# Why is Modern Family about "modern" familes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 16, 2014, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238 "2014-04-16T07:44:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/1 "2014-04-16T07:44:16Z")
When I first heard about this show, I was assuming the families were non-traditional, like the same sex couple raising a child. But, after watching it for a few weeks, it pretty much has every single stereotype about traditional families and stepfamilies that were ever made. The same sex couple has pretty much all the homosexual stereotypes. About the only thing different is that they give in-character assessments of their relationships during the interview spots. I do enjoy the jokes, writing, acting, situations, etc. and think it’s an excellent show, but the more I watch it, the more I think the title is inappropriate. Most stereotypical imho are the kids. The kids seem like they fell out of 80’s sitcoms. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/2 "2014-04-16T07:47:34Z")
Yes, [that’s the joke](http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090819180839/uncyclopedia/images/1/13/Thats_the_joke.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/3 "2014-04-16T12:47:39Z")
You had it right in your title, think of the name as “Modern” Family. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/4 "2014-04-16T14:54:01Z")
Well, the title’s kinda ironic, but they _are_ nontraditional and thus modern families in some ways: the gay couple, the adopted kid(s), the much older husband and the much younger and hotter wife, and their sometimes-exasperated but basically loving acceptance of each other and their differences. This ain’t just Ozzie and Harriet. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/5 "2014-04-16T15:18:48Z")
The nurturing dad with the tough-cookie mom is a bit of a twist on stereotypical sit-coms. And the immigrant wife and kid are non-traditional as well. “Modern” might be a stretch, but “non-cliche” would be true. PS - what made _The Flintstones_ a “modern stone-age family”? ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/6 "2014-04-16T16:14:36Z")
If bad titles bother you, what do you think of “Cougar Town”? ---
**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 16, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/7 "2014-04-16T16:34:04Z")
I never thought of it as a joke, I just assumed they took three different family structures and called it “Modern Family” because – ho, ho – nontraditional families! (at least at a shallow first glance) and studios don’t spend that much time worrying about the deeper ramifications of their titles beyond “Does it sound catchy?” Assuming it’s some meta-joke seems like giving it too much credit. On the other hand, worrying about a show title (especially after so many seasons) seems misguided as well. That “New Girl” has been there for how long now? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/8 "2014-04-16T16:40:47Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > PS - what made _The Flintstones_ a “modern stone-age family”? Because they were all swingers. They would have had key parties, if they had keys. —Srsly, because they had modern conveniences - stone age equivalences of the 1960’s “modern” lifestyle. Maybe _that’s_ the joke of “Modern Family” - they are a modern family, if it was the 60s? ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/9 "2014-04-16T18:57:41Z")
Yeah…it’s not a joke. It’s called “Modern Family” because it’s about a nontraditional-but-increasingly-common extended family. The patriarch is married to a woman younger than his daughter and has a stepson the same age as his grandson. He has a gay, committed son with an adopted daughter and a daughter who married a not-traditionally-masculine man but has an otherwise “traditional” family. It’s not a show about a crazy, unusual family. It’s about the new normal. I wonder why they didn’t call it that. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/10 "2014-04-16T19:05:47Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > It’s not a show about a crazy, unusual family. It’s about the new normal. I wonder why they didn’t call it that. Because that’s the name of a [different show](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Normal_%28TV_series%29). ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/11 "2014-04-17T00:39:50Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > If bad titles bother you, what do you think of “Cougar Town”? Never seen it, but it seems OK, if “cougar” means desperate 40 year old women. I call it “Friends: Continued.” > [@typoink](#): > > It’s called “Modern Family” because it’s about a nontraditional-but-increasingly-common extended family. This seems to be the right answer, didn’t think about it like that. The one thing that is unique that is not traditional is the extended family aspect. The last few episodes I saw were them going on entire ensemble vacations. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/12 "2014-04-17T01:12:53Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > If bad titles bother you, what do you think of “Cougar Town”? Cougar Town? Never heard of it. Are you talking about Wine Time? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/13 "2014-04-17T01:19:53Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > It’s not a show about a crazy, unusual family. It’s about the new normal. I wonder why they didn’t call it that. > > Because that’s the name of a [different show](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Normal_%28TV_series%29). No Ordinary Family? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/14 "2014-04-17T01:23:02Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Never seen it, but it seems OK, if “cougar” means desperate 40 year old women. I call it “Friends: Continued.” > > This seems to be the right answer, didn’t think about it like that. The one thing that is unique that is not traditional is the extended family aspect. The last few episodes I saw were them going on entire ensemble vacations. I think that’s the idea. The families are modern (in structure) but when it’s all said and done, they are still typical, loving families. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/15 "2014-04-17T02:09:04Z")
I liked some of the dialogue but the clichés wore on me. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/16 "2014-04-17T02:30:32Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > If bad titles bother you, what do you think of “Cougar Town”? Yeah! Who’s the mayor? Is there a city council? Do they have a police force, street department, codified ordinances, etc.? This is a _highly_ misleading series name. ---
**Author:** ![skylyn12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@skylyn12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skylyn12)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/17 "2014-04-17T13:08:47Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I think that’s the idea. The families are modern (in structure) but when it’s all said and done, they are still typical, loving families. But they aren’t typical are they? All of the families feature a stay at home parent\* (100%, really?) and 2 of the three families live in mansions (in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country). \*I believe Claire recently started working for her dad. ---
**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 17, 2014, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/18 "2014-04-17T13:21:24Z")
> [@skylyn12](#): > > But they aren’t typical are they? All of the families feature a stay at home parent\* (100%, really?) and 2 of the three families live in mansions (in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country). > > \*I believe Claire recently started working for her dad. Claire and Cam have both gotten jobs this season (the closet factory and high school teacher respectively), so Gloria is now the only SAHM. And I wouldn’t call Phil & Claire’s house a mansion - it’s a big 3 bedroom house, sure. And remember Phil’s in real estate - he probably got a crazy good deal on the place decades ago. Unless you meant Cam & Mitch, but they’re renting their place IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/19 "2014-04-17T13:27:23Z")
And the three people who are the original family (Jay, Claire and Mitchell) are the “normal” ones, and their partners (Gloria, Phil and Cam) are more over-the-top. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238/20 "2014-04-17T15:02:12Z")
> [@skylyn12](#): > > But they aren’t typical are they? All of the families feature a stay at home parent\* (100%, really?) and 2 of the three families live in mansions (in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country). > > \*I believe Claire recently started working for her dad. Typical in the sense that they have the same worries, priorities and problems that are common to virtually all families. DOesn’t matter if you’re a gay couple, a step-parent, a second wife, a traditional SAHM mom etc. Will my kids be ok? How do I get along with my spouse? How do I balance family and life? I love my family and I want to throttle my family etc. I’m a stay at home parent but I wonder if I should work/I work too much should I be home more? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-modern-family-about-modern-familes/686238.md?page=2)