The Depressing Truth about Friends That'll Ruin the Show for You
The show is less realistic than it seems.
Summary
- Friends remains one of the most popular sitcoms in the world.
- The show's main characters are strikingly different.
- What works on TV wouldn't work in real life.
To this day, it's hard to find a show that can match the popularity of NBC's iconic sitcom Friends. Premiering in 1994, the comedy about a group of six New Yorkers became an instant hit with audiences around the world as it went into worldwide syndication just one year later. Over the years, Friends spanned ten seasons and witnessed many historical milestones, including the turn of the millennium and the devastating terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
The show's success made its ensemble cast, which included Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and the late Matthew Perry, world-famous stars and the highest-paid television actors of the time, earning a whopping $1 million per episode. And the reason for Friends' popularity is simple – viewers loved the drama and hilarity that accompanied the six characters in their daily lives and relationships.
But as inspiring as Friends is in its depiction of lifelong friendships, it's still a work of fiction because the characters portrayed would not have been friends in real life. Here's why.
A Motley Crew
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that each member of the friend group has their own unique personality. Monica is a pedantic control freak who loves cleanliness and order. Her older brother Ross is a science nerd with a heart of gold, malleable and easy to manipulate despite his degrees. Chandler is a sarcastic pessimist who makes fun of everything and everyone. Rachel is a somewhat simple but very determined go-getter. Joey is a dumb but adorable womanizer. And Phoebe is a free-spirited, unconventional weirdo.
On the one hand, the differences between the six characters create a lot of dynamic between them, as they don't always see eye to eye. On the other hand, these differences would be the root of many problems in real life.
Opposites Attract or Birds of Feather Flock Together?
Sure, it's nice to have a variety of people in your circle of friends, but unfortunately, that doesn't really happen in real life, because people tend to get along with people who share their beliefs and values. And that's not the case with the Friends characters.
Aside from their different views on life and morality – Ross and Phoebe's argument about evolution is a prime example – the characters don't have any common interests that would bind them together. In that sense, Ross and Joey are polar opposites. They come from two different worlds. And in real life, it's unlikely that they would be friends.
The same could be said about the rest of the group. It's sad. But it's the truth of life. And we have to acknowledge it.