yeswedo May 18, 2015 Share May 18, 2015 The whole family is at Jay & Gloria's for Alex's graduation party, except for Phil, who ingeniously figured out a way to be there via skype and a robotic vessel after being unexpectedly detained in Seattle on a business trip. During the celebration, Jay frets about Gloria's cousin who has overstayed his welcome, Claire stresses out about giving Alex the perfect gift, Mitch hides news of being laid off from Cam and Andy's girlfriend, Beth, is in town stirring up a whole lot tension with Haley which finally leads to a realization that may have come too late Link to comment
DrSpaceman May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 Phil and the robot were funnier than I thought they would be. It seemed gimmicky at first but seemed to work well Still just don't care much about Haley and Andy, but some decent moments in that story with Beth at least. Cam and the braces was just annoying. And where was Lilly? 1 Link to comment
kat165 May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 Dr. Spaceman, thanks for filling me in re: Cam's braces. I missed the intro bit and throughout people kept walking in and out of the room and conversely loudly. He was annoying! Link to comment
barbarylane May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 There really is no recovery for Cam. Can he just be sent back to the farm before the fall premiere? 3 Link to comment
blaase May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 There really is no recovery for Cam. Can he just be sent back to the farm before the fall premiere? Yes he's become one of the most annoying characters on tv ever. Although I did laugh at the , "it was just a cockatoo, oh was it one or two?? 2 Link to comment
whatsatool May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 (edited) Nice and zany. Loved it all, especially the bird and chess. Hope Haley lets the Manny go. Edited May 21, 2015 by whatsatool 3 Link to comment
indeed May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 (edited) Did I miss the part where Phil had no other way of contacting either Andy--the guy who he was able to get ahold of to set up his moving Sheldon cam (*ahem*)--or his own daughter? What a cliffhanger! Edited May 21, 2015 by indeed 3 Link to comment
Artsda May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 Phil on the iPad was great, but instead of throwing himself down the stairs couldn't he have just called the house or anyone with a phone? Him not calling was silly. LOL at him being stolen at the end. Not a fan of Haley and Adam and the dragging it out makes it worse. 4 Link to comment
Starscream May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 The fact that the show explicitly pointed out that Andy is a copy of Phil makes it gross to me that they keep pushing Andy and Haley. What's worse is that Haley was made aware of this as well and was similarly grossed out. Why they had to do that before they went this way is beyond me. This whole will-they-or-won't-they thing is scraping the ground underneath the barrel. Aside from that nonsense, I thought it was good. Horatio Sanz having no lines makes me laugh all by itself and the Phil stuff was great in spite of Community already dialing that bit up to 11. I want to see Mitchell and Spencer hanging out some more next season. Mitchell hanging out in the park is one of the few times I have found him to be truly endearing. 2 Link to comment
Tiggertoo May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 This episode, to sum up, ugh. Did not care for it. First, as soon as I saw the nanny was on it, I was disappointed. I think that character adds nothing to the show. I find him kind of creepy for some reason. And the Beth girlfriend, her character has gone all over the map. Didn't she never want to see her boyfriend before. Now she's possessive to the point of being threatening to Haley. Phil is my favourite character but Phil on the iPad lost its charm for me very quickly. Haven't we seen a similar plot with Mitchell losing his job? 2 Link to comment
mwell345 May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 Overall I liked it - to me, the best MF episodes are the ones in which the families are together and play off each other. I agree, too with all that said that the bit with Phil was funner than I expected. Also liked how every time Claire tried to give Alex a gift, someone outdid her. My only complaint is that they still are taking us down the Andy/Haley road. Either put them together or end it - the constant back and forth seems so out of place on this show. To me, it's just not what Modern Family does. Link to comment
Blakeston May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 I would have thought that Mitchell being unemployed would be a good way for the show to acknowledge economic realities a little bit. But instead, it turns out that when you lose your job, you should go ahead and buy a second expensive Los Angeles condo. You can just rent it out! 1 Link to comment
