Sofia Vergara recently celebrated her 50th birthday and shared all of the amazing celebrations on her social media accounts. And while Vergara has been a judge on America's Got Talent for the past three seasons, fans still miss her as the stunning, outspoken Gloria Pritchett on Modern Family.
On Modern Family, Gloria was known for her gorgeous looks and the ability to get out of any situation because of her street smarts and suave personality. Before meeting and marrying Jay, Gloria learned a lot during her time as a single mother and grew strength where other characters couldn't. However, as popular and beloved as Gloria was, Reddit had some unpopular opinions about her character.
Gloria Was Shallow
Gloria is known for her outlandish quotes on Modern Family. Some of the things she said could be possible because of her character. Due to her fire and vigor, her lout opinions were always justified because it was simply "just Gloria being Gloria."
Despite coming from nothing and being an immigrant in America, some Redditors found Gloria shallow. Selachimorpha_ wrote, "Jay and Gloria are one of the most shallow people I’ve seen on TV. Ever." Many would say the couple was not shallow but honest about their desires and comforts for a nice lifestyle. Gloria would have been just fine without all of the wealthy comforts that came with Jay, but it was a nice bonus to have them.
Gloria Was Worse Than Claire
Gloria and Claire weren't always the nicest to each other and did some bad things to each other as family members. They both had great things (and not-so-great things) about their characters. However, the consensus is that as amazing as Claire is, her need for control made her a less likable character compared to Gloria.
One Redditor disagreed and found Gloria worse than Claire. "I really can't stand Gloria. I really don't understand how so many hate Claire but give her the right of way (probably because of the looks)," they wrote. The Redditor mentioned Gloria's parenting style, her poor relationship with her sister, and her manipulative personality as reasons for her being worse than Claire.
Her Changing Looks Were Distracting
Although Gloria was one of the more likable characters on Modern Family, some fans were bothered by some of the actresses' transformations throughout the series — including Sofia Vergara's.
Since the Dunphy kids grew up on screens for 11 years, they transformed into beautiful young women. With maturity and independence came their right to alter their looks in any way they saw fit. This, however, didn't sit well with some viewers. SSAppleJack mentioned that it was Gloria's changing looks that distracted them the most. "Gloria too! You could always tell when any of them had something plumped and it always took me out of the scene."
Her "Unrealistic" Final Season
Many fans would say that Gloria's ending on Modern Family was realistic for her character. After raising her kids and being a stay-at-home mom and wife, Gloria wanted something more for herself (just like many stay-at-home-parents who watched the show). In the final seasons, Gloria turned to real estate and found a new passion. She also accepted that she was getting older and many of Jay's complaints were now hers.
ReflectiveRuse told Reddit, "The final scene in the last episode, in which Gloria struggles to get up from a lawn chair beside Jay, was sweet but pretty unrealistic." They went on to say, "In the same vein, the show tried to push that Gloria was growing old with Jay in the last few seasons, but I'm not sure that was really the case." On the other hand, many appreciated Gloria's new transition and felt it brought the couple closer.
Was Gloria Really That Funny?
What made Gloria a hilarious character was her passion for communication. She screamed at things, was dramatic, and took many things personally. She was the perfect addition to the family to spice it up. Many of Moden Family's funniest episodes revolved around her mispronunciation or reactions to situations.
CopperSolids told Reddit that they felt "out of the adult characters [Gloria's] the one that makes me laugh the least." Some fans loved her fiery sense of humor while others missed the hilarity.
Gloria Failed Lily
Since Lily was just an infant in season 1, she had one of the slower transformations on Modern Family. Growing up in a house with Mitch and Cam, many wondered if she was going to be dramatic like Cam or level-headed like Mitchell. To help Lily tap into the feminine she Mitch and Cam felt like Lily lacked, they called Gloria.
As a child, Gloria spent a lot of her free time with Lily and hoped to have a little girl just like her. But as time went by, Gloria and Lily's bond wasn't that strong. SashaLovesPizza explained, "Lily would have sucked less if she’d had more influence from Gloria. Gloria failed Lily. She was so attentive in the beginning but then their relationship just stopped." This is controversial because Gloria wasn't Lily's mom. Lily grew to be a bright and charming girl with and without her influence.
Phil Didn't Have A Crush On Gloria (Like Everyone Thought)
Since the first season, it was increasingly obvious that Phil crushed on Gloria. Although he was a dedicated and loving husband to Claire, it was hard for him to not be mesmerized by someone as stunning as Gloria Pritchett. Claire saw Phil's crush instantly and wasn't phased in the least. She knew the hold Gloria had on men and was secure in her marriage.
However, LipENick didn't think Phil had a crush on Gloria at all. "I don’t think Phil had a crush on Gloria, I do think he was very intimidated since she’s a beautiful woman, and I think the accidental innuendoes is just Phil being Phil."
She Was Cattier Than Cam
It's not a secret that Cam was one of the more dramatic characters on Modern Family who adored gossiping and spreading rumors. He told countless lies to Mitch and he was so talented at storytelling that his family members couldn't ignore the tales he told.
Despite being the more dramatic character, some found Gloria cattier than Cam. "I didn't like her character in the last few seasons...she was a much warmer person in the first seasons then she became kinda b*tchy," Amaraxx wrote. ComicNerd7794 agreed, writing, "She was more bi*chy than people realize. We focus on cam because it’s more blatant but the luke scene showed it."
Was Gloria's Past As Dark As She Led On?
The basis of Gloria's storyline was that she hailed from Colombia, married Jay, and became a US citizen years later. As a newer American, Gloria shed light on her past and how difficult it was growing up in her hometown.
Gloria was also not shy about her dark past and it didn't hurt that it made for a good storyline from time to time. Theyaz_7 wasn't convinced by Gloria's tales, however. "I'm not buying her badass backstory/history from Colombia. I think she exaggerates everything just like she lied to Manny about how smart he was as a kid." This is seen as unpopular because her sister and family members supported Gloria's claims.
Was Gloria A Bad Mom?
Before getting a job in later seasons, Gloria's entire young adulthood was being a good mother to Manny and giving him the life she never had. The two were incredibly close and had sweet moments together.
Gloria was overbearing with Manny (and later Joe) but she was hands-on and affectionate. Despite this, Blankey_Burrito_2021 felt she wasn't as good a mom as she led on. "[Gloria] is a horrible mother. She likes vanity much more than family," they wrote. This was wildly unpopular because there was nothing she wouldn't have done for her kids.