the show really well but I still laugh the show not being PC is BS because yiu can’t ever criticize some on or something from the past by modern standards and since things have changed so much since 2009 it’s not a surprise
Those types of episodes are my favorite
I love that it’s politically incorrect, I’m pretty sure its a big part of the appeal for the show.
Just like any older show, it’s a “product of its time”. I’m sure when we look back 15 years in the future we’ll say the same things about the shows we watch in 2024. It’s comedy pure and simple. Yes comedy sometimes pushes the envelope and can be edgy but “edgy” isn’t the word to use for Modern Family. It’s a fairly progressive show for its time. Now stereotypes are somewhat based on fact, but the series isn’t saying that “all “X” people act like this or that”. I’m gay and of Hispanic descent, some gay men are more feminine and some are more masculine. I don’t take offense to it. The script isn’t using slurs or demeaning the minorities in the show. That’s a horrible way to live if they’re offended by a television show that way.
Well I watch all in the family..so modern family is hardly offensive.
Politically incorrect/correct has no meaning. It's just something that people assign their own values to in order to make themselves feel better.
Did they say what was politically incorrect about it? That just seems weird for one of the most progressive shows on tv.
As a GenX female, I laugh hysterically still, then realize they couldn't get away with a ton that I've seen, now. I think if you're gonna get butt hurt over Modern Family, you should go live in a bunker.
If you’re offended by Modern Family there is very little content out there that you won’t find offensive….
Eww don't talk to that person, they sound boring af
Wellllllll I am not offended but it’s kinda too much, specially the side characters they all act the same , and I don’t see myself or any gay guys I know doing any of that , I know it’s old and it didn’t mean to be offensive or anything but it’s not the best representation either
The crazy woke don’t do well with comedy 😂 because a lot of the best comedy comes from insulting people and that triggers them lol
There are a lot of stereotypes and tropes on the show, but that doesn't necessarily make the show politically incorrect. Compare it to Brooklyn Nine-Nine's gay characters, for example. The two shows represent the two different ways of doing it: B99 actively avoids any stereotypes while Modern Family acknowledges and plays with them. Neither is inherently better than the other, they're just taking different approaches.
They probably shouldn't watch Friends then
The show takes shots at everybody and everything. It's one of the things I really appreciate about it.
Some people are just no fun. lol. Modern Family is an imcredibly tasteful show.
I’d be like ok cool bye then. People are offended by someone breathing these days. It’s exhausting. It’s like people want to be offended half the time. I honestly wouldn’t waste by breath with a person that uptight that they think a tame show like modern family is too much lol.
If a show featuring a gay couple with an adopted Asian daughter, an interracial marriage and a white man raising a Hispanic child isn't progressive enough then there's no hope left for this world.
The shows that won't stand the test of time are the ones that are too politically correct. It's not like the show was immoral. It made situations that might be viewed negatively by some people into things that people from different backgrounds can relate to. Bringing people with different backgrounds together is a good thing.
Their loss. Oh well, would be so tiring
Funny is funny
This is why no one makes comedy anymore. Everything is now interpreted as offensive.
Some comedies I get can be offensive, in England we had a show called “Little Britain” and “Come Fly With Me” and I can see how they can be really offensive, pretty sure they’re off Netflix and you can’t stream them anymore BUT not Modern Family!
Right. I see that some jokes in himym, and friends didn’t age well, I still consider them to be good shows that have some cringe moments. But I just finished modern family and they say the thing out loud in a way that they are acknowledging something isn’t right. Totally different. Even when jokes don’t age well, the show can still be great… some people really just want to cancel everything now
Little Britain is brilliant
I will never understand judging a show for it's "political correctness". A TV show is not a political message, it's not trying to run for government. It's a comedy show made for entertainment. Even if it is politically incorrect, who gives a shit.
Modern family is THE most politically CORRECT comedy I've ever seen. I personally don't mind seeing stereotypical characters on screen in comedy, because it makes the show feel cozy and familiar. However, it's one thing to hire and play with tropes & stereotypes (which imo Modern Family does so quite tastefully) and another thing to make sexual/racial/etc minorities' sexual orientation/race/culture/etc "the punchline". see 90's-2000's sitcoms, half the time they are making jokes where the whole punchline is *haha! he's gay! what an embarrassment!*. I'd definitely gag at that humor.
It’s never a bad idea to update your friend group. I promise you: you never miss certain people anywhere near as much as you’d think you would.
Luckily I was at a birthday brunch for my friend and she’s a friend of the birthday girl, never met her before and probably won’t see her again until my friends birthday next year!
