13 Friends Moments That Will Totally Make You Cringe Now
Friends is one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time because it's stuffed with humor, drama, and six characters who pull tightly on your heartstrings. It's one of my favorite shows ever; the fights, romances, and slapstick moments from the Central Perk crew defined my taste in entertainment. They were always there for me.
Since we've been social-distancing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, I've been dipping into my old Friends DVD collection. (The show isn't on Netflix anymore but will soon find a home on HBO Max, WarnerMedia's new streaming platform.) Sadly, I've noticed that even the best cup of Central Perk coffee can have its bitter sips. In between Friends's great storylines are problematic instances of homophobia, sexism, and fat-shaming. Because these jabs fit in with the climate of '90s television, they went by unnoticed at the time. It's a different story in 2020. We notice them—and we're not laughing.
“Fat Monica”
The Friends masterminds made sure we knew that Monica would have been miserable had she not shed her high school pounds. Because if you're overweight, there's no way anybody will love you, right? You're destined for a celibate existence filled with Kit Kats, "fat sister" jokes, and awkward dance parties for one. Obviously, this is bullshit. Has a show ever fat-shamed a character more than Friends fat-shamed teenage Monica? Show me receipts.
The attitude toward Chandler’s dad, Charles
Charles's job—he's a drag queen at a Las Vegas club—is the subject of constant ridicule on the show. If people aren't making jabs at Charles's appearance—Chandler says, "There's daddy," sarcastically when he first sees Charles perform—they're offensively questioning his identity. "Don't you have a little too much penis to be wearing a dress like that?" Chandler's mom, Nora, says to Charles in the seventh season. We get it, Friends: You think queer people are punch lines.
When the boys have a conversation that literally turns women into objects
"What if there is only one woman for everybody?" Ross says like he's talking about some kind of Black Friday sale. But, don't worry, Joey assures Ross that there are many kinds of women in the world—like ice cream—and that he just needs to grab a spoon. Scoop up any girl you want, Ross! (Also, GTFO.)
When Joey and Chandler freak out watching Carol breastfeed baby Ben
No, it's not gross. They're just immature.
The treatment of Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe during the “The One With the Football”
Because women don't know anything about football and have to flash their male opponents if they want to win the game. That isn't sexist at all—nor is Rachel's depiction as helpless and unable to hold her own on the field. Monica, the best player on the team, isn't even a silver lining because the boys mock her competitive attitude. How dare a woman try to beat boys at sports!
When Ross loses his marbles because Ben wants to play with a Barbie doll
In the mind of Ross Geller, boys need to play with monster trucks and eat entire blocks of wood—which leads us to...
Ross’s awful attitude toward Sandy, the male nanny
For the record, it's not okay to ask someone during a job interview whether they're gay .
When Rachel tells everyone in her office that Tag is gay so women won’t pursue him
Spreading lies about someone's sexual orientation definitely doesn't make them vulnerable to harassment or job termination. Getting outed at work is a serious fear for many queer folks; it isn't cool that Friends makes light of it.
When Chandler basically shades Fun Bobby for trying to get sober
You remember Fun Bobby from the second season: He was Monica's boyfriend who discovered he was "fun" only because he drank all time. When Fun Bobby vows to get sober, his mood drops, and Chandler starts calling him "Ridiculously Dull Bobby" behind his back. It's such a drag when people try to kick their pesky alcoholism, you know? The only logical solution is to start drinking heavily around the boring alcoholic just to tolerate him (SMH, Monica).
The light and humorous way the show deals with Paolo assaulting Phoebe
For future reference, sitcom writers, "making a move" on someone doesn't mean grabbing their butt at work—unprompted—before flashing them. That's called sexual assault, and it doesn't need a laughing track.
The way Ross was jealous of Mark and wildly controlling over Rachel
In many instances, Ross treated Rachel like his possession. It's very gross to watch in hindsight. Rachel even calls out all the insane gifts Ross sends to her office as his way of "marking his territory."
When Ross and Joey are excited to hang out with Janine’s drunk dancer friends
Two sober men jazzed about spending the day with a group of women who are under the influence is framed as comedy here—not possible assault. I can't.
When Joey learns to speak French
This is, by far, the most asinine chapter in the "Make Joey mind-numbingly stupid" narrative from the latter half of the series. Joey is an actor. It's literally his job to regurgitate things people put in front of him. His inability to repeat back even the simplest French phrase is unbelievable; this tested the audience's intelligence more than his.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
