The Modern Mockumentary
The average family: a married man and women, 2.5 children, with a beautiful home that has a white picket fence and a dog. However, this “average” family image has changed drastically over the past decade particularly with the acceptance of gay marriage and green cards that are easier to obtain; this has had a substantial influence not only on our society but leverage on social media. An example of this changed media dynamic is displayed through the comedic mockumentary, Modern Family. Within this fictional, interview style comedy series, three families that are extremely stereotypical, live their interrelated lives. The series follows these three families, an “average” American family featuring a married man, Phil, and women, Claire, who have three children, a gay couple, Mitchell and Cameron, who adopted a child and an older man, Jay, that is Claire and Mitchell’s father, married to a hot young Columbian women who also have a son. Modern Family, which is given a reality-style, has cameras following around each stereotypical family, portraying a very dynamic interrelation.
Since the three cliché families are advertised as being interrelated, it is meant as a representation of the differences that can vary within extended families. Because there is a large amount of characters that play major roles, an interview style is used for the viewers to gain insight within situations and explain events; this is a creative and easy to understand way to communicate and connect with the audience, which is very broad. The drastic contrast of family styles and personalities creates a wide range that the TV series can appeal to. The large spectrum which Modern Family appeals to consists of: the “average” ...
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...ility to get married, displays the legalization and societal acceptance of the LGBT community. Since the three families are interrelated, the reactions and points of view from the other cast members portray a positive way of coping with gay family members. The acceptance and unconditional love that is placed on their relationship is a positive example of a healthy way to cope. However, a suggestive and controversial aspect within their relationship is based around affection. Through the first series, Mitchell and Cameron were not affectionate to each other, portraying Mitchell shy and apprehensive about displaying intimacy. However, the second series, which was filmed a few years later, represents the progress that the LGBT community had made; this is exhibited through one of the episodes where Mitchell and Cameron actually display their affection, and kiss.
Two families, the Stanleys and the Neumanns, are chosen to be documented and videotaped over a period of 20 years. Over this time between 1991 to 2011, these two american families go through what is supposed to be the american dream. This documentary is called “Two American Families.”
Throughout the evolution of television shows, one thing that is evident in them is that the families follow some sort of sociological theory. By observing these shows, it is easy to perceive what the struggles and achievements these families may experience. Specific examples of television families that display a sociological theory is: Switched at Birth showing conflict theory, Full House presenting symbolic interactionalism, and finally, The 100 which showcases feminist theory. In all of these shows, the families involved each go through their own issues with themselves and each other as well as barriers that may get in the way of their success. Analyzing families through the sociological perspectives open up opportunity for people to better
Younger generations and the more vulnerable in society can be influenced in avoiding peer pressure, but for the individuals filled with wisdom, the shows can reflect based on American modern society. Everybody Loves Raymond and Full House are great shows who faces similar life obstacles a typical person living in the US has today. As a result, most modern family comedy sit-coms are reflecting our society’s generations and the more vulnerable. Based on the success of early family sit coms, American’s adapted to a fast pace lifestyle with the help of modern
Though not immune to criticism, Modern Family and Full House still claim glimpses of societal pressure when showing aspects of the “American family.”
Americans love their television, and television loves the American family. Since the 1970’s, the depiction of the American family on television has gone through many changes. In the 70s, the Brady Bunch showed an all-white nuclear family. Today, Modern Family, shows a family of blended races, ages, and sexualities. For thirty years, the sitcom family has reflected the changing society of its time and there is no exception of this for the families in The Brady Bunch and Modern Family. The lifestyle, social aspects, and economics situations of the Bradys and the Pritchett-Dunphys are similar in their attempts to portray the lives of families of their time, but differ drastically in the types of families they represent. The characters in Modern
Full House is the opening plot of three men raising three girls, and it thought to be totally innocuous, the classic show opened the door to conversations about same sex parents on a show. Now Full House paved the way for today’s show Modern Family. Modern Family might be the most progressive show in the past 50 years. Because it takes on all the awkward nontraditional American family elements and crams them into a comedy show. As I said with Full House it brought same sex parents together on a sitcom with Mitchell and Cameron as the gay couple with an adopted Asian baby. Jay and Gloria both provide the divorcees, and Claire and Phil are a strong woman with a very submissive husband and to add on that it is a very dysfunctional family. Basically the show embodies a rich but diverse definition of family held by contemporary
Many couples in the United States idealize the myth of a “tradition family”. The idea that a woman can spend quality time with her child while maintaining an effective sexual life with her partner seemed to have caused a lot of stress during the 1950s. Coontz’s says “this hybrid idea drove thousands of women to therapists, tranquilizers, or alcohol when they tried to live up to it.” (Coontz, 569). Which explains that it is merely impossible to try to mold a family to be “ideal.” Many families still strive for a traditional life, which they define as life “back in the day.” They need to forget the past and start living in the 21st century. “Two-thirds of respondents to one national poll said they wanted more traditional standards of family life.”(Coontz, 582). Which goes to show that many families want to change to what once used to be perceived as an “ideal family” but “the same percentage of people rejected the idea that women should return to their traditional role.”(Coontz, 582). Families want to take bits and pieces from what used to be “traditional families” over time and create their own i...