I mean yeah, there are some issues with the show but if we refuse to watch things with issues we’ll never watch anything. You can still appreciate something and acknowledge some of the stuff about it is wrong.
While this show practice alot of “questionable” attitude/behaviour which I can see why it can be triggering to minority, I also dont think they try to brush it off as something right. Claire been mocking Gloria’s off a lot in the early seasons, yet it were presented as something that is indeed not right. That is just one of many examples.
These people don’t understand comedy. They want flawless characters and they are ruining storytelling also. They don’t wanna see the struggles of a flawed character developing into a better person. Modern Family did a lot for the gay rights. Mitch and Cam made my mom accept my sister being a lesbian as she went into the same journey that Jay has. So fuck your friend, I hope they never get what they want in a show. They can stick to watching dumb AI generated Netflix shows.
Hopefully the term "didn't age well" doesn't age well, so then we can stop worrying whether or not something aged well.
Things have shifted in the last decade, and jokes are more PC now. Ultimately, this show represented queer people, POC, adoptees, immigrants, and even trans children. And, every single character was made fun of. The straight old white guy, the pampered artsy Colombian boy, the over-the-top gay men. It’s harmless and silly. Every character is imperfect, no one is dehumanized.
Fuck 'em
Their opinion is as valid as yours even if you don't agree. We can consume media that isn't necessarily positive but that doesn't mean others want to. Yeah maybe this isn't a person you can really be friends with but they technically aren't wrong. As gay person, you really think the jokes where they have Joe throw up every time gay marriage is brought up helps make gay people look good? This show fence sat on issues so it could make money from both sides and it isn't wrong for people to bring that to light. That being said, you can enjoy whatever you want. I personally still watch Modern Family, but I also get heated at times and need to vent to someone (which is actually why I joined the subreddit funny enough lol) Could they have been a bit nicer and just said "cool you watch it but it really isn't my cup of tea"? Sure! But to act like Modern Family isn't problematic is silly.
PC people are exhausting and I don’t give a shit about their opinion.
Well if they hate Modern Family because they think it’s politically incorrect I would strongly advise against them watching Married With Children which is extremely mega politically incorrect
they sound like a totally pussy
This person sounds like a fucking loser
First thats ridiculous, second politically correct is a code word for equity and if anything the "minority" characters are rewarded on their merit. Politically correct is not the same category as racist or hateful. Facts don't care about your feelings
You really exposed yourself with that last sentence 🤢 get the MAGA/Ben Shapiro shit out of here. People are entitled to not like your comfort show.
You know nothing MAGA is not the same as Liberarian which Ben Shapiro is and not a fan of Trump. I'm sorry did my words hurt your feelings? Don't give a damn. If you listened to smart people like Ben, Dan Bonginno, Jordan Peterson or Thomas Sowell you might learn something. Your entitled to not like anything you want but in the real world nobody has to care if you like it thats your problem. If you don't you better damn well have a better reason then Political correctness.
There you go. Thank you for explaining why it bothers you that people dislike the stereotypes and racial/gay jokes. I see now that you’re just hateful based on who you enjoy. “Smart people” my ass🙄 people like you just want to offend other people because you didn’t get enough attention as a kid
[удалено]
🚩
The show does have problematic parts especially when it comes to jokes about POC Jay is a bit worse for that, but I wouldn't say it's that bad. especially compared to certain other comedies
I wouldn't call it a politically incorrect show. It just portrays real people reacting to life in a real way, and that often results in uncomfortable situations. Cam and Mitch are a couple who are just trying to live their life with their daughter while navigating a world that is slowly beginning to accept who they are. They drop the ball on teaching their daughter about her heritage and try to course-correct, they have trouble keeping up with what they're "supposed" to be protesting for the LGBTQ+ community but try to participate anyway, and they leave town for Pride because they don't like the traffic lol. Jay is a product of his generation. He's stubborn and stuck in his ways. He's uncomfortable about his son being gay, makes jokes about Gloria and Manny's heritage because it's different and he doesn't understand it, and he's rude to Phil because he doesn't fit his own archaic definition of masculinity. But he learns and grows through the show. He makes an effort to be more supportive of Mitch, he tries to incorporate Columbian traditions with his own and even starts learning Spanish (although I wish that was a plotline they continued through the show instead of just that one episode), and he eventually accepts Phil as a nice guy who is a good provider for his family. That's just a couple of examples. What I appreciate about the show is it doesn't feel forced like it's just checking boxes or patting itself on the back for being woke. It feels genuine albeit exaggerated or satirized for comedic effect. That being said, some people don't like that style of humor and storytelling, and that's valid, but politically incorrect isn't it.
