It was always a mediocre show, but was so massively popular at the time that any criticism was quickly drowned out and brushed away. But now the hype has died down and people are more openly talking about the show’s flaws.
I personally thought it sucked back when it was new and have no interest in watching it now. I watched a handful of episodes as it had a syndication spot on my local networks, but just never got into it. (For the kids: Growing up on the East Coast, the dinner hours were generally news and 8-11 pm was “prime time” when new episodes of shows would air. In between shows would air reruns in syndication. So Friends was the filler I’d sometimes watch while waiting for the new shows to air.)
It is what it is, a simple comedy feel good show. Don’t expect deep and complex story lines because that’s not what anyone wants with a show line this
So with that in mind, what is objectively wrong with it? You said it yourself, it was massively popular, why do you think that was? It was good at what it did, nothing more, nothing less
It just wasn’t funny. It was a group of obnoxious young adults in apartments mugging for the camera while the laugh track assured us what they said was funny (it wasn’t.)
The only episode that landed for me was the boys trying to move a couch upstairs with Ross shouting “PIVOT!” Otherwise, nothing really interesting happened. The “Smelly Cat” song everyone memed about was just grating.
And I remember what was popular about it was Ross and Rachel. Which is mind-boggling, because they were both incredibly toxic and spent half their lives arguing over whether Ross cheated on her. Why would anyone root for that?
It’s a comfort show that’s still popular. But for some people they just don’t get it. Kinda like how the office is a comfort show. Why do people still watch them? Not sure, I don’t get the appeal. But it’s pretty common to have a comfort show and that’s probably fine.
I’ll watch Friends over the Office personally. This is despite the fact that I think the Office is more creative in some ways. Reason is all the cringe, particularly around Michael. So I’ll watch things like the Jim pranking Dwight compilation on YouTube, but I won’t watch the show again. But Friends is completely OK background noise. You don’t have to pay attention to it. You’ll just notice the funny bits sometimes while you’re doing other things. You won’t be like “shit I missed the last episode, now I have to go back” because it doesn’t matter what happened usually.
I don’t disagree that it died when he left, nor that he was the star of the show.
It’s not humor that offends someone that I can’t tolerate, it’s the cringe. Maybe it’s because I was awkward growing up and I still sometimes blurt out things I shouldn’t (I blame ADHD for this one, I often don’t realize what I’ve said before I said it). Michael has the parts of my personality that I’m the most insecure about, amplified 100x.
You can directly make fun of me as a person and I’m not offended. Call me a planet, tell me I’m an idiot in some creative way, for any number of the stupid things I’ve done in my life, whatever… But Michael’s cringe just… hurts my soul.
I honestly don’t get all the love for the show. It was the stereotypical sitcom that was super generic and not all that funny. I was always completely bored by it.
And the salamander didn’t say anything bad about it. It said there’s better shows. Are you going to try and claim that Friends is better than Breaking Bad or the first 8 seasons of Game of Thrones?
I’d never claim that, for one because it’s claiming that a banana would be better than an airplane. They’re very different things for very different purposes
Breaking bad is a very well written and acted show with complicated drama, plots, and a lot of violence
Same for game of thrones (at least untill season 6 started, then the writing took a hit but still, great show until season 8 which just sucked.
Friends in the other hand was simple popcorn feel good comedy where you could have simple laught without having to think too much, where you could get a warm fuzzy feeling about it. Breaking bad won’t give you that, it’s a whole different beast. Are the story lines deep and intricate? Nope, and that’s what we want; simple turn-your-brain-off comedy, and I don’t think it ever pretended to be more than that. It’s very good at what it did, I think
Don’t know what George Lopez is, but Friends was, I guess, somewhat similar to FP? Fo might sometimes go somewhat deeper into subjects, but then again, Friends was just simple by design. No need to think, just turn your brain off and have some innocent laughs to relax.
Because it wasnt simple, and its got a lot of old culture in it that doesnt always hit the same way as it did then.
Its a product of its time, and making fun of it is sort of like making fun of older generations for whatever reason.
I will say I dont like how apparently women needed to be under 100 pounds to be considered attractive back then, and it bums me out knowing that Chandler’s actor was struggling with addiction during a chunk of the show.
It does have some really well written bits though, but its usually not the ones people bring up most often.
The fact that a lot of men now appreciate big booty bitches? I don’t think I’d ever find a woman under 100 pounds attractive even. That’s basically underweight.
There are very few people who have a problem with women weighing under 50 kilos, even back then. The “fat Monica” jokes showed her in a dat shit where she appeared well over a 100 kilos and there you can objectively say that that is less attractive.
