NBC has quickly snapped up Ryan Murphy‘s latest television project, a single-camera comedy that kind of sounds like if Modern Family‘s Cam and Mitchell got their own spin-off. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but nobody likes the smell of desperation.
The show, which Murphy is co-producing and co-writing with Allison Adler (Chuck, Just Shoot Me!), is “a heartwarming comedy about a blended family of a gay couple and the woman who becomes a surrogate to help them start a family,” according to Deadline.com.
The duo say the show stems from their own experiences trying to start families, but we’d be surprised if a certain Emmy-dominating ABC comedy didn’t have some connection to NBC paying top dollar this late in the season.
Image via ABC
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ChrisC
Anything that gives us more mainstream visability I’m fine with.
Gigi
Who cares what their motivation is as long as it’s as good as Modern Family? As long as NOM, the FRC and Concerned Women for America know it’s being produced I’m fine with it.
Jacob
This sounds like my Two Dads.
Oh Dear (John From England)
This sounds NOTHING like Modern Family. Arent the two gay dads their for decoration really? Have they even kissed yet?
But if the make the couple as campy, stereotypical and with a huge aversion for any sort of affection, then your hypothesis would be spot on.
fredo777
@Oh Dear (John From England): Cam + Mitch have kissed, + I think their characters have been integrated into enough of the show’s storylines to be seen as more than decoration.
Cam
@fredo777: said…
“Cam + Mitch have kissed, + I think their characters have been integrated into enough of the show’s storylines to be seen as more than decoration.”
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Unfortunately, they only kissed in one episode after massive pressure. But since then the show has gone back to it’s old bad habits.
Recently, there was an episode where the gay couple were at the beach, in the water, in an emotional moment telling each other how much they loved each other….and…they hugged. meanwhile, in the same episode, Phil walked across his back yard balancing on a rope for about 5 feet and his wife ran up and they gave each other a big kiss.
Modern Family is like a company with 4000 employees that got sued for being racist, and then hiring one black person and saying “hey, we hired one, we don’t need to hire any more.”
fredo777
@Cam: I’ve seen the episode you mentioned. And I don’t agree at all with your tokenism claim.
Greg
Well it actually resembles Glee more than Modern Family. In Glee, Rachel has 2 gay dads via a surrogate while on Modern Family, Cam and Mitch adopted Lily from an adoption agency. Two very different ways of getting a baby and two different story lines. I do not think it is a rip off at all. Can’t there be more than one gay family on tv! Sheesh. Talk about self loathing Queerty.
And really these all just a rip off of ‘My Two Dads’.
Cam
@fredo777: said…
“I’ve seen the episode you mentioned. And I don’t agree at all with your tokenism claim.”
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then what is your explanation for the two men, fully clothed, in the waves at the beach crying and declaring their love for each other…going into a platonic hug. Meanwhile, Phil and his wife having long kisses regularly on the show for the smallest of reasons?
If you don’t agree with it, lets hear your reasoning.
Rolling Eyes
@Cam: At least get the context correct. They are not just on the beach, fully clothed, and expressing their love. They are at a function in which uptight Mitchell loses it and ends up running to the beach in hysterics (hence being fully clothed). The two have shared a kiss in an earlier episode. You may not think it is enough, or you may consider their presence on the show just part of the pretty wrapping and lacking in substance, but don’t go all Fox News on us and skew your examples to fit your point of view.
fredo777
@Cam: I don’t have to explain the storylines, because I don’t write them, but suffice it to say that I am not all that fussed over their kissing/not kissing. For all I know, either of the actors who play Cam + Mitch might not be wholly comfortable with the kissing (the gay actor or the straight one), but I don’t really care all that much. The show is funny + Cam/Mitch are a good representation of a gay family unit, as part of a larger extended family. If you want to crusade until they show more kissing, you’re welcome to it, but I don’t personally care all that much about that aspect of their relationship.
Cam
@fredo777: said..
“For all I know, either of the actors who play Cam + Mitch might not be wholly comfortable with the kissing”
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So you are trying to say that the reason for the issue of never having them show natural affection is because one of the actors is a bigot or is incapable of doing their job.
It doesn’t matter whether or not you agree, the fact of the matter is you already admitted the difference. Phil and his wife kiss in every episode. Mitch and Cam kissed in one after heavy public pressure, and now have gone right back to never touching each other, until finally in an emotion heavy episode…..saying “I love you” they….hug.
fredo777
@Cam: “So you are trying to say that…”
I never said anything even remotely like that, but feel free to jump to your own conclusions. What I am saying is that there could be myriad different reasons for it + it does matter whether I agree, because as a fan who’s seen every episode of the show I’ve got as much or more insight into how the characters are portrayed as someone who watches (or doesn’t?) in wait of another kiss.
