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March 28, 2024, 10:38:17 AM

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Is "Friends" offensive in 2018?

Started by thecuriousorange, January 15, 2018, 08:55:50 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Utter Shit

Quote from: Barry Admin on March 21, 2018, 12:50:35 PM
Oh god yeah, he's brill too. I think I'll maybe look up some clips now, I haven't watched any Friends in a while, and I just have this somewhat vague memory of Gould playing Jack as this kind of permanently happy, upbeat guy who you just love, and who can make any line devastatingly funny.

Yeah he's so good - his wife played by Christina Pickles is amazing too, with her open hatred of Monica.

We've been watching it a lot again recently (to the extent that my one-year old reacts to the theme music...worrying), it's so good. I understand why people dismiss it as schmaltzy and 'too American', but it's so brilliantly written. I've seen every episode numerous times and still find myself laughing all the way through. It has a bit more subversion about it than most people give it credit for, too, with loads of moments of silliness that come out of nowhere - the famous 'moo point' joke, but I always loved Joey just happening to have a fork in his jacket when he spots Chandler and Rachel eating the cheesecake off the floor. And now I think of it, the creepy date Phoebe has with a bloke who claims to write 'erotic fiction for children'...what a strange joke to include in a mainstream show.

It's also one of the few shows that consistently did guest characters really well - Reese Witherspoon and Christina Applegate as Rachel's sisters are my favourites, both brilliant in very different ways, but Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Kathleen Turner, Alec Baldwin, Jennifer Coolidge (oh BUGGER, I feel like a perfect ARSE), Hugh Laurie, Tom Conti, Jon Lovitz, Anna Faris, Ben Stiller...that is some list, and I've only included people that I thought were great in their roles.

Famous Mortimer

Wasn't Paget Brewster in more than 3? Joey's girlfriend who realised she was more attracted to Chandler?

Andy147

Yeah (6), plenty of people were, I was just giving the numbers for some of the characters who'd been mentioned in this thread.

olliebean

Quote from: Dr Rock on March 21, 2018, 12:38:18 PM
The monkey is the seventh Friend, he was the only character that was ever 'in with the gang', - for about two seasons anyway. Then he died thankfully.

What about the chicken and the duck? They must have been in it for longer than the monkey.

Captain Z

Kip was the true seventh friend because he got phased out before they became famous.

Hobo With A Shit Pun

Surely we are all, each of us, the Seventh Friend.

*Boaks*

ersatz99

I like the point in long running sitcoms, as in any group of friends, when someone's annoying character traits are highlighted by another character. Joey starts this with his impression of Chandler's "could I beeeeee...". Seinfeld also gets a free run of quips through many seasons until Elaine eventually asks if he's "doing a bit" and then later Kramer starts to question Jerry's stale "have you ever noticed" schtick.

In terms of its affect on modern culture was Monica responsible for everyone now shrieking Oh My God as an expression of even the mildest excitement. I can't recall it being used so much before.

Utter Shit

Doesn't one of the girls (Phoebe?) date a psychologist in an early episode who systematically breaks down the group's character flaws in one short rant?

Zetetic


paruses

Quote from: Utter Shit on March 22, 2018, 10:36:24 AM
Doesn't one of the girls (Phoebe?) date a psychologist in an early episode who systematically breaks down the group's character flaws in one short rant?

Yes - I've only seen that episode the once when it was shown on C4 first time round. Of all the catchphrases and bits that might stick in your mind about Friends (for better or worse) the line "wouldn't want to be there when the laughter stops" about Chandler sticks foremost in my mind.


olliebean

Quote from: ersatz99 on March 22, 2018, 09:45:05 AMIn terms of its affect on modern culture was Monica responsible for everyone now shrieking Oh My God as an expression of even the mildest excitement. I can't recall it being used so much before.

That would have been Janice, wouldn't it? I don't recall Monica saying it much (and I've been watching a lot of them recently).

the

Quote from: ersatz99 on March 22, 2018, 09:45:05 AMI like the point in long running sitcoms, as in any group of friends, when someone's annoying character traits are highlighted by another character. Joey starts this with his impression of Chandler's "could I beeeeee...". Seinfeld also gets a free run of quips through many seasons until Elaine eventually asks if he's "doing a bit" and then later Kramer starts to question Jerry's stale "have you ever noticed" schtick.

It can also become incredibly lazy to do this for laughs though. In later Friends, the notion that Ross had been married loads of times would often get thrown in as a barb from another character, and just became an overused easy laugh. It's worse for being an in-joke too, something a new viewer wouldn't necessarily care about.


Quote from: ersatz99 on March 22, 2018, 09:45:05 AMIn terms of its affect on modern culture was Monica responsible for everyone now shrieking Oh My God as an expression of even the mildest excitement. I can't recall it being used so much before.

