My analysis of Modern Family will be looking into the representation of the characters and how they fit the typical stereotypes. Although I am not doing moving image, I feel that their personalities are easily caught in still images taken from the show.
Modern Family features 3 groups of people, all linked through family relations. There are three different representations of homosexual and camp characters in the show; Mitch and Cam (The openly gay couple) and Manny, who is straight but has a camp manner about him.
- Cam and Mitch are the openly gay couple in the show. Mitch has a less camp persona, whereas cam is the complete opposite.
Cam
- He is a very maternal figure when they are deciding to get a baby and is the one driving the decision.
- This makes him a very feminine character, conforming to the typical social stereotype of homosexual men.
- He is flamboyant in the way he dresses with bright colours and patterns, matching his big personality.
- Cam is a very sensitive character and doesn't react well to arguments. He has mood swings and tempers, representative of a feminine personality.
- He is also quite stereotypical in the way the career that he has. He is an actor and singer.
- In the most recent series of the show, he becomes a football coach for the high school.
- Mitch's character is a more manly representation of a homosexual man.
- He usually dresses in darker, plainer clothing, also matching his more conserved personality.
- He has a camp manner about him, but he isn't as over the top as his partner, Cam.
- Mitch has a job as a lawyer, which is quite a high position. Also thought to be a more masculine job.
Manny
Manny's character is not gay. However, he shows traits and behaviours that could make us think otherwise.
- Manny is a very sensitive character and clearly expresses his emotions.
- He is much like Cam in the way that he is very comfortable with expressing his upset in certain situations.
- He wears his heart on his sleeve and always seems to have a love interest.
- His sensitivity and caring for others is often lost on stepdad Jay
- The way that he is represented as a camp character is showing that it is as acceptable for straight people to act camp as much as it is accepted that gay people act in the same way.
From this analysis I have found that it is very easy to make someones personality clear from the way they dress and it is easy to assume things from the way the character acts (Manny). However, you cannot impose a sexuality on a character just from how they act, you also need to think about other characteristics to define them and make it clear to people how you wish your characters to be perceived.