Shermie May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 (edited) Wow, I thought the episode was terrible, especially for a season finale (where showrunners usually up their game). Robot Phil was okay, but gimmicky. Plus, it was done on Big Bang Theory five years ago, so hardly a novel concept. And it must be nice for the family to have so much disposable income they can buy an iPad robot gizmo on a whim. Not to mention Mitch and Cam buying a second condo when Mitch has no job. Nice bank they have! What was the purpose of Gloria's cousin being there? He added nothing to the episode, other than spreading the 22 minutes even thinner over all the other cast. Oh yeah, someone new for Gloria to screech at. If he was there just to have him steal Robot Phil at the end, then that was a long setup for a meagre joke. I don't mind Andy, but the Haley/Andy drama is trying to be one of those TV "Ross/Rachel" things, where the viewer is supposed to want a couple together and the writers keep throwing wacky hijinx in the way. It doesn't bother me if they do get together, but it don't care if they don't either. Nice Claire, calling a guest the second prettiest girl in the room when you have two daughters sitting there. I was watching with my husband, who doesn't really care for the show, but I was hoping it would be a good one. Halfway through, I actually apologized and commented that it seemed like a high school play - weak writing, lame jokes, bad acting, stilted staging - which he said was a perfect description. The second half was a bit better, but hubby had bailed. Heh. Edited May 21, 2015 by Shermie 1 Link to comment
sonyab May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 (edited) LOL at him being stolen at the end. Phil is being "kidnapped" Poor Phil!!! Hahahaha! I hope he isn't stuck in a small space! I mean he was being "claustrophobic" in the bathroom! ROFL! Edited May 21, 2015 by sonyab Link to comment
Skittl1321 May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 This episode had a few good moments but it wasn't great. I think Phil on the robot would have been funnier if Community hadn't used the exact same gimmick. 1 Link to comment
mansonlamps May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 Normally I don't really care about these type of things since they are all fictional characters, but I have to start to wonder how the actress playing Ariel feels about constantly being the butt of jokes about her appearance. I just think of Carol Seaver on Growing Pains and the actress becoming anorexic while constantly facing the "hilarious" fat jokes on that show. 10 Link to comment
Thog May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 The moving iPad was also used on the Good Wife a couple seasons ago. So no, it's not a novel concept in itself, but I thought Ty Burrell managed to really add something to it. I totally agree about Ariel Winter constantly having to endure the "less pretty sister" jokes. The actress seems like a tough person, after all she's been through, but it does seem unfair to her. Especially because she is actually quite pretty. I get that many families inadvertently put their kids into categories like "the smart one" and "the pretty one," so maybe that's what they are going for here rather than really trying to call her plain. I did like that she got so much love in this episode, because so often the joke is that she's ignored or taken for granted. (I'm a middle child too, so maybe I take this all a bit too personally). 3 Link to comment
readster May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 I enjoyed the episode and Phil with the iPad and Robot control was extremely funny but at the end. I mean come on, I get that Phil can get caught up in his hijinks but he has everyone's cell phone numbers. He could have called Andy or Haley or even Luke and put a stop to everything. While we are on that subject, UGGH! Why must we be still dragging out Andy/Haley/Beth triangle. Now, Beth is someone who enjoyed having the drama of breaking up, sex and getting back together to: "If I can't have Andy, no one can!" I find Beth such a plot device, sure she's tall, blonde, well built, is in the coast guard but now dropping hints of hurting Haley. Setting her up to have her hair burned and everything. It's like with Dillion popping in and out. They keep him stupid but one moment he is on the fast track to a pretty good career, the next he is crying about Haley getting married and him spinning signs for a living. Its the classic: "Make the characters stupid to make the plot work." TBTB really do think that Haley and Andy are a great thing but no one cares, in fact no one likes the actor who plays Andy. As said just send both Andy and Beth packing and let's move on. They don't want to try to give Haley a good boyfriend possible future husband that everyone can enjoy. The doctor would have been nice but once again, it has to be true luve! Also, does Gloria have any relatives who aren't trying to backstab her? Also, how are coming to California all the time? Is Jay flying them out? Its a tired joke but the ending was funny. Luke, just stop. Please just stop! As for Cam and Mitch and the condo. First of all getting my own house two years ago, it took almost 10 months for things to clear and that was a short sale. Some sales regular can take 3 to 5 months, so them finding out now or putting the money down when Mitch was still employed. That I can get but knowing that was pending and even he said he thought he be getting a new job soon. How was he paying for his gas and food? I get he was embarrassed and it hits someone hard when they lose their job. Trust me, been there twice due to cutbacks and it is hard but what did I do? Told my family, went to bed, got up the next morning and went out to find a new job and guess what? Even if you have your degree and experience, it is hard even if Mitchell is a lawyer. Cam and the braces, that was way too much. However, it was still a good episode but what a forced cliffhanger for the year. 3 Link to comment
