This is another one of those things that were it portrayed realistically, it would be less of a comedy and would actually be super depressing. Whilst there's a couple of overweight characters, broadly speaking everybody is healthy and well. Years of cigar smoking and whiskey drinking hasn't hurt Jay at all. When Alex starts training for a literal race for valedictorian, despite having no previous interest in sports she achieves a remarkable level of fitness super quickly. In the real world, 37 million (or 12% of the American population) are classed as disabled, and 133 million (or 45%) have at least one chronic disease, and this is a problem that's only going to get worse over time. When Modern Family omits these issues, they're ignoring one of the biggest challenges facing..well..modern families. It leaves out the financial difficulties that come with the treatment of chronic diseases, the stress it places on both the person suffering and their family members, and how people come to terms with their illness. Done sensitively, this could be one of the best plot points Modern Family ever has.
Currently living the dream by studying in Wales and writing articles about the things I love for beer money. My proudest achievements are teaching myself Accordion and getting my head round the off-side rule.