The Nuclear Family is a concept of a standard familial unit consisting of a breadwinner father, a devoted wife, and a number of children. Since is rise in popularity in the 1950’s, television has been a comfortable home for the nuclear family; where the family would learn a lesson once shenanigans ensue. While the family’s background, class, race, or familial structure may differ from show to show over the years; the formula for the nuclear family seems to follow the same patterns. While many shows have tried to reshape this concept over the years, the show Bob’s Burgers retains the basic standard of the nuclear family and thrives through each member of the family being well written developed characters.
In the TV series The Joe Schmo show and Modern Family there are two main themes that occur. The first theme was instant, stereotypes and it is the first thing you notice when watching these shows. The second theme is honesty and both shows have a twist on the idea of honesty. The reality TV shows gives the illusion of real life.
Ideas and views of families have changed drastically throughout time. Along with these changing views, so are the ideas of why they exist. These changes have been driven, socially, politically and culturally, that vary based on different ages, races, genders and societies that a person identifies with. To observe how some of these ideas and attitudes have changed over time, I looked critically at television shows to see which messages are being constructed as a reflection of our societal values. The images and values of family that were constructed through these television shows explain traditional roles while exposing the challenges of a nontraditional family.
The 15-Minute Family Interview includes the five key steps of applying good manners, setting up a therapeutic conversation with a family, completing a genogram and ecomap, asking several therapeutic questions, and offering commendations (Wright & Leahey, 1999). Along with several components of the 15-minute interview, the Friedman Family Assessment Model explains type of family, cultural background, Religion, social class status and social class mobility. The genogram, ecomap and interview guide created for this assignment are included in this paper as appendix A, appendix B, and appendix C, respectively.
Most people’s lives in the 21 century are in some way affected by media and it is affecting the way individuals preform daily tasks. Television shows are a great example of this; they show the development of characters over a period and display how greater social forces shape what they have become. C. Wright mills uses a term the sociological imagination, it is the theory that people’s lives are shaped essentially by greater social forces and society’s expectations rather than biology and genetics. The show Modern Family is a good example of the sociological imagination because it has a diverse cast and the characters have many personalities, wants, and desires. Modern Family is a television show that has stories of separate individual families who are related. Claire and Mitch are siblings and Jay is their father. The families are Claire, Phil, Alex, Hailey and Luke. Mitch, Cam and Lilly and Jay, Gloria and Mani.
Family Guy, an animated sitcom about a New England family and their everyday dilemmas, is a way for viewers to see the comedic side of a dysfunctional family. The Griffins consist of Peter and Lois, the patriarch and matriarch, and Meg, Chris, and Stewie are the children(Family Guy). Every character is different from the next character. They are also weird in their own way. The television show itself displays feminism, structuralism, and gay and lesbian criticism. Each character in the show also displays those criticisms in a certain fashion. Family Guy can be offensive to viewers with its satire, and the way the show delivers its message can make the family and the other characters in the show seem dysfunctional.
The television sitcom Modern Family produced by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd shows the many different types of a modern American family. According to Andrew Hampp, “The show is among the most-viewed scripted programs in prime time in its second season, averaging 11 million viewers during original airings and often ranked as the most DVRed program most weeks” (2). The television show is a frequently watched show and is liked by many viewers. Modern Family's storyline helps the families of viewers by being an influential and relatable show to different types of families. The show is about the lives of three different families that are all related. In the show there are Jay and Gloria, an intergenerational couple with two sons-- Manny (from Gloria’s previous relationship) and Joe, their new baby. Jay’s adult son Cameron is married to his gay partner Mitchell, and they adopted Lily from Vietnam. Finally, Jay’s daughter Claire is married to her heterosexual partner named Phil and they have three children. The show is influential to our culture today because it shows these different types of families and addresses controversial themes such as gay adoption, the different family connections and communications, intergenerational coupling, and acceptance of diversity within an extended family. The family is easy to relate to while watching because it is based off of real family situations.
The wrongful idea of a “normal” family has existed throughout Western society for generations. Following notions connected to heteronormativity, this “normal” family is typically depicted as white and is comprised from a heterosexual couple (Lecture, 2016). As Professor Lord explained, this “normal” family ideal therefore does not exist because it is socially construction of the biased idea of how a family should be and is maintained throughout society which results in discrimination (Lecture, 2016). The incorrect valuing of some families over another based off certain identity markers such as sexuality and race has been imbedded into our society’s institutions and systems, establishing the divisions of those who are included and excluded.