You know how there are two kinds of people in the world, those who think Ross is the worst character from Friends, and people who are wrong?
Well, there's a new debate raging around Friends, only this time it's about how the 10-season show that defined sitcoms for a decade is... well... kind of problematic.
The show was recently added to Netflix in the UK, and many have been revisiting their old friends, only to find that in our decidedly more woke times, some of the themes don't sit quite so well.
If, somehow, you've never watched Friends, it follows six... well, friends, named Rachel, Phoebe, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Ross. It made household names out of the starring cast of Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer, and had incredible A-list cameos throughout its run.
Looking back, the show is rife with jokes laced with homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny that are rubbing viewers rewatching or discovering the show for the first time in 2018 the wrong way.
There's the transphobia surrounding the treatment of Helena Handbasket, Chandler's transgender parent. Played by Kathleen Turner, Chandler only refers to Helena in male pronouns, deadnaming her in the process. There's also the years of jokes surrounding Chandler's sexuality (and his resulting disgust at the accusations that he might be gay).
The show also deals with casual homophobia through Ross and his relationship with his ex-wife Carol (the first of many) and her new wife Susan. Ross' brand of toxic masculinity is also front and centre in episode "The One With The Male Nanny" which guest-stars Freddy Prinze Jr and features Ross freaking out about the idea of a man looking after his daughter Emma.
There's of the moments the show wades into homophobic territory or makes gay punchlines. Clocking in at 50 minutes, it's longer than the runtime of two episodes of the show.
In the current climate of #MeToo and #TimesUp, watching perennial ladies' man Joey Tribbiani constantly hitting on and disposing of women like they're the latest model of iPhone has also not been well received.
The treatment of women also extends to how the show created the ongoing joke of Monica's weight as a teenager. The character often referred to as "fat Monica" dances with and obsesses over food while her friends use her weight as a punchline.
Despite the pushback on the show, there are many also coming to its defence, noting how much times have changed since the show was on-air and the shift in social norms since it was on TV. Some have even pointed out how progressive the show was in its depictions of LGBTQI+ people in such a mainstream show for its time.
Still, one has to wonder, could the show BE any more problematic?