If that’s not true then the question is a) where is the line? Am I required to be attracted to women over 150 kilos? 200 kilos? Because I’m not
People, men and women, are attracted to what they find attractive and most people find fit bodies attractive
I don’t like it, but it’s plenty well written, it’s obvious why people like it. I think people just like to hate on things they don’t like, it can be fun to be negative with no substantial harm, like complaining for fun.
I’m sorry but whenever someone starts talking about something being problematic it’s mostly something that really isn’t a problem, it’s just a personal dislike
Anything and everything is problematic for somebody
I’ve come to realize over the years that most TV is problematic, but you can still be consciously aware of it and still enjoy what you like within that context. I think it’s worse if you watch it, but have no idea that it’s problematic. My dad watches big bang theory sometimes, and that show is incredibly misogynistic for laughs. He has no idea, he thinks the humor is normal. He just takes a lot of that stuff in completely unexamined. My point being, if you are consciously aware of something being problematic, it makes your consumption of it more responsible.
Simple feel good comedy is just a distraction from reality. Even worse, with their semi fantasy “this is how real world is” style, they are actually hurting society making people think they are living in this fantasy society.
Go for Silo, severance and Invasion. Those shows offer way more reality based society even while being full-on fantasy.
Simple feel good comedy is just a distraction from reality
Yes? Yeah! That’s what we want! Just a few laughs to relax and I don’t have to think too deeply, what’s wrong with that?
Silo, severance, invasion
It’s like I’m talking about apples and you say “yeah but airplanes are much better!” and… I can’t eat an airplane, dude!
Friends was very good at what it pretended and intended to be: simple fun to relax and feel good, it is what people wanted which it was so insanely popular
What’s up with h all the hate for Friends these days? It’s a simple feel good comedy that got laughs, why hate on that?
I loved friends, still do
It was always a mediocre show, but was so massively popular at the time that any criticism was quickly drowned out and brushed away. But now the hype has died down and people are more openly talking about the show’s flaws.
I personally thought it sucked back when it was new and have no interest in watching it now. I watched a handful of episodes as it had a syndication spot on my local networks, but just never got into it. (For the kids: Growing up on the East Coast, the dinner hours were generally news and 8-11 pm was “prime time” when new episodes of shows would air. In between shows would air reruns in syndication. So Friends was the filler I’d sometimes watch while waiting for the new shows to air.)
It is what it is, a simple comedy feel good show. Don’t expect deep and complex story lines because that’s not what anyone wants with a show line this
So with that in mind, what is objectively wrong with it? You said it yourself, it was massively popular, why do you think that was? It was good at what it did, nothing more, nothing less
It just wasn’t funny. It was a group of obnoxious young adults in apartments mugging for the camera while the laugh track assured us what they said was funny (it wasn’t.)
The only episode that landed for me was the boys trying to move a couch upstairs with Ross shouting “PIVOT!” Otherwise, nothing really interesting happened. The “Smelly Cat” song everyone memed about was just grating.
And I remember what was popular about it was Ross and Rachel. Which is mind-boggling, because they were both incredibly toxic and spent half their lives arguing over whether Ross cheated on her. Why would anyone root for that?
It’s a comfort show that’s still popular. But for some people they just don’t get it. Kinda like how the office is a comfort show. Why do people still watch them? Not sure, I don’t get the appeal. But it’s pretty common to have a comfort show and that’s probably fine.
I’ll watch Friends over the Office personally. This is despite the fact that I think the Office is more creative in some ways. Reason is all the cringe, particularly around Michael. So I’ll watch things like the Jim pranking Dwight compilation on YouTube, but I won’t watch the show again. But Friends is completely OK background noise. You don’t have to pay attention to it. You’ll just notice the funny bits sometimes while you’re doing other things. You won’t be like “shit I missed the last episode, now I have to go back” because it doesn’t matter what happened usually.
Michael was the star of the show and it died when he left.
A couple of my redditbrained friends agree with you, though. I don’t think they can tolerate humor that offends anyone.
I don’t disagree that it died when he left, nor that he was the star of the show.
It’s not humor that offends someone that I can’t tolerate, it’s the cringe. Maybe it’s because I was awkward growing up and I still sometimes blurt out things I shouldn’t (I blame ADHD for this one, I often don’t realize what I’ve said before I said it). Michael has the parts of my personality that I’m the most insecure about, amplified 100x.