Surely Janice gets most of the credit for saying Oh My God in an exaggerated, over-emphasised way? It was her calling card as the irritating pop-up character.


And I've made this point many times before, but Fisher Stevens' psychiatrist character was not only one of the best one-off characters in the show, but also tore apart the characters more precisely and funnily than anyone ever has in a 'looky I hate Friends me' post. A bold move to do it in the first series too.

Kane Jones

Quote from: olliebean on March 22, 2018, 11:20:38 AM
That would have been Janice, wouldn't it? I don't recall Monica saying it much (and I've been watching a lot of them recently).

Rachel and Monica both say "Rilly?" a lot, and I've heard quite a few women in real life say it over the years, affected American accent and all.

Icehaven

Quote from: Utter Shit on March 22, 2018, 10:36:24 AM
Doesn't one of the girls (Phoebe?) date a psychologist in an early episode who systematically breaks down the group's character flaws in one short rant?

Quote from: Zetetic on March 22, 2018, 10:38:01 AM
Roger (Caucasian straight male)


Quote from: paruses on March 22, 2018, 10:40:49 AM
Yes - I've only seen that episode the once when it was shown on C4 first time round. Of all the catchphrases and bits that might stick in your mind about Friends (for better or worse) the line "wouldn't want to be there when the laughter stops" about Chandler sticks foremost in my mind.

Quote from: the on March 22, 2018, 11:21:29 AM

And I've made this point many times before, but Fisher Stevens' psychiatrist character was not only one of the best one-off characters in the show, but also tore apart the characters more precisely and funnily than anyone ever has in a 'looky I hate Friends me' post. A bold move to do it in the first series too.

''I hate that guy.''

The Lion King

I always found Ross's barely suppressed freak out reaction to Joey and Rachel kissing incredibly funny

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPi9258zmh8

the whole thing between Joey and Rachel feels weirdly incestuous and pressured...felt very uncomfortable watching them try and fail to get it on naturally.

paruses

Do they bang - or is that one of the great debates amongst Friendistas?

The Lion King

I don't think they do in the end. From what I can remember they give up trying after a failed attempt to have sex on Joey's sofa, which plays out like two people who really don't want to have sex forcing themselves to for some unknown reason. Probably for the dirty little pervert behind the camera i.e. you and me

paruses

Of course, the sofa. Why make it less awkward than it would be anyway? I suppose that gets round the problem of them being in the bedroom and Joey having seen Rachel's tits and everything when they ditch the whole sorry storyline.

I never found it believable that Joey wouldn't have been on her like white on rice* from the off.

(* am really hoping that phrase is literal and not some racial slur I don't know about)

Dr Rock

Quote from: olliebean on March 21, 2018, 10:48:32 PM
What about the chicken and the duck? They must have been in it for longer than the monkey.

I stand corrected.

Dog Botherer

Quote from: ersatz99 on March 22, 2018, 09:45:05 AM
I like the point in long running sitcoms, as in any group of friends, when someone's annoying character traits are highlighted by another character. Joey starts this with his impression of Chandler's "could I beeeeee...". Seinfeld also gets a free run of quips through many seasons until Elaine eventually asks if he's "doing a bit" and then later Kramer starts to question Jerry's stale "have you ever noticed" schtick.

In terms of its affect on modern culture was Monica responsible for everyone now shrieking Oh My God as an expression of even the mildest excitement. I can't recall it being used so much before.

A friend of mine just finished watching Friends for the first time and now she's constantly doing the fucking shrill Monica "I KNOW" thing. Sets my teeth on edge.

jobotic

Quote from: The Lion King on March 22, 2018, 02:27:40 PM
I always found Ross's barely suppressed freak out reaction to Joey and Rachel kissing incredibly funny

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPi9258zmh8

the whole thing between Joey and Rachel feels weirdly incestuous and pressured...felt very uncomfortable watching them try and fail to get it on naturally.

If I behaved like Joey does around women I'm friends with I wouldn't be friends with them for long.

Yes i know this isn't a startlingly new insight.

Utter Shit

Just watched the episode where Ross breaks into Mona's apartment to get his pink salmon jumper back. Absolutely mad, criminal behaviour.

Side note: Rachel's boss, Mr. Zelner, steals every scene. Brilliantly weird character.

olliebean

Really noticeable in the last couple of seasons how much everything started to revolve around babies.

Mr_Simnock


paruses

Sorry - that should be friendsistas.

St_Eddie


olliebean

Wow, after all that stuff about them not being able to get pregnant, Monica is really obviously pregnant in the last episode.

idunnosomename

I still don't understand, after all this time, why Ross, the largest Friend, does not simply eat the other five.

Sebastian Cobb

Because he's what behavioural psychologists call 'a bit of a fanny'.

poodlefaker

Elliott Gould lovers should seek out Sensitive Skin on Netflix; a fine performance from the big man.