Cam
@fredo777: said…
“What I am saying is that there could be myriad different reasons for it”
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That is my point, you are desperately trying to find any excuse for it.
The fact is, everybody else in the show kisses, and they never do other than the one time they were forced to by bad PR. If the “Reasons” aren’t obvious it’s because there aren’t any.
SluttyNutty
Boooooring…
fredo777
@Cam: I’m not desperately trying to do anything, b/c (again) I don’t have a problem with the gay characters’ portrayal. I think the show is excellent + that Cam/Mitch + their storylines are excellent, which are a part of why the show is so well-received. It seems to me that you’re desperate to paint the show in a negative light.
AxelDC
Modern Family makes a mockery of gay relationships. While Jesse Ferguson makes a likable and realistic portrayal of a gay man, especially since he is gay himself, Eric Stonestreet makes a mockery of gays. He stated that he based his character on his mother, as if most gay men act like middle aged women. He flails his arms around like he is in a production of La Cage Aux Folles. It’s the 21st Century equivalent of blackface.
If Stonestreet left the show and Ferguson were given a believable partner, I would probably enjoy the show. As it is, I’m too insulted by Stonestreet’s caricature to enjoy watching.
Cam
@fredo777:
What I notice is that you agreed there was something different in how they were portrayed, you kept trying to find reasons. Now suddenly it’s that I am portraying it negatively.
The fact is, you admitted that they were portrayed differently.
By my pointing out the obvious difference, it is only a negative portrayal if you feel that what they are doing is negative.
To anybody with a non-biased viewpoint it is obvious that Mitchel and Cam are being held back and neutered. Cam’s character has become more and more flighty and hysterical, they have completely desexualized them etc.. I like the show, but find myself liking their storyline less and less.
fredo777
@Cam: “The fact is, you admitted that they were portrayed differently.”
What I said was that there could be several reasons why they don’t kiss. We’ve long since established that their not kissing as much doesn’t bother me. I don’t get your obsession with my somehow “admitting” that they are portrayed one way or another. My original argument actually had nothing to do with their kissing, but their being only on the show as “decoration”. The fact that they have ever kissed was only brought up in my first post because Oh Dear wasn’t sure whether they had. That seems to be your primary focus, not mine.
“it is only a negative portrayal if you feel that what they are doing is negative.”
Your opinion of their portrayal is negative (racism metaphors, tokenism, etc) because you are expressing it in negative terms. It has nothing to do with my opinion of their actual portrayal. Besides which, your racist company metaphor would only be appropriate if the show hadn’t included the gay couple in its cast/storylines from the very first episode (which it did). We can speculate until the cows come home about how often/if/when the gay couple were intended to kiss in future. Well, you can, anyway.
“To anybody with a non-biased viewpoint”
Unlike yours, which is evidently biased against the show’s portrayal of Cam/Mitch?
Tigris
The thing about Modern Family’s “gay” couple is that you cannot even imagine them actually having sex. This must be very comforting for viewers.
Cinesnatch
A lot of good points.
My take: I care more abou the writing on “Modern Family” than whether or not Cam and Mitchell kiss. That isn’t to say that everyone can’t have the best of both worlds. Perhaps my lack of interest in seeing them kiss speak greater truths about my own uncomfortablity with gay male intimacy. Or maybe I would be more interested in them kissing if I actually found either of them hot. I dunno. I still care most about being entertained, not placated.
Can someone make a video of all the times Claire and Phil kiss? I must tune it out, because I don’t notice it.
I have noticed, however, this season has brought us more misfires than hits as far as the quality is concerned. To me, that is what I find most troubling. The only episode so far this season that I liked was “Phil on Wire,” which seems to be the one in dispute on this thread for there being no kiss in the ocean.
As far as Ryan Murphy, ugh. This new show will probably start out strong and then quickly descend into a crapfast like all his other shows. But kudos to him for making it in Hollywood.
Cam
@fredo777: said…
“Unlike yours, which is evidently biased against the show’s portrayal of Cam/Mitch?”
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There was no biased. I have loved the show and have realized that the way they are portrayed is ridiculous.
When Claire and Phil area actually caught in bed, and yet Mitchel and Cam, again, can say I love you and hug. It’s ridiculous. It isn’t a matter of whether or not it bothers you, it is the matter that it is obviously a purposely portrayed couple with no affection, neutered, and Cam being such a charactature that it has become idiotic. Cam is the New J.J. Walker.
fredo777
@Cam: Sounds like something a fat person would say.