Are Cam & Mitchell really making inroads towards gay tolerance? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 05-11-2012, 01:39 AM

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/enter...-offend/52105/

Or are the "Modern Family" characters too inoffensive for homophobes to worry about?

Yong Fang · 05-11-2012, 05:35 AM

I see two issues.

1.) Eric Stonestreet (Cam) is straight, while the actor who plays Mitchell Jesse Ferguson is gay. I have asked about Stonestreet's heterosexuality on this board and why he was cast, and had someone explain to me that this is acting, and that Neil Patrick Harris, who is gay, plays a heterosexual on his show "How I met your mother." Problem is that gays have played heterosexuals forever, and that some gays are offended because of this.

2.) The two characters are not "intimate". I have never seen them hold hands, be in bed together and especially kiss. The LGBT people are clammoring for the kiss and I can see their point. However, per number one, Stonestreet is a heterosexual and probably does not want to kiss another man. Is it fair however that Neil P. Harris has to kiss women even though he is gay, but a heterosexual actor does not have to do the same?

It seems that Modern Family sort of goes out of the way to show intimacy to a point, I have only seen Clare and Phil in bed in the episode where the kids caught them doing the "doggy" while presenting them breakfast in bed. I have never seen Jay and Gloria in bed.

I think an interesting storyline was when Jay told his buddies that Cam was his son's "friend", instead of boyfriend/companion/husband.

05-11-2012, 01:39 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,393	Are Cam & Mitchell really making inroads towards gay tolerance? http://www.theatlanticwire.com/enter...-offend/52105/ Or are the "Modern Family" characters too inoffensive for homophobes to worry about?

05-11-2012, 05:35 AM	#2
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	I see two issues. 1.) Eric Stonestreet (Cam) is straight, while the actor who plays Mitchell Jesse Ferguson is gay. I have asked about Stonestreet's heterosexuality on this board and why he was cast, and had someone explain to me that this is acting, and that Neil Patrick Harris, who is gay, plays a heterosexual on his show "How I met your mother." Problem is that gays have played heterosexuals forever, and that some gays are offended because of this. 2.) The two characters are not "intimate". I have never seen them hold hands, be in bed together and especially kiss. The LGBT people are clammoring for the kiss and I can see their point. However, per number one, Stonestreet is a heterosexual and probably does not want to kiss another man. Is it fair however that Neil P. Harris has to kiss women even though he is gay, but a heterosexual actor does not have to do the same? It seems that Modern Family sort of goes out of the way to show intimacy to a point, I have only seen Clare and Phil in bed in the episode where the kids caught them doing the "doggy" while presenting them breakfast in bed. I have never seen Jay and Gloria in bed. I think an interesting storyline was when Jay told his buddies that Cam was his son's "friend", instead of boyfriend/companion/husband.