why ‘Friends’ is still a phenomenon
Source: Friends (1994)
*no spoilers*
Chances are you’ve seen at least one Friends episode. If you haven’t, you’ve probably heard of the show a couple of times to know it made quite the impact on TV history. I think the reason Friends is still popular and remains relevant is not just because somehow Marta Kauffman and David Crane made the world fall in love with the fictional friend group: Monica, Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, Chandler, and Joey, but because we tend to find comfort in comedy; a uniquely exceptional art form.
Comedy is a subtle diversion from the not-so-blissful aspect of truth, of reality. Even in relatively serious moments on the show, like ‘The One with the Morning After’, there were still times you could sneak in a few laughs. In plays and other forms of literature, we see that there is often a comic relief, a comical character that comes in and lightens the tone of a particular scene or the piece in general. With Friends and many other comedies, we see that this is just as relevant in real life; like switching from watching the news and watching Netflix, an unrealistic addition to balance out an intense equation, perhaps an unconscious reminder to not take life too seriously.
Source: Friends (1994)
Some people attribute the success of Friends to the feeling that they’re our friends too. It makes me think of how actors sometimes say the see bits of themselves in the characters they play; truth is, emotions, regardless to what degree, is not felt by a specific group of people, it’s a humanistic thing - we all feel. So sometimes we could find ourselves orderly like Monica, unbelievably hilarious like Chandler, ambitious like Rachel, quirky like Phoebe, responsible like Ross (okay relatively responsible), or as insatiable as Joey. Now, this doesn’t mean that these characters or the people who wrote them invented these standards or characteristics, it’s that we can attribute it to them because we’re familiar with their characters.
It’s also not perfect, I think when anything is relatable, it receives a special amount of attention. When we see something we can relate to or with, even in the most minuscule way, we find comfort in it. There’s a certain respect and popularity for relatability, it’s not always easy to portray that on screen, especially if the piece ought to be at least mostly fictional. No matter how seemingly unrealistic some events are portrayed on screen, one relatable aspect can change how the piece is seen in general.
Who doesn’t like to laugh? You know, laughter is actually a stress reliever and Friends happens to be a very hilarious show and like any other art form, it throws you into this universe you can’t help but get lost in. If you disagree on its comedic greatness, you’d probably agree it’s at least dramatic and a tad ridiculous, which also makes it very enthralling. Even much more captivating are their holiday and birthday episodes - I’ve listed 10 episodes highlighting those below.
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S1 Ep. 9 - The One where the Underdog gets away (Thanksgiving episode)
S2 Ep. 22 - The One with the Two Parties (Birthday episode)
S3 Ep. 9 - The One with the Football (Thanksgiving episode)
S4 Ep 10 - The One with the Girl From Poughkeepsie (Christmas episode)
S5 Ep 18 - The One Where Rachel Smokes (Birthday episode)
S6 Ep 10 -The One with the Routine (Christmas/New Year episode)
S7 Ep 8 - The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs (Thanksgiving episode)
S8 Ep 11 - The One with Ross’ Step Forward (Christmas episode)
S9 Ep 12 - The One with Phoebe’s Rats (Birthday episode)
S10 Ep 4 - The One with the Cake (Birthday episode)
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In the Thanksgiving spirit… I’m grateful for all of you and for this platform. Thank you so so much! keep being incredible!
see ya!
-C
Source: Friends (1994)
