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Original poster

Is anyone rewatching Friends on Netflix?

207 replies

QueenOfTheAndals · 16/01/2018 08:27

I was a big fan back in the day and thought Ross and Rachel were so romantic but upon rewatching, he's really unpleasant isn't he? Controlling, manipulative, gaslighting - I bet she lived to regret not taking the job in Paris!

And Joey is meant to be a big stud but he's just a bit of a sex pest and extremely stupid!

And yes I know it's "just a tv show" but it's funny how I'm noticing these things now and didn't when I first watched it.

OP posts:
MsHarry · 19/01/2018 15:15

Carol and Susan were gay.
Joey and Ross dated a black, female professor
Monica and Ross are Jewish
Joey is Italian
Chandler's father is transgender

Graphista · 19/01/2018 15:39

Yes mrsharry but

Carol, Susan and chandlers father were all background characters.

Rachel, Ross and Monica were all Jewish, joey of Italian descent (majority of Americans are descended from immigrants) yes but they're all still white!

Alisha Tyler was cast after there was huge criticism of the lack of people of colour in the show with Julie at that point (9 years) having been the only character with more than a line or 2 portrayed by a person of colour.

The entire main cast were white, straight and middle class (even Phoebe for the duration of the shows "present")

Original poster
QueenOfTheAndals · 19/01/2018 15:40

Ross is cute. There is no nastiness to his character.

Seriously?? He was just awful to Rachel when she started working with Mark. Oh and I forgot how he lied and told her they were divorced when they actually weren't.

OP posts:
DeleteOrDecay · 19/01/2018 16:41

Ross is cute. There is no nastiness to his character.

I hope this is sarcasmSmile

Graphista · 19/01/2018 16:42

And definitely not cute, jaw permanently open in gormless gaze, awful hair and lips too big.

MsHarry · 19/01/2018 18:50

The entire main cast were white, straight and middle class (even Phoebe for the duration of the shows "present")

The entire cast of The Fresh Prince of Belair was black!!! Shock!! Horror!!!

MsHarry · 19/01/2018 18:50

I hope this is sarcasmsmile

Nope, you must be watching something else!

Graphista · 19/01/2018 18:54

A fresh prince premise was the core cast were blood related.

B all black shows are made to redress the balance of an overly white media that fails repeatedly to represent non-whites in positive roles.

Wilburissomepig · 19/01/2018 22:21

Seriously?? He was just awful to Rachel when she started working with Mark. Oh and I forgot how he lied and told her they were divorced when they actually weren't.

You do know it's not real, right?

Original poster
QueenOfTheAndals · 19/01/2018 22:45

Well yes but I was curious as to how someone might think that kind of behaviour was 'cute'.

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dingdongdigeridoo · 19/01/2018 22:56

Bleugh I remember thinking Ross was so cute and such a nice guy when I was a teenager. He’s such a controlling creep! The list about Rachel, the jealousy over her job, feeling like he’s ‘entitled’ to be with her even before he’s confessed his feelings. He really is a creep.

In later episodes he shags his student and then freaks out because she’s going on spring break and will be wearing a bikini. So controlling.

Weebo · 19/01/2018 22:57

Maybe she means cute compared to say, Trevor from Eastenders?

Bambooo · 19/01/2018 23:06

I think they all turn into cariacatures of themselves by the end. Rachel is more or less the only one that doesn't become ridiculous. Even Phoebe goes from this gentle, kind, kooky hippy to being quite an aggressive cruel, self-absorbed person in many ways by the end. Ross's descent from shy, geeky scientist to controlling idiot is well documented. Chandler turns into a sad sack, and Monica becomes this shrill, totally neurotic harpy - she was so much more together and confident in the first season. Joey just gets more and more stupid.

For me I think Joey comes across least well in today's context: he really does seem like a sleazy sex pest in a lot of scenes. That one where he's trying to get a 19 year old girl to be his housemate and quizzing her on pillow fights and doggy style...

All that said, I do still enjoy it I think mostly for the nostalgia factor. I generally stick to the earlier seasons though, I hate the whole Joey and Rachel storyline and a lot of the stupid storylines they had around that time eg "Chandler can't smile in photos" "Joey thinks he can speak French".

IWannaSeeHowItEnds · 19/01/2018 23:12

I really disliked Susan - she basically elbowed Ross out of the way and stole his baby. That's the only time I felt sorry for him though - he was a petty, whiny manchild.
I think I am the only person who liked Mike and was glad Phoebe chose him over David.
Think Emily got a rough time too. She was portrayed as being mad and shrewish for not wanting Ross to see Rachel, but if my husband said another woman's name during our vows, I'd want him to cut contact too. It would be said on MN that Rachel was no friend of the marriage...
Chandler is my favourite - love him and Monica together.

madeyemoodysmum · 19/01/2018 23:19

Today's comedies are not any better

The inbetweeners is bloody disgusting ( I love it tho )

If comedy has to be totally pc. Well it won't be very funny will it?

scrabbler3 · 19/01/2018 23:22

I liked the portrayal of Monica's toxic mother - I thought that was realistic. I thought that Monica's relationship with Richard was well-written. Also, the infertility. Overall, she was the best character I think.

And the show is to be commended for portraying a sane-sex wedding in the mid 1990s.

Bambooo · 19/01/2018 23:28

I think the whole Emily character and storyline was wildly inconsisent and made no sense. Supposedly what attracted Ross to Emily was that she was wild, fun-loving and spontaneous, whisking him off for weekends in the country, encouraging him to get his ear pierced etc. Yet we saw absolutely none of this for ourselves, all we saw was someone who seemed the complete opposite of that, beyond agreeing to get married after a couple of weeks there was nothing else fun or spontaneous or "wild" about the character we saw. Apparently Helen Baxendale didn't get on with the cast, plus she was pregnant by the time season 4 rolled around so I think they just totally assassinated her character in order to get rid of her as quickly as possible.

dingdongdigeridoo · 20/01/2018 00:46

Monica and Ross are kind of weird together. Does anyone snuggle up to their brother on the couch together like that? And when Rachel is describing her first kiss with Ross, Monica looks aroused! I’d be grossed out if SIL started telling me what a great kisser my brother is.

jack2001 · 20/01/2018 07:31

Love friends. Have watched it over and over. Ross could be a bit of a douche but I don't overthink it. Rachel once shaved his girlfriend's head.

Also - pivottt

Gwenhwyfar · 20/01/2018 10:56

"The list about Rachel"

Really? The pros and cons one? Doesn't everyone do that, just in their heads rather than on paper.

marcopront · 20/01/2018 11:08

Comedy Central where I live is currently having a Friends marathon. Five days of continuous Friends. We have just had the "we were on a break" episode. If Mark hadn't spoken while Rachel was on the phone, it could all have been very different.

MsHarry · 20/01/2018 12:18

I think you're all overthinking a sitcom.

Original poster
QueenOfTheAndals · 20/01/2018 13:40

It's a discussion, that's kind of what a web forum is for...

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jack2001 · 20/01/2018 13:57

This won't be popular, but I kind of got why Ross hated Mark. Rachel wasn't interested in him but Mark was into her, even though he acted like they were just mates. Mark does eventually make a move on Rachel.

DeleteOrDecay · 20/01/2018 15:18

It's I do get why Ross was funny with Mark but he needed to trust Rachel and he simply couldn't/wouldn't do that.