Tony and I have been watching back episodes of Modern Family, and I have been trying to figure out why it is so funny. There's no denying it's hilarious---the kids came out to see what was up as I was laughing so hard it sounded like I was dying the last time we watched. But when I really think about it, it's not a terrible original or creative show. What's the setup? A man with a much younger wife who is beautiful and has an accent, a dopey, clueless husband with a pretty but non-brain-surgeon daughter, a bright but nerdy daughter and a son as clueless as he is, a gay couple that seem pretty stereotypical to me, and who also serve another stereotype in their hyperactive parenting of their adopted child. And the plots? They cover all the classic sit-com happenings. If identity can be mistaken, it is, if people can overhear what they shouldn't overhear, they do, if meanings can be misunderstood, they are, if a car is near a cliff, it will roll off. Everything happens as you expect it to happen.
And that's probably the genius. We are tired of cutting edge or realistic humor. Modern Family is the anti-Seinfeld, the anti-Roseanne. It's a flashback to just plain funny, without a cutting edge or a intricate plot. The show is well casted, the actors are likeable, and you can just sit back and enjoy yourself, without having to think a huge amount. There's a lot to be said for that.
We enjoy Modern Family and also The Middle that comes on before it. I love the young wife (sorry- teacher brain- I can remember 250 student names but not the one name of a tv charector). I think she is a great actress and has a fun but loving connection with her husband. We also love the gay dads- hopefully the more exposure families like mine have on tv the more we will be accepted by society (a girl can dream, right?)
ReplyDeleteWe like The Middle too. We never watch anything when it's actually on, so we are always a season behind! It's funny, because before I saw the two shows, they were always mentioned together to me, but they really couldn't be much more different. My older son doesn't like to watch The Middle as he says it's too close to reality---he doesn't want to watch a show where the people worry about money! I like it for that reason, but also because in a way it's LESS like reality---it's kind of surreal. It's fun talking TV!
ReplyDelete