The Television Show Friends, Research Paper Example

The television show Friends is a very influential hit show. The TV show was of the sitcom genre and totaled a number of 236 episodes packed into 10 seasons which aired on the NBC network from 1994 through 2004. The show surrounded the lives of six friends in their 20’s living in New York City. The show now shows on Netflix for the viewers of the present generation to enjoy. Although very influential among viewers, the show is often considered by critics as homophobic or dominantly white due to its setting and storyline. (Doloncot)

The 1994 television series featured the six friends whom happen to be straight, white, and who almost specifically dated other straight and white people. Through their decade long run, there were only just a few recurring cast members of other racially diverse color and only three gay characters. As the lack in ethnic diversity causes for alarms and leads to a big turn off for viewers of today’s audience, the continuous affirmation of hetero-normativity was most likely Friends greatest and most noticeable flaw. (Marchon)

One of the characters in the show was named Joey. Joey’s character was based on the idea that he was a womanizer or somebody that could easily persuade women to engage in romantic or sexual activities. This character concept was first portrayed in the pilot episode where Joey compared women with ice cream. Of course, the shows setting was geared towards a previous generation and the jokes may or may not play out the same way in the year 2015. Viewer audiences who are just now starting to watch the show Friends may not react the same way as the generation before them, as they may view the jokes and funny lines as corny or outdated. Never the less, this character is a great portrayal of how many men in the contemporary generation act towards women. These types of men are stereotyped as jerks, but Joey presents in the show that such a character in any man is not so black and white. “Holy crap! I’m surprised the author didn’t bring up the animal cruelty and subjugation of having a monkey in the cast of the first season. What else can we be outraged about?” quoted Brian Anderson. (Anderson)

Joey like most other guys loves beautiful women in such a way that is somewhat very open yet awkwardly goofy at the same time. This kind of character in Joey is relatively easy to watch in the show. “Joey is great! Sure, he loves beautiful women, but somehow his openness and goofiness—and Matt LeBlanc’s performance—still make him easy to watch” quoted Ruth Graham. Another character that may not be as appealing to some people is the character of Chandler. (Graham)

Of course, out of all of the factors presented in Friends that appear to be stuck in the previous generations, Chandler Bing can easily be regarded as the most awkwardly and severely out dated. Granted however, it may be true that at one point in time he might have appeared to be sarcastically trendy in a cool way, which would designate him as the group’s “funny guy.” However, from the perspective of a contemporary 2015 viewer first gaining exposure to the show, even ambiguously apprehensive of the gender based politics in today’s society; he also serves as the fawn-worthy character. “It feels strange to pick on a show like Friends. Sure it defined a generation of viewers, but how could Friends know what the future would bring? How could it know that the same year it concluded, gay marriage would be legalized in Massachusetts?” quoted Miles Behn. (Behn)

Chandler Bing, or just Chandler, was described in the show’s first season as having a kind of characteristic of metrosexual gayness in his personality. Because of this kind of character Chandler is, he is constantly worried about being thought of as inadequately masculine. Chandler also shows how he is reluctant to or even freaked out by receiving hugs. Another thing that worries Chandler is the fact that Joey has a pink pillow placed on his sofa. (Graham)

Chandler, throughout the show, repeatedly makes jokes that are influenced by his childhood attributed to having a gay father. The jokes that Chandler makes about his father almost always have something to do with gender specific subjects. In the episode titled The One where Monica Sings, Chandler pokes fun at the fact that his father use to wax his eye brows by saying “I used to wax his eyebrows”. In the episode titled The One with Chandler’s Dad, Chandler makes a joke in the line where he says “I would catch him singing show tunes”. Also, in the episode titled The One with Chandler and Monica’s Wedding, Chandler makes even more fun of his father’s past dating back to their gay wedding in saying “both my parents slept with the best man at the wedding”. (Behn) Also, in the fourth episode of season 4 titled The One with The Ballroom Dancing, Joey returns back from his dance practice, and then Monica goes on to asks him, “So how goes the dancing? Gay yet?” This line from the show is clearly another homosexual appropriation suggesting that men who dance are gay. “Friends viewers should re-think their decision to binge-watch the show, or at least keep these things in mind before settling into a viewing session” Claire Marchon quoted.  (Marchon)

