Current Events > Is Phil Dunphy from Modern Family the best t.v. dad?

Topic List
Page List: 1
dameon_reaper
07/24/25 8:30:27 PM
#1:


I don't think I've ever liked a t.v. dad like him. In my viewing, I just keep saying "I wish he was my dad." He's also a lot different from the dads I've seen in other sitcoms, which is a breath of fresh air.
... Copied to Clipboard!
Vegy
07/24/25 8:31:20 PM
#2:


Da dad in boy meets world

Or Red from dat 70s show

---
https://i.imgur.com/EoGWPMu.gif https://i.imgur.com/dWmUFeV.gif
https://i.imgur.com/xpoEaeu.gif
... Copied to Clipboard!
Ivany2008
07/24/25 8:32:02 PM
#3:


Carl Winslow
... Copied to Clipboard!
hmnut7
07/24/25 8:33:57 PM
#4:


Uncle Phil

---
Starfire: "They are too numerous to fight. What shall we do?"
Robin: "Fight anyway!" (pb)
... Copied to Clipboard!
DrizztLink
07/24/25 8:48:20 PM
#5:


Heart's in the right place but the brain doesn't always follow it there.

Main thing holding him back.

---
He/Him http://guidesmedia.ign.com/guides/9846/images/slowpoke.gif https://i.imgur.com/M8h2ATe.png
https://i.imgur.com/6ezFwG1.png
... Copied to Clipboard!
BlueBoy675
07/24/25 8:51:37 PM
#6:


hmnut7 posted...
Uncle Phil


---
Hope rides alone
... Copied to Clipboard!
Smashingpmkns
07/24/25 8:52:40 PM
#7:


Homer Simpson

---
http://i.imgur.com/x04tPRZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/t7T392I.jpg
... Copied to Clipboard!
DevilSummoner
07/24/25 8:53:28 PM
#8:


Hal

---
all times and music eastern
... Copied to Clipboard!
dameon_reaper
07/24/25 8:55:48 PM
#9:


Vegy posted...
Da dad in boy meets world

Or Red from dat 70s show

Alan had too many issues with his parenting, tbh. Especially when it came to anyone but Eric.

Red was fine, but he's the classic 70s dad and I hated the way he treated his son. His favoritism was too much.

At least Phil tries best for all of his kids and they love him and aren't afraid to show that. Most of the time, the father isn't affectionate or tries to not care and that bothers me.
... Copied to Clipboard!
SuperExcitebike
07/24/25 8:56:26 PM
#10:


Coach Taylor in Friday Night Lights

---
2024 Movie Ranking
https://boxd.it/td54q
... Copied to Clipboard!
mercurydude
07/24/25 8:58:42 PM
#11:


hmnut7 posted...
Uncle Phil

That hug scene. I get emotional just thinking about it.

---
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes, 'cause then you really might know what it's like to have to choose. - Everlast
... Copied to Clipboard!
McmadnessV3
07/24/25 9:00:15 PM
#12:


Uncle Phil was the best dad for a guy he wasn't even related to by blood. If that doesn't make a great parent I don't know what does.

---
Thank you for taking the time to read this sig.
This sig loves you.
... Copied to Clipboard!
ItsNotA2Mer
07/24/25 9:04:06 PM
#13:


Steven Keaton - Family Ties

---
It's not the cough that carries you off, it's the coffin they carry you off in.
(He/Him).
... Copied to Clipboard!
archizzy
07/24/25 9:09:00 PM
#14:


As dumb as this sounds most of the dads I found from tv shows growing up were too wholesome. The old stuff like Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows best. Even stuff from the 80's like Family Ties and Growing Pains the dads were just way too clean cut and borderline perfect.

Don't get me wrong I didn't grow up in dysfunction or anything and my dad was awesome but my dad was more like Dan Connor on Roseanne. Hard working guy that would crack jokes and wore jeans and flannel and was blue collar. I just wasn't used to the suit and sweater wearing dads that seemed uptight to me.

---
PSN ID: sled_dogs76
60" Pioneer Kuro Elite PRO151FD, Yamaha RX-V3900 A/V Receiver, Oppo DV983-H player. Coming soon: 2 Seaton Submersives from Mark Seaton
... Copied to Clipboard!
1NfamousACE_2
07/24/25 9:14:45 PM
#15:


Al Bundy

---
Brady will never receive a HOF vote. He has been blackballed for cheating. - DeadCellReborn
... Copied to Clipboard!
lilhurk1985187
07/24/25 9:58:19 PM
#16:


Al Bundy is better as is Cliff Huxtable, Carl Winslow, Phillip Banks.

