Modern Family Essay

The show â€Å"Modern Family† is one of the most successful sitcom on television today. The show depicts a total of three families, a parental family, (Jay and Gloria) and the families of the two grown siblings, (Mitchell & Claire). Claire is married to Phil and has three children of their own, while Mitchell is a gay father with a live-in husband, Cameron. The on-screen worldview of the families are very open with an almost anything goes attitude that is based on an atheist or an agnostics perspective. The limited amount of shows that I watched did not display any references to God. The family values portrayed the â€Å"New Normal†, that is currently being offered on many new television shows. On the show, I witnessed a lot of light-hearted moments that made fun of the life choices that each character made, and how different characters resolved them. The comedy is situational, and dilemmas faced are often real-life, but offer whimsical, light-hearted solutions. The shows worldview is secular, but adheres to defining the â€Å"New Normal† in its application. The three families all interact with each other and depict three different types of households, all coping with everyday problems that define that particular group. When dealing with gay issues, Mitchel and Cameron are in the fore front offering an exaggerated look and perspective. Family issues are addressed by Phil and Claire, and how they interact with parenting of their three children. Jay and Gloria deal with life from viewpoint of an aging father, who marries a younger woman, who is currently pregnant with his child. The shows core values are loosely interwoven with standards and practices that suggest an anything is â€Å"OK† attitude, which would be expressed by secular humanist. Observations of this show are based on my own personal up-bring and how we handled different situations in our lives. My Christian parents would not have been so excepting of two men living together. Our family believed that marriage is between a man and a woman. â€Å"‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable†, (Leviticus 18: 22, NIV). Our family values were centered on our Catholic faith, whereas we believed and trusted in the Lord. In the show, Phil (husband of Claire) is portrayed as being a weak father figure, who is often laughed at and scorned by his family. He constantly wants to be everyone’s friend and does not fall into the role of a strong and guiding force within his family. In contrast, my father was the head of our household, and for a long time he was the sole provider. Both church and prayer were a large part of our daily lives. These are beliefs and traditions that I have passed onto my family. My views are in direct contrast to this sitcom. Its impact on my family is very little since I am not a regular viewer and the show is a negative influence on my personal worldview. I believe that the influence of this show on the American public is limited in scope. Many people watch and except the shows premise for what it is, just a funny comedy that really has no real value or worth. Other people will see it as an example of how a modern family should behave and create those same dynamics in their household. I see this show as a negative influence when it comes to the family. Television has a way of shaping public opinion. If enough similar programing is available, we as a society tend to accept the â€Å"New Normal† without question. In conclusion, the show â€Å"Modern Family,† is a portrayal of the American family that presents an atheist view on life. I saw no reference to God or even a slight suggestion that the family has a religious background. In today’s society the family is always being redefined by the media and has no religious insight. Television networks record on social and moral issues is very poor. The television executives believe the theory that they are open and honest, and present a product that the public wants. Modern Family is one networks’ answer to what is considered the â€Å"New Normal†, in today society.