A 'Real' Modern Family

TV’s Modern Family is so passé. They look so dull and conservative compared to real life modern families. Recently, I met this young man from, let’s not mention the country, who told me about his own modern family. At first, I had problems recognizing who was who, as he went on and on describing them. It was quite complicated.

Let’s call him Benji. He is 21. He has an elder sister and a younger brother. They have the same mother but different fathers. His mother is married to, say John, who is not Benji’s real father, neither is he father to Benji’s step-brother and step-sister. His real father, say, Jack, is in a relationship with another man, an African American. Benji’s father is white. His sister’s father is married to a woman from Korea and they have another adopted daughter, from Japan. His brother’s father is single, hence popular among the siblings, as he spends more time with the children. Benji thinks his brother’s father is gay too or may have a crush on his father. They went out together briefly before Benji’s father met his current partner, who too was earlier married, who has a daughter. Benji has met her. But, according to Benji, she is not forthcoming with the new family.

You wonder why.