Later on in the show, the couple decides to take a trip to Las Vegas to surprise their friend Charles and invite him to their wedding. Right before they do so, Chandler goes on to confess to Monica in saying, “All kids are embarrassed by their fathers. You’d have to come up with a whole new word for what I went through”. This quote suggests that his father’s homosexuality is a never ending embarrassment and tarnishes Chandler’s life. Monica again goes on to reassure Chandler that inviting his father is actually the right thing to do, by stating to him “You’re not 14 anymore, if your father’s not at your wedding you’re going to regret it for the rest of his life”. (Marchon)

From a hindsight stand point, the whole show’s suggestions and insinuations of the LGBTQ community conflicts is just awful. This perspective can easily be seen in a fault focus articulated by the comprehensive video-compilation entitled “Homophobic Friends.” In the show, Chandler’s father is gay and acts as a Vegas dancing drag queen. However, Chandler’s approach towards his homosexual father is notably alarming, and it is not very clear as to whether or not the staff of the show even realizes this. “At the heart of the complaints, Chandler treats his gay father horribly” quoted Aric Mitchell. Now, it is one thing for the character of Chandler to recollect being embarrassed while growing up as a child because of his father being gay, but he is constantly bitter and even deride of his actually loving and very involved dad just right up to the day his own wedding, where his father is not even initially invited to. (Mitchell)

Even as Chandler says lines in the show as simple as something like saying Hi to his dad is conveyed in such a cruelly sarcastic manner. The character of Monica eventually tantalizes Chandler into grudge influenced reconciliation with his father, which the show for the most part presents as an acceptable and sweet conclusion. However, Chandler and his continuing reluctance and discomfort towards his gay father now is shown as harsh and generally unaccepted for a supposedly trendy New Yorker in their thirties whom considers themselves good person. (Mitchell) (Silman)

“When it comes to women, Chandler turns out to be just as retrograde as Joey, but his lust comes with an undercurrent of the kind of bitter desperation that I now recognize as not only gross, but potentially menacing” quoted Anna Silman. The level of homophobia that is presented in the show has been a widely talked about topic throughout the past few years. Friends is without a doubt presented with a homophobic element. An example of such an element is constantly presented as the characters Joey and Ross cannot even go on to take a simple nap together without feeling the need to question their sexualities. It is obvious in the show that there is not a single male character that appears to actually be confident with his own sexuality. In the show, Joey waxes his eyebrows which are a simple and funny scenario among viewers. However, Joey cannot even do something as simple as waxing his eyebrows without having to deal with someone questioning if he is doing so to look for a new boyfriend. “Friends is known for being homophobic and white, how would the show look like in today’s progressive culture?” quoted Jessica Buxbaum. Consider that the entire show has an indication of the popular and trending phrase “no homo”. The phrase “no homo” is used when two or more people of the same gender, usually guys, engage in an event, activity, or scenario that might appear to have a feeling of homosexual emotions or excitement, but is actually not the case at all. (Buxbaum) (Silman)

Maybe this concept is the basic issue in the show. The show fuels this issue by showing how the characters distance themselves from “the other” by making fun of them. “But just because we have a robust sense of humor doesn’t mean we should be expected to look the other way when it comes to comedy that demeans already subjugated groups and which furthers the patriarchy and kyriarchy” quoted Doloncot of the Daily Banner. The show does a good job at presenting anything that stands outside of the categories of regular gender, being straight and being white is disturbing and generally wrong. Looking at the main characters in the show, they are for the most part odd and off the wall. However, they are not nearly as frightening as they could be if the entire cast was gay. (Doloncot)

