‘Modern Family’ Season 11: Annual role-playing to cartwheeling on the beach have served well for Claire & Phil’s near-perfect marriage
There was always a certain perception of a conventional family we explored on television until ABC’s ‘Modern Family’ set foot in the realm of entertainment. With the quirky representation of its characters, the show within a short span of time drastically altered the idea of a perfect family. Among all the couples featured on the show, Claire (Julie Bowen) and Dunphy’s (Ty Burrell) marriage seems to be the closest to what is widely accepted as normal. But we ought to credit them for highlighting their roles with commendable peculiarities.
Throughout the 10 seasons, we have seen Claire as an uptight mother to her children, who also takes some sort of eerie pleasure from being feared. She likes seeking control over her highly dysfunctional family and often blames her husband Phil for being too lenient with their children.
Meanwhile, Phil’s character comes across as highly-contradicting, often shown to be a teary-eyed patriarch, who fears his wife more than his children ever did or ever will. His incompetence has never driven him to do anything extraordinary, unlike in the case of Claire, who in the past few seasons was seen going great lengths to establish her career.
Despite carrying personalities that are a world apart, Claire and Phil have managed to remain happy in their near-perfect marriage. Although they see themselves exasperated most of the time owing to the daily chores and usual bickering with their three children, this couple has its ways to make their marriage work.
Watching Claire and Phil indulge in an annual role-play date on their wedding anniversary, makes us believe that monogamy isn’t as bad as the pop culture represents it. Depicting a perfect marriage is one of the steepest challenges in today’s world, but the Dunphy couple’s playfulness and high-spirit have somewhat made it easier.
Phil’s strange interest in the feisty Gloria and Claire’s desperate need to drive a convertible to grab the attention of the younger males suggests that they are attracted to people outside their marriage, and the acceptance of the same forms for a more realistic aspect of their modern-day marriage.