‘Modern Family’ delighted audiences with its humor and enchanting characters, but the most regular trope that stood out was that the quintessential suburban couple, Phil and Claire Dunphy, were often the “worst.”
The creators left a very comical yet incredibly flawed portrait of marriage through their awkward moments and questionable choices. Here is why the writers rode and steered into that dynamic, examining their interaction with others and moments of marital discomfort.
Flirting With Disaster: Phil And Claire’s Awkward Interactions With Others
Both Phil and Claire had their respective moments of awkwardness in their dealings with other people. Such a moment would be when Claire was trying to impress a firefighter by dressing up to receive her phone. These incredibly embarrassing acts on Claire’s part portrayed that it was more about the firefighter than the phone.
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Phil would often make very inappropriate comments, which he rather considered to be flattering, and showed that he was head over heels with Gloria. The “I got Gloria” pun perhaps stood out beyond every other pun and he very rampantly misconstrued a statement made by Jay, turning that into a long discussion about Gloria. These acts serve to highlight how the writing team worked towards building the two as wonderful flawed characters.
A Comedic Lens On A Relatable, But Chaotic ‘Modern Family’ Marriage
Even Claire’s decision to join a yoga class ended up being an issue. The instructor was a little too physical, making Phil uncomfortable. Instead of confronting it, however, Claire seemed to welcome it. This gave rise to yet another persistent theme of the couple being ignorant of the effects of their respective actions on each other.
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At the same time, Phil’s excessive trustfulness and over-enthusiasm led to blunders on each occasion. His constant acquiescence to hints of flirtation or flirtatious exchanges with others unknowingly kept putting their relationship under undue scrutiny at mature times.
The decision of the creators to make Phil and Claire’s marriage chaotic and full of cringe-worthy moments was not meant to showcase dysfunction, but rather imperfections in a more humorous way. Such fictitious creations opened a window for audiences to be able to laugh at their own reality that even the most loving couples can mess up in hilariously awkward ways.