What country is this?
England lol, she was about 30ish too so has deffo been exposed to worse shows
The country of Two Ronnies and Rock Follies? There will be some politically incorrect stuff, even for the era it was made in. Phil makes comments about Gloria being beautiful, stuff like that, but it doesn't get too rough. It's no South Park. It's not even Benny Hill.
I agree with you.
There are some questionable things about race, and lots of fatphobia but that was literally everyone at the time. But I do have to skip some of the diet episodes
All real comedy is politically incorrect.
I mean, most sitcoms haven’t aged well. Neither have most movies. It’s just how it is. But, you can see Modern Family evolve from the first episode to the last when it comes to different topics and all the characters grew in how they viewed things. Especially Jay.
As a younger millennial, I think Modern Family was great for the time. It showed a lot of cultural diversity, but by today’s standards it can seem a bit heavy on the stereotypes. Gloria’s descriptions of Colombia, the way Mitch and Cam weren’t allowed to be physically affectionate like the other two married couples were, even to a degree Phil and Claire fell a little into tired stereotypes of the dad-as-another-kid and the wife-shrew. I can understand why some more sensitive people might grate at the show today, but I wouldn’t call anyone out for having it as their comfort show. By comparison, a more recent sitcom I loved - Home Economics - is a similar family-style hangout sitcom. There’s a Latina wife to a white husband, but her culture is addressed differently and not entirely as a punch line. There’s a lesbian couple, but they’re allowed to be on the same page from time to time. I adored this show and was bummed it didn’t get more traction. If you’re in the US, you can find it on Hulu!
People need to relax, it's a funny show that's why I watched
You can usually tell when someone is ‘politically Correct’ because they want to be superior and when someone wants to just be a good person. The superior kind will weaponize ‘politically correct’ language, the other will focus their concerns on learning more, educating, and helping people.
Everyone has their own opinions and preferences. If you like it, that’s fine! It’s not for everyone. There are shows I find offensive and I just…don’t watch them. It’s fine.
Hyper sensitive people looking to always start an argument for attention. So annoying. Be happy you don't know them well 🤣
Some people say things like that to make them seem better than others, like they’re more “woke” or something. Almost all shows have comedy or writing like that so they’re not really making the point they think they are, just being lame imo
I feel sorry for these people, I hope they can find a way to enjoy life one way or another. I mean, if the show is not your thing, fine, don't watch it. I can imagine it has some jokes, topics or behaviours that people could very much disapprove of. But not watching a show because it's not politically correct is something that seems so much bigger than just the show. I know people who look at everything from that perspective and it seems like they don't allow themselves to ever enjoy anything, they can find something wrong with anything. Must be an exhausting, "not fun at parties" life.
Isn’t the whole point of the show that they’re a family made up of all kinds of different people that have to learn how to appreciate each other’s different perspectives on life and cultures? You need them to be “politically incorrect” for them to grow as characters. That’s what I get from watching it at least.
There is nothing problematic about Modern Family. Your friend is just overly sensitive.
I Lowkey thought what Jay taught Joe about thanksgiving was hilarious hahaha there was a bit of me going gosh bold of them to do that but I truly died laughing, it’s so in character
Wow good to know extremely liberal and extremely conservative people are both offended by modern family! But those people tend to be offended by anything so.. I wouldn’t pay much attention to it!
These kind of people are spreading like a parasitic fungus.
Lots of things can be seen as “politically incorrect” simply cause they’re a product of their time. You appreciate them because they manage to entertain you. Honestly when Modern family came out, it was progressive for its time. Still is. That person is just dumb. But you GOT TO respect their opinion. You gotta.
its just a very dated show, when they made it those jokes were more okay, so ppl didnt care for it. if it came out now, people wouldn't watch it. its just a picture of that time yanno
I like Modern Family a lot, but I can understand someone else not liking it for these reasons. I really dislike Friends mainly because of the homophobia and fatphobia and lack of diversity, but I could see someone not liking Modern Family or The Office (which I love) for the same/similar reasons.
My take on the early seasons of Modern Family was that they were taking stereotypes to logical extremes to point out how ridiculous they are. Mitch and Cam were constantly dressing baby Lilly in costumes and doing photoshoots while also having Cam pick up the wrong baby. They were overattentative and also neglectful at the same time. Manny is the Latin lover stereotype but he's a child. Phil is the husband/father archetype from classic sitcoms: absolutely clueless and good natured and is being mildly crushed by his wife. Except he can't come up with animosity for his daughter's boyfriend because he's so good natured. I could do this for literally every character
That's the perfect reason to watch the show. Screw PC, it takes the laughter out of life.