---
When the people of a society agree that sacrificing a child is acceptable collateral damage then it has
become a society that's not worth saving.
... Copied to Clipboard!
W_S_C_M
07/24/25 11:09:46 PM
#17:


Dexter
... Copied to Clipboard!
McMarbles
07/24/25 11:12:40 PM
#18:


Bandit Heeler wins.

---
Currently playing: Tales of Graces f (Switch)
Never befriend a man in sandals and always measure twice, cut once.
... Copied to Clipboard!
Compsognathus
07/24/25 11:19:14 PM
#19:


Keith Mars

---
1 line break(s), 160 characters allowed
... Copied to Clipboard!
Crushed515151
07/24/25 11:21:37 PM
#20:


SuperExcitebike posted...
Coach Taylor in Friday Night Lights

this or dunphy.

---
Stop, Drop, And Roll Does Not Work In Hell-By the End of Tonight
... Copied to Clipboard!
El_Marsh
07/24/25 11:26:39 PM
#21:


McmadnessV3 posted...
Uncle Phil was the best dad for a guy he wasn't even related to by blood. If that doesn't make a great parent I don't know what does.
I'd argue the same for Carl Winslow. When it became the Steve Urkel show, I feel like the Winslows basically adopted him (their neighbor and a clumsy suitor of their older daughter; hey, remember when there was a younger one too? ) and although Laura x Steve was the most recurring dynamic, I think Carl's mentorship and acceptance of the awkward ass Urkel was perhaps the strongest dynamic on the show. I he had REALLY wanted Steve to stay away, he'd have enacted it. (And of course there'd have been no show, as the writers would have had to have actually tried to make plots that weren't "Ukel does wacky/awkward/charming thing).

---
https://i.imgur.com/RPUuSll.gifv
... Copied to Clipboard!
Trumble
07/25/25 12:53:59 AM
#22:


Hes definitely up there. Bob Belcher is another good candidate.

---
(2025-02-24) Not changing my sig until I feel like it.
... Copied to Clipboard!
voldothegr8
07/25/25 12:56:32 AM
#23:


1NfamousACE_2 posted...
Al Bundy
The man scored 4 touchdowns in 1 game.

---
THE Ohio State: 14-2 National CHAMPIONS | Las Vegas Raiders: 4-13
... Copied to Clipboard!
Sariana21
07/25/25 2:05:18 AM
#24:


Not even the best dad in that show, who is Jay.

---
___
Sari, Mom to DS (07/04) and DD (01/08); Pronouns: she/her/hers
... Copied to Clipboard!
Trumble
07/25/25 3:27:50 AM
#25:


Sariana21 posted...
Not even the best dad in that show, who is Jay.
Jay is fictional-good. Phil is realistic-good.

Wait, no, Im mixing the names of. I was thinking of okay, now I cant even remember his name. The fat guy in the gay couple. I wanna say his name was Cam but Im far from certain on that. Though Jay was definitely not a bad father either, especially by stepfather standards. (Assuming Im remembering correctly that Jay was Mannys stepdads name?)

---
(2025-02-24) Not changing my sig until I feel like it.
... Copied to Clipboard!
WrestlinFan
07/25/25 3:48:05 AM
#26:


Mike Heck from the middle is my favorite. RIP his cat

---
Trying to burn the bridges to a culture that taught us to hate and fear and live like cogs in a machine and not like lovers, friends, and kin.
... Copied to Clipboard!
Hexenherz
07/25/25 3:58:00 AM
#27:


1NfamousACE_2 posted...
Al Bundy
came to unironically post this
he didn't have much, including parenting skills, but he somehow still was always there for his family even when they took everything from him constantly.

---
RS3: UltimaSuende - CE Thread Zone
https://letterboxd.com/BMovieBro/
... Copied to Clipboard!
MotaroRIP619
07/25/25 4:21:27 AM
#28:


Captain Sisko from DS9 for me.
... Copied to Clipboard!
hmnut7
07/25/25 6:01:55 AM
#29:


MotaroRIP619 posted...
Captain Sisko from DS9 for me.
As far as Star Trek Dads go he's by far the best, but he was a pretty bad dad... cool but bad.

---
Starfire: "They are too numerous to fight. What shall we do?"
Robin: "Fight anyway!" (pb)
... Copied to Clipboard!
pegusus123456
07/25/25 6:07:00 AM
#30:


hmnut7 posted...
As far as Star Trek Dads go he's by far the best, but he was a pretty bad dad... cool but bad.
What'd Sisko do?

