It's more ironic than anything. In Married With Children Al always lusted for a hot young wife with big hooters, no singing talent and could cook.
And he got that "wish" fulfilled, in a way. I'm sure that irony wasn't lost with Ed or the creators.
Jay is more sophisticated than Al. But both seem to have a sarcastic wit abut them, and both aren't emotional. And thy do both love their families. With Al it was somewhere deep deep inside but he did love them all. There was this episode where Al's car was stolen and all he wanted back was a picture of the family.
That's all I can think about concerning similarities.

Characters are nothing alike, and O'neill plays really different Married with Children is one of my favs and I sometimes forget he was Al Bundy while watching this.

This message has been deleted.

"Loves his family"? Pathetic troll. Not seen on the show too often. Al and Jay ARE similar.

Could you even imagine Al Bundy in the same room as Manny Delgado? He'd bring him to tears.

Al Bundy was a sarcastic loser who hated his family. Jay is a good guy who loves his family. The two characters couldn't be more different.

The only times I've seen flashes of Al Bundy is when Jay laughs out loud during one of those interviews with the camera. At that point, it's only the actor coming through.

There is no way a guy like Al Bundy could mature THAT much, even in 10 years. Al Bundy was around 50 at the end of MWC. I don't think a 50-year-old could change his beliefs and behavior that drastically.

This message has been deleted.

I think they are two different characters. Al was the underdog that you could root for but he was also a bad husband and father. Jay may make a few mistakes but he is all about his family. And example would be Al would take his son to a nudy bar and get in a fight to bond with him. Jay takes Manny to help him get into a prep school and lets him know he is proud of him. Al would beat up all of his daughters boyfriends, but Jay would learn to appreciate his daughters husband.
Also on a different note I would take someone that looked like Peggy over Gloria.
Come visit my
blackrosecastle.com
stephentheblackroseenterprises.com

I like Jay and Al both, but when I'm watching either I never think about the other charachter, I think Ed plays them really different
.

I agree. I like both shows and both characters, but Al Bundy and Jay Pritchett are total opposites. Jay has his own funny character traits to make him interesting, but he is not like Al Bundy at all. Al Bundy was a hilarious character, but that character would not fit Modern Family.

Oh, no if you ask me, they're very different. Al was pretty much HORRIBLE. Let's see: he was intolerant, close-minded, rude to women (especially fat women) and well, just plain nasty most of the times. He was always being mean to everyone, he hated life, he didn't take care of his children and he felt no shame. He wasn't succesful, he didn't have any goals in life and he certainly showed no interest in other people's feeling. Yes, he clearly had his moments of kindness, but most of the times, he was horrible to everyone.
Jay is a mature guy who struggles with a few things that make him different from the rest of the characters on the show. Clearly, he is not as open-minded as the others, but he has a possitive attitude towards the other. He has shown affection and interest in his family, he came around with his son's sexual orientation and he's very affectionate to Manny, as if he was his own son. Also, Jay seems to be succesful in his business since he owns a really nice house, which wasn't Al's case.
I think Jay is way nicer than Al. If "Marriedwith Children" was still on tv, I'm sure Al would be even MORE horrible than he was when the show started.
"I really felt quite distressed at not receiving an invitation" - Maleficent

ThomasMuf, I don't think you were condescending enough.

This message has been deleted.

Yes, and in The Searchers, John Wayne was a cowboy in Texas. In Stagecoach, he was a cowboy in Arizona.

I snap my fingers in a Z formation!

Welcome to the land of shut your mouth.

Welcome to the land of no imagination.
Al Bundy and Jay Pritchett are completely different, even opposite characters, and O'Neill plays them differently. If you don't see that, you're dumb.

By analogy, then Kelly would be the neurotic blonde housewife and Bud the gay son who finally came out of the closet. Makes sense.

I agree. It's as if he divorced Peggy; therefore, Al became utterly successful and remarried a super hot South American woman with huge, luscious hooters. Sofia Vergara is one fine 40 yr old seenyoura. Anyway, it's almost as if he fulfilled the prophecy that he'd find a big hootered Oriental woman with big 'uns and no vocal cords who could fry a steak like a Texan.