You can directly make fun of me as a person and I’m not offended. Call me a planet, tell me I’m an idiot in some creative way, for any number of the stupid things I’ve done in my life, whatever… But Michael’s cringe just… hurts my soul.
I honestly don’t get all the love for the show. It was the stereotypical sitcom that was super generic and not all that funny. I was always completely bored by it.
And the salamander didn’t say anything bad about it. It said there’s better shows. Are you going to try and claim that Friends is better than Breaking Bad or the first 8 seasons of Game of Thrones?
I’d never claim that, for one because it’s claiming that a banana would be better than an airplane. They’re very different things for very different purposes
Breaking bad is a very well written and acted show with complicated drama, plots, and a lot of violence
Same for game of thrones (at least untill season 6 started, then the writing took a hit but still, great show until season 8 which just sucked.
Friends in the other hand was simple popcorn feel good comedy where you could have simple laught without having to think too much, where you could get a warm fuzzy feeling about it. Breaking bad won’t give you that, it’s a whole different beast. Are the story lines deep and intricate? Nope, and that’s what we want; simple turn-your-brain-off comedy, and I don’t think it ever pretended to be more than that. It’s very good at what it did, I think
I like that when you mention better shows you choose 2 shows that are not at all light hearted, funny or comparable to Friends in any manner.
Why watch friends when you can watch 2 shows that have many fucked up things happen in them
I hate them all 😶
Game of Thrones only had 4 seasons though. Shame they never finished it.
First 5?
Yess, everything after was horseshit
Yes
I never watched it, but it always looked bad.
How do you think it compares to Fresh Prince or George Lopez?
Don’t know what George Lopez is, but Friends was, I guess, somewhat similar to FP? Fo might sometimes go somewhat deeper into subjects, but then again, Friends was just simple by design. No need to think, just turn your brain off and have some innocent laughs to relax.
I think it did that quite well
Because it wasnt simple, and its got a lot of old culture in it that doesnt always hit the same way as it did then.
Its a product of its time, and making fun of it is sort of like making fun of older generations for whatever reason.
I will say I dont like how apparently women needed to be under 100 pounds to be considered attractive back then, and it bums me out knowing that Chandler’s actor was struggling with addiction during a chunk of the show.
It does have some really well written bits though, but its usually not the ones people bring up most often.
What makes you think this has changed?
The fact that a lot of men now appreciate big booty bitches? I don’t think I’d ever find a woman under 100 pounds attractive even. That’s basically underweight.
There are very few people who have a problem with women weighing under 50 kilos, even back then. The “fat Monica” jokes showed her in a dat shit where she appeared well over a 100 kilos and there you can objectively say that that is less attractive.
If that’s not true then the question is a) where is the line? Am I required to be attracted to women over 150 kilos? 200 kilos? Because I’m not
People, men and women, are attracted to what they find attractive and most people find fit bodies attractive
Kill All Others
Big mood. Only old sitcom besides Seinfeld that can still make me snort-laugh at times.
I don’t like it, but it’s plenty well written, it’s obvious why people like it. I think people just like to hate on things they don’t like, it can be fun to be negative with no substantial harm, like complaining for fun.
I mean, as someone who grew up watching and loving friends, it’s extremely problematic.
Oh boy, what did it wrong this time?
I’m sorry but whenever someone starts talking about something being problematic it’s mostly something that really isn’t a problem, it’s just a personal dislike
Anything and everything is problematic for somebody
I’ve come to realize over the years that most TV is problematic, but you can still be consciously aware of it and still enjoy what you like within that context. I think it’s worse if you watch it, but have no idea that it’s problematic. My dad watches big bang theory sometimes, and that show is incredibly misogynistic for laughs. He has no idea, he thinks the humor is normal. He just takes a lot of that stuff in completely unexamined. My point being, if you are consciously aware of something being problematic, it makes your consumption of it more responsible.
Blackface for nerds.
It is cringe 😄
Simple feel good comedy is just a distraction from reality. Even worse, with their semi fantasy “this is how real world is” style, they are actually hurting society making people think they are living in this fantasy society.
Go for Silo, severance and Invasion. Those shows offer way more reality based society even while being full-on fantasy.
Eh?
Yes? Yeah! That’s what we want! Just a few laughs to relax and I don’t have to think too deeply, what’s wrong with that?
It’s like I’m talking about apples and you say “yeah but airplanes are much better!” and… I can’t eat an airplane, dude!
Friends was very good at what it pretended and intended to be: simple fun to relax and feel good, it is what people wanted which it was so insanely popular
🤣
Reavers
?
PAX53 wasn’t 500 years in the future. You were looking at the machine.