Throughout Modern Family’s: Season 3, Episode 19-- “Election Day,” written by Christopher Lloyd, gender roles are shown to restrict what people consider proper or appropriate, socially and mentally. Gender roles are restrictive, from a social standpoint, and must be expanded to allow less push-back from groups. The episode also suggests that when people try to expand them, they receive discrimination from others who attempt to impose traditional gender roles. The “push-back” that is given is part of the learning process that allows for gender roles to expand. Ultimately, the show portrays gender roles as something of much-needed change, but, in the short term, will be hard to achieve and will come with lots of problems.
One way “Election Day” shows how gender roles are defined is through the usage of certain words, adding to the common idea: gender roles in society. The female candidate’s father says,¨I mean, we know that votings a privilege, but for my daughter to have her name on that ballot, it just means so much more.¨ (Modern Family: ¨Election Day,¨ line 91) When he says ¨my daughter,¨ it shows that he is proud and comfortable supporting the female candidate, even though she is going against “traditional¨ roles in society. He uses
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This is very apparent when someone announces the winner, saying, ¨Your Councilman, the honorable Duane Bailey.¨ (Modern Family: ¨Election Day,¨ line 245) When one of the characters says, “Your Councilman” it seems like a slap in the face to the woman candidate. By saying “Your,” he implies he is working for the people, but in a sense also coming off as almost mocking. The person speaking uses a tone that is not exciting, like you would expect when addressing a winner. Together, this shows how discrimination based on breaking gender roles can come with its own set of