tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post797651988819798272..comments2024-03-28T18:01:28.997-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Modern Family, "Fears": Under PonceAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-74698012094382448332010-03-28T10:14:13.800-04:002010-03-28T10:14:13.800-04:00I really thought this was the episode where they e...I really thought this was the episode where they embraced their film making technique. We can throw out the documentary questions, because the scene under the house showed us for certain that all they are doing here is breaking the fourth wall--not participating in a doc made about a typical family--because there is no way possible that a cameraman was under that house before them.<br /><br />I thought this last week when Phil and Claire were having their sexy talk (for them) about what to do for Valentine's Day night, but tonight clinched it.<br /><br />And that's cool. Breaking the fourth wall is a ballsy, funny choice. Somehow it is even funnier to me if they are talking directly to us rather than someone operating a camera.<br /><br />Sort of reminds me of John Guarre's House of Blue Leaves--one of the great absurdist plays of all time.Schmokerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03985960616299425129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-81007106992062464662010-03-08T12:24:56.849-05:002010-03-08T12:24:56.849-05:00When I read the comments about the Asian sterotype...When I read the comments about the Asian sterotypes in this ep., I have to wonder what show those commenters have been watching all season.<br /><br />For starters, the single bad-driver joke pales in comparason to the gay and Latin-American stereotypes that are all over every episode, but even pointing that out misses the point.<br /><br />What sets this show apart (and makes it really, really funny) is that it is beyond the conservative, white-bread "traditional family" set-up that rings so false in most other family sit-coms. It is grown-up enough and "modern" enough to know that most American families are very non-traditional and yet still very loving and can be source of a lot of humor. <br /><br />And It's not just that these characters "happen" to be Latino or gay or a "trophy-wife" or adoptive parents but they then do same tired jokes every other show does. Instead they find the humor in those differences <br /><br />Rather than be upset, you should be happy to be included in the fun.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-1114392255819283792010-03-07T21:41:23.673-05:002010-03-07T21:41:23.673-05:00Manny! Hilarious and too cute! By far my favorite ...Manny! Hilarious and too cute! By far my favorite character. I absolutely love the interactions and reactions between Manny and Gloria.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-63575980317364088112010-03-06T21:10:20.847-05:002010-03-06T21:10:20.847-05:00Elreyalto: Alan just in case you are unaware "...Elreyalto: <i>Alan just in case you are unaware "fob" is also a derrogatory term for Asians, though as a noun not verb. </i><br /><br />To be fair, "fob" is derogatory term used against any immigrant population, not just Asians. And it's usually used by members of that same ethnic group who have been in the US (or Canada or the UK) for their whole lives (for those unfamiliar with the term, "fob" means "Fresh Off the Boat").Omagushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15348311761717355552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-16200882044200453312010-03-05T10:54:30.160-05:002010-03-05T10:54:30.160-05:00Worst ep of the season. Did not really laugh once...Worst ep of the season. Did not really laugh once. For the first time I thought Cougar Town was better (and that ain't sayin much).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-1160229911387352502010-03-05T01:17:50.295-05:002010-03-05T01:17:50.295-05:00one of the freshest sitcoms on TV right nowone of the freshest sitcoms on TV right nowAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-15922204832534523192010-03-04T19:48:55.872-05:002010-03-04T19:48:55.872-05:00This is the *only* comedy on TV right now that I f...This is the *only* comedy on TV right now that I find consistently laugh out loud funny and a pleasure to watch. And I can watch an episode a second time and still find something to smile or laugh about! <br />Does anyone have a suggestion on another TV show of similar quality and style of humor? <br />I'm curious what all of you think would be of the same caliber. <br />Thanks!Angelanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-72801323684596049632010-03-04T19:07:02.740-05:002010-03-04T19:07:02.740-05:00Not only a hilarious episode, but beautiful. Call ...Not only a hilarious episode, but beautiful. Call it sappy and cheesy if you want, but I like the heart. <br /><br />I immediately wanted to read your post,Alan, and comment after I saw Luke take 3 deep breaths before entering the basement/underground. Glad you noted that as well. Funny, subtle, SMART writing and direction.<br /><br />I'll say it again, can't wait till the Emmys. Wonderful TV season all around! I'm assuming Rico Rodriguez is Emmy eligible?!?