February 27, 2012
Modern Family- “Aunt Mommy”
Every
Wednesday night when I get home from work, my mother and I curl up on the couch
and get ready for our favorite TV show—“Modern Family.” The greatest part about
the show is that it is so relatable. We always know someone in our lives like
Claire or Phil Dunphy. A main theme of
the show is that each family is trying to do their best to achieve the “American
dream.” In today’s world, it is very
difficult for gay couples to become accepted in their communities. This is the problem for characters Mitchell
and Cameron. Each episode will always feature one of the many obstacles that
they have to overcome. In this particular episode, it was the issue of having a
child: do they adopt again or use a surrogate? The American dream consists of a
spouse, a home, and a few kids. Having a child with their own DNA is that last
piece to completing the puzzle. The whole
idea also shines a light on how anyone can achieve the American dream and that
no matter who you are, everyone has a chance of success. The same theme is shown in the
Prichett-Degalo family as well. Gloria tells her husband about how she used to
be a young single mother, who drove a taxi to support her and her son. Manny
had to sleep in the back of the cab sometimes while she was working. Now, she
has a husband, a home, and a loving family. It is a classic rags to riches
story. The series really shows that just as the immigrants did years ago,
people will always have to work over obstacles it they want that
picture-perfect American fairy tale.
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I also watched the episode of Modern Family titled “Aunt Mommy”. The first thing I noticed about the camera work in this series is the way the camera pans quickly from character to character and constantly zooms in on the people speaking. The show is shot in mostly medium shots. These camera techniques work together to create a less sophisticated, more personal feeling as if the show is a home video. The show also consists of a lot of confessional type scenarios with individual characters or pairs of characters. This also creates the home video type feel and allows the audience to “get to know” the characters through their own personal thoughts and feelings that they express directly to the audience. The sound used throughout the show is purely dialogue. No background music is used at all, making the show feel more raw- again, like a home video. Modern family thrives on the way that people today can find it so extremely relatable to their own lives. People find humor in situations that seem possible. In this episode, Claire gets drunk and promises to allow her gay brother and his husband to use one of her eggs to have a baby of their own. Today, gay couples are becoming more prevalent in society and they face the struggle of not being able to bear children. These couples are turning to donors more often now in order to create “The American Dream” of having a happy family for themselves. The most appealing part of Modern Family is that it paints a picture of a new American Dream- a more modern one.
ReplyDeleteModern Family is also one of my favorite shows. I recently watched the episode "Virgin Territory.” The title of the episode refers to Phil finding out his daughter Hailey is not a virgin. Some film techniques are used in the episode. However, the show more importantly presents themes common to the modern American household. The episode heavily uses medium shots of the characters, especially during conversation among characters. The medium shots allow the viewer to feel like they’re in the action of the show, and with the characters throughout various scenes. The medium shots also show the characters’ facial expressions which convey the characters’ feelings at the moment. Mis en scene is also used periodically throughout the episode when one or two of the characters are alone in a room and talk to the camera/audience in a medium shot. While alone, the characters are able to divulge their true feelings regarding situations or other characters. These shots where the characters are alone and speak to the camera make the viewer feel as though the character is talking to them personally, and allows the viewer to feel more in touch with the character. I also agree with Corinne that the show is so likeable because it is so relatable to the viewer. The themes and events throughout the episode are likely to occur in any modern American household. One theme evident in this episode is a parent’s difficulty accepting the fact that his child is growing up. When Phil discovers that his daughter Hailey is not a virgin, he obsesses over it, and has great difficulty accepting the fact. As many American parents struggle with the fact that their “baby” is growing up, parents who view this episode can relate to its theme. Another theme evident in “Virgin Territory” is jealousy of the attention another individual is given. Two children Luke and Manny are jealous that their baby cousin is getting all the attention from the rest of the family. They then establish a plan to make their cousin look bad, with the hopes the family will then start to devote more attention to them. As any person with a younger sibling knows, there are times when one feels jealous of the younger sibling for getting all the attention of the parents. This is yet another theme that makes this Modern Family episode so relatable to American families today.
ReplyDeleteI am also a huge fan of this show and I watched the newest episode this week. It was called "Leap Day" and as the name suggests, the story line revolved around Cam, whose birthday just happens to fall on Leap Day. Of course it was Cam who has his birthday on such an outrageous day because he has such a flashy and exaggerated personality. Mitchell, Cam's partner, decides to throw a big birthday bash and is secretly working with a party planner to transform their home into a scene from The Wizard of Oz. There is a scene where Mitchell is rushing around, trying to get the party in order, when he notices Cam's car pull in the drive way. He isn't supposed to see all of the decorations until later that night, so Mitchell runs outside to distract him. This is where the use of camera become very strong. Cam is facing the camera as you see the Tin Man and Dorothy walk behind him into the house. Through the use of deep focus, we are able to see all of the characters in this scene. As I watched this scene, seeing the party unfold behind Cam as he remained clueless to his surroundings, I felt a sense of suspense, as I waited for him to suddenly turn around and have Mitchell's surprise be ruined.
ReplyDeleteAs it was mentioned before, Modern Family is notorious for adding it's raw touch to typical American family issues. In "Leap Day", Phil discovers that his wife and two daughters are as Luke says, "monsterating" at the same time. It's a time that I'm sure every man dreads and it was hilarious to watch Phil and his son, Luke deal with the moodiness of the women in their house. Phil finds this out because he hears the Sarah McLachlan song that is played on those sad, SPCA commercials coming from the living room. The music accompanied with the sound of his wife and daughters sobbing alarms him and that's when he realizes whats going on. Through the use of sound, the viewers are given a hilarious take on the issue.