# Modern Family: Good Show, Great Sofia! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 2, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738 "2010-04-02T15:37:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/1 "2010-04-02T15:37:41Z")
_Modern Family_ has turned out, in my view, to be well-written, well-rounded, well-acted, and generally amusing. It’s an interesting use of the mockumentary style mixed with straight fiction. But there’s a problem. There’s a huge distraction on the show. My god, Sofia Vergara! She’s absolutely gorgeous! I feel like I’m dying every day that I fail to see her naked. Every time she comes on screen, I curse my fate that I can only see her on television. And she’s a pretty decent actor too. Moan. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/2 "2010-04-02T16:19:17Z")
she’s certainly not ugly ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/3 "2010-04-02T16:20:16Z")
I like the show a lot, too, but I wonder about Vergara’s accent. It’s so exaggerated that I find it distracting. I’ve known people from Colombia and their accents were nothing like that, but I’ve never heard Vergara speak outside of the show, so for all I know, that’s how she sounds in real life. Love the character, though. I also find Claire to be smokin’ hot. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/4 "2010-04-02T16:24:06Z")
Claire is a total “meh” for me. Vergara had a very small role in an episode of _Entourage_ a couple of years ago. It seemed like her accent in that role was the same as she uses in _Modern Family_, but she had only one or two lines in that, so I can’t be too sure. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/5 "2010-04-02T16:35:37Z")
[Sofia interviewed on an L.A. morning show](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6C4ExXS2VE&feature=fvw). Her accent may or may not be authentic, but it’s consistent. “Iss tha blue.” ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/6 "2010-04-02T17:04:13Z")
I watched a couple shows early on and then a couple more recently and I don’t get the love. The gay couple is so offensively stereotyped I’m surprised there aren’t protests about this. The main family is just blah and then some. That just leaves Ed O’Neill &Co which is actually interesting and could make a watchable show if they jettisoned the rest. But then again I seem to be only person in the universe that thinks “Cougar Town” is the worst sitcom ever made. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/7 "2010-04-02T17:45:21Z")
While I won’t praise _Cougar Town_, it is far from the worst sitcom ever made. I don’t think any show can claim that title as long as there is still one copy of _Everybody Loves Raymond_ in print physically or digitally anywhere. I enjoy _Modern Family_, despite the cliches. I’ve met many latinos with accents as strong or stronger, so that doesn’t bother me. The son-in-law bothers me the most, but I do like that he and his wife are equally inept, just in different ways. Personally, I’d kill the oldest daughter and try for a new one. The gay couple are the cliche that middle America wants out of its TV gays. ABC/Disney sitcoms are not the place to go to find realistic renditions of gay family life. ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/8 "2010-04-02T18:08:51Z")
No offense, but Everybody Loves Raymond is a darn sight better than the monstrosity that is Cougar Town. That’s not fair - I actually know plenty of people who like Cougar Town. Intead of getting in an argument over subjective tastes in what is funny let’s pick a sticom that is objectively bad from all viewpoints. Critically, historically, from the aspect of mass appeal, and if there were a way to smell it I am sure [The Ropers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ropers) would rank somewhere below Oscar’s can. Let’s take everything bad about Three’s Company, add a kid and remove the gratuitous boobs! There’s the Ropers! Now, that is up there in the Worst Sitcom Ever rankings. (Jeffrey Tambor has honored spots on both worst and best. Way to go!) I know it is popular to make fun of Raymond, but it was a popular somewhat well written show. There were plenty of funny bits, good performances and it was highly rated. To say that it is the worst sitcom ever only makes sense if you haven’t seen many sitcoms. But, yeah, ftg, you aren’t the only one. I am not a big Cougar Town fan. I watch the start of it now and then just to see if the first 5 minutes can draw me in. As far as I know I haven’t watched a full episode yet. Back on topic. I love Modern Family and Sofia is SUPER duper hot. I like Claire as well. But, beyond physical attractiveness there are a ton of fantastic performances on the show. I think Phil is probably my favorite. The interaction he has with his son is so perfect. I do have a slight problem with how adult all of the kids seem to be (aside from Phil and Claire’s son who is probably the most kidlike.) But, I am usually laughing hard enough at the gag that their preternatural precociousness doesn’t really matter. What is offensive with the gay characters? I agree that they are hard core cliches. But, that’s the nature of some comedy. What about those two characters would bring about protests of any kind? I am honestly curious. Not trying to argue. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/9 "2010-04-02T18:13:23Z")
You guys can have Sofia, I’ll take Claire. Sofia’s accent is annoying as hell too. Overall, it is a pretty good show. Claire’s three kids aren’t all that interesting but all the other characters are great. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/10 "2010-04-02T18:49:57Z")
Love the show- it is appointment viewing in the corkboard household. Sofia is hot but can be irritating; Claire is hot in a milfy sort of way. Phil is hilarious. Last week’s episode where the kid- Alex, I think? is reading to Claire the signs of ADHD while Phil is trying to help his son with the art project, then notices the armrest of the chair is loose so he goes to get a screwdriver, then in the garage gets the screwdriver then notices the ceiling light flickering, then stands on the bench to jiggle the bulb then sees his sunglasses on the top of the shelf unit… we were in hysterics (because that’s me, every weekend). Cam cracks me up. I even like Al Bundy (“Barkly!”) ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/11 "2010-04-02T18:58:59Z")