These micro-aggressive, little story lines, compelled by straight characters, contribute to the reinforcement of gender standards and heteronormativity. But at least there happen to be a few scenes throughout the show where the traditional gender or sexuality standards are actually challenged. Despite Chandler and Joey continuously acting so cautious about the intimacy and emotions of their relationship, in the seventh episode of season 9, titles The One with Ross’s Inappropriate Song, Joey actually questions the importance of the gender standards that are present in common male friendships. As Chandler and Joey take a look at real estate finances for Joey to potentially invest in, the real estate agent automatically assumes that both Chandler and Joey are a gay couple together. Chandler instantly objects to the claim, but Joey views Chandler’s arguments as off-putting. Chandler’s immediate reaction goes on to perpetuate the concept and standards of heteronormativity, but Joey then speaks out on his contrasting opinions to Chandler. The writers might have possibly been using Joey’s potential homosexuality element as a comedic laughing point, or maybe they were trying out for a new progressive voice. These implications on the scene could argue in either direction. (Marchon)

On top of all of the male gender homophobia presented in Friends, there seems to be a disturbing number of excessively sexualized lesbian women. Ross’s wife, whose name is Carol; has her very first sexual experience with another woman while engaging in a threesome. Ross mostly witnessed the threesome occur in the show. This awkward joke is played out as the idea of a rather poor Ross, where he portrays a poor pathetic man the viewers can laugh at yet feels slightly sorry for because he can’t even get any sexual excitement out from his lesbian wife. It is not even prospected in the show that Carol could possibly be bi-sexual.

The show Friends is also responsible for what is called bi-erasure. Throughout the entire series, there is not a single character that is introduced as a firmly bi-sexual person. Even if there are any characters that prospectively appear to be bi-sexual, such as the character Phoebe, they are swiftly reassured as not being bi-sexual by their current sexual or romantic partner. Friends’ sexualization of lesbians continues to be reinforced with Emma’s nanny in the show. After Joey spends one whole episode chasing Emma’s nanny, it is revealed at the conclusion of the episode that Molly, the nanny, is in fact a lesbian woman. Realizing this, Joey is even more compelled to chase her and only wants her even more. This scenario shows Joey not only in denial of her acclaimed sexuality, but he also makes her a kind of sexual object through the process of. (Behn)

When it comes down to women, Chandler actually turns out to be just as much reverting as Joey, but his infatuation comes with an atmosphere of the kind of salty despair that I now realize as not only disgusting, but possibly menacing. The character of Chandler is drawn as a self-centered loser when it comes to women. This is true until the very end of the fourth season where he finally swoops in on the character Monica.

Chandler was only 19 for example, when he first laid his hands a woman’s breasts. So, it is of course Chandler who insinuates figuring out “who has the nicest ass” during the ski trip episode from the third season. It is also Chandler who decides on a specific roommate only because his sister happens to be a porn star. And then again, it is also Chandler who for several years dates the character of Janice, who is a woman he acceptably loathes for. Janice is quite repulsive, but then again well-conformed characters such as Chandler do not have any trouble staying away from relationships with the repulsive ones. It is in fact Chandler’s fault that he leads her on for one episode after another, teasing her even as he appears to be too frail to remain broken up with her. Even at one point in the series, Chandler flies all the way to Yemen in order to avoid her. If an actual friend in reality were to behave in such a manner as presented in this show, most people would feel be compelled and tempted to punch them. Consider the fact that over the past few years that we have learned that it is nerds who are not stereotypically nice and lovable as many would assume. Rather, they can also be egotistical jerks or even worse such as the young Mark Zuckerberg for example. (Anderson) (Graham)

The ideas of masculinity portrayed in Friends are continuously questioned throughout the show. This can be seen from how the men interact with one another in questioning their sexuality while showing characteristics of homophobia, to how the women in the show—specifically lesbians— interact with the other men. Male emotions are looked at as a negative thing. This turns the rather sensitive nanny, the character Sandy, into a laughable and comedic joke in the episode titled The One with the Male Nanny. Instead of presenting the audience with a character that is actually confident in his own emotional characteristics, Sandy’s sexuality is continuously questioned in the show. There are questions of whether or not he is gay. There are questions of whether or not he is actually a man. Of course the show presents that no real man with any self-respect would feel that many emotions. (Marchon)

It appears to be just a little bit unnecessary to suggest that the show Friends itself has a racial issue. This is because in reality, it is the media itself that has a racial issue. But the show Friends should not evade such criticism. Consider that there is no racial diversity in the cast of the main characters, and there are very few in the ongoing list of secondary. Granted there are newly diverse characters that are introduced to the show.

