Modern Family in the US - Essay Example

Same Sex Parenting Modern Family is one of the most popular television shows in United s and it depicts the realities concerning the development of families in the modern world. It shows that many types of unions make up a family and that many families in the United States accept such forms of unions like gay marriages. In this show, we find a family that consists of divorced couples, a man who is married to a much younger woman, a gay couple as well as a single parent. The depiction of all of these individuals as members of the same family is highly exceptional because it shows the American society for what it is; one that is highly diverse and with a progressive stance concerning the definition of family. From a feminist perspective, the show is an example of a progressive world where all individuals in the society are treated equally rather than being discriminated against because of their sex, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs. The most prominent ideologies in this show is that individuals can have different sexual orientations and personal beliefs, yet they can be able to form a harmonious family despite the strain that this family might have on its members (Pascoe 125). The ability of family members to accept each other as they are is highly commendable and can be considered to be a form of radical feminist perspective. The latter perspective is the perception of all individuals in the society as being equal despite their backgrounds and their way of life and this makes it possible for the acceptance of the modern family as it is. The gay couple in the show is depicted to be adopting a Vietnamese infant who they raise as their own and they are shown to undergo essentially the same problems that heterosexual parents experience on a daily basis when raising their children (Landau 80). Therefore, the belief that same sex couples are not capable of being proper parents for children is not necessarily true because in Modern Family, the gay couple has to deal with issues concerning the child in the present. They have to deal with issues of the child’s future because despite all the arguments that have been made against it, same sex marriage and parenting have become the reality in the United States and most of the western world. Representation of family in the show is one whereby there are individuals of diverse identities who have one thing in common and that is the feeling of acceptance that is accorded to every member of the family. The Prichett family is extremely diverse and this ensures that it is an accurate depiction of the modern American family where one is likely to find individuals who are gay, adopted, or divorced. All the characters in this show are depicted as being highly independent and decisive in their actions while at the same time accepting each other for who they are and not what they should be. In this way, the family is seen as a tight unit that is united against any adversity that it might face despite the differences within it. Women in the show are presented to be very independent in nature, and this is a clear depiction of the modern woman who does not have to wait at home for the men to bring in an income, but are rather active contributors in the household. This essentially means that women are no longer seen as a means of gaining children and as a source of labor at home, but instead are shown to be highly intelligent individuals that can make their own decisions and determine their own destinies (Caputi and Russell 422). Children are also considered part of the family no matter their origins, whether adopted or biological and it is because of this that the dominant belief that the ideal family consists of heterosexual couples and their biological children is shattered. The show attempts to depict families as being more progressive, having moved on from the era before the feminist movement where individuals were forced to adhere to the traditional definition of family whether they wanted to or not (Mulkey 21). Instead, the show makes it possible for the audience to see the world as one which has moved beyond the bounds of viewing some individuals as superior than others but as equals. The director of the show seems to be attempting to express the importance of race, culture and sexuality acceptance through his depiction of the Prichett family (Kellner 2). This family is one whose members are from diverse backgrounds with Gloria being of Colombian descent and being married to Jay Prichett, the patriarch of the family and a white American. Cameron with his partner Mitchell who represents the gay couple family seem to have been accepted without reservation in the society resulting in their adopting Lily, a Vietnamese child. The Prichetts in general seem to be a family that holds liberal considering the complexity of the individuals who comprise it and this makes them into a true model of how the American family should be. Traditional values of male superiority or dominance are not shown within this family with the members having an attitude of working with each other on an equal basis in order to solve the different problems that they may be facing. Moreover, the director seems to be challenging the notion that just because a child’s parents might be gay means that the child will be influenced to become gay as well (Coxell and King 300). Thus, the sexual orientation of parents does not necessarily affect children because they are essentially raised in the same manner and they have their own choices to make concerning their own orientation. Throughout the show, different props are used to ensure that the message is passed to the audience with the most significant of these being the use of technology. Technology is the means utilized by the show director to help its audience understand the various issues concerning same sex parenting among others. In addition, music is used to portray the mood of the topic being discussed in each scene so that when the music is dull or sad, the audience quickly grasps that a serious topic is being discussed and it requires their absolute attention. The show can be considered to be in support of feminism because all of the achievements on social equality that are currently being taken for granted in United States have their origins in the feminist movement (Paechter 253). Moreover, the ability of the show to portray men as not being domineering while women are depicted as being highly independent and intelligent means that it provides an example for families in the country to emulate, thus serving a feminist purpose. In conclusion, the most prominent ideologies demonstrated in the Modern Family show relates to same sex parenting; whereby people can have different sexual orientations and personal beliefs yet they can be able to form a harmonious family. In addition, the representation of the family in the show is one that can comprise of individuals with diverse identities who have family in common. Furthermore, the director of the show seems to be attempting to show the importance of the acceptance of race, culture and sexuality through his depiction of the Prichett family. Finally, throughout the show different props are used to ensure that the message is passed to the audience so that it can have a greater effect on them in a manner that they can be able to think critically of the diverse issues affecting their societies. Works Cited Caputi, Jane, and Russell, Diana E.H. “Femicide: Speaking the Unspeakable.” Ms 1.2 (1990): 421 – 426. Coxell, Adrian W., and King, Michael B. “Male Victims of Rape and Sexual Abuse.” Sexual and Marital Therapy 11.3 (1996): 297 – 308. Kellner, Douglas. “Cultural Studies, multiculturalism, and media culture.” In G. Dines and J. Humez (eds). Gender, Race, and Class in Media. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Landau, Jamie. “Straightening Out (the Politics of) Same-Sex Parenting: Representing Gay Families in US Print News Stories and Photographs.” Critical Studies in Media Communication 26.1 (2009): 80 – 100. Mulkey, Marty. “Recreating masculinity: drama therapy with male survivors of sexual assault.” The Arts in Psychotherapy 31 (2004): 19–28. Paechter, Carrie. “Masculine femininities/feminine masculinities: power, identities and gender.” Gender and Education 18.3 (2006): 253 – 263. Pascoe, C.J. “"Dude, Youre a Fag": Adolescent Masculinity and the Fag Discourse.” Sexualities 8.3 (2005): 124 – 137. Read More