Aniston Gets Real About Those Cringey Friends Moments We're All Trying to Forget
Can an offensive joke be funny?
It is no secret that modern audiences feel that Friends has aged poorly. While the sitcom remains an ultimate comfort for those who grew up with it, the new generation of viewers finds many problems with its characters, storylines, and humor.
In addition to an obvious lack of diversity, the series features a number of homophobic, transphobic, fatphobic, and sexist jokes that not only seem unfunny today, but would surely cause a backlash for any modern show.
Friends star Jennifer Aniston, however, says it is not the show that has aged badly, but the industry as a whole.
'There's a whole generation of people, kids, who are now going back to episodes of Friends and find them offensive,' she told AFP earlier this year. 'There were things that were never intentional and others… well, we should have thought it through — but I don't think there was a sensitivity like there is now.'
Aniston explained that making comedy these days is not what it used to be. Modern filmmakers have to be careful about what they joke about and how they joke about it, censoring lines and stories that could potentially be considered offensive. The 54-year-old star even added that this could be the reason why Hollywood has been producing fewer comedies lately.
'[In the past] you could joke about a bigot and have a laugh — that was hysterical. And it was about educating people on how ridiculous people were.' Aniston explained. 'And now we're not allowed to do that.'
The actress added that a good comedy is one that makes people laugh at themselves and the life around them, and the world would be a much more depressing place without some comic relief.
'Everybody needs funny! The world needs humor! We can't take ourselves too seriously. Especially in the United States. Everyone is far too divided,' Aniston said.
Naturally, people took to social media to weigh in on what the Friends star had to say. Some agreed that the jokes now considered offensive didn't ruin the beloved show, but added to it. Others said they're a product of their time. And there were those who disagreed with Aniston, claiming that if you can't be funny without being offensive, you're not funny.
'The episodes have always been offensive to the marginalised groups they mocked. Us 'kids' are just more willing to stand up for people whose voices are ignored,' a younger viewer said on Twitter.