"Fat" Monica in Friends isn't even fat

[TallGirl24]

As per title. Rewatching all the old Friends episodes. How in the name of the wee donkey was this a recurring joke? She's basically normal sized but beside some very slim costars. I know it was a different time but it is so jarring to watch now.

No, she was fat in the fat suit with a big chubby face.

How is this not fat?

(Edit: images are being checked, but I googled fat Monica, she was fat)

There's quite a lot about friends which wouldn't fly today. DH and I just rewatched it all and winced in a few places.

She was 'TV' fat.

I disagree. Although the actors were very slim, Monica was not a healthy weight. Saying that, her being overweight as a punchline wasn't funny then.

She's 'normal sized' for now when an 18 is the average size.
Doesn't mean she's a healthy size.

I would say fat Monica is quite obviously overweight (not hugely so). I wouldn’t call her normal sized.

Yes, fat Monica was a throwback in time and she wore a fat suit when playing her.

Maybe not fat by today's standards 😂

It is jarring to watch because it is (thankfully!) no longer ok to treat someone as a joke because of their weight. But she is definitely fat.

i was about to comment something along the lines of the majority of the population have gotten so much bigger that it’s normal now, but back then it was clearly seen as very fat. But I’ve just googled photos of her out of interest and she’s clearly massively obese for even todays standards, so I don’t get your view at all

She’s fat. If you look like her then you are fat too, accept it.

Some girl ate Monica!

She’s overweight. The face doesn’t watch the body but both still show someone with an overweight or obese BMI.

The show has aged horrendously, it’s homophobic, racist, the kid completely disappears and you’re not meant to notice, it’s not good.

Frasier, from the same era, is still perfect. And no fat suits.

She wasn't meant to be "fat" in present day (ie when the episodes were set) but when she was a teenager.
We only saw her as fat in flashbacks.

Of course she’s fat when she’s playing fat Monica. She’s hardly slim

18 is average? WTF? No.

This is clearly not "normal sized".

Yes. It is.

What kid disappears?

Is this a joke, you cannot seriously think she’s a healthy weight in those images?

Theres similar views towards Augustus Gloop in charlie and the chocolate factory compared with the character in willy wonka.

Ben isn't seen in the last couple of seasons.
He is spoken of but not seen.
It's weird because he would have been at his little sister's 1st birthday party. Why wasn't he there?

She was fat full stop, on tv, or if it was real life, and by todays standards.

She was always going on about food as well.