"Friends" is some problematic garbage

[CrazyAndy]

So? Do you and your frinds really think it's funny that someone likes a thing that was "made for" the opposite gender?

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Probably depends what exactly it is. But yeah. For example, Ross wearing a women's shirt is funny.

 

[nekkid]

Probably depends what exactly it is. But yeah. For example, Ross wearing a women's shirt is funny.

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"See? ALL EYES ON ME"

Yeah that shit is funny.

 

[CrazyAndy]

Joey: Dude, I really don't think you should be wearing that.

Ross: Oh, I see. Somebody's afraid of a little competition with the ladies?

Joey: Looks like someone IS the ladies!


I love this show.

 

[Stiflers Mom]

Just rewatching it with my gf, now in season 4.
I think it's still as funny as it was back in the 90ies.
Off course it's white twenty somethings problems, and a lot of the humor is problematic these days.

But I think there are really worse offenders...

 

[Staf]

Probably depends what exactly it is. But yeah. For example, Ross wearing a women's shirt is funny.

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God i love Ross.

 

[The Wanna B Writer]

Hey, I realize I'm a little late to the party, but I just started to go through all the seasons of "Friends" a little while ago (I'm in season 6 now), after only ever seeing a handful of episodes in re-runs.

First off, I must confess that I'm a trans person, and I haven't been out long, so I may be a little sensitive to this kind of thing. That said, "Friends", while having its funny moment(s) (pretty much just Ross' teeth whitening), is some problematic garbage.

1: All-out transphobia: When Ross has to apply Rachel's makeup due to an injury, he goes a little overboard. Think of the makeup shotgun from the Simpsons. After she sees herself in the mirror, she says something like "This looks FINE, I'll just be sitting in the back of the room with the TRANSSEXUAL!" Laugh track goes NUTS. Chandler's "dad" is a TRANS WOMAN, with a woman's name, living as a woman, but is CONSTANTLY being dead named and misgendered, up to and including jokes like "Don't you have a bit too much penis to wear a dress like that?" Hilarious!

2: Homophobia: Heaven forbid any of the guys accidentally touch each other or have to open up about feelings. I'm surprised they don't all yell "NO HOMO!" After making eye contact. There's a running joke about Chandler's sexuality - he may be gay because Monica and him make potpourri sachets! It KILLS Ross that his son Ben may like to play with Barbie dolls. Ross having married a lesbian - and the lesbian couple themselves - are played for the cheapest sad-sack laughs.

3. Toxic masculinity: All of the above kind of fits in this spot, but there's more. Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe are allowed to entertain thought experiments like "Which of the other women in the group would I date?" When the men are asked the same thing about them, everyone refuses to answer except for - you guessed it! Chandler says "Joey!" and the other two back up because they don't want to catch his queerness. And the way the show plays off the objectification of women for laughs is completely messed up. There are a few "Hey, women aren't objects… JUST KIDDING!!" jokes, and they're all terrible.

But one of the worst to me —

4. PLAYING OFF FEMALE-TO-MALE DOMESTIC ABUSE FOR LAUGHS. Joey dates a girl played by Punk Brewster, and her thing is that she is constantly "playfully" punching Joey as hard as she can. When Joey expresses this to the group, EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. Lines up to gaslight him and tell him to "man up". This isn't funny now and I can't even believe it was "funny" then.

I know that I've left out so many examples, and I want to hear them. Before anyone asks why I'm still watching it, well, I often have it on in the background, and at this point I'm pretty much doing it to see how fucking terrible it gets. I can't believe anyone genuinely, un-ironically loved this show - FOR TEN SEASONS. Is the fact that it's terrible, problematic garbage pretty much the accepted feeling about it? I'll give you the answer - it's not, and I'm super disappointed.

EDIT: I don't know if "it was a different time/things were acceptable then" when the show is still in HUGE DEMAND in re-runs and streaming. People are still loving this show.

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I can honestly say I've watched a handful of episodes when it came out back in the day. And I didn't care for it. I never saw the appeal of what made it such a great show.

 

[The Wanna B Writer]

How has no one mentioned yet that it completely ripped off and white-washed Queen Latifah's Living Single?

That's even more problematic than any actual content because it stole the premise, characters and episodes from a great, essential and important show from and for black people and then undermined and buried it with one that's completely ignorant towards literally everyone who's not straight or white. Lol.

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Love Living Single, I think that's probably why I never took to Friends like most people did. Maybe it was the relatable aspect of seeing People of color having relationships, friendships, and other examples that is experienced everyday.

 

[exodus]

Everything this guy says about Ross is true. But he's also the funniest character on the show bar none.

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Ross and Rachel are the only two good characters on the show because they're the only characters that are somewhat believable while still being funny. David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston are also by far the best actors on the show.

But that's comedy. Funny characters tend to be deeply flawed and you laugh at their expense.

 

[SpinierBlakeD]

Ross and Rachel are the only two good characters on the show because they're the only characters that are somewhat believable while still being funny. David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston are also by far the best actors on the show.

But that's comedy. Funny characters tend to be deeply flawed and you laugh at their expense.

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Ross's "unagi" is one of the funniest things in any sitcom.