to think that Ross Geller is the biggest prick in TV history?

[HeyNannyNanny]

I've been watching Friends in the background every morning for the last few months, right from the first episode.
I last watched it as a teenager and I'm really shocked at how the characters come across now I'm an adult.

But the worst by far is Ross!
And he's meant to be the one we root for, a "good guy" and he is SUCH a wanker.

I'm on the episode in Season 9 with the male Nanny, and he accuses the guy of being gay. Repeatedly. At interview!
He has an extreme God complex, he treats women like shit, he is the very definition of a man-child. He dated a student, and messed around with her in his office.
He doesn't even love Rachel for who she is, but instead seems to think he simply possesses her because he's been obsessed with her since they were children.

I just cannot get over how badly he comes across, yet its never acknowledged in the programme how much of an utter shit he is.

I realise its just a TV show but I'm flabbergasted as to how anyone could be expected to like such a vile character.

Ross is my favourite character, I find him hilarious.

When I watch these days I notice LOADS of homophobic references, and even some racist as well.

It's just a sign of the times. I also watched an episode of Only Fools and Horses recently and my jaw hit the floor when uncle Albert claimed he was "popping down the Paki shop" !!!! That must have been missed by the network as no way that would be aired now!

Ross was awful. Russ was much better.

@quizqueen why is me having an interest in character development in modern media mean I have to "get a life" - it's an interesting topic of debate involving changing social norms as well as analysing creative writing.

It's not like I'm randomly slagging off people I don't know on the Internet with harsh judgements on their interests.

Ha to that typo @geekone
terrior

SHHHH. One shall never speak ill of friends. Leave it be.

It was slim pickings back then so though not perfect it was better than a lot of shows in that the women were not mere extensions of men. their friendships were celebrated, which is nice.
Loads of problematic stuff in there that makes me cringe rewatching it.

Joey is great tho.

Grumpos thanks for that link. Makes me furious tho. ugh.

Ross was awful! He made Don Draper look like a good catch.

Phoebe did get really nasty and spiteful. That she guy was married was nice though - was it Mike?

OK but remember when his wife cheated on him and left him for someone else who then tried to push him out of raising his own child, and he was expected to go along with it all because it was a woman?

And then he walked his ex wife down the aisle for her second wedding when her parents refused to come and support her?

Ross could be a dick but in his good moments he was really great.

And Chandler is everyone's favourite (including mine) but I can't remember ANY nice things he ever really did.

He actually did some really shitty things that got ignored way more than things Ross did (because Matthew Perry was so bloody adorable) - kissing Joey's girlfriend perhaps?

YABU
As he's definitely not the biggest prick in TV history. There are far worse.

Ross is my favourite

Off topic but I freaking love Janice. What a woman. They all didn't like her because she was too good for them all, that's my theory.

Monica should have been with Richard. She dominated Chandler too much.

Rachel should have gone to Paris.

Phoebe should have been with David.

I think maybe by the middle of the series Chandler would have been man enough for Janice.

Oh and Chandler was GORGEOUS at the beginning.

I will never understand how Chandler was supposedly so unlucky with women when he was the best looking by MILES

Susan was the worst. Having an affair with a pregnant woman, wiping the father out of the picture and declaring herself a co-parent of the child. Remember when she wanted Ben to have her surname?

Agree, and I remember that! And he still went to their wedding and walked Carol down the aisle (think it was because her parents wouldn't accept her gay marriage so he was there for her instead)

Matthew Perry had a lot of issues of his own during filming, particularly the later seasons, and it was really apparant imo.

I liked Janice but she did have the most horrendous voice and laugh, which didn't justify their snotty opinions of her but it would have been hard to deal with.

Mike (Paul Rudd) is gorgeous, and I loved David but I think Paul Rudd just stole the show there really

Nah he’s a flawed human being, I like him.

Snakes Den said something similar to lofty in an episode of classic eastender s, he told him to pop to the "Paki" shop for something ,I had to rewind to check I heard correctly I thought they would have edited it out .

When I watch these days I notice LOADS of homophobic references, and even some racist as well

There's loads of homophobic references, but I can't think of any racist ones? I watch it loads too!

Paul rudd was fantastic! I loved How he proved to Phoebe he could play piano, without a piano

And his comment to Joey “you’re a strange kind of grown up”

I think the fact that it is set in NYC and only shows white people was pretty shitty.
But then Lena Dunham did that too in Girls set Brookyln.

Just shows who the gate keepers are....

and after reading that article linked above we can see what type of people were writing this.

There weren't just white people in the show.

KaliforniaDreamz - Charlie the paleontologist Ross dated for a while wasn't white.
Neither was Chandler's boss ( the one in Tulsa - aka Aunt Viv in Fresh Prince!)
and the boss he went for an interview with.
"You will have many duties... doodies '
I clearly watch Friends too much lol

Oh, and another - the girl moving in across the street who both Ross and Joey dated at the same time unknowingly lol

It was made 25 years ago
I watch it sometimes and thi k the comments are a bit close to the mark and they'd never get away with it today but then look at only fools for example.