Modern Culture

Modern Family is one of the most popular shows in recent memory, filled with characters that act as representation for the wide array of individuals across the world. As a whole I believe the show has done well in normalizing different walks of life. One aspect of the show that has become a staple of difference is Gloria, she has risen to become a fan favorite and is undoubtedly a standout performer with her comedic prowess and charisma. Yet upon taking a deeper dive in her character you begin to see that they may be banking too much of her depth of character on where she is from rather that who she is. You begin to notice a sense of othering after you watch more and more episodes. Not a single episode goes by without some mention of her ethnicity or stereotypical "Columbian" behavior. Much of her character work is reliant on how she interacts with the other white characters, often resulting in a one-dimensional reference to her culture. Obviously Gloria is not portrayed negatively by any stretch of the imagination but when you make someones culture their identity within the confines of a TV show that demands those cultural tendencies to be amplified, it makes it harder to bring depth and complexity to that character. This all leads to my last point, stereotyping. Gloria is a portrayed as a feisty caring woman with a grandiose personality. But to reiterate a point made earlier I believe they trek back to her nationality far too much as a focal point of her character. The audience understands she is Columbian and has an accent, but there is no need for her to play up to stereotypes put in place in american tv culture. Sporting a loud personality, dressing nice, and referencing where you are from is not an issue in and of itself but it is when the dimension of the character stops there when it becomes an issue. I believe she is deserving of more complexity as a character to further the positive effect her representation on the show has done already. With its flaws her character will forever be indebted in the shows history and a staple in latin american entertainment.