Griffin Zetterberg

UWRT 1102

2.23.17

Major Assignment #2: Critical Reading

For this essay I will be exploring the various implicit and explicit signs of American

Identity throughout the hit television series, Modern Family on ABC. This show was the catalyst

for all television shows in the present day to use diverse characters and reach out of the social

norms of American ideals to present the real situations within American households with a

comedic twist. For many in this country, citizens believe that an American is one who lives and

embraces America as their home and that is all they need in order to be considered an American

(other than the aspects of legality to which our government implements). By these means, one

can make a great argument that modern family changes the game on who and what American

Identity is truly comprised of. Through the use of comedy, the show brings real life struggles of

an extended diverse American family living in the upper-class suburbs of Las Angeles to life.

This created one of the biggest, most gross-paid television series in television history because of

how much the American families watching it can relate to each and every show. Through first

hand examples, I have grown up watching this show at the dinner table feeling and

understanding the principles of American Identity in every single one of the episodes because the

show extends these values through the voices of the numerous characters from the ages of four

all the way to sixty-four.

 Although the series mostly deals with explicit uses of American Identity it also throws in

that of Implicit ones too. This show makes great use of explicit ways of showing American

Identity and how it has changed so much over time. As we read the article in class relating to

June Cleaver and the social norm of a family to be man and woman, have the woman as the

housewife and the male as the worker, I saw the true changed meaning of American Identity that

this show represents quite well. It is that of a decreased sensitivity towards marriages that in the

past may have been seen as taboo or out of the social norm people would accept. This is

represented to the maximum level by that of two relationships within the show. The comedic

tones to this show bring great light to both of these marriages and explicitly bring to the

audiences attention that this is the new American Identity and there is no reason to be against it.

The first of the two examples I will be noting is that of Jay and Gloria. This relationship shows

explicit forms of American Identity that have changed into a more socially acceptable nature by

which Jay an older Caucasian male is married to a much younger, beautiful Latino woman. So

not only this is biracial and age defying as seen in the past, but this is the true transformed

version of American Identity this show represents. This couple is not only depicted in a positive

way through every show, but more specifically an episode where Manny, their son, shows great

joy and enthusiasm while introducing his mom and dad to classmates. While some children in

America would be uncomfortable introducing a bi-racial, severe age gapped parent duo Manny

thrives in the situation and makes the most of it. The second example that this show brings to life

is the marriage between Cam and Mitchell, a gay couple that makes the most of everything and

embraces where they live and how they are while conquering every obstacle in their way. Their

situation also expands their American Identity as they can relate to the audiences at home not

only because of how they sexually identify themselves but also how they have, along with many
Americans in the US today adopted a foreign child to love and care for. The television then also

shows implicit uses of American Identity as many viewers can analyze how Lily the daughter of

the gay couple Cam and Mitchell, doesnt seem to care or acknowledge that she has two dads

and throughout the show there are no negative connotations drawn to this subject by any of the

other family members because of the fact that this is what American Identity is comprised of now

in present day United States and this show engulfs these ideas and uses them to show happiness

within the outliers of social norms. A certain episode my mind always reverts back to when

having flashbacks of this show is when Cam and Mitchell are trying to get Lily, their daughter

into a private school. They feel as if they have superiority being both gay and having an adopted

child; however, they soon realize that they have serious competition with a lesbian parent duo

and their son. After fierce rivalry fueled by jealousy is brought to life throughout the episode, the

show concludes with a positive twist on these two non-traditional American families with them

getting along with one another because of the special bond between their children.

By having all of these visuals and meanings being screened through characters on a

television show, the director can convey his message of positivity with American identity across

a mass amount of viewers all over the country. The picture below really ties together all of my

points on explicit, implicit visuals within the show while also giving the reader of this paper a

true, more in-depth understanding of what this show brings to the table involving American

Identity and how diverse that term has come to be in the United States.