However, characters like Ross’ girlfriend Julie whom is black and Chinese are swiftly normalized. This was presented when Julie turned out to not be a real Asian, because she was from New York and not Beijing. This was in the episode titles The One with Ross’ New Girlfriend. After the character Rachel unreasonably assumes that Julie does not speak any English, by talking to her slowly and loudly, Julie, in some ways, invalidates her own racial diversity by shouting back “thank you, I’m from New York”. For a show that has a setting in a city that is as racially diverse as New York, it appears off that the six main characters in the cast mostly interact with other white people. (Graham)

Again, Friends was an influential television show. It was very funny and even more heartwarming. It defined a certain generation. But as anything else, it was far from perfect. People should not be reluctant to talk about those imperfections in its cultural significance and to demand more from the media. Yes, people should still check out Friends. However, let’s acknowledge that we have a lot to discuss concerning the show. (Graham)

In conclusion, the show Friends sends a general message about friendship and presents a well-articulated concept of how people might experience life living in their young adulthood years. The only problems with the show may not have been seen years ago, but because the show resurfaced on Netflix during the midst of a time where racial and sexual discrimination exist, it is now criticized for not taking such issues into account. Given that this show was from a different generation than from today, but it is only because race, gender, and sexism issues are more exploited that Friends among other shows would now be criticized for this.

Works Cited

Anderson, Brian. Salon Outraged Over Racism And Homophobia Of Friends. 24 January 2015. 18 May 2015 <http://downtrend.com/71superb/salon-outraged-over-racism-and-homophobia-of-friends>.

Behn, Miles. The Gender Spectrum and Friends: How America’s Favorite Sitcom Screwed Up an Entire Generation. 25 November 2014. 18 May 2015 <http://thestake.org/2014/11/25/the-gender-spectrum-and-friends-how-americas-favorite-sitcom-screwed-up-an-entire-generation/>.

Buxbaum, Jessica. If Friends Was Set in 2015 This is How Progressive the Show Would Be. 2015. 18 May 2015 <http://www.carbonated.tv/entertainment/if-friends-was-set-in-2015-this-is-how-progressive-the-show-would-be>.

Doloncot, Sam. Now We Can See How Homophobic, Racist and Misogynist “Friends” Really Was. 27 January 2015. 18 May 2015 <http://thedailybanter.com/2015/01/now-can-see-homophobic-racist-misogynist-friends-really/>.

Graham, Ruth. Chandler Bing Is the Worst Thing About Watching Friends in 2015. 22 January 2015. 18 May 2015 <http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2015/01/22/friends_chandler_bing_and_his_homophobia_are_the_worst_thing_about_watching.html>.

Marchon, Claire. Why I Will Not Be Binge-Watching ‘Friends:’ Offensive Homophobic and Transphobic Jokes. 10 February 2015. 18 May 2015 <http://fembotmag.com/2015/02/10/why-i-will-not-be-binge-watching-friends-offensive-homophobic-and-transphobic-jokes/>.

Mitchell, Aric. ‘Friends’ TV Show Is Homophobic, Treats Fat People Like A Punchline, Salon Declares. 24 January 2015. 18 May 2015 <http://www.inquisitr.com/1785024/friends-tv-show-is-homophobic-treats-fat-people-like-a-punchline-salon-declares/>.

Silman, Anna. “Chandler’s treatment of his gay father is appalling”: Everything critics realized while watching “Friends” in 2015. 24 January 2015. 18 May 2015 <http://www.salon.com/2015/01/24/chandlers_treatment_of_his_gay_father_is_appalling_everything_critics_realized_while_watching_friends_in_2015/>.