10 Ways Modern Family Is Not Like Modern Families

6. Homophobia Is Just Played For Jokes

One of the things that Modern Family has been praised for is the very progressive way it portrays gay life. Cameron and Mitchell are both deep characters (as opposed to the all too common gay guy as a punchline), and show gay marriage and adoption as incredibly positive things. Jay, and his neanderthal-esque confrontations and jibes with Mitch and Cameron about their sexuality are one of the most common gags in the show. It's okay, neither of them take Mitch's Dad and his hangups about their orientation seriously, and he at least makes an effort to understand them. He genuinely cares about them, and at no point does the couple ever actually get into a situation in which they are threatened. Unsurprisingly, the way the show portrays LGBT life is a little bit saccharine compared to the real world. Tragically, nearly four in ten LGBT American Adults have been rejected by friends or family due to their orientation, and three in ten have been physically attacked or threatened. This is in strong contrast to the show, where homophobia is at its worst an insensitive joke.