# Your least favorite "Modern Family" character **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 22, 2014, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657 "2014-04-22T04:39:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/61 "2016-10-25T16:25:50Z")
I love the character of Lilly, not only is she the best character on the show, she is one of the best characters on TV. My least favorite character is Mitchell, who has the least amount of comedic value and most of his character is just eye rolling at Cam. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/62 "2016-10-25T17:30:10Z")
I tried watching this show for two periods in the early years. Just couldn’t stand the high percentage of predictable jokes. I knew how some episodes would end based on the first 5 minutes. But they occasionally had some nice **un** predictable jokes! Why not do more of _that_? Of all the characters, the one that was the most trite, predictable, completely useless to the show was Phil. The others at least once in a while served a purpose. Not him. The poor characterization dragged down the others, esp. Claire, who could have been a mildly interesting character. On an unrelated note: Just being “annoying” isn’t enough to dislike a character. Many comedies require them. But annoying and pointless to the plot is a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/63 "2016-10-25T17:33:19Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > What part of California are they in that a (to me) $300,000 home is worth $3 million?? That’s sort of what I was thinking. I figured with crazy-high SoCal pricing, it might be $800k. But over $2M? :eek: As for the characters, there’s something I like about most of them. Lilly would be my least favorite, followed by Manny. I think Manny can be funny at times, but Lilly is almost never funny. I find Cam the funniest, as well as the most likeable, and the best character. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/64 "2016-10-25T18:07:00Z")
Since this old thread has been resurrected, I’ll chime in with my two cents. _Modern Family_ is getting a bit long in the tooth. By comparison, two of my favorite sitcoms, _Friends_ (10 seasons) and _The Big Bang Theory_ (currently in its 10th) managed to stay relatively fresh (in my opinion) through character development, shifting relationships, and the like. 8 seasons in, _MF_’s characters have remained fairly static, and the writers have been relying much more on wacky _Three’s Company_ style misunderstandings and, yes, outright terrible behavior, to try to keep milking the laughs. That said, I still enjoy it enough to keep watching, but it _is_ getting a bit old. To answer the OP, my least favorite character is definitely Manny. Everybody else in the show, whether I’d want to hang out with them or not, has at least some qualities that make them believable, relatable humans. But Manny’s just a cartoon. The metrosexual 11-year-old bit was hard enough to swallow at first, but the fact that he’s acted exactly the same all through puberty and into his late teens makes no sense. I don’t think it’s Rico Rodriguez’s fault, either. He doesn’t have a heck of a lot to work with. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/65 "2016-10-25T18:25:31Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Since this old thread has been resurrected, I’ll chime in with my two cents. > _Modern Family_ is getting a bit long in the tooth. By comparison, two of my favorite sitcoms, _Friends_ (10 seasons) and _The Big Bang Theory_ (currently in its 10th) managed to stay relatively fresh (in my opinion) through character development, shifting relationships, and the like. > 8 seasons in, _MF_’s characters have remained fairly static, and the writers have been relying much more on wacky _Three’s Company_ style misunderstandings and, yes, outright terrible behavior, to try to keep milking the laughs. > That said, I still enjoy it enough to keep watching, but it _is_ getting a bit old. I largely agree. For the first several years, MF was top-notch in the sitcom world… well written, well acted, funny and clever. Not only that, there was apparent affection between family members, even in turmoil. For the last couple of years, they have relied upon gimmicks, and the characters seem more one-dimensional than they did years ago, which is odd. I still watch, because there are still laughs, but I don’t enjoy the show the way I once did. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/66 "2016-10-25T18:27:18Z")
> [@YogSothoth](#): > > For long time watchers of the show, I was curious if this show ever had an easter egg that recalled Ed O’Neill’s long stint as Al Bundy? Did he ever sit and stick his hand in his pants, or mention how it must suck to be a shoe salesman? I think they’ve gone out of their way to avoid Al Bundy. There was an ep that costarred David Faustino, but he wasn’t in any scenes with Ed O’Neill. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/67 "2016-10-25T21:16:16Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > The actual house used for exterior shots on the show went on sale in 2014, the asking price was $2.35m. [Phil and Claire Dunphy's "Modern Family" House For Sale](http://hookedonhouses.net/2014/03/17/phil-claires-modern-family-house-hits-the-market/) It _just_ [sold](http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-80714141/) for $2.15M. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2016, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/68 "2016-10-25T22:50:30Z")
I posted in this thread when it was new and I haven’t watched the show much since but my picks remain. Cam and Gloria are just too over the top. I think my favorite characters are the new neighbors (Steve Zahn plays the dad). Do they still appear on the show or did they get written out? My crush on Julie Bowen (Claire) is eternal. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2016, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/69 "2016-10-25T23:10:38Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I think my favorite characters are the new neighbors (Steve Zahn plays the dad). Do they still appear on the show or did they get written out? Looks like they haven’t appeared since late in season 6. But as far as I know they still live next door. I hope we see them again. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/70 "2016-10-26T00:44:23Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Ah, I’d forgotten that episode. Still, wasn’t that just help with the down payment? Yes, I think he gave them the down payment, which is what I was getting at when I said he helped. I guess that got lost in the summary, though. At this point, they’re all my least favorite, which is why I haven’t seen many of the new episodes. ---
**Author:** ![clintstagram](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d07c76/32.png) [@clintstagram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clintstagram)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/71 "2017-04-10T18:33:24Z")
Lily is a horrible character and it’s because Can is her dad. They are the worst. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/72 "2017-04-10T19:47:26Z")
> [@clintstagram](#): > > Lily is a horrible character and it’s because Can is her dad. They are the worst. It’s “ **Cam** ,” and he’s the only character I like on the show. I hate Lily the most, Phil next, and everyone else in varying degrees. Manny is ok. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/73 "2017-04-10T21:27:55Z")
I like each of them when they echo my best qualities and cringe when they echo my worst ones. ---
**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 10, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657/74 "2017-04-10T22:57:02Z")
OP here. I can no longer watch this show. I’m so bored, I find myself wandering off to do the dishes or clean the litter boxes. I can watch an entire episode and never crack a smile. So my least favorite character is the writers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-least-favorite-modern-family-character/686657.md?page=3)