random s/o re the post below and "Modern Family"

KathrynMD

Does anyone watch the show "Modern Family" its sort of ironic that's the name of the show, but all 3 couples in the show have a primarily SAH Spouse, w/ another working outside the home spouse. 

How "modern" is that really?  (I know its TV and not really and they all live in Pottery Barn houses, etc., but its sort of ironic).

KathrynMD

lasposa425:

That said I still watch the show - I think it's hilarious for the most part

oh yeah, totally.

"In the Middle" has two working parents w/ older school age kids.  But, that show seemed more focused on being very middle class/working class.

MrsWindyCity

Yeah I've thought that before, too (though I still love the show).  I am totally disillusioned by most TV in terms of societal roles and whatnot, though, since most of my grad work focused on that kind of stuff, hah.

jlaOK

I never thought of that.

Now I'm thinking of modern TV families (no pun intended) with 2 working parents.  Lily and Marshall on HIMYM is all I can't think of so far.

maddie&stephen

Not really the focus of the show but both Pam and Jim work on The Office. They did show some of their struggles with finding childcare, being at home with sick kids, etc. Not modern any more but one of my favorite shows Roseanne had both parents working-I guess the kids weren't that young though.

KathrynMD

maddie&stephen:

Not really the focus of the show but both Pam and Jim work on The Office. They did show some of their struggles with finding childcare, being at home with sick kids, etc. Not modern any more but one of my favorite shows Roseanne had both parents working-I guess the kids weren't that young though.

ohhh Jim and Pam - yes!  Good catch

KathrynMD

maddie&stephen:

Not really the focus of the show but both Pam and Jim work on The Office. They did show some of their struggles with finding childcare, being at home with sick kids, etc. Not modern any more but one of my favorite shows Roseanne had both parents working-I guess the kids weren't that young though.

ohhh Jim and Pam - yes!  Good catch

TX-Bride

Although in Up All Night one of the parents is SAH, but it does show the struggles of women when they just had a baby, going back to work, can't party like they used to, etc.

ETA: their house is more Crate & Barrel mixed with a few Ikea.

DaisyJanie

That crossed my mind too, although I guess Cam is going back to work now.

NOt really relevant, because Up All Night has a SAH parent. But it reminded me, as much as I like that show, sometimes they do really unrealistic things like show both parents out of the house without the baby for some reason. Obviously they could get a babysitter, but one time it was for a neighborhood watch thing. Who gets a babysitter for that?

Bella427

I love this post.  I've thought the same thing about Modern Family, although I do love it.  Especially since Clare has teenagers, what does she do during the day while they're at school?  Also, (spoiler alert) it bugs me that I got all addicted to Up All Night being about a working mom and then a) they have totally taken the focus off of that and b) Now Reagan is staying at home?

aglenn

I can't think of any shows other than the ones mentioned, either.  I wonder if it's not considered interesting plot-wise, or what the issue is.  Hmmmm.

Somewhat unrelated, it always bugs me how shows never have a realistic depiction of parenthood.  I don't know about you guys, but with two small kids in the house DH and I rarely get to have a coherent conversation until they are in bed, but on all these shows the kids kind of pop into a scene here and there but for the most part just aren't around.  I get why, because it would be boring to watch the madness that is life at my house, but it still annoys me.

jamiedsgirl

Not a recent show, but didn't both of the Cosby's work?  Wasn't the mom a lawyer or something and the dad a doctor?

bearfootz

I love Modern Family.  But isn't Cam back to work now as a teacher? 

I still think that Roseanne is the best at relating to real life as far as worrying about money issues, etc.  Of course it got weird at the end, but those first few years were golden.

 

rabstbmom

lasposa425:

jamiedsgirl:

Not a recent show, but didn't both of the Cosby's work?  Wasn't the mom a lawyer or something and the dad a doctor?

Yes! I miss that show -- Clare Huxtable was the best tv mom in my opinion   But I think the show sort of started when the kids were older.  I'd like to see two parents working outside the home with some young ones at home. 

Not only were the kids slightly older, but Cliff's doctor's office was in the basement of the house, so he could come upstairs and be home between patients. The thing that always got me about the Huxtables was that Claire was supposed to be (or was named during the course of the show?) partner at her law firm. I just always wondered, knowing what I've heard about the hours young law associates have to put in, how realistic it would have been that she'd be named partner, given how much time she was probably out of the workplace having 5 kids.

And thinking about them reminds me of the Seavers on Growing Pains. The premise of that show was that the mom went back to work, so Dad moved his psychiatric practice into the first floor office of their home. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now, having worked with licensed therapists for several years at my job, I almost have to laugh at that idea. Maybe not everyone feels this way, but my co-workers here would be up in arms at the idea of crossing therapeutic boundaries like that by having patients in your home, especially while your kids are there.

Bella427

Yup, I'm a counselor and NO WAY would I have a practice at home, not even if they never saw the inside of my house.  I wouldn't want some of them knowing where I live!  I did love Growing Pains, well, until they jumped the shark and had another baby, at least.   

alli2672

aglenn:

I can't think of any shows other than the ones mentioned, either.  I wonder if it's not considered interesting plot-wise, or what the issue is.  Hmmmm.

Somewhat unrelated, it always bugs me how shows never have a realistic depiction of parenthood.  I don't know about you guys, but with two small kids in the house DH and I rarely get to have a coherent conversation until they are in bed, but on all these shows the kids kind of pop into a scene here and there but for the most part just aren't around.  I get why, because it would be boring to watch the madness that is life at my house, but it still annoys me.

lol...this always drives my husband crazy in "Everybody Loves Raymond." They have a little girl and the twin boys who are babies and toddlers on the show, and yet they seem to spend almost no time taking care of them.

 

 

 

semdkm

I love Modern Family but agree and even made the same comment to my husband some time ago.  What makes it "modern"?  That there's a gay couple involved?  One of the dads stays home and struggles, sometimes, with not having a career (last episode)?  I wouldn't classify the families on that show necessarily as "modern."  That said, I love the show--it never fails to have my laughing, sometimes so much so that I'm crying