By: Pablo Chignolli. October 27, 2010
The ABC’s show Modern Family is an American comedy television series. The half-hour series is presented in a mockumentary style. The mockumentary follows the families of Jay Pritchett (interpreted by the American actor Ed O’Neill) who is married to a much younger Colombian woman, Gloria (interpreted by the Colombian model and actress Sofia Vergara).
Last Wednesday, October 20th the ABC’s show Modern Family incorporated in its episode number 5, a very offensive expression against the people of Peru and their country. The expression used in the show by the character Gloria was, “like we're Peruvians!” Approximately at the minute 14 of the show a discussion took place between two of the Modern Family’s main characters Jay and Gloria. In the discussion Jay and Gloria were arguing about the neighbors’ dog that Gloria stole and took to her brother’s house:
Jay: don’t forget that stilling is against the law. Now, maybe in Colombia…
Gloria: Oh, here we go, because in Colombia we trip over goats and we kill people in the street!
Gloria: Do you know how offensive that is? Like we're Peruvians!
In her comment “Like we're Peruvian,” Gloria implies that Peruvians travel on goats and also kill people in the streets. This expression was very distasteful to the people of Peru because of two reasons that I will explain a continuation.
First, for those people that does not know Peru is located in South America and neighbors Colombia for the north. Peru has a very large peasant and indigenous population that live in the Andean and Amazonian region. These large populations sometimes use donkeys and horses as a way of transportation or as Gloria would say to “trip”. For centuries, the poor Andean and Amazonian nations of Peru has straggled due to the hardship conditions of the region where they live and because the Peruvian government do not care about them. Because of that to implied that Peruvians travel on goats turns out to be a very demeaning and discriminative expression.
Second, during the 80’s and 90’s Peru has faced the worst political violence in the history of the republic (Truth and Reconciliation). Due to internal conflicts 69,280 people were killed by the terrorist and the military forces. Those assassinations found an end during the 90’s. There are no more killings of that kind in Peru anymore. Peruvians are trying to leave behind those terrible memories as they work on the reconstruction of a new democracy. Because of that to imply that Peruvians kill people in the streets is a very strong and unfair comment.
This article does not pretend to make people learn about Peru and its social and political straggle. On the contrary, this article wants to let people know that we do not need to leave our own country to find out about cruel realities. Also we need to learn more about our own country and its surrounding before talking about other countries. Two example of what some people needs to learn are the following ones. First, Colombia has the highest rate of victims by mines in America and one of the highest in the world (UNICEF, 2007). Second, in the United States according to the analysis Supplementary Homicide Report by the FBI, 433,820 people were murdered in the United States during the years of 1980 and 2000 (US Dept of Justice).
Currently, neither the ABC Channel or any person involve with the show Modern Family has explain why they decided to incorporate such as random comment in the capitol number 5 of the show Modern Family. Also, Neither the ABC Channel or any person involve with the show Modern Family has express their apologies to the people of Peru. Peruvians still very affected by the negative comment launched against them by Modern Family’s character Gloria.
In conclusion, I strongly encourage to everybody to carefully think about how aggressive an expression can be or as Gloria said “Do you know how offensive that is?” and think twice before watching Modern Family again. I also want to address this issue to ABC Channel and all the integrants of the show Modern Family. Learn about the country you are about to talk before making any comments. That may help you to save your integrity as a person and also as a business.
· Modern Family episode number 5:
· Truth and reconciliation
· UNICEF Humanitarian Action: Colombia in 2007
· US Dept of Justice
