S06.E20: Knock 'Em Down

[readster]

If "SAH" means "stay-at-home," Cam coaches for the high school, remember?  He has a job, too.

 

 Right, which I thought was a good thing because Cam moved past the SAH a while ago. I would like to see him in his classroom more but I guess they rather stay with the football field since that isn't a built set. 

[Miss Scarlet]

The Mitch and Gloria being too old/tired storyline was a repeat of one they already did with Mitch and Cam (and it was much funnier before).

[Shermie]

I guess only in the US is coaching high school football a full time job. What in the world would that entail to fill 40 hours a week and justify $40,000 a year? It's friggin high school football.

I stand by my assertion that Mitch and Gloria - especially Gloria - have no reason to be so exhausted that they can't even stay awake at 10 pm.

Edited April 30, 2015 by Shermie

[Maharincess]

To each their own but I love my beautiful, clean neighborhood that is patrolled by our HOA. For the most part they are very reasonable and will work with you when you have an issue like when my garage door broke and I couldn't take my garbage cans inside until I had a chance to be home to have it fixed. Literally took a whole month because I work so many hours and they never hassled me at all even though that is a strict taboo. I guess it's what you are willing to agree to do when you buy your house but in the end I'd be happy to have a regulation preventing my neighbor from having a pornographic statue on display!

I prefer my 2 acres and private road over an hoa. I keep my own stuff clean, but if I ever had to move from here, I'd seek out a non hoa neighborhood.

I'm just not going to live anywhere where somebody feels they have the right to tell me what I can and can't do in my own yard.

Edited April 30, 2015 by Maharincess

[solotrek]

I guess only in the US is coaching high school football a full time job. What in the world would that entail to fill 40 hours a week and justify $40,000 a year? It's friggin high school football.

I stand by my assertion that Mitch and Gloria - especially Gloria - have no reason to be so exhausted that they can't even stay awake at 10 pm.

Wasn't Cam the gym teacher as well? Or was he only football coach? It doesn't really seem that way from what we've seen in the show, but a lot of places take high school football very, VERY seriously. Especially if they're well known programs, feeders to top colleges, state champions (in a football heavy state), etc...

 

Off the top of my head, Texas (just watch Friday Night Lights, which without hyperbole was one of the best shows from the 2000's, was kind of a toned down version of real life Texas football insanity), Ohio (people trying to get the Stuebenville rapists out so they could keep playing ball), parts of New Jersey (I think there was a hazing scandal that parents wanted covered up somewhere there), part of Pennsylvania, parts of California, parts of Florida, etc... The head coaches for a lot of these places are dedicated football coaches and their sole job is to win during football season. Off season they help their students deal with recruiting, get their students into different camps, built relationships with colleges, sometimes they do their own scouting and recruiting, figure out plays, off season workouts, coaches clinics, etc...  In states like North Carolina, IIRC, the same thing goes with basketball.

 

Obviously schools with lesser programs or budgets allotted differently often have their HC's as something else ie. gym teacher or health teacher. That's actually the norm for the country.

 

I stand by my assertion that Mitch and Gloria - especially Gloria - have no reason to be so exhausted that they can't even stay awake at 10 pm.

 

Depending on what time they get up in the morning, or how the slept during the week I can see why they can't stay awake at 10. I mean, I do agree that Gloria seems to have less of an excuse than Mitch.

[rollerblade]

I guess only in the US is coaching high school football a full time job. What in the world would that entail to fill 40 hours a week and justify $40,000 a year? It's friggin high school football.

I stand by my assertion that Mitch and Gloria - especially Gloria - have no reason to be so exhausted that they can't even stay awake at 10 pm.

 

And only in the US where college football coaches get paid 7 figures salary. (geez, a LOT more coaches in the million+ club than I expected)

 

Gloria must be exhausted from... having to listen to her own migrane-inducing voice all day.

[Skittl1321]

I thought Cam also taught gym class (or music?).

 

In my high school the football coaches all taught gym or Social Studies.

[readster]

I thought Cam also taught gym class (or music?).

 

In my high school the football coaches all taught gym or Social Studies.

It was music was established in season 1 when he quit working to be a SAH dad to Lily and then went back after the high school music teacher was fired. Plus, both Cam and Mitch agreed it was time for Cam to work again because Lily was older and Cam was bored just being at home all day. I felt that was a nice pay off and then becoming the football coach was also a natural step since it was established forever that Cam played football and was a big football fan even if he thought being a clown was the best thing in the world. They just went more with focus on his football coaching since as I said before, the football field is a film on location and not a closed,  built set. Cheaper to pay to use the field rather than build one. 

[MaryMitch]

Where did you get Cam  making $40K a year? I don't remember them mentioning that.

[Shermie]

I mentioned the $40,000 a year as a generic salary for a full time high school football coach. It was just a guess as an average salary. I never said Cam specifically made that much, not that it matters anyway.

[CleoCaesar]

What exactly is Gloria so tired from? Running from her massage appointment to her mani-pedi? Telling her nanny and housekeeper what she wants done? Tottering around on 5-inch heels all day?

 

Haha I had the exact same thought. Same as when in earlier seasons Claire would constantly be stressed. What does she have to be stressed about? She didn't work. She has three healthy well-adjusted school-age children. Her husband makes enough money to support her and the kids AND they live in a big house in a safe, beautiful neighborhood. No really, what are you so stressed about, Claire? The made-up problems you've created for yourself?

Gloria's fatigue and Claire's stress are equally stupid and unnecessary.