Blakeston May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 Normally I don't really care about these type of things since they are all fictional characters, but I have to start to wonder how the actress playing Ariel feels about constantly being the butt of jokes about her appearance. I just think of Carol Seaver on Growing Pains and the actress becoming anorexic while constantly facing the "hilarious" fat jokes on that show. I don't recall them making jokes about Alex being ugly or fat, or anything like that. There have been a lot of jokes from Haley about the way she dresses and styles herself. And there have been a lot of jokes about her not being able to get dates, and about boys not being interested in her. I can easily see that sort of thing getting to an actor, especially a teenage one. But I don't think it's nearly as bad as flat-out fat/ugly jokes. 1 Link to comment
Granny58 May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 I'm going to be the outlier here and state....I can't stand Claire!!!! All her manic jerks, waving arms, bobbing head. Please TONE IT DOWN!!!! I get that she's supposed to be a type A personality, but does that really require spasming? 4 Link to comment
partofme May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 (edited) Way way too much focus on Andy and Andy/Haley in this episode. I can't emphasize enough how much I can't stand Andy and can't stand the Andy/Haley pairing. I almost wish they would have put them together already just so that they can break up. I hope he's gone next season, he drags down the episodes that he's in. I hated that Phil was separated from the rest of the cast. Edited May 21, 2015 by partofme 2 Link to comment
Traveller519 May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 I would have enjoyed watching a Beth and Gloria's cousin spin-off where they project a nice outward appearance but are ruthless about getting what they want. They had some of the more interesting scenes from this episode. Gloria's "do you really think I'd just leave $150K of Heroin lying around the house" made me laugh. 1 Link to comment
MaryMitch May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 The fact that the show explicitly pointed out that Andy is a copy of Phil makes it gross to me that they keep pushing Andy and Haley. What's worse is that Haley was made aware of this as well and was similarly grossed out. Why they had to do that before they went this way is beyond me. This whole will-they-or-won't-they thing is scraping the ground underneath the barrel. I like Andy and Haley - and I know I'm in the minority. But a woman being attracted to a man who is like her father is quite common. I think it's sweet. I want to see Mitchell and Spencer hanging out some more next season. Mitchell hanging out in the park is one of the few times I have found him to be truly endearing. I liked these scenes too, but Mitchell should have really told Cam immediately. Poor Cam, thinking Mitchell was having an affair! 3 Link to comment
gameoff May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 The cockatoo joke make me LOL. A few other parts made me laugh too although at the moment I can't recall what they were. Link to comment
readster May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 I like Andy and Haley - and I know I'm in the minority. But a woman being attracted to a man who is like her father is quite common. I think it's sweet. I liked these scenes too, but Mitchell should have really told Cam immediately. Poor Cam, thinking Mitchell was having an affair! Well the entire text things were the problem. Mitch should have replied: "Can you please stop, I'm at my niece's graduation and they don't know I lost my job." Of course the moron could have put it on vibrate but that's like Phil calling Andy or Haley on their cell phones at the end. Why would they do something logical? 2 Link to comment
SimoneS May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 (edited) I thought the episode had too much Haley and Andy, but Beth as secretly scary was hilarious. I did like how much of it was devoted to Alex and her graduation. while I agree they can over do her appearance jokes, she has always been loved and doted on by her family. Mitchell bonding with Spencer and his bird cracked me up. It was great seeing Mitchell get out of his comfort zone. Phil on the IPad was ridiculous, but there were some funny moments there as well. The fact that the show explicitly pointed out that Andy is a copy of Phil makes it gross to me that they keep pushing Andy and Haley. What's worse is that Haley was made aware of this as well and was similarly grossed out. Why they had to do that before they went this way is beyond me. This whole will-they-or-won't-they thing is scraping the ground underneath the barrel. I don't like Haley and Andy, but I don't think that it is gross that she is still attracted to him even though she sees his similarities to her father. If Phil was a horrible man, then I would agree that it is gross for Haley to be attracted to Andy. But Phil is a generous loving man. He is a devoted husband and father. He is a reliable guy too, far more like Andy than Dylan who I liked more. Now I think about it, at their core Phil and Jay share some of these qualities which is probably why Clare was attracted to Phil after all her wild boyfriends. I expect Haley (and eventually Alex) to be attracted to a man who has these same qualities. So despite my reservations about Haley and Andy. I don't see the chemistry and he makes my gaydar go crazy, I can go along with the relationship. Edited May 21, 2015 by SimoneS 4 Link to comment
