Communication in Modern Family

7 min readDec 15, 2017

Along with being one of my favorite television shows, Modern Family is an award winning mockumentary which first aired in 2009. The show follows the lives of three vastly differing families that are all related in some way or another. It is considered a “mockumentary” because the characters often break scene and talk directly to the camera, as if their lives were being filmed as a documentary.

The Pritchett family is made up of Jay (Ed O’Neill), his wife Gloria (Sofia Vergara), and their kids Manny (Rico Rodriguez) and Joe (Jeremy Maguire). Jay is also the father of Claire Dunphy(Julie Bowen) and Mitchell Pritchett-Tucker (Jesse Tyler Fergueson), both of them are grown and have families of their own. Claire lives with her husband Phil (Ty Burrell) and their three kids: Haley (Sarah Hyland), Alex (Ariel Winter), and Luke (Nolan Gould). Mitchell lives with his husband Cam Tucker(Eric Stonestreet) and their adopted Vietnamese daughter Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons). The Pritchett’s, Dunphy’s, and Tucker’s daily lives all unfold on screen while pushing the boundaries of cultural family norms.

This show has numerous examples of communication strategies, theories, and concepts we have talked about throughout the semester, so I will be highlighting some of these that jumped out to me while reviewing the sitcom Modern Family.

Listening Fidelity

“Listening fidelity”(William G. Powers Graham D Bodie, 2003) is defined as, the degree to which the listener understands the message the sender was trying to communicate. According to Powers and Bodie, the constant presence of even the smallest misunderstandings can cause serious consequences for both the receiver and sender of the message. These misunderstandings, or lack of listening fidelity, is often the root of the families’ problems on Modern Family. In the clip below Gloria and Luke have a communication breakdown while looking in the attic for the angel for their Christmas tree. The show pokes fun at Gloria’s colombian accent as it makes it hard for Luke, and the audience for that matter, whether she is saying “look” or “Luke”. The result of the scene isn’t exactly what Powers and Bodie meant by “serious consequences”, but it helps depict the concept of listening fidelity in a comedic way.

Fundamental Attribution Error

“The Fundamental Attribution Error”(Gilbert Herman, 1999) is our tendency to explain another person’s behavior based on internal factors like personality or disposition. In the next clip Cam and Mitchell are in the process of remodeling their kitchen after it was accidentally destroyed in a small fire. Throughout the episode the remodeler continually asks and checks for Cam’s approval on anything on the new kitchen, calling him “boss” several times. When Mitchell pitches an idea or tries to give instructions to the remodeling team, they reply saying they need to check with the “boss” first, Cam. Mitchell gets the notion that the remodeler doesn’t respect him or his ideas on the kitchen because he continues to call him boss. Mitchell’s insecurities cause him to go to great lengths to find out if the remodeler is treating him as Cam’s lesser rather than his equal. This ultimately ends up a disaster for Mitchell and when he is finally upfront and honest with the remodeler, things aren’t exactly as they seem.

Modern Family | Mitchell Spies on Cameron

Watch Modern Family: Mitchell gets entombed into a wall while eavesdropping. video at abc.com

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Mitchell fears that the contractor calls Cam “Boss” and him Mitch because he sees Cam as “the man” or “in charge” of the relationship, when it turns out that he can’t remember Cam’s name. Yet again Modern Family uses humor to brilliantly showcase another communication theory we’ve discussed in our class.

Expectancy Violation Theory

“The Expectancy Violation Theory” (Judee K. Burgoon, 2015) is how people respond to unanticipated violations of social norms and expectations. We as people develop ideas on how we think people should act in a given situation. These violations of our expectations can either be positive or negative, but for Cam, Mitchell, and Gloria, their actions at a restaurant cause a negative violation of the expectations of their fellow customers and the employees of the restaurant. Cam, Gloria, and Mitchell decide to take Lily to a traditional Vietnamese restaurant in an attempt to get her in touch with her culture. Lily wants nothing to do with the restaurant or her culture, and wants to be more like both of her Dads. She causes a scene at their table and customers passing by and the waitstaff of the restaurant are disgusted at their conversation. Taken out of context, Cam and Mitchell give off the impression that they are racist, homophobic, and nationalistic. These violations of the restaurant goers expectations of how people should act results in one hilarious scene. Not only is this one of the most entertaining scenes from the show, but it is a playful example of the Expectancy Violation Theory.

