Tionna A. ThorntonEnglish 1101Dr. K. LeatherwoodOctober 15, 2014Cultural Criticism - Folk & Pop How “modern” is the modern family? Almost everyone has seen or heard of the American Broadcasting Company's (ABC) hit television show, Modern Family. And, in my opinion, if it doesn't, you have no idea what's good. According to ABC.com, Modern Family is "...also quickly cementing itself as a culturally defining series (ABC)." Receiving four consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy Television Series, Modern Family seems unstoppable, returning in its sixth season. The idea for Modern Family was quickly accepted and became a necessity for ABC's broadcasting. According to a blog on As the title suggests, the three families featured in the series were created to illustrate examples of society's definition of a "modern" family. The first family, consisting of Jay Prichett, his second wife, Gloria Prichett, their infant son, Fulgencio Joe Pritchett, and Gloria's fourteen-year-old son from a previous relationship, Manny Delgado, is a representation of a blended family. Jay is a wealthy older business owner while Gloria is Colombian and through the series, we are reminded of her heritage and poor family background. They have an age difference of almost 30 years. Research shows that 40% of married couples in the United States are blended couples, meaning at least one spouse has had at least one child from a previous relationship (Smart Stepfamilies). In the episode Bringing Up Baby, Jay turns 65 and wants to celebrate his birthday quietly at home. However, his older friends think differently. Jay's son-in-law and his friends kidnap him and take him fishing. Whether it's being punished in the face by your son-in-law, being pushed overboard into the cold lake, or being told horrible stories about growing old, this surprise escapade doesn't make for a happy one birthday. Meanwhile, Gloria struggles to tell Jay she's expecting. Afraid of Jay's reaction, Gloria at first, Claire is a stay-at-home mom while Phil, despite his ditzy personality, is seen as the breadwinner, working as a real estate agent. Together, Phil and Claire had three children. Their first daughter, Hailey, is known for her attractiveness and stereotypically void character. Alex, who is the middle child of the three, is best known for her nerdy and intelligent nature. The youngest Dunphy is Luke. Luke can best be described as innocent and awkward. This family represents society’s concept of a “traditional” family. The Dunphys are a nuclear family, very much like the "1950s family smiling behind their [white] picket fence (Strothkamp)". Phil is the typical father who provides for his family and often participates in the daily activities of his wife and children. Claire's role includes all the stereotypical duties of a housewife, plus trying to keep up with the antics of her cook husband and their three active children. In the episode "Halloween", Claire expresses her love for the holiday, Halloween, which led to the Dunphy house being transformed into a haunted house for trick-or-treaters or local trick-or-treaters. As a stay-at-home mom, she assigns each member of the family a role to play. Comically, everything that was planned goes completely wrong. After two failed attempts to scare away the cheaters, Claire gets angry and leaves the room.