kat165 May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 Just a note: Lily was there, but I don't think she had any lines. She was just part of the crowd. Link to comment
monakane May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 (edited) Yes he's become one of the most annoying characters on tv ever. Although I did laugh at the , "it was just a cockatoo, oh was it one or two?? It's embarrassing the way he is written. There was a little more subtlety in the earlier seasons. Now they have turned him into a stereotype. I also noticed last night that there is no longer any chemistry between the actors. Maybe they're embarrassed too. Edited May 21, 2015 by monakane 3 Link to comment
indeed May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 (edited) I like Andy and Haley - and I know I'm in the minority. But a woman being attracted to a man who is like her father is quite common. I think it's sweet.Yes, it's very common. I thought they hinted at that every now and then with Dylan, too, that he had some similar qualities, but it's far more obvious with Andy. I'm also in the minority since I like Andy (especially with Phil) and Andy/Haley, as friends or more--they're hardly the worst thing about this show (I'm looking at you, Cam). I'm not crazy about the whole "Ross and Rachel"effect (in fact, I HATE their "will-they/won't-they" crap legacy), but so far I don't mind it here. They better wrap this up soon, though. There's only so much denial to go around now that Daddy Phil's in the mix. Edited May 21, 2015 by indeed 1 Link to comment
Julie23 May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 Although I groaned when I saw the iPad robot thingy, since it really has been done to death on other shows, Ty Burrell managed to make it unique as only he can. Very funny. Also like Mitchell, but but didn't get the whole braces thing for Cam, - that kind of came out of the blue didn't it? I think Andy is OK, his comment that he felt it was only fair to tell Joe that he was being paid to be his friend was funny, but I don't see why Haley would be attracted to him, given he is not at all like the other guys she has been attracted to. I'd rater see her marry a rich older guy -- a parallel to Gloria and Jay. Link to comment
ari333 May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 Normally I don't really care about these type of things since they are all fictional characters, but I have to start to wonder how the actress playing Ariel feels about constantly being the butt of jokes about her appearance. I just think of Carol Seaver on Growing Pains and the actress becoming anorexic while constantly facing the "hilarious" fat jokes on that show. this ^^^^^^^^ That is all 1 Link to comment
ari333 May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 (edited) I did not laugh once, and this is one of my fav sitcoms. Bah Edited May 21, 2015 by ari333 Link to comment
peeayebee May 21, 2015 Share May 21, 2015 TBTB really do think that Haley and Andy are a great thing but no one cares, in fact no one likes the actor who plays Andy. I do. I ended up enjoying Robot Phil more than I thought I would. It was really well done, with constant gags. I guess there have been other TV shows and/or movies that did the thing where a spouse pretended to go to work when he actually had no job, but I can't remember the names. Link to comment
spanana May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 Short of the remark about the pretty one, this is the nicest I've ever seen the family be to Alex. Ever. I was kind of shock honestly. I don't think there are enough ways to express that I don't give a crap about Haley and Andy. The stretching the whole thing out is annoying and a plot device, but I'm hoping the sooner the show gets them together the sooner they break up. Or maybe the actor will get another job and we can all move on. 1 Link to comment
whatsatool May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 I enjoyed Beth because I though he was moving on. He is not funny enough. 1 Link to comment
Skittl1321 May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 I don't recall body jokes about Alex. But I hope it doesn't impact the actress. I mean, for one, the character is frumpy because of the way they style her. The actress? When she styles herself- um, she looks entirely different. 2 Link to comment
readster May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 I don't recall body jokes about Alex. But I hope it doesn't impact the actress. I mean, for one, the character is frumpy because of the way they style her. The actress? When she styles herself- um, she looks entirely different. I know, Ariel Winter looks amazing outside the show. Similar to Eden Sher from The Middle. She is very un-Sue outside of the show. I get why they make them look like that for the characters but they have beaten it to death over the years. I thought Alex looked great in this episode, my wife even said: "Wow, they made her look like an 18 year old." Link to comment
