Modern Family, ABC’s acclaimed sitcom that ran for 11 seasons, is celebrated for its relatable humor and complex family dynamics. One character who stood at the heart of the series was Julie Bowen’s Claire Dunphy. She is a strong and witty woman who often finds herself juggling the chaos in the family.
However, despite her central role, Claire’s character was frequently underappreciated. It has sparked continuous debate among fans about Modern Family‘s treatment of Claire’s character, particularly in comparison to her co-stars. That narrative even went far in the media.
Modern Family often undermines Julie Bowen’s Claire in her relationship with Phil Dunphy
Played by Ty Burrell, Phil Dunphy, the lovable but often clueless husband, frequently swoons over other women, even in front of her wife Claire, played by Julie Bowen. In the initial seasons, Phil is often shown flirting, especially with Sofia Vergara‘s Gloria, in a way that leaves Claire’s beauty and importance underappreciated.
Although Claire is just as stunning as Gloria and their other co-stars, Modern Family focuses on jokes about Claire’s clothing style and lack of makeup. In addition to this, the show occasionally portrayed Claire as plain-looking after having kids, despite her intelligence. The contrast was even more clear in how Gloria received attention more for her glamorous persona while Claire was portrayed as a mother with a strong personality. For many viewers this undermining value of Claire is unnecessary. People on Reddit even pointed out Phil’s occasional stupid behavior.
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The show doesn’t entirely ignore Phil’s flaws. In an episode where Phil pretends that Gloria is his wife to impress his college rival, it struck him back when the rival insists that he always wanted Claire.
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At that moment, Phil realized how lucky he was to have Claire by his side. Later in the series, Phil admits that he should have appreciated Claire more. On the other hand, the show’s portrayal of the contrast between Gloria and Claire took a new shape in the media and was even criticized by many fans.
Julie Bowen shuts down media’s false rivalry with Sofia Vergara
In 2024, Bowen took to the 90210 MG podcast to address the tabloid rumors that painted her and Vergara as rivals during their time on Modern Family. Bowen shut down these claims, revealing the supportive and respectful relationship they had behind the scenes. She stated,
I felt it on ‘Modern Family.’ The press kept trying to make me and Sofia sort of Betty and Veronica. [They] were determined to pit us against each other, like we hated each other. There’s this scarcity mindset that there’s only one woman that can be happy at a time.
Far from the drama she shared she loved Vergara and appreciated their differences. “I was like, Oh no, I love Sofía. I love how different we are. She is funny and self-effacing and bawdy and she loves life,” Bowen remarked, adding that she learned so much from Vergara about being “a really powerful completely herself woman.”
Bowen expressed disappointment in the way the media portrayed a false narrative, “That’s so crazy; that’s just so ridiculous.” Her candid comments shed light on the reality behind the Modern Family set, which doesn’t satisfy the media-manufactured drama.
Modern Family is available to stream on Hulu.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
