It’s doubtful I could love this show any more than I do already.
The sitcom by the talented Christopher Lloyd and Steve Levitan is a fresh and non-sentimental take on the traditional family sitcom that hasn’t shied from tackling all sorts of controversial subjects. The most recent episode I saw showed Phil (Ty Burrell), along with his son, Luke (Nolan Gould) confronting the fact that his wife, Claire (Julie Bowen), and daughters Haley (Sarah Hyland) and Alex (Ariel Winter) were all having their period on the one day. A touchy subject for any American sitcom to tackle and one most would shy away from from.
But not Modern Family which handled the issue with aplomb, deftly mixing humour and some home truths into a highly appealing mix. Its typical of the way they handle everything. Front on, and telling it like it is.
It’s this ability to tackle the every day issues of life that might be contentious or taboo for many people openly and honestly, and without apology, that has endeared them to me. The icing on the cake of course is that they do so gently at the same time that many people who might baulk at the portrayal of this issue or that, stay and watch and learn a lesson that’s administered in a wholly non-threatening way.
They have been like that since the start with Claire’s gay brother, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), his partner Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) and their adopted daughter, Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) all being treated as just as much a normal family as that of Claire and Phil’s. It is refreshing and a joy to watch gay relationships shown as they really are – just another expression of love. Not the one the majority are a part of true, but just as valid nonetheless.
So when I came across this photo on Twitter, it made perfect sense that they would release a picture like this, and also take this stand. It is perfectly in keeping with a sitcom that says so many ballsy things in such an accessible way.
Did I mention how much I love this show?