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-76465473476473420822010-03-04T18:44:54.937-05:002010-03-04T18:44:54.937-05:00Here's my nitpicky problem with the episode (o...Here's my nitpicky problem with the episode (or, rather, part of the episode):<br /><br />How inattentive a parent would you have to be to not notice that your daughter's new doll says the word "Mommy"? I know Lily just got the doll from their friends, but presumably she's been playing with it enough in the past day to pick up the word from it. In all that time, Cam never heard it? Is he never in the room when his infant is playing with toys? Because she doesn't seem old enough for that to be possible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-74254267012709557232010-03-04T17:26:03.688-05:002010-03-04T17:26:03.688-05:00I don't see "stereotypes" as the run...I don't see "stereotypes" as the running theme. The ep was called "Fears" for a reason.olucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12047701257768309071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-38507320967081192262010-03-04T17:20:34.236-05:002010-03-04T17:20:34.236-05:00Cam after Lilly's 2nd "mommy" - &quo...Cam after Lilly's 2nd "mommy" - "she's made her choice". Line of the night. <br />The show is all about stereotypes: gays, milf's, dumb teenage girls, clueless with-it dads. The thing about stereotypes is that they're based in some truth and usually funny to people with a sense of humor who can laugh at themselves.Nevada Smithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-70078616330894116682010-03-04T17:19:24.288-05:002010-03-04T17:19:24.288-05:00My favorite line of the night was Jay talking abou...My favorite line of the night was Jay talking about Manny:<br /><br />"Of course he's afraid of roller coasters. He gets dizzy at the the barber shop when he's spun toward the mirror."<br /><br />Overall, a solid episode. The weakest story line, I think, was Jay and Luke exploring under the house.Matt Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15154280022018886062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-42631956566137805402010-03-04T16:45:21.833-05:002010-03-04T16:45:21.833-05:00"The camera crew wasn't underneath the ho..."The camera crew wasn't underneath the house... the footage we saw was the tape from the video camera Phil duct-taped onto Luke's truck."<br /><br />Nope - watch it again. They cut from the truck's POV to a hand-held camera, and back again.<br /><br />And yes, the "collection" line was clearly in reference to Haley's tail section.Josh M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04054764121030646400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-10634209729315753542010-03-04T16:25:24.128-05:002010-03-04T16:25:24.128-05:00To address the asians as bad drivers stereotype co...To address the asians as bad drivers stereotype controversy: after rewatching the ep, driving stereotypes were a running theme. In the beginning Cam and Mitchel are discussing their lesbian friends and there was a comment about how they were on their motorcycle. Then haley is portrayed as the typical bad teenage girl driver. Even Phil failed at driving the rc truck (not sure what the stereotype there is aside from Phil botching things in general). So not that it is appropriate to make racist jokes (although I personally did not find it to be racist, it's a legit gripe to those who did), it was more of a running theme than a stab at a particular race/gender/orientation.Laurelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06971918176555742207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-33380382713657608222010-03-04T16:09:29.903-05:002010-03-04T16:09:29.903-05:00I thought this one hit on all cylinders. Laughed ...I thought this one hit on all cylinders. Laughed out loud a bunch of times.<br /><br />Some highlights not mentioned: The driving test examiner trying to smile;the argument in the car about use of the word "like," and (paraphrasing) Cam:"I worry that Lilly will not be exposed to a mother's femininity" Doc: " I wouldn't be concerned about that."Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02508902311555812190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-1101104645555018342010-03-04T15:03:23.659-05:002010-03-04T15:03:23.659-05:00I was really brought up short by "Sometimes h...I was really brought up short by "Sometimes having a mother isn't all it's cracked up to be". I know all the stuff about adult daughters and mothers, but still it seemed an incredibly sad moment from a minor character. And then she backed the car into the trash cans and all was silly again. (That's Suzy Nakamura, who just last week was the woman Terry regretted sleeping with in <i>Men of a Certain Age</i>, and has been in piles of other stuff.)DonBoynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-35224040984126234652010-03-04T14:49:41.985-05:002010-03-04T14:49:41.985-05:00Anon I agree that the asian driving joke was prett...Anon I agree that the asian driving joke was pretty obvious, but I still found myself laughing primarily for the look on the doctor's face and physical result of the crash. I agree that Modern Family tends to have