"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.

But nobody's said that. You're projecting that. And Friends is in no way "offensive humour". It's almost aggressively inoffensive, in fact.

They've responded to the usual claims that Friends is "problematic" or "hasn't aged well" because funnily enough, the 90s writers didn't toe the 2020s "progressive" line. How could they - it didn't exist. Fortunately, there are still loads of people who don't think this way, including gen Z, among whom it is popular. They haven't really got their own equivalent because shows like this don't exist any more.

@Onceachunkymonkey don't get me wrong, I always saw it too, and most importantly felt it, in more ways than one.

Thing is, people close to me would be like "don't be silly you're fiiine", " you're not fat", "you don't need to lose any weight" etc. if I ever brought it up .

I've lost some weight, and it still goes on "you weren't fat", "you weren't that big" etc.and a lot of "surely, you're stopping now" even though I'm still not quite a healthy weight .

Even looking at this thread and the insistence of what's normal and that Monica wasn't fat etc., I can how for some people it might be easier to just reassure themselves with those kind of comments and choose to believe it, if they're that way inclined or feel shame or whatever.

I doubt that that is true but even if it is, they needn't have gone along with the "obese child only interested in food" trope

100% this. I do get so fucked off with the 'oooh I can't believe they said THIS!' and 'I can't believe they said THAT!' bollocks that some people come out with. Friends started over 30 years ago! As you say,, no-one had a fucking crystal ball to see 3 decades into the future, to see what would be 'acceptable' in the 2020s 🙄

I get sick of seeing 'it hasn't aged well' too. It's aged fine. Just because some people get all butthurt and offended at the basic inoffensive jokes in it, that doesn't mean it's rude and offensive, and has 'aged badly.' Don't fucking watch it if you're triggered so easily.

Same with some things from the 1970s and 1980s. All the faux outrage and pearl clutching about programmes from then - that are soooooooo 'offensive' now - really does my head in. As I said DON'T WATCH IT THEN! Is it any surprise, that something made 40-50 years ago has different values and language to now?!

Some people need to grow the fuck up!

Oh and yeah, Gen Z has NOT got anything like Friends. Best and funniest American sitcom ever.

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People say that all the time. Don’t tell me I have not heard what I have heard.

I absolutely agree with both you & the Pp, sorry I thought it would quote both of you

Body dysmorphia absolutely, it works in both ways.. I used to not go out to my own gigs because the scales showed 2lbs heavier similarly when it was said I looked "gaunt" or "drawn" it was a surprise to me, weight is a funny thing & not in a " Ha Ha" way

Lol at triggered, in light of your post. Comedy is subjective. There are far funnier sitcoms. Roseanne for one which is also probably problematic nowadays and a plethora of others. Friends was and is, awful.

Well do you watch it? If so why? And if not, do you think other people shouldn't be able to because you don't like it?
What do you like?

Ah cool, I didn't know this.. it makes me laugh unprompted so I could never understand the need

Also love Roseanne & The Conners is funny too

She considered herself fat. I'm currently a uk size 16 and consider myself fat and I'm struggling to lose this baby weight. 2 babies in a few years has seen me put on over 3 stone. On friends she looks a good few sizes bigger than me.

You've got to remember friends was made before everyone got offended easily.

This really, it’s always mentioned like she was insanely fat, not just overweight.

Monica IS fat as fat Monica. Nothing healthy there

@Wingingit247 115 kgs isn't just overweight either.

YABU! You know it’s just a comedy show and not real, right?! Just checking!

She was 100% fat and unhealthy (if really that size and not in a fat suit).

OP hasn't been back so the joke may be on us here!

Problem is some people can't distinguish between fantasy and reality and use 1970's comedy/TV to justify shitty attitudes towards groups of people today because they refuse to accept standards have progressed. There is nothing wrong with calling out irrational/damaging discrimination for what it is, sadly we still have a long way to go.

The Harry Enfield and Chums comedy is a good example of humour that has aged well from that era, since that show took the piss out of sexist/homophobic attitudes of the day, not women and homosexuals.

Oh I LOVED Harry Enfield & Chums & the Fast Show @asrl78 comedy gold

Mr Cholmendley-Warner was so funny

She is fat. Just because more people are fat these days, doesn't make her any less fat.
And just because more people are overweight these days doesn't make it right, good or desirable.
I speak as an overweight person myself.

And 'the show isn't over until the fat bloke sings!'

And remember Ted and his posh boss? (Ralph...?) And the sexual tension between them...😆

Or did Ralph just want a friend...........?

The whole Daphne going to fat camp thing when the actress was pregnant IRL is a bit cringe now though.

No, just not obese…..

And very definitely Hollywood Fat.

It was a recurring 'joke' that she was fat when she was younger. Not really funny, but I think a lot of people can relate to people bringing up how they looked or behaved when they were much younger.

They weren't saying she was fat as the character in the show at the time.