A Modern [Family] Misfit

Whether it is riding dragons in Game of Thrones, fighting the dead in The Walking Dead, or solving mysteries in Sherlock, TV shows allow us to experience the life we never had. However, comedy TV shows such as The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family take that a step further by condensing that unfamiliarity into a character, a misfit; and a character like that just makes these comedies a little more humorous…

Gloria Pritchett is a character in Modern Family whose struggles with English and social norms make her a misfit character. Over the course of several seasons, her failure to communicate her thoughts, and often anger, makes the audience laugh. For example, she (barely) made the sound of a helicopter in her Colombian accent when she did not know the word which made her look like a child. Furthermore, when she was angry, she would struggle to find the word to shout and yell in Spanish instead. These instances are rare in the lives of people who never live with someone whose English is his or her second language. As a result, this unfamiliarity conveys humor.

Gloria also struggles to adapt to the American culture. When she was pregnant, she would do things a normal pregnant woman would not do. For example, Gloria promised her husband that they would not fight in front of the baby. However, when she wanted to fight, she yelled at the child to “get out” of her belly. Moreover, she loudly sang into a microphone in her Colombian accent to her baby, which was incredibly annoying. These examples are also very unfamiliar to most audiences because Gloria’s actions are very extreme (no one in their right mind would yell at their baby to “get out”) which creates humor. Because of her different personality, personal background, and attitude, Gloria Pritchett is the definition of a misfit character. Her unpredictable behaviors and struggles with English and social norms make her the perfect comic character.