http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/02/07/modern-family-ratings/?

Why are ratings suddenly down?

Personally, I think it is because it is snooty and pretentious. All the characters are far wealthier than most Americans and some are turned off by that. Huge houses in Southern California.

I think it is somewhat pompous and high brow at times. It is hard to put a finger on it, but it is just snooty if that makes any sense. We are beautiful people living in out beautiful houses, wearting beautiful clothes with near perfect lives spitting clever one liners and cliches every week.

Little side notes:

Claire is the hot one, not Gloria. Gloria could actually be dragged off by the INS on a fugitive warrant for being a drug lord and never heard from again.

The kid who plays Lily is a brat. I am not expecting Cindy Brady, but damn, this kid is awful and not funny. The first baby they had NEVER SMILED. Looked utterly depressed and seemed to hate every moment on screen (which was why she was replaced). If is anything like Prozac for infants, that kid needed one.

I like Manny somewhat, but his adult as a child schtick is annoying. I have heard many complaints that he cannot act. He does all right by me. The oldest daughter Hailey is stuck in time, the second daughter went from the voice of reason to the younger, smarter version of the older sister and the youngest kid is turning into a smartass.

Jay should be enjoying life. He's 65, has a wife young enough to be his daughter who is attractive (she is except for her voice) with a giant house with a pool and a hot tub and is set for life and he is grousing all the time. Jay needs to go back to Chicago and sell shoes again in the mall and reevaluate his life.

Somne gays complain that Mitchell and Cameron are not gay enough and do not show affection, which I think comes from the network. Eric Stonestreet as Cam is great, but he is heterosexual.

Maybe people are turning off because the people are too rich, too annoying, and too exposed.

I stopped watching because it seems like the gay guys are featured more than any other character

I had noticed the fact too, that they all seem to have extra nice homes cars, etc. and the best of everything, when so many Americans are struggling. This is a bit of a turn off. I still like the show and watch it, but I prefer other current sitcoms, such as the Middle.

Julie Bowen (Claire) is a talented actress, but she overdoes it and and overacts in many of her scenes. She needs to take it down a notch or two.

Maybe some of the cast members are getting a little full of themselves? Julie was on an interview show (I think that it was on PBS) with some of the other members of the cast and she was using vulgar four letter word or words that were bleeped out. It was a real turn off.

"The kid who plays Lily is a brat. I am not expecting Cindy Brady, but damn, this kid is awful and not funny." -- Couldn't agree more. She is horrible. I want to fast-forward every time she comes on the screen.

You would think the producers would understand this and either replace the actress, or turn the character back into a non-speaking role (which it used to be).

The contrast with the other child actors, who are very good, is striking.