[readster]

Haha I had the exact same thought. Same as when in earlier seasons Claire would constantly be stressed. What does she have to be stressed about? She didn't work. She has three healthy well-adjusted school-age children. Her husband makes enough money to support her and the kids AND they live in a big house in a safe, beautiful neighborhood. No really, what are you so stressed about, Claire? The made-up problems you've created for yourself?

Gloria's fatigue and Claire's stress are equally stupid and unnecessary.

 

 That is what drives me nuts about these types of characters here and on the Middle. They are just like that, you know what stress is? When your wife is unemployed, you are only making 41,000 a year when other places would pay you double. Dealing with debt that you still to this day don't know how it amounted to that. In-laws that tell you how to live your life when you are a damn grown adult and they should speak when they had a lot worst to deal with during the 60s-80s with three kids. You work you ass off to do better and never once does anyone say: "You are doing a good job." Not by your co-workers, who think you are very good but family members who make 100k or have all student loans paid off and their kids going to 2K sport camps and events and you would love just to go see a movie once in a blue moon. That is stress (gets off his soapbox now). I wish the writers would see that on these shows. Claire had it pretty good and same goes for Gloria. I hate to say it, but the last character that decided to go back work over good reasons and enjoyed being SAH was Cam.

[TaxNerd]

That is what drives me nuts about these types of characters here and on the Middle. They are just like that, you know what stress is? When your wife is unemployed, you are only making 41,000 a year when other places would pay you double. Dealing with debt that you still to this day don't know how it amounted to that. In-laws that tell you how to live your life when you are a damn grown adult and they should speak when they had a lot worst to deal with during the 60s-80s with three kids. You work you ass off to do better and never once does anyone say: "You are doing a good job." Not by your co-workers, who think you are very good but family members who make 100k or have all student loans paid off and their kids going to 2K sport camps and events and you would love just to go see a movie once in a blue moon. That is stress (gets off his soapbox now). I wish the writers would see that on these shows. Claire had it pretty good and same goes for Gloria. I hate to say it, but the last character that decided to go back work over good reasons and enjoyed being SAH was Cam.

I agree with Gloria, but Claire was shown being very involved when the kids were younger and active in the school and community. Once the kids got older, she went back to work.

I see the value in a stay at home parent, but I do roll my eyes at Gloria's nanny. I'd love to see her taking college classes or even engaging in a hobby. She worked hard as a single Mom, and her job I guess is to be there for Jay, but she needs something to do. She doesn't need to work a day for the rest of her life, but seriously? She still has half (or much longer!) of her life left. I'd get bored.

Specifically this episode though, I think they were exhausted because it was after 10. I unfortunately totally get that.

Edited May 3, 2015 by TaxNerd

[readster]

 

I see the value in a stay at home parent, but I do roll my eyes at Gloria's nanny. I'd love to see her taking college classes or even engaging in a hobby. She worked hard as a single Mom, and her job I guess is to be there for Jay, but she needs something to do. She doesn't need to work a day for the rest of her life, but seriously? She still has half (or much longer!) of her life left. I'd get bored.

 

 I agree, Gloria has a great backstory and even Phil said it all paid off later with Jay and Joe. However, I am getting tired of her: "I'm so tired after watching the baby when Andy does half of the work. I get the point especially considering how old Jay is. Even saying how he hopes to at least see Joe make it through high school. But really, Gloria doesn't have any hobbies or even tries to work something on the side. What's going to be her excuse in two more years when its time for Joe to start kindergarten? Of course that is if the show lasts that much longer. I get at least Claire and Cam going back to work, it felt organic but really, Claire should not be stressed over the crap she deals with now. 

[DrSpaceman]

Claire is stressed mostly of her own doing. She is a control freak that feels like she has to run everyone's lives.

But yes I agree for the most part and have mentioned many times, while this show is funny and I enjoy, its extremely out of touch with the finances of everyday americans. The Dunphy house is literally a $1 000 000+ home. The house they use for filming was sold or on sale since the show went on the air and that was the list price, I forget exactly but well over a million.

[Shermie]

I think Claire is stressed in the way of self-stressing, and she knows it. She's a high string control freak, but that's how she rolls. As mentioned, at least she was involved in the kids schools, ran for council, lobbied for a stop sign and now has a job. She does stuff. I also assume the Dunphys don't have a housekeeper or gardener. Same with Mitch and Cam.

Gloria is just spoiled and lazy at this point.

The price of the Dunphy house is irrelevant, since what it sells for in real life has nothing to do with the show. And if it's value is based on location within the show, I guess they'd have to buy one back for the same price if they stayed in that hood, so it's not like they'd be ahead. Phil's income to pay for that house is based on selling houses like that, so I assume they'd live in the area. Now in my town, you can buy a house like that for $300,000.

[CleoCaesar]

I think Claire is stressed in the way of self-stressing, and she knows it. She's a high string control freak, but that's how she rolls.

 

 

True. But in that case, she should stop complaining about it (as she frequently did in the earlier seasons) as if it's an external problem.

 

But yes I agree for the most part and have mentioned many times, while this show is funny and I enjoy, its extremely out of touch with the finances of everyday americans.

 

Which to be honestly doesn't matter to me. It has no obligation to reflect the finances of everyday Americans and it makes no pretense that it does. It's a look at an upper-middle class California suburb and a glimpse at 3 successful, well-off families.

 

The Dunphy house is literally a $1 000 000+ home. The house they use for filming was sold or on sale since the show went on the air and that was the list price, I forget exactly but well over a million.

In real life the house was listed last year for $2.35 million.