The definition of family has definitely changed over the course of human history. Bruce Feiler, a New York Times bestselling author, made the impression in his 2011 New York Times article, “What ‘Modern Family’ Says About Modern Families,” that the families in “Modern Family” resemble real families today. In his opinion piece, he is addressing a wide, general public: old, young, the technologically advanced, the old-school geezers, anyone with eyes and ears to watch and listen to the show, anyone with a family. He wrote multiple books and is nationally acclaimed in his books of religion and parenthood, so he seems to be an expert on family and parenthood (Bruce Feiler). To his readers, he fairly presents the families of “Modern Family” as a unit of love, honesty, conflict, forgiveness, and new components such as technology and the individual.
Feiler briefly introduces his readers to the families of the show: the stereotypical suburban family of a husband, wife, and three kids; a divorced father who remarried a Colombian woman with a son; and a gay couple who adopted a baby from Vietnam. They are all connected by blood or by marriage, clashing all different ideas and beliefs into one unit (Feiler). He makes the point known that there are some major factors that make them modern. The writers on the show understand, and Feiler emphasized, how crucial technology is to society today, so “nearly every scene is refracted through…an iPad screen, a cellphone camera, a baby monitor, a YouTube video” (Feiler). I cannot even walk out of the house without my cellphone, with the weather, news, and every updated status of my friends and family within the grasp of my hand.
With that said, Feiler accurately, at least in my experience, expresses how the characters in the show are always “engage[d] in this sort of running narratives of [their] lives.” They go off into “confessional interviews directly to an unidentified cameraperson.” In this interview, the characters explain their actions and thoughts honestly to allow viewers into what they feel individually. When Feiler mentioned families being exposed to vices such as Facebook and Twitter, I understood how these were emotional outlets for modern people. Technology simply has allowed family members to express themselves outside the family and be “more centered on how they function internally” (Feiler).
Although the author shows how “Modern Family” is modern, he also opposes this claim. Most of the aspects of family that we might see as modern have been prevalent in families for a long time now. Of course, technology and openly gay marriage is a modern occurrence, but shows from the 70’s aired controversial situations that were just as taboo as a kiss between two men: “victims of attempted rape…abortion…[kissing of] a transvestite” (Feiler). Interestingly, he brings up the point that the show is “the third-most popular show among Republicans,” showing that it’s actually quite conservative (Feiler). Some factors of family have and always will remain: love, conflict, and unity. He states that the “core values are the same,” but newly accepted elements like homosexuality, interracial couples, and immaturity have been a common occurrence for decades already.
The author makes valid points of new occurrences in television families, but there are so many more points that make up families today. In the show, each episode has a resolution to each problem. One of the writers, Steven Levitan, explains that in his show, “no problem is too big it can’t be swept under a hug” (Feiler). Realistically, not every problem can be solved with a little honesty and a hug. Families are much more complex than that. Because Bruce Feiler is an exemplary parent, being that he was named “Father of the Year,” his outlook on the family is positively idealistic (Bruce Feiler). In addition, the author overlooks some major components of family, such as religion. I would think that religion would play a major part in families, even today in an age where religion is not practiced strictly. Finally, each family is different. That’s why it is so difficult to define something as special and unique to each family.
Ultimately, Feiler supports his claim that the family is becoming more modern while maintaining “true family values.” He does put into consideration that some of the things we may consider modern have actually been a part of society for a long time. The family unit has evolved drastically over the past few generations, but Feiler did leave me with one question to ponder about. Is my family modern? I think that every family and its culture, traditions, and practices determine whether or not it progresses to modernity. But in the case of accepting and tolerating that which might have been taboo to the generation of our grandparents, the family is definitely becoming more modern.
Works Cited
“Bruce Feiler.” Bruce Feiler. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. <http://brucefeiler.com/about/about-bruce/>.
Feiler, Bruce. “What ‘Modern Family’ Says About Modern Families.” The Washington Times. 23 Jan. 2011. Print.
Sunya Mouada 