Pathos

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are all different forms of persuasion a rhetor uses in order to persuade his audience. Ethos is an attempt to create credibility for the speaker among the audience in order to better persuade them. Logos on the other hand is an appeal to logic, making your audience see the logic and sound reasoning in your argument is a powerful form of persuasion. “Pathos”(Jakob Wisse, 1989), an appeal to the hearts or emotions of the audience, is what Modern Family exemplifies in this next clip. Mitchell, an environmental lawyer, and Cam are at a party hosted by Mitchell’s boss. Mitchell’s boss is addressing all of the party guests when he tells the story of his encounters with a sea lion. The rhetor, or the speaker, is Mitchell’s boss. His audience is the party goers and he is trying to highlight the dangers of us polluting the oceans by appealing to the audience’s emotions. Mitchell and Cam, who have been on a “juice fast” throughout the episode in an attempt to slim down, are starting to feel the effects of their new fad diet. As a result, Mitchell is tired, hungry, and on the verge of a breakdown. When his boss gets to the sad part of his story, he loses it. Mitchell can’t cope with the fact that the animal has drowned due to plastic waste in the ocean, and causes a huge scene at the party. This reaction to the rhetors appeal to pathos is obviously exaggerated, but overemphasizing it can make it easier to understand the concept of pathos in persuasion.

Publics and Counterpublics

Whether we like it or not, we have issues across our country. Political issues, social issues, human rights issues, environmental issues, the list goes on and on. However, in every issue, there’s at least two sides. People from one side want you to see it one way while people on the other side want you to see it another. We often times see this “tug of war” between sides play out on the biggest and smallest of stages. These stages, are represented through “Publics and Counterpublics”(Michael Warner,2002). In the study of communications, publics is a broad term ranging from individual people to the general public. Publics communicate through public spheres, spaces in which individuals and groups congregate to discuss matters and reach a common judgment. On the other hand, counterpublics are when members of opposing social groups invent and circulate counter-discourse to formulate opposition against the publics. A common example of Publics and Counterpublics is protests, in which the government and the mass public are the “Publics”, while the protesters are the “Counterpublics”. The counterpublics are creating discourse to oppose the common beliefs of the publics, and to enact change on the given issue. In this next clip of Modern Family, Manny and Luke partake in a women’s rights rally. Manny joined the cause because he genuinely cared about it, while Luke was just joining because he thought the girl who asked him to join was cute. After hearing the arguments made by the counterpublics, Luke starts to actually be convinced that their views and beliefs are right. That is, until she proclaims she will remain celibate until women receive equality. Aside from the punchline at the end, this scene is a great example of Publics and Counterpublics.

Modern Family | Luke Gives Up at the March

Watch Modern Family: Luke's views can change in a heartbeat. video at abc.com

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Eulogies

As we studied rhetoric and the many forms it comes in, we studied the rhetorical effects of “Eulogies”(Lloyd F. Bitzer, 1968). Eulogies, speeches or pieces of writing that praises someone or something highly, are most commonly seen at funerals. Eulogies can be given for a single person, or by a politician after a national tragedy. No matter the situation, eulogies provide closure and help those affected mourn. In the the next clip of Modern Family, Cam, a former clown, goes to a funeral for his late mentor. Cam opens the scene by delivering a eulogy for his fallen mentor, and then it cuts to the funeral. This isn’t a normal funeral however, it’s a clown funeral. And as we’ve seen time and time again, Modern Family uses satire to tackle subjects that aren’t always considered humorous.

Conclusion

Modern Family is one of the most popular television shows on the air today. Its family style comedy draws in a large audience, giving them a platform to educate their viewers on relevant social issues. Modern Family relies heavily on satire, allowing them to tackle traditionally taboo topics. It’s important for us to understand some of the rhetorical choices Modern Family makes as it not only educates the viewers, but it also impacts the way we communicate as a society. While the clips from the show may seem funny and farfetched, these theories resonate deeply in our daily lives. Explaining serious topics through lighthearted comedy is not something unique to Modern Family. We see this happening in movies, songs, and even other television shows, which is why it is increasingly important we study these various forms of media. In order to better understand ourselves and the issues we face as a country we must first understand the ways we communicate amongst each other, starting with our favorite shows and movies.

(Final Word Count: 1650)