AriAu May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 (edited) The cockatoo joke make me LOL. Will & Grace got away with jokes like that all the time, but, yes, it was funny. I liked the episode and laughed as much as I have all season, even though all the Haley/Andy/Beth stuff sucked up time that could have been used on funnier things. Ty Burrell is a GREAT physical comedian and somehow that came through even when he was acting through an inanimate object. His character is written consistently, unlike most of the others, so I found the whole routine very funny. And they gave Horatio Sanz exactly the right number of lines-none. Edited May 22, 2015 by AriAu 3 Link to comment
MMLEsq May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 I was hoping that when the bird was on Mitchell's shoulder, Mitchell would have had a name for his bird like Spencer had a bird named George.. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but I thought the bird on Mitchell's shoulder was George. Add my name to the small (but vocal) group that likes Andy and Haley together. Link to comment
needschocolate May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 Normally I don't really care about these type of things since they are all fictional characters, but I have to start to wonder how the actress playing Ariel feels about constantly being the butt of jokes about her appearance. I just think of Carol Seaver on Growing Pains and the actress becoming anorexic while constantly facing the "hilarious" fat jokes on that show. I have thought of that too. However, IIRC, this show isn't as bad as Growing Pains - that show had more explicit "You're fat/ugly jokes" and the actress seemed to look and dress the same way outside the show (it wasn't more of a styling choice as it is on MF). Still, I hope Ariel is able to think of it as "I play the dorky wallflower sister, but that is just the way they style the character" rather than take it personally. Funny how we ("we" as a society, in general - myself included), get concerned that it could be harmful for a young actress to play a character labeled homely/fat/ugly, but we don't get concerned about a young actress playing a character that is labeled stupid. Do we think that it is easier to overlook or not internalize being called dumb on a regular basis or do we just think of being dumb as not as horrible as being stupid? And shouldn't we be more concerned than we are about a young actress who plays a character that is always supposed to be the best looking, and worry that she may go to unhealthy lengths to maintain her beauty (it seems there have been cases of actresses developing eating disorders brought on by them wanting to stay as gorgeous as their character is supposed to be)? And why is it that young male actors never seem to play characters that would make society concerned for their mental well-being? 1 Link to comment
readster May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 Do we think that it is easier to overlook or not internalize being called dumb on a regular basis or do we just think of being dumb as not as horrible as being stupid? And shouldn't we be more concerned than we are about a young actress who plays a character that is always supposed to be the best looking, and worry that she may go to unhealthy lengths to maintain her beauty (it seems there have been cases of actresses developing eating disorders brought on by them wanting to stay as gorgeous as their character is supposed to be)? And why is it that young male actors never seem to play characters that would make society concerned for their mental well-being? I agree on this even outside the show like with Gould. He is no where near Luke, he is already in college, having finished HS two years early. He is does crafts and loves sports, including basketball. On the show, he can't talk right, acts like a mini stupid version of Phil and is shown to be very oblivious to things where it's creepy, not funny. Same goes with Sara who is a very nice and intelligent person in real life. Yet, the show wants to trope on: Pretty=stupid, smart=nerd/can't function, Youngest kid=insert joke here. It's like with Cam and Mitchell, they went from trying to not be stereotypes to both of them being horribly written as stereotypes, especially Cam. With Phil and Claire it the classic: "one spouse is a moron and the other is uptight." That's been going on for years. There can't seem to be a balance with the characters. I mean look over at Last Man Standing, you have the oldest who screwed up in life and can't seem to do things right. The middle one is played dumb and the last one of course is a tomboy and nothing like the other two at all and comes across as mean half the time. Mean seems to flip flop between the oldest or youngest of three kids on shows. Or if there are two, one is the goof and the other is the serious one. Sad when you think about it, they want to talk about not being cliche on shows and then the showrunners just do that. Like now with Andy and Haley and Beth. They want to make a love triangle that is so forced and bad, everyone comes across like kids on a playground and none of them want to be adults and deal with it. Or the adults who do know about it, either want to keep their mouths shut or can't do something logical to help the situation. Like with Phil calling them from his iPhone. Link to comment
