Friends: 10 Major Flaws Of The Show That Fans Chose To Ignore
Friends is arguably the biggest sitcom of all time (although Seinfeld and How I Met Your Mother fans may have something to say about that!), but that doesn't mean it's perfect. In fact, the show has a huge number of issues, that are becoming more and more obvious as the years go by and the jokes get even staler.
Of course, most of these flaws existed from the start, but fans chose to ignore them, because the characters are fun and the writing is funny - and, of course, it was hugely popular! But a rewatch means overlooking a whole host of issues...
10 Offensive 'Jokes'
Many of the jokes may not have been considered quite so bad at the time, but there's no escaping the fact that lots of the humor in the show is based on homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, fat-shaming, and slut-shaming. And just because these were common things to 'joke' about on TV and in sitcoms at the time, it doesn't mean that they were ever appropriate or funny. It's definitely one of the biggest issues with the show, and one that makes it difficult to rewatch.
9 So. Many. Plot. Holes.
Clearly, the Friends writers didn't expect the fans to become quite so into the show, and go over every single episode detail with a fine-tooth comb, so they wrote details into the show based on what would get the most laughs - consistency and continuity notwithstanding. Because of this, everything from the characters' histories to their birthdays and ages, and even to their apartment numbers change throughout the show.
8 Wildly Unrealistic Financial Situations
This isn't limited to Friends, of course, but the finances of the characters were completely unbelievable. By the time Rachel moves in, Monica has essentially been living alone (as Phoebe snuck her stuff out) - which means paying rent on that enormous East Village apartment herself, despite the fact that she is a cook at the time. Rachel can then afford her portion of the rent as a coffee shop waitress, while Phoebe can pay for her stunning two-bedroom apartment as an independent masseuse. Ross and Chandler's finances make more sense, and Joey is often described as broke, but they can also take vacations at the drop of a hat, and seem to have no real financial limitations beyond the occasional 'broke' joke.
7 Disappearing Characters
While some characters have logical exits from the show (or at least, explained exits), there are others that just disappear without much of a trace.
Other friends and even family members only crop up to further the plot, and then disappear again - from romantic partners to colleagues.
6 Unrealistically Co-Dependent Characters
A common sitcom issue, and related to the issue above, is that the core 'gang' of six have essentially no friends outside the group. No one ever seems to be going out to meet other people or having any kind of life outside the gang. They spend every major holiday together every year, they go on vacation together, and they do absolutely everything as a group... close friends are one thing, but this is co-dependency.
5 The Laugh Track
Relic of a bygone TV age, the laugh track is something that most shows decided to ditch as being annoying and more than a little bit fake. Friends was shot in front of a live studio audience (for the most part) so plenty of these laughs are genuine, but they are edited and altered in post-production. And while this was common for a time, these days, laugh tracks are recognized as invasive and annoying, and most shows have (mercifully) ditched them.
4 Overly Sanitized Version Of 20-Somethings
This was presumably thanks to the fact that the network wouldn't want to portray particularly wild'n'crazy twenty-somethings, but the friends had a remarkably quiet life. Sure, they had a few dates, but they barely drank alcohol (when they discovered Fun Bobby had a drinking problem, they all counted how many drinks they had had during an evening with friends... and most of them had a single glass or two).
They hung out at a coffee house, rarely went to bars or nightclubs, and generally lived an eyebrow-raising restrained lifestyle for an actor, a cook, a waitress, and a hippy living in Manhattan.
3 Painfully White
Another one of the biggest flaws, and one that the show has rightfully received a lot of criticism for, is the fact that every main character, and almost every secondary character, is white and straight. The show did include a few romantic interests who were BIPOC (Julie and Charlie being the ones with the biggest roles), but the show is overwhelmingly lacking in diversity. For a series set in New York City, this is particularly unrealistic.
2 Joey's Predatory Behavior
Joey is played up as the 'ladies man' of Friends, always dating different women and refusing to commit, getting women to go out with him with a twinkle in his eye and that signature 'how you doin'?'. However, his behavior was often painfully sexist, such as when he put up an ad for a roommate saying 'non-smoker, non-ugly,' thinking he would be able to sleep with someone renting a room. He repeatedly objectifies women, and it's played for laughs.
1 They Don't Seem To Actually Like Each Other
More unrealistic writing, here, as many of the relationship dynamics portrayed are just... strange. Despite how painfully co-dependent the group is, they actually don't seem to like each other very much. Monica and Ross's dynamic is explained because they are siblings, but the rest lie to each other, manipulate each other, get into screaming fights, hide major life events... for a show called 'friends,' are any of them really actually friends?
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