Media Critique

Introduction

This paper is about the same-sex family issue. Children growing up in same-sex parented

families may have questions about how others may interpret their family and whether their

friends who may live with a mom and dad would be looked at differently. There are all real

issues for kids and it is important that they are constantly reassured. Same-sex parents could also

be worried about whether their kids could be influenced by growing up in a same-sex parent

household and what effect this may have on later lives, if any. A precise count of same-sex

parent households is difficult to achieve because many lesbians and gay men are not sensitive to

their sexual identity because of fears of bigotry, such as loss of jobs, loss of child custody, and

anti-gay abuse. There is no "usual" family of gays. Inside their partnership, some same-sex

partners may plan to have a child, while others may carry children from former heterosexual or

same-sex unions. The growth in same-sex parenting is largely due to the increase in

opportunities for same-sex partners to become parents that are available.

A television show i.e. Modern Family selects as a medium for this media critique

assignment. Modern Family is a film and television sitcom from the United States that debuted in

2009 on ABC. A mockumentary is a type of television show that demonstrates fictitious

incidents but is portrayed as a documentary. The show follows the lives of three families in

suburban Los Angeles, all of whom live there. Via Jay Pritchett, the families are all intertwined

and the show revolves around his family and the families of his daughter and son. As one is

nuclear, one is a stepfamily, and one is a same-sex family, all three families are distinct. Phil and

Claire's parents yearn for an honest, open relationship with their three children, but a daughter

who wants to grow up too quickly. Claire's dad, Jay, and his Latina partner, Gloria, have two
sons together, but often people think that Jay is Gloria's dad. A little Asian girl has been adopted

by Jay's gay son Mitchell and his wife Cameron, completing one big — straight, gay, ethnic,

traditional — happy family. While all the actors in the ensemble cast make the show as funny as

it is for numerous reasons, they each stand out. The paper will concentrate on the television

show's portrayal of ethnicity, gender and LGBTQ+ and seek to analyses whether stereotypical

characteristics are repeated.

Critique/Literature review

Media plays a role in the development of assumptions about the three subjects explored

in this report, as well as in breaking down stereotypes. Stereotypical attitudes of social classes,

especially those identified by race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, have been seen to

have the power to support or challenge the media. Gloria prepares a holiday for Jay's birthday in

the "Airport 2010" episode and shocks him by taking him to Hawaii, as well as the whole family.

Gloria is clad in a very deep cut top in the majority of scenes in this show and appears

stereotypically "Latin" as in high heels and seductive clothes. Gloria and Jay's relationship

reflects on topics of race and prejudices. For instance, with "her" money, Gloria paid for the

whole trip for everybody, something Jay reacts to hearing because the money, in fact, is his.

When Mitch discovers that he has lost his wallet at home and wants to blame Cam because he

did not help him pack that morning, the gay couple Mitchell and Cameron are at the airport.

Many stereotypical gay characteristics can be identified in this episode.

The TV show was not afraid of making an LGBTQ+ couple as its main characters, but

was afraid to show physical intimacy between them. Analyzing this from an observational tool,

the denotation of this picture is that the heterosexual pair displays physical attraction, while the

homosexual couple does not. This image's connotation depends on the viewpoint and the viewer.
First, from the viewpoint of television coverage, the connotation may be that the show did not

want the scene to be awkward for persons who do not respect LGBTQ+ groups as well. First,

from a media representation viewpoint, the connotation may be that for viewers who are not as

accepting of LGBTQ+ groups, the show did not want the scene to be awkward. Furthermore a

simpler interpretation may be that because of the opinion of viewers (keeping in mind that this

was televised in 2009), the pair did not want to display sexual intimacy in public, even though

the show kept the scenario "realistic."

Claire feels distant from Alex, her younger sibling, in the Kiss episode. And she reads her

text message and finds that a kid is texting her. Claire is always emotional, close to season one

and wants to control everything. This episode ends with Claire admitting that though she

attempts to portray herself, she was not always such a "good girl." That this is what girls should

aspire to is stereotypical. With that being said, it can be inferred that the series illustrates

conventional behavior but also highlights the reverse, which goes in line, showing that women

now have a broader variety of responsibilities. While the "Modern Family" episode of Love

continues by revealing to the viewer that Phil recently quit his real estate business to set out on

his own. Before continuing, he decides that a solo camping trip in the woods for a week is what

he wants to improve his confidence. Everything goes wrong when he's there, and he ends up

getting into a hotel on the first night, not the seventh (as scheduled). By living in the wild for 6

days, Phil is making this journey to assert his masculinity. Today's masculinity is represented

distinctly than ever. The "new man" is addressed by Stuart Hall (2013). His point about

menswear in the first place, but can be seen as a means of representation to justify the "new

man". To be part of the new man" imagery, many practices, such as shopping, grooming, and
dressing, are all important. Because the culture in which we live today is increasingly becoming

more multicultural, so should the media representations.

Conclusion

This paper concentrated on Modern Family representation, limited to three themes:

gender, race and LGBTQ+. Other views on equality have not been challenged, such as those of

children or culture, as they are not of importance in this analysis. The female characters in the

modern family have been described as stay-at-home moms with the ability to rule the most.

Since the study was conducted from an intersectional point of view, the various characters were

analyzed from multiple viewpoints and took into account different facets. The emphasis was on

Claire while debating female gender, where it is clear that the character has grown from being a

stay-at-home mom to being chief executive. The value of this is immense because she's not only

a businesswoman, but she's outstanding at it because it's portrayed in the standard as anything

and challenging. On the other hand, where "masculinity" has taken on a different toll, the focus

has also been on Phil, exploring the limits of how a non-typical masculinity is regarded as

something distinct yet human and encouraged.

Over the years, the male demographic has also undergone certain shifts. Although not

intending it to be the case because of the existence of the TV show, both Phil and Jay have

shown the ability to show feelings and be less "macho" than was once the rule. At the beginning

of their incorporation, LGBTQ+ characters were portrayed as derogatory lights. Although this is

obviously not the case now and not in this television show, other behavior and character

assumptions are repeated. Due to their significance, research on the inclusion of minorities in the

media are often welcome. This thesis limits to just four episodes on a show that has many, many

more, leading to the fact that more assumptions and/or whether they have been diminished or
will be in the last two seasons can be distinguished from a broader analysis on Contemporary

Families.