5 Reasons Watching Friends Now is Almost Unbearable

Friends is an institution. Almost 20 years on from the huge finale and regardless of what they have done since, the stars of the show are still best known for their role in the New York sitcom. Every generation since the 90s has watched it and some of the lines from the program are now standard in the US and UK lexicon.

But there’s also a feeling that it hasn’t aged well in the sense of its diversity and inclusivity.

Here are 5 reasons why Friends has become an awkward watch for some viewers:

1. Sexuality

Joey is a likeable misogynist with a genuine sense of homophobia. Not exactly a character who would garner much popular support in 2023. In fact, all of the men are repulsed by any suggestion of homosexuality. With that said, season 2 of Friends saw one of the first same-sex marriages on TV.

And let’s face it, Rachel is hardly the embodiment of feminism. Remember when she hired Tag because she fancied him? Yep, that was female empowerment in Friends.

Phoebe is clearly the most progressive of them all – but then she’s seen as the weird one.

2. Chandler’s dad

Woah! This has not aged well at all. In a sense, the fact they tackled the issue might be commended. And even today, a show that dealt with a child coming to terms with his parent being trans would have to include some kind of struggle to process it – I mean, the Kardashians managed it!

But it was being trans that made Helena (and her son) the butt of many jokes, not just among the characters on screen, but for the audience too.

3. Diversity

This was New York in the 1990s and beyond. Regardless of what anybody behind producing the show may have thought or said, the demographic we saw on screen did not reflect that of the Big Apple. And this raises the question of whether people of colour felt distant from a show that, for a time, was seen as a huge part of pop culture.

4. Gender norms

You might argue that Monica is a bit of a go-getter with ambition. But you could also describe her as overly houseproud with a hint of OCD, and with an attitude that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Happy Days.

As for Ross, for an intelligent man, he found it incredibly difficult to understand that his son might want to play with a Barbie doll.

5. Coercive and controlling behaviour

Ross was a terrible boyfriend. He was possessive and wanted to control Rachel because of his own insecurities. And we were supposed to root for these two to get back together. Indeed, the grand finale of the entire show was Rachel getting off the plane, giving up her dream job, and walking right back into a toxic relationship. How sweet!