ABC's Modern Family

Family. It’s a simple enough concept that’s definitely been done before. From The Brady Bunch to Family Guy, people have been making shows with this theme for some time now. Modern Family, on the other hand, takes the simple idea of family life and upgrades it to a much more hilarious and entirely new level.

Created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, the show airs on ABC Wednesday nights at 9 pm. The show features an older man (played by Ed O’Neill) by the name of Jay who has divorced and remarried a beautiful Columbian woman named Gloria (played by Sofia Vergara). Together they are attempting to raise her pre-teen son, Manny (Rico Rodriguez), whose emotions frequently get the better of him. The other families we follow throughout the season consist of a gay couple with an adopted Vietnamese daughter, Lily, and another (seemingly) normal family led by Phil (Ty Burrell) and Claire (Julie Bowen) with their three children. It seems like it would be a lot to try and follow, but after a few episodes you’ll be so immersed in the lives of these families that you won’t even be thinking about the somewhat complicated family tree.

                In the most recent episode, titled ‘Manny Get Your Gun’, the first scene shows Manny standing up at the head of a dinner table giving a speech to an ungrateful audience for his birthday. He politely thanks them all for coming, but says that he, on the other hand, was almost unable to make it due to a sudden realization that he had “skipped over his childhood”. We then travel back to 30 minutes before the birthday dinner and watch the pre-events unfold. Basically, the entire episode is based on each family getting ready to go to Manny’s party. It doesn’t sound riveting, or exciting in any way. After all, how funny can these situations be? Despite popular belief, the answer is this: pretty damn funny.

                While Manny is busy making prank phone calls (Is See-More Butts there?) and trying to recapture his “youth”, his mom and step-dad are fighting over why Gloria always seems to misplace things. The Dunphy’s (Claire and Phil) are fighting over which parent is the “cool” parent and discussing their upcoming weekend at family camp. Mitchell and his partner are fighting (yes, controversy is a definite theme here) about him not being spontaneous enough, which ends with him breaking out into dance in the middle of an outdoor mall as part of a “flash mob”. Surprise!

                The show can very obviously be compared to The Office. The main characters are delightfully politically incorrect and oblivious. Ty Burrell’s character, Phil, is incredibly similar to The Office’s Michael Scott. Their not-so-witty comebacks and non-subtle pleas for attention are identical. Even their gestures and facial expressions strike up similarities. People may say that this could detract from Modern Family’s originality, but Michael and Phil do have a few things that separate their identities, the most important being that they’re written into entirely different situations.

                Modern Family is a great sitcom to get into if you’re looking for a lot of genuine laughter. The only thing about this sitcom that will upset you is the fact that it’s only on for 30 minutes at a time.  

Aqua: An Architectural Beauty

Upon walking up to the new Aqua building in Chicago, one’s first thought can be summed-up in one simple three-letter word: Wow. This spectacular skyscraper has a lot to say, and it’s not in the least bit afraid to say it.

This massive endeavor began in 2006, and was finished 4 years later in 2010. Designed by architect Jeanne Gang with Studio Gang Architects, it is known as the tallest building in the United States that was designed by an architecture firm led by a woman. It is located in The Loop area of Chicago at 225 N. Columbus Drive, and was given its water-themed name, Aqua, in order to keep with the nautical concepts of the buildings in the surrounding area (such as The Tides and The Shoreham). However, Aqua manages to dramatically out-shine its neighbor structures despite its similarly categorized choice of name. The aquatic theme makes perfect sense, seeing as the structure is located by both the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.  With a shocking total of 82 floors, Aqua is a massive architectural feat. Floors 1-18 are designated for hotel residents, and 19-80 are residential apartments and condominiums. And as if its accomplishments aren’t abundant enough, it is also the first building in Chicago to have electric car charging stations. Amazed yet?

                Well, there’s more. The structure itself is made up of hundreds of curvy concrete panels, each one unique, seemingly “stacked” one on top of the other. Small, square windows peek through on each side, resembling water puddled in between raised areas of wet sand. It seems as if the building is almost one large, rippling wave, flowing in the wind. It stands out marvelously from its surrounding buildings, such as the Fairmont Hotel Chicago directly across the street. Aqua simply has more character. Staring up at the huge structure, it seems almost as if it were molded out of clay by a sculptor on an enormous spin wheel. But whatever you choose to compare it to, there’s no denying its awe-inspiring beauty.

                The only criticism that this amazing building brings to mind is the fact that it’s so aware of its own amazingness. Plastered all across the main level windows are signs stating that the Aqua has been “Voted the best skyscraper in the world.” And it doesn’t just say it once, it says it multiple times. We get it already. Why not let us “ooh” and “aah” and construct our own opinions on the subject? We’ll probably end up coming to the same conclusion, but it’s simply unnecessary to pummel us with the fact.

                Standing next to this spectacular structure, you might find yourself feeling a bit “blown away”. And it’s not just due to the fact that you’re in one of the windiest cities in the country, either. The designers of the Aqua set out to create something different, beautiful, and inspiring, and they more than accomplished their goal. So next time you’re wandering around Chicago, be sure to stop by North Columbus Street. Your neck will definitely start to ache from craning upward to stare at this massive skyscraper, but frankly, you won’t mind.