> [@pricciar](#): > > I do have a slight problem with how adult all of the kids seem to be (aside from Phil and Claire’s son who is probably the most kidlike.) But, I am usually laughing hard enough at the gag that their preternatural precociousness doesn’t really matter. I don’t get that - Luke is a goofy 10 year old, Haley is a standard not too bright 17 year old who spends all her time texting, Alex is smart, but not above what you’d expect for a 14 year old. Yeah, she’s full of cutting remarks for her older sister, but that’s what you’d expect from a younger sibling who’s more intelligent, but less attractive. Only Manny seems “adult”, but that’s his whole schtick. “Manny get dressed for the party.” “Do I have time for a steam?” “Make it a qweeck one.” > [@corkboard](#): > > Cam cracks me up. I even like Al Bundy (“Barkly!”) I’ve said it before, but I consider this show the sequel to Married with Children. Peg died (you have to ignore the Shelley Long episode), so Al was able to make something of himself. Kelly hit her head again, thereby regaining her intelligence, but still has her slutty past. Bud finally realized he was overcompensating with all his schemes to meet women and embraced his true nature. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/12 "2010-04-02T23:16:17Z")
My favorite comedy currently on the air. I didn’t like it from Day One. I watched three episodes and Phil was too much for me. Didn’t hate it, but I had the same feeling I had when I stopped watching the Office (which I enjoyed): Michael Scott makes me want to stop breathing it is so awkward. But I forgot to deprogram my DVR and it kept recording it. After a friend whose opinion I respect begged me to watch it, I caught up with the whole series. GREAT MOVE! The writers leveled off Phil a TAD (not that much probably). Cam is hilarious. Manny shines, This show will dominate next year’s Emmys. I think it gets the following nominations/wins: - Best Comedy (win) - Best Writing (win) - Best Actor: Ed O’Neil/Jay - Best Supporting Actor- Eric Stonestreet/Cameron - Best Supporting Actor- Ty Burrell/Phil (win) - Best Supporting Actor- Rico Rodriguez/Manny - Best Supporting Actress- Sofia VerhotchickIwannafuck/Gloria (win) - Best Directing (win) ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/13 "2010-04-03T00:02:02Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > Cam is hilarious. Manny shines… Cam is the best thing about the show, Manny does not add anything to me—I do think that Ed O’Neil’s character Jay is a good guy at heart, who is really trying to let go of his old prejudices and be more open to other points of view… I also think Claire is more attractive than Gloria. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/14 "2010-04-03T00:18:53Z")
Too many weird opinions in this thread. Just to set things straight. - It’s a great show - Phil and Cam are the best characters, but even the kids are cool. - Sofia is way, way hotter than Claire. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/15 "2010-04-03T00:41:49Z")
I’m with you on that last one especially. Claire is a completely run of the mill, dime a dozen, typical actressy type. There’s absolutely nothing special about her looks no allure, no voom. Vergara could make me think twice about sacrificing my limbs. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/16 "2010-04-03T00:59:05Z")
Okay, so I indulged in knee-jerk hyperbole there. I’ll put it in realistic terms – On first catching sight of Vergara, I immediately checked IMDB to figure out who she is. Claire, on the other hand, could never spur me to action, and wouldn’tmake me pause in channel surfing. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/17 "2010-04-03T01:07:57Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Okay, so I indulged in knee-jerk hyperbole there. I’ll put it in realistic terms – > > On first catching sight of Vergara, I immediately checked IMDB to figure out who she is. > > Claire, on the other hand, could never spur me to action, and wouldn’tmake me pause in channel surfing. 3 or 4 years ago, Sophia Vergara was on a short lived ABC sit-com called “Knights Of Prosperity” (it was actually quite funny but got the axe after only a few episodes) and I remember that she was somehow more attractive to me back then than she is now… ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/18 "2010-04-03T01:36:48Z")
I’ll take Julie Bowen over Sofia Vergara any day of the week and twice on Sundays. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/19 "2010-04-03T02:12:56Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I’ll take Julie Bowen over Sofia Vergara any day of the week and twice on Sundays. I had never heard of Julie Bowen until Modern Family, but I agree with you 110%. The odd thing is, in general I am MUCH more attracted to women with dark hair than blondes—Julie Bowen has something that is hard to describe, but very appealing in a rub-suck-and-kiss-it-all-night sort of way… ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738/20 "2010-04-03T02:58:11Z")
I also sort of think of Modern Family as Al Bundy hitting the lottery or something, mellowing out, and bagging a crazy hot wife. It’s somehow vaguely satisfying. I’d take Julie Bowen though. I’ve had a crush on her since _Ed_, a show from about 7 years ago that I was apparently the only viewer for. I’m not normally that into her general type (I can see how she vaguely fits the generic blonde hollywood girl type) but she’s awesome. I just looked it up too and she’s 40 - she looks crazy good. Especially the episode where she accidentally paraded in front of the webcam in her underwear… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-good-show-great-sofia/534738.md?page=2)