https://medium.com/s/story/how-a-tv-sitcom-triggered-the-downfall-of-western-civilization-336e8ccf7dd0
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Fresh off reading this piece of criticism of Friends, an article about how Ross was changed into a madman because of the company of idiots-- this post of mine will defend the TV show that I spent a better part of my teenage and young adult years watching.
Let's go into this character by character. Since Ross is the one the article adored, I will begin with him. And as Phoebe probably makes most Ross-lovers cringe, I will end with her.
Ross. The most attractive thing is probably his passion for dinosaurs. I do appreciate that he's the most intellectual of the group, admire that he upholds science above everything, that he's a logical person who likes to learn information. To me, one of his most intriguing features are the songs he plays on the "keyboards", because I actually found something in them.
On the other hand, I'm not a fan of his perpetually unhappy and dull tone, his ability to find the fault in everything others say and his whining. Everyone makes mistakes--true. You always have to correct them--untrue. Ross couldn't respect people's wishes, in the way that he couldn't let it go when people didn't think exactly the way he did. He was always right, nonetheless, it's quite important to not expect everyone else to be the same. Self-improvement, I vote for. Constantly expecting others to be just the same as yourself? I don't support that. Ross is your typical garden-variety nerd, science geek, paleontologist. While I do find that character interesting, there would be multiple people who wouldn't. The show is the representation of exactly that- in this way, it isn't wrong. It's just the way society is in reality, that's been projected in the show.
Chandler, the perfect representation of an impactful childhood, a dark, twisty, socially awkward adult who has no self confidence. He's bitter, stuck in a dead-end job that pays him a lot, which holds true for so many people that continue in jobs just for the money. People work their entire lives mindlessly without a drive, without a reason other than daily bread and Chandler tells us that they don't have to be stuck that way.
He fusses over miniscule things about women he dates like mascara goop and can't seem to make a relationship last. He worries about the little things, fights to overcome his nicotine addiction that he caught onto in an early, impressionable age. The thing I admire the most about him is his complete honesty. He does not deny his faults or try to cover his handicaps up. Instead he knows them, spells them out, and eventually overcomes them when he marries Monica and turns into quite a balanced family man. That transition is one of the most beautiful things on the show.
Monica, quite a regular homely woman, not someone you'd want to call an "idiot", because she reminds you maybe of your mother at a younger age. She needs it clean, she's fussy about it, and that's not wrong. Also she works hard to make sure everyone's got what they need, whether it's a fake prepuce for Joey or a different kind of potatoes for everyone on Thanksgiving, she's also the person who fixes things when they go wrong. Paranoid, just as we all are sometimes, it's really not abnormal to be that way. In fact Monica teaches you to love yourself when you can't fight your paranoia, because it's actually quite adorable. She's the definition of competitive spirit, ready to go to any length to win -- isn't this a quality we'd all do good to have? It might make us crazy, but all winners and toppers probably are. Constantly put down by her mother, being the sibling that's undervalued, Monica still manages to make a great life for herself in spite of it.
Rachel the spoilt brat.
Some people are privileged and end up living their life with a blindfold until it's rudely whisked off them-- Rachel is one of these people. It's not her fault to have grown up with riches. It's not her fault if her parents hadn't shown her that life has hardships. If we had to choose one person on the show who achieved the most, it's Rachel. She went from being an impulsive shopper using daddy's credit card, to the one that can look after her father when he's had a heart attack. She earns her own living, much unlike the other women of her family, you don't see how far Rachel's come until the episode with her sister in it-- this stark contrast reminds you what a spoilt girl Rachel used to be, and what a self sufficient woman she turned into. She found her passion and made her living off of it, and we know she paid her dues, serving coffee and helping an eighty-one year old put on thongs that she didn't even buy! Rachel loves clothes and likes to look good, that's really not a crime! Seemingly materialistic, Rachel isn't really so, when you see in bursts how sentimental she really is. She's true to her principles, and she really does turn out to be a great, caring, responsible mother.
Joey is dumb. I needn't say this again for it to sink. Anyone who's watched a single episode would agree with me. But on the contrary to popular belief, intelligence isn't the only thing that matters in life. Lots of simple minded people are much happier than intellectuals, in fact, maybe that's what we're missing from today's world- simplicity. Joey is the ideal friend, and like the others, does his share of scut work for achieving his dream, which even in the end, is hanging on a thread, maybe never to happen in the big way he's always wanted. Joey is the pal who'd defend you in a fight, who won't slyly be a diplomat when you need your friend the most. Intelligence is not the single most important thing in life, and I can't emphasize on this enough. No one would like clever, haughty, arrogant Sheldon Cooper over simple minded lovable Joey.
Phoebe. Ah that I had all the time in the world to write about my favourite character!
Abandoned by her father, raised by a woman that wasn't even her real mother, who also offed herself when Phoebe wasn't old enough to take care of herself or her twin, what Phoebe turned out to be was actually, the best version of her that there can be. With no formal education, no clothes to wear, no roof over her head, a box as her home for a good part of her early teenage, Phoebe thinks Rachel's minute hardships compare to her own very drastic ones. Phoebe is open minded, free spirited, believes in what makes her happy. To summarize, Phoebe lives for HERSELF. Phoebe doesn't care if you judge her, because the only thing she's ever been able to trust is her own instinct, the thing that brought her far enough to become a masseuse and earn a living for herself. She plays the guitar that she's taught herself, and fearlessly sings songs that have hardly a tune. Her voice is untrained, but her confidence beats it all. She writes songs on mundane things like shampooing her hair during a shower, things you wouldn't even think about-- and always finds inappropriate times to sing the most meaningful ones. Phoebe tells kids the truth, because she doesn't believe in sugar coating it. Phoebe makes her own shoes and 3D paintings, and loves them, blatantly unresponsive to the fact that nobody else does, because who cares about that! She goes through changing her name to Princess Consuela Banana Hammock, just "because", just because she can! She doesn't rush through life trying to get to an end point, not until she meets the right guy. Instead she enjoys it, genuinely appreciating the path instead of the goal like a true saint. For what is, after all, life's true purpose? And who is a true winner?
And this is why, all of them are not idiots. Everyone of us, even the nerds, should have qualities of all these characters in us. And to an extent, we probably already do! I've done this character by character, but if needed I could do it episode by episode, talking about how the show's opened our minds in more ways than we can remember; but I won't, for lack of time on my part and patience on the part of the readers.
Beyond this, it's also important to recognise that the genre of the show is COMEDY, meaning it isn't about science or history, it's meant to make people laugh, which it did quite a great job with. That's why it's 2019 and we're still watching the show and coming up with articles to criticise it after twenty five whole years of it's beginning; I think that's more than any other show can boast of, anyway.