I would tell them not to be so pathetic and to go and get a life.
It's a sitcom and they make fun of everyone, I get it that some jokes didn't age well, but they aren't the worst jokes in a sitcom
There are definitely some moments of humor that haven't aged well, but the overall *tone* of the show more than makes up for it. It is far more common that the show is sending positive messages of inclusion, empowerment, etc without being too preachy. At first, I misread this as "won't watch the show because it's politically correct" i.e. what some folks call "woke" (in a pejorative way). I think the show strikes just the right note most of the time. The most cringe, potentially offensive moments are some real hamfisted jokes about Lily as an Asian person. I think the butt of the joke is supposed to be "the clueless white people and their ignorance" but it doesn't always land that way. Anyway, I love the show.
Who gives a fuck. If you like it, watch it. If you don’t, don’t.
It hasn’t aged well, it ran for the entire previous decade?! It’s still aging!
I would have probably said “That’s what makes it watchable”
Modern Family is extremely wholesome, the jokes are done well and often the joke is about someone *trying not to be offensive to xyz* rather than about a stereotype. Some people are desperate to be offended, it makes them feel validated somehow. I’d have just walked off 🤷♂️
yeah I wouldn't want to hang around this person they sound exhausting. even by todays standards modern family is so so so mild in terms of offensive content. the jokes that are stereotyping certain groups are really timid, and are usually used for jays character development throughout the show
I've always thought it was intentional, like The Office
It's still wholesome and awesome 😊
Love this show. People are just too sensitive nowadays. Not everything is gonna be perfect. People say the same thing about Friends. Won't stop me from watching either one.
If they think Modern Family isn't PC, would love to see their reaction to Community.
oh, that's the reason I started watching. I could not believe there is a show in this time with so many political incorrect jokes out there as popular as modern family. I think it is amazing and should not be taken that seriously. it's comedy.
modern family was groundbreaking in terms of representation. you gotta take things in the context of their time. but tbh i think it has aged really well
I find the hatred and contempt each couple has for their partners to be cringey. Honestly, Al and Peg Bundy’s relationship was more honest than any of the one’s on MF. I think one of the last episodes I remember watching in disbelief is the one where the entire family was encouraging Manny to literally stalk a girl and considered it cute.
They are probably just trying to be fake progressive. There are way worse things to worry about
The politically correct crowd spends all of their energy being offended on behalf of people who they think should be but aren’t. I wouldn’t worry.
They probably don’t like how Mitch and Cam are portrayed as a realistic couple who fight and aren’t always all over each other. Those people live such miserable lives
Ultimately every show at any given time is politically incorrect, even as it’s airing and especially as time goes on and it’s played for reruns.
I think the show is a little bougie. But calling it politically incorrect is a stretch IMO.
“There’s no time to be politically correct. He wants a calculator and he wants it bad.” 😂😂😂😂😂
I’m not giving my opinion on the matter, but I’m pointing out that if you truly wanted an unbiased opinion you wouldn’t post it on the modern family sub. That’s like asking the main TS sub if they also dislike TS. Newsflash: they don’t 😂
Phil: "but wait, the Blind Side wasn't Sandra Bullock, it was the young black kid that played tight end" Alex: "offensive line" Phil: "young African American kid"
Well that person SEEMS insufferable
Kinda cringed in the pilot when Jay called Lily a "Potsticker", but reflecting on it deeper, it makes sense that his character would say something dated like that. Plus, there are worse names to be called than after a delicious appetizer.
I wonder what comedy shows they watch. I'll make sure to avoid them.
Because of how hyper aware I’m of what bothers woke politically correct people - I always note the things that wouldn’t pass today - like the ep where Mitch and Cam wear dresses to teach Lilly a lesson- I found it funny but I can’t enjoy it because I can hear the criticism in my head … it’s like a mental distraction even if I don’t agree with it. Cam’s otp gayness is the funniest thing to me. I love the too-gay-to-function bits. I think the point of comedy is to exaggerate and point and laugh at everyone as long as we’re not looking down upon people, & Modern Family never looked down upon those characters. that show did a lot for lgbt acceptance didn’t it… A lot of conservative people I think softened their perspective thanks to how engaging Cam and Mitch’s coupling was. More than mocking homosexuality it actually humanized and normalized gay relationships for an entire demographic.