S06.E10: Haley's 21st Birthday

[MadyGirl1987]

It is interesting people are mentioning Claire and the drinking thing. I find it annoying to. Speaking as someone who has seen family members with drinking issues, alcoholism is not funny. When did Claire seeming to drink a lot start? I have only started noticing it this season, with the crummy hotel episode.

[iwasish]

it would if I they over did it like they do with female characters (and by "over did it" I don't mean getting tipsy/drunk, I mean have a lot of characters cope with whatever by pouring themselves a glass of wine - "my mother-in-law said something that wasn't a compliment, I need a glass of wine"). I cannot think of a make character that does the "wine will make this bearable" thing. I can't even think of one who drinks to cope. I don't watch a lot of scripted shows, but I can think of at least three female characters (Claire, Alicia,and Frankie Heck) who resort to wine to cope. In the case of MF and The Middle, it is done for comic effect (maybe the Good Wife too since her glasses seem to get bigger every episode), but it is the same joke every time.

I don't have a problem with characters drinking, I have a problem with shows relying on this same old, tired "joke" that wasn't all that funny when it started. My opinion, YMMV.

It's especially irritating when they rush straight thru the door and head to the kitchen to pour a big glass before so much as greeting their family.

They show Jay pretty regularly with a glass or several of scotch. Typically, as a way to 'cope' with his sexy, young wife. That to me is also an offensive stereotype.

Edited December 18, 2014 by iwasish

[possibilities]

Men on TV are constantly shown sitting around with a beer, or heading for the refrigerator to get one, or yelling at someone to bring a beer to them. They don't explicitly say: "I need a beer to cope with this," but I don't think it's any different.

 

On this show, however, no one drinks beer. I think the showrunners don't think it suits their social class. It's wine for Claire, hard liquor for Jay.

[Milburn Stone]

Men on TV are constantly shown sitting around with a beer, or heading for the refrigerator to get one, or yelling at someone to bring a beer to them. They don't explicitly say: "I need a beer to cope with this," but I don't think it's any different.

 

I agree, and I think it points to a difference in depiction (one which may mirror reality) that's in women's favor. Not to stereotype, but maybe it's actually true that women are more honest, have more access to their feelings and more willingness to express them, so that they will say "I need my white wine," while a man will just quietly drink himself into a stupor.

[romantic idiot]

Most shows don't have women drinking beer, as far as I recall, without it being some "statement" about how 'like the boys' the girl is. Which is funny because most women I know drink beer just as much as the men I know. Of course, I've been trying to get a taste for it for the last 12 years and failing and I'm a woman...

[Stella MD]

Last night's rerun - the one with the three couples arriving ridiculously late to a restaurant, which I think originally aired last season? - again highlighted the Claire drinking issue. There's pandemonium as her family is running around trying to coordinate their various plans and exit the house and so Claire grabs for a bottle of wine, pours liberally into a mug, and gulps down the beverage while freaking out about Luke staying home alone. I'm sorry, that's maladaptive behavior. (Then immediately afterwards they show her driving the van, still freaking out, while emasculated but sober Phil sits useless in the passenger seat, which includes so many ridiculous stereotypes and bad messages that I have to shake my head).

[Oldernowiser]

Actually, there have been several references to the men drinking beer. Jay "I'm going to go get a beer beer beer before I hit you in the head head head," Cam and Jay going to get 'light beers" after the princess castle project, and the hole in one episode where Jay talks about Mitchell's first beer. (I watch MoFy while I'm on the treadmill and apparently pain enhances memorization skills.)

Do they all enjoy their alcohol and are they shown using it as a coping mechanism? Definitely. Especially Jay and Claire.

Edited December 18, 2014 by Oldernowiser

[Milburn Stone]

Last night's rerun - the one with the three couples arriving ridiculously late to a restaurant, which I think originally aired last season? - again highlighted the Claire drinking issue. There's pandemonium as her family is running around trying to coordinate their various plans and exit the house and so Claire grabs for a bottle of wine, pours liberally into a mug, and gulps down the beverage while freaking out about Luke staying home alone. I'm sorry, that's maladaptive behavior.

 

I agree it's maladaptive behavior--and that's why it's funny. In fact, one could make a case that all comedy is about maladaptive behavior, not role models. I'm not sure this Unified Theory of Comedy that I just came up with will withstand scrutiny, but it just might.

[Beach Party]

Hindsight is 20/20, but Claire should've waited for Haley to get her tattoo first before getting hers.

[jenneylam]

I was really surprised that Haley is 21, she looks 17 to me by how she acts and dresses.  

[mwell345]

Was it too much for the writers to come up with a Christmas episode?  Instead we get a rerun last week.

[biakbiak]

Modern Family always skips a year for their Christmas episodes. Makes sense to me particularly when they had a Thanksgiving one this year.

[DrSpaceman]

I don't expect perfection out of characters and I don't see Claire's wine drinking to be maladaptive or causing her problems. Her wine intake I don't find that unbelievable or out of the ordinary for a female of her age and her socioeconomic status. It has not been shown to cause problems in her social life or work life. She probably does depend on it too much, its a coping mechanism for her, but, like it or not, a socially acceptable one to an extent for her demographic. Some may not find it socially acceptable, but many of her peers would.

Characters need to have some flaws but without having those flaws going over the line to where the character becomes unlikeable or dangerous. I had a much bigger problem early on with Claire's controlling personality than with her wine drinking, but they have actually toned that down. Its not easy for writers to walk that line between a personality trait and fault played for laughs and a cliched stereotype that is counterproductive for the character and/or show. Plus everyone has a different place where they draw that line.