How Modern Family’s Phil Made The “Uncool Dad” Trope Pretty Cool

Happy Fathers Day! On Modern Family, we know that Phil Dunphy isn’t "cool" from episode one. It’s reinforced over and over again that he’s incredibly nerdy, with slightly weird interests and goofy tendencies. And yet over 11 seasons, we come to agree with him. He might not be cool; but he is a cool dad. So here are Phil Dunphy’s seven lessons on how to ace parenting – by making it fun, gentle, and packed with ‘Phils-osophy’.

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CHAPTERS
00:00 The best Phil's-osophy lessons are...
00:55 Embrace your inner nerd
01:51 Always be present
03:27 Be serious but open
06:08 Perfect your peerenting
07:09 Learn from your experiences
08:41 Be optimistic
09:28 Work out what's best for your family
10:42 A new TV dad

CREDITS
Executive Producers: Debra Minoff & Susannah McCullough
Chief Creative Director: Susannah McCullough
Associate Producer: Tyler Allen
Writer: Ellie Slee
Narrator: Jessica Babineaux
Video Editor: Dan Wolff

[alirehman]

just the fact that he was trending on Twitter on Father's day literally tells you how great of a character and best father Ty Burell's Phil Dunphy is.

[audreytheausllyologist]

I always loved Phil Dunphy. He wasn’t the brightest character on the show, but he was always so dorky, empathetic, and well-meaning. He cared so much for his family and he always wanted to help other people.

[Danyx]

The speech he gave to Haley when she said she felt like a failure because she dropped out of college and she didn't know what to do with her life is truly outstanding. I too was a dropout, but I didn't get the same affection and comprehension from my family. I think that scene alone sums up the beauty of Phil's character.

[_The_Archive_]

Fun Fact: In the Dunphy kitchen set, Ariel Winter (Alex) and Nolan Gould (Luke) marked their height measurements across the years on a wall.

[chrissiem]

I feel there should be special mention of Phil's relationship with his own dad. I love how Frank and Phil's relationship is TOTALLY a blueprint for Phil and his kids, especially Luke ❤

[LivelyLinnea]

What i love about Phil is that he's also so fiercely protective and can set real boundaries when their kids take it too far. I feel like a prime example is when the family find out Hayley and Andy have been sleeping together despite Andy being engaged. How Phil takes Andy to the side, and lays it out for him that sneaking around isn't ok and that Andy needs to end it with either Hayley or Beth. Idk that moment just stuck with me. When he saw Hayley and Andy doing something really stupid that will eventually blow up in their faces and will only hurt people, he stepped up and made sure that this isn't okay and they needed to set things right. No jokes. Just clear boundaries.

[trinaq]

My favourite Phil episode was definitely "The Godfather" parody, in which he helps to solve all of the family's dilemmas. He may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but he does his best to fight for his clan.

[JaslynFellows]

Phil was a great dad and a good husband, but he got on my nerves. The trope I would like to see talked about is the “spare child” husband. The husband that is often goofy and clueless about things in his own life, especially in his household. So much so, that his wife has to treat him like an additional child in the family. This often makes the mother seem uptight and controlling but she’s understandably frustrated because she can’t rely on her husband to take away from her plate, he just adds to it.

[raveenasavadi]

Phil is an amazing father and husband but I have no idea why the writers wrote his weird relationship with Gloria. It is disgusting to be that lustful to your father-in-law’s wife.

[nduwaraThisa]

Phil Dunphy is the dad I want to be someday.

[Aaron-kjdv]

Phil and Cam were the most fleshed out and well rounded characters and Jay and Gloria had the best character development

[MyBrainDontWork]

I'm not crying... you're crying...
But seriously, watching this knowing I had a biological father and a step father who were both emotionless automatons who never gave me more than a passing glance... I legit broke down into a crying mess.

Happy Father's Day!

[heyidaroo]

What’s also so refreshing about Phil is he isn’t a bare minimum dad. Too many dads are hyper-praised by doing the bare minimum in parenting, like changing ONE diaper or taking the kids to the movies once, but not helping with homework, cleaning, or boundary setting.

Phil is THERE! What he said to Hayley after her breakup with Dylan was what I needed to hear at 16.

[jewanghan]

also, the moment he flustered because haley losing her virginity was not because he thought haley supposed to be the perfect virgin girl, it was because she was grew up too fast to his liking, he did the same with like and alex, but he acknowledged it was a part of growing up (when he said "whatever seems right to you" to haley)

[witchplease]

Goofy, loving dads who are only serious about their families are the best dads, in both fiction and reality. Phil is like a more exaggerated and white version of my dad, who alongside my mom raised my siblings and I to be unapologetically ourselves. I saw myself in his relationship with both Haley and Alex.

[lucypreece]

One thing I just realised is the way Phil spoke to his children adapted and changed as they grew up because he realised that speaking to a grown adult the same way you speak to a child is ridiculous. My own father realised this. He knows that his two children are grown up adult children. Phil doesn't treat his children like children but he does treat them like his children if that makes sense. He gives them tough love when needed and a shoulder to cry on when needed but he respects them as whole people understands that they are whole people with their own thoughts and feelings and ideas and likes and dislikes and opinions. Good dads grow and adapt their parenting styles as their children grow up. Shame my mother never did this. She expects me to still be a teenager that she can influence and brainwash into becoming like her.

[VickiLovesDoctorWho]

Phil is the dad I wish I had 🥺 Everyone deserves a Phil in their life

[Aaron-kjdv]

Some of these comments saying hes like a child or nit a present father are so weird and deranged.

He was self employed and ran his own successful real estate company, was always attentive to his children's emotions and was always "seducing" his wife.

I think the hate comments maybe didn't even watch the show or are bringing their own baggage into the comment section because even though he isn't perfect 99% of women would love to have a husband like him and 100% of children would love to have a father like him.

[keranhuang]

Phil also fits into the awful cool dad trope of letting the wife parent them (give them chores instead of actively participating in childcare and chores)

[pikachick]

The best parenting moment from Phil was when he called Haley out for her immature behavior when she got arrested. Haley was now an adult (or an adult environment) and she needs to own up to her mistakes and she has to understand that her actions affect others