formulaic set ups, but I still find the show funny because it delivers.Q Ballnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-6325379958120525152010-03-04T14:34:37.552-05:002010-03-04T14:34:37.552-05:00As an asian guy, I didn't find the asian stere...As an asian guy, I didn't find the asian stereotype joke funny at all, not because it was offensive, but because it was so bloody predictable. This is a problem with a lot of the jokes on this show, they're super formulaic and i find myself waiting out the setup to get through the punchline already. the car not being parked after the road test being another example from this specific episode. The show is good for a few laughs here and there, but for the most part the jokes are really stale and predictable, as is the dramatic angle. reminds me of the US office, except the office has much more annoying characters (mainly pam and jim), worse acting (again, pam and jim) and terrible subplots (guess which one?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-34727152292268787692010-03-04T14:28:56.082-05:002010-03-04T14:28:56.082-05:00I don't know. "You've got a great co...I don't know. "You've got a great collection down there" doesn't really work as a pickup line (and is especially creepy if a grown cable man is saying it to a 16-year-old girl), but it also doesn't seem to accurately describe two leftover fake skulls from an old Halloween party.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-25434081690226559152010-03-04T14:01:04.729-05:002010-03-04T14:01:04.729-05:00Anonymous and Anonymous: I took the collection to...Anonymous and Anonymous: I took the collection to refer to the Halloween decorations. Odd phrasing on the cable guy's part, but without it no spelunking adventure.<br /><br />One of my very favorite moments would have been Claire taking three deep breaths as her daughter backed out of the driveway. Would have been, if Phil hadn't been making that exact connection during his voice-over, less highlighting the point than spraypainting it neon orange and then bashing it between our eyes. Henry's right; the ending sentiments almost always bring me down from the high the show itself generates. They need to go.<br /><br />LA: "...the footage we saw was the tape from the video camera Phil duct-taped onto Luke's truck."<br /><br />Of the skeletons, sure; but the truck was in the shot of Luke and PhilBruce Reidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03771574237432340308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-1180375344227074082010-03-04T13:56:46.915-05:002010-03-04T13:56:46.915-05:00The cable guy said it to Haley, which I took as hi...<i>The cable guy said it to Haley, which I took as him making a pass, and then Phil running with it.</i><br /><br />OK, that's it. No more wine with dinner, because that completely went by me. I kept waiting to see what they'd find under the house. Of <i>course</i> Phil ran with it. That makes it even funnier.<br /><br />Liked the ep. Especially loved the father/son bonding over the adventure.olucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12047701257768309071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-81681688682385123172010-03-04T13:16:00.837-05:002010-03-04T13:16:00.837-05:00The cable guy said it to Haley, which I took as hi...The cable guy said it to Haley, which I took as him making a pass, and then Phil running with it.<br /><br />But they could've used a better euphemism that worked as a double standard, so I don't really know.Mikennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-80851009662686434522010-03-04T13:09:36.019-05:002010-03-04T13:09:36.019-05:00yeah, I thought they'd reveal the "you...yeah, I thought they'd reveal the "you've got a great collection down there" by the end. I originally assumed it was the cable guy making some weird pass at Claire that Phil just misunderstood, but it didn't really play out that way (or did the cable guy say it to Haley?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-77997241523888979872010-03-04T13:08:53.893-05:002010-03-04T13:08:53.893-05:00Did not love this episode. There were quite a few ...Did not love this episode. There were quite a few places where I predicted what would happen next - one was the use of "Asian-ness", another when Alex admitted her real fear was not being asked to dance. I would have been more interested if she really just thought the dance was a waste of time, because only shallow pretty people like her sister go to them. That would actually fit her character, as well... she does think Hayley has nothing going for her but her looks.<br /><br />Also wish the skulls under the house had been the previous owners, not their decorations - so maybe I just want a darker humor than this show is willing to give.Kiannanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-61988829168047617512010-03-04T12:55:49.996-05:002010-03-04T12:55:49.996-05:00Loved the show, loved the episode (also almost did...Loved the show, loved the episode (also almost did a spit take at Manny's "Wake up, old man!"), but can someone please tell the creators/showrunners that they are way too reliant on the closing voiceovers? Getting annoying...Henrynoreply@blogger.com