(Insert Institute)
“Modern Family,” is an American sitcom on the ABC network that debuted in 2009. Presented in a documentary style, it entails the normal television acting and that of the cast members talking straight into the camera. The sitcom revolves around the lives of Jay Pritchett, his young wife Gloria, his stepson Manny, and his two grown children, Claire and Mitchell, and their families.
“Modern Family” came into development as a family show. Its intended audience is the family – grandparents, parents, and children. The intended audience also includes young children and great grandparents. It intends to capture the attention of simple and extended family audiences to enable their joint viewing and enjoyment. By subtly incorporating sex jokes, and obvious juvenile jokes, the entire family audience is not isolated from viewership.
The show has managed to construct its intended audience. The developers of the show have achieved the objective of structuring “Modern Family” as a family show. Since it aims at capturing the family across all ages, the cast members in the show represent all members of its intended audience. Audiences of the older generation, like grandparents, can understand Jay’s closed-down personality and his reluctance to display openly his emotions. They can also relate to his strictness towards every family issue. Parents, as members of the intended audience, can relate to the challenges and difficulties that come with parenting. They can also appreciate the joys of parenting as depicted by parents in the show. Teenagers and younger children can relate to Hailey, Alex, Luke, and Manny. They can also appreciate the authenticity of the show and laugh at the shenanigans their parents get into in the midst of parenting.
In addition to the subtle sex jokes, absence of violence and curse words, “Modern Family” has steered clear of contentious topics, like religion and politics. This has not only enabled it to create an intended audience, but has also helped the show to retain this audience. Consequently, the intended audience does not split because of the jokes portrayed in the show. This tactic of audience construction is evident in how Mitchell and Cameron’s same-sex relationship is depicted void of any blatant political statements. Additionally, immigrants and couples with huge age differences can easily relate to the show due to the absence of common stereotypes about their lives. By narrating day-to-day problems and achievements affecting any kind of contemporary family, the intended audience is able to relate to the show’s authenticity. People with divergent opinions learn to appreciate and accept the differences that exist in the world.
The intended target market of “Modern Family” is every individual who believes in, and belongs to a contemporary family. In the show, a contemporary family can take up different unique dimensions; however, retain the same conventional family image of a married couple with children. Reasonably, the target market mainly comprises of people aged between eighteen and fifty years of age.
The intended target market would be interested in the show because of its dedication to lives of people within modern conventional families. The Dunphy family is a perfect representation of a conventional family. Each member plays their expected roles, with the children constantly fighting and the parents acting as a disciplinary committee. In the pilot episode, Mitchell and Cameron wish to fulfill their lives by adopting a child. This displays the conventional family that paints children as the key ingredient in a marriage. Younger adults would be interested in the show due to the depiction of families that are weirder and crazier than their own. Targeting older adults is solely because they can relate to the process of bringing up a family as depicted by parents in the show.
References
Feiler, B. (2011, January 21). The New York Times. Retrieved from The New York Times Web site: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/fashion/23THISLIFE.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Robertson, A. (2011, October 24). Media, Culture, Faith. Retrieved from Media, Culture, Faith Web site: http://mediaculturefaith.blogspot.com/2011/10/modern-family-sets-tone-for- comedy-on.html
Sireyes. (2012, January 17). Rhetoric and Pop Culture. Retrieved from Rhetoric and Pop Culture Web site: http://rhetoricandpopularculture.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/the-emmy-award- winning-modern-family/