---
https://i.imgur.com/Er6TT.gif https://i.imgur.com/Er6TT.gif https://i.imgur.com/Er6TT.gif
So? I deeded to some gay porn. It doesn't mean anything. - Patty_Fleur
... Copied to Clipboard!
saspa
07/25/25 6:43:55 AM
#31:


Dang he must have had a profound effect on you if you wished he was your dad. Modern Family is a great show that I enjoyed, all 11 seasons of it, and the cast is a big part of that. Phil is a favorite of mine too

As someone who grew up on family sitcoms that primarily featured fat unlikable oafs for dads with unrealistically attractive wives that they didn't deserve, it was nice to see the ones like Phil from Modern Family or Hal from Malcolm in the Middle.

---
http://i.imgur.com/0UFI0T9.jpg
... Copied to Clipboard!
jcmason
07/25/25 8:17:35 AM
#32:


The thing that I always disliked about Phil, at least for the first half of that series, was how much he intentionally lied to his wife and aggressively sabotaged her. They had this weirdly competitive, rather than collaborative, dynamic that made him come off like an asshole.

They pulled it back in the later seasons, but early on he was a real piece of shit for a partner. This extended to making him a shitty dad from time to time, as he would step all over his wife to let the kids do stuff that she didn't want them to do, so that he could be a cool dad. Its shrugged off in the show, but that kind of stuff is pretty bad in real life.

---
https://join.worldcommunitygrid.org?recruiterId=545336
i9-12900KF|Z690-F|12GB 3080 RTX|64GB DDR5|2TB NVMe
... Copied to Clipboard!
lilORANG
07/25/25 8:31:26 AM
#33:


Yeah, it's Alan Matthews. He was the most realistic. Not a morning like most sitcom dads. Good heart but made mistakes. Pretty cool guy overall

---
Science and Algorithms
... Copied to Clipboard!
dameon_reaper
07/25/25 9:29:22 AM
#34:


Sariana21 posted...
Not even the best dad in that show, who is Jay.

You must have been remembering correctly because this might be my first viewing but Jay had to do a lot of evolving in the series to be a good father. He had to fix a lot of mistakes he made. Phil is supportive of his whole family and doesn't chide them for their decisions. There's times where I feel bad for him...

jcmason posted...
The thing that I always disliked about Phil, at least for the first half of that series, was how much he intentionally lied to his wife and aggressively sabotaged her. They had this weirdly competitive, rather than collaborative, dynamic that made him come off like an asshole.

They pulled it back in the later seasons, but early on he was a real piece of shit for a partner. This extended to making him a shitty dad from time to time, as he would step all over his wife to let the kids do stuff that she didn't want them to do, so that he could be a cool dad. Its shrugged off in the show, but that kind of stuff is pretty bad in real life.

Like you said, it was fairly competitive. She was the same way, if not worse. Some of the things I've noticed was how she'd sometimes goad him into it.

Trumble posted...
Jay is fictional-good. Phil is realistic-good.

Wait, no, Im mixing the names of. I was thinking of okay, now I cant even remember his name. The fat guy in the gay couple. I wanna say his name was Cam but Im far from certain on that. Though Jay was definitely not a bad father either, especially by stepfather standards. (Assuming Im remembering correctly that Jay was Mannys stepdads name?)

He eventually treated Manny better but he was always complaining about Manny's hobbies, and he didn't fully support Mitchell coming out, and treated Claire's husband terribly for no reason. Phil never gave him a reason to, he just didn't like him. I'd say that Jay isn't that good of a father. Most of the time he has to fix the mistakes he's caused.
... Copied to Clipboard!
Kaldrenthebold
07/25/25 9:38:02 AM
#35:


Phil creeps on Gloria way too much and is overall a bit creepy.

---
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u223/chocolateFRESH/arts/kraid.png - Thanks GP cosmonaut!
http://i.imgur.com/TuJWAR8.jpg
... Copied to Clipboard!
saspa
07/25/25 10:02:29 AM
#36:


jcmason posted...
The thing that I always disliked about Phil, at least for the first half of that series, was how much he intentionally lied to his wife and aggressively sabotaged her. They had this weirdly competitive, rather than collaborative, dynamic that made him come off like an asshole.

They pulled it back in the later seasons, but early on he was a real piece of shit for a partner. This extended to making him a shitty dad from time to time, as he would step all over his wife to let the kids do stuff that she didn't want them to do, so that he could be a cool dad. Its shrugged off in the show, but that kind of stuff is pretty bad in real life.

I thought you were gonna say what you disliked is how annoyingly creepy Phil was around Gloria, which makes part of season 1 less enjoyable to rewatch. I think they abandoned it by season 2 so that's something, but boy it was just so frustrating to watch back in the day and only more so with time.

---
http://i.imgur.com/0UFI0T9.jpg
... Copied to Clipboard!
Topic List
Page List: 1