Pacodakat May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 Phil and his continued love of the swirl... 1 Link to comment
MaryMitch May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 We have seen situations where Haley is smart - she thinks quick on her feet and is apparently making some money with a fashion blog as well as working in the fashion industry (I know, she's a peon, but she's paying her dues). And we have seen Alex use her femininity as well - making out with Sanjay, going on dates, and a few seasons ago flipping her hair to addle the boys who had stolen Manny and Luke's model helicopter. I think it's more wrong for a family to treat everyone exactly alike than to admit to their differences. To this day, when I meet friends of my sister, we go into a "I'm the smart one" and "I'm the pretty one" routine. We think it's funny. They're not just one-note characters; the show does exaggerate them, but it is a comedy. Link to comment
Lone Wolf May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 (edited) ...Community already dialing that bit up to 11. This episode had a few good moments but it wasn't great. I think Phil on the robot would have been funnier if Community hadn't used the exact same gimmick. I just dropped in to make these same observations. Otherwise, while it was nice (and all too rare lately) to see everyone under the same roof, Cam'sh lishp was beyond annoying, and the related jokes were as predictable and been-there-done-that as "cockatoo". I'm over Haley and Andy, but not enough to be irritated by it. All in all, a fairly weak (especially for a season "finally") ep for me, but I'll be back come Fall. Even a bad MF is better than some of the other dreck being served up. Edited May 22, 2015 by Lone Wolf 1 Link to comment
CleoCaesar May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 And why is it that young male actors never seem to play characters that would make society concerned for their mental well-being? Because male actors are never asked to play bullied nerds, unattractive suicidal loners, or homicidal nutjobs. Link to comment
Cecily May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 I'm part of the small and exclusive club (as I like to see it, it betters my sense of self) that like Andy and Haley. But I wish they would just get those to together, I think there would be far more funnier story lines in a situation where the two are trying to build a relationship despite their diffferences. But silly me, I never thought the producers were dragging this thing out as a plot device. I just figured the actor who plays Andy had some scheduling issues that made it difficult for him to appear in too many episodes this season. Same thing with RoboPhil. I never saw that as a plot device either, but kept wondering if Ty Burrel had broken a leg or something. Guess I'm just naive :-) 3 Link to comment
xander874 May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 I don't care for Horatio Sanz but he was totally wasted in this episode. It's like they needed padding because the other 3 stories weren't long enough. I realize they want to make the actors earn their paychecks, but I think it's okay to not give a character a plot every week especially when its an episode like this with the whole family interacting. Link to comment
mansonlamps May 22, 2015 Share May 22, 2015 I have thought of that too. However, IIRC, this show isn't as bad as Growing Pains - that show had more explicit "You're fat/ugly jokes" and the actress seemed to look and dress the same way outside the show (it wasn't more of a styling choice as it is on MF). Still, I hope Ariel is able to think of it as "I play the dorky wallflower sister, but that is just the way they style the character" rather than take it personally. L Funny how we ("we" as a society, in general - myself included), get concerned that it could be harmful for a young actress to play a character labeled homely/fat/ugly, but we don't get concerned about a young actress playing a character that is labeled stupid. Do we think that it is easier to overlook or not internalize being called dumb on a regular basis or do we just think of being dumb as not as horrible as being stupid? And shouldn't we be more concerned than we are about a young actress who plays a character that is always supposed to be the best looking, and worry that she may go to unhealthy lengths to maintain her beauty (it seems there have been cases of actresses developing eating disorders brought on by them wanting to stay as gorgeous as their character is supposed to be)? And why is it that young male actors never seem to play characters that would make society concerned for their mental well-being? I don't know if it's the same, it's easy to play smart or dumb (like Nolan Gould for example) but your looks are your looks. Dressing down doesn't make you ugly. Not saying Ariel Winter is not attractive but they have her character's mother say in front off the whole family "now there are two pretty girls" when Alex is the third girl in the room and we know which girl is not included. Being cast as the unattractive one would kind of suck for a teen girl I would imagine. Who knows maybe Ariel gets a kick out of it, I'm just projecting. 3 Link to comment
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