# The better Mockumentary; 'Modern Family' or 'Parks and Recreation'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 20, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234 "2013-04-20T17:58:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/1 "2013-04-20T17:58:23Z")
I didn’t include either versions of ‘The Office’, because I really wanted to focus on these two shows. I watch both of these shows regularly and despite the critical praise ‘Modern Family’ gets, I still think ‘Parks and Recreation’ is superior. I don’t know if either of them will explain the documentary style of there show, but I like ‘Parks’ format slightly more. I also find myself laughing more with ‘Parks’. I still think ‘Modern Family’ is a great show. Edit: Can a mod switch the first option to just read “Modern Family” ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/2 "2013-04-20T18:08:03Z")
Sorry, the first option’s ‘Modern Family’ ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/3 "2013-04-20T19:22:30Z")
I like Modern Family, but Parks and Recreation is much better. My favorite mockumentary is Trailer Park Boys. I could never get into The Office, British or American version. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/4 "2013-04-20T20:47:24Z")
I prefer Parks and Recs. I actually don’t like Modern Family very much. Most of the characters annoy me. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/5 "2013-04-20T21:09:27Z")
Modern Family’s not a mockumentary, it’s a single camera show with talking head segments. They’ve had shots in there that were absolutely not possible for a documentary crew to take (like the time Luke and Phil sent a remote control car into the crawl space). ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/6 "2013-04-21T00:05:22Z")
I like _Parks & Rec_ more. I think since it’s not about families and kids there’s a lot of weird shit they can do, like _Community_. I do adore _Modern Family_, though. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/7 "2013-04-21T00:09:42Z")
Parks and Rec, because I don’t consider Modern Family to be a mockumentary. Parks and Rec barely qualifies either, but does more to mock the documentary genre. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/8 "2013-04-21T01:19:06Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Modern Family’s not a mockumentary, it’s a single camera show with talking head segments. They’ve had shots in there that were absolutely not possible for a documentary crew to take (like the time Luke and Phil sent a remote control car into the crawl space). I’ve never considered Parks and Rec to be a mockumentary either. The first season felt a bit like one but the show changed pretty drastically after season 1 and I think virtually everyone agrees it was a change for the better. Even in season 1 I didn’t think it was a mockumentary. I can’t imagine watching the show imagining there’s a pretend documentary camera crew there filming them, as in the Office or Trailer Park Boys. It’d be a completely different show. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/9 "2013-04-21T02:08:03Z")
I would have gone with Parks and Rec but (IMHO) they take the characters a little too far over the top. I really like the Andy and Ron characters but they go just a little too far. But then P&R has Rashida Jones…hmmm…but MF has Julie Bowen…tough call. I voted Modern Family. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/10 "2013-04-21T03:12:24Z")
I don’t like either show, but I dislike Modern Family somewhat less so I picked it. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/11 "2013-04-21T15:31:53Z")
Hmm, Modern Family isn’t a mockumentary? What are the ‘Talking Heads’ then? Are they just sitting on the couch talking to themselves? I’m not saying people here are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/12 "2013-04-21T16:23:30Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > Hmm, Modern Family isn’t a mockumentary? > > What are the ‘Talking Heads’ then? Are they just sitting on the couch talking to themselves? I’m not saying people here are wrong. They do that. But they don’t do it in a way that mocks the documentary genre. It’s probably going to become a standard way of including ‘asides’ in shows without an overt ‘breaking the fourth wall’ moment. Parks & Rec has limited that part of the show, but they have mocked the documentary genre and in a few moments made the concept part of the plot. But neither show really does much of it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/13 "2013-04-21T17:42:12Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > They do that. But they don’t do it in a way that mocks the documentary genre. I think “mocks the documentary genre” is a little narrow of a definition. I think it applies more broadly to “comedy done in a pseudo-documentary style” and a show with talking heads segments would apply. As I recall, the first season was more overt about the documentary style and they’ve since phased that concept out aside from the talking head bits. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/14 "2013-04-21T17:54:11Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I think “mocks the documentary genre” is a little narrow of a definition. I think it applies more broadly to “comedy done in a pseudo-documentary style” and a show with talking heads segments would apply. > > As I recall, the first season was more overt about the documentary style and they’ve since phased that concept out aside from the talking head bits. I don’t disagree, I was just using that as a way to distinquish the two shows, which make minimal use of the documentary theme anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/15 "2013-04-21T17:58:59Z")
The tiny girl and the chubby boy are so annoyingly written and acted that it’s hard for me to watch Modern Family. They’re about a half-step up from Full House. I hated Parks & Rec when I first saw it, but I eventually relented and tried watching some more current episodes, and it turns out I think it’s hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/16 "2013-04-21T18:08:58Z")
I think it makes more sense to think of shows like _Modern Family_ and _Parks and Rec_ not as mockumentaries, but as “camera-as-character” narratives. You know, like when Ferris Bueller or Zack Morris does an aside and talks to the camera. It’s clearly not a mockumentary, just a narrative tool. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/17 "2013-04-21T18:10:13Z")
Oh, and _Parks and Rec_ is better, but I love _Modern Family_. Did I ever tell you that I once met Nick Offerman? I asked his advice about bar clamps. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/18 "2013-04-21T19:18:46Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I think it makes more sense to think of shows like _Modern Family_ and _Parks and Rec_ not as mockumentaries, but as “camera-as-character” narratives. You know, like when Ferris Bueller or Zack Morris does an aside and talks to the camera. It’s clearly not a mockumentary, just a narrative tool. I never really cared if The Office ever explained it’s format, but anyone who’s been watching it knows that it IS in fact a Documentary. I think Modern Family is the least likely to explain why the characters have “Talking Head” moments. It just seems funny to me that they would do something as ‘whimsy’ as you described; To just address us, the audience, (which is what Bueller and Morris do), with no explanation. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/19 "2013-04-21T19:23:23Z")
Even Wiki says that: “NBC, already broadcasting The Office and Parks and Recreation, decided against taking on a third mockumentary style show. ABC accepted the series and picked it up for a full season.” > **[Modern Family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Family)** > > Modern Family is an American sitcom television series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). It ran for 11 seasons, from September 23, 2009, to April 8, 2020. The show follows the lives of three diverse family set-ups in suburban Los Angeles, which are linked by its patriarch, Jay Pritchett. > Lloyd and Levitan conceived the series while sharing stories of their own "modern families." Modern Family employs an ensemble cast and is presented i... Edit: [Category:Mockumentary television series - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Mockumentary_television_series) ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234/20 "2013-04-21T19:31:41Z")
Also listed here: [Mockumentary - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mockumentary) So far \*\*18 \*\*to **18** I hope Parks comes out on top. I know they are two very different shows. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-better-mockumentary-modern-family-or-parks-and-recreation/656234.md?page=2)