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The reviewer here was male too so I wonder how toxic he had to have been. What are the other characters like? I remember loving Phoebe growing up, but don’t remember much of the others.
Edit:
My favorite comedies have been Brooklyn 99 for wholesome and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia for satire/dark humor. I’ve also enjoyed The Office & Parks and Recreation. Superstore was fun. HIMYM was problematic even though I have nostalgia with it and wonder if Friends has the same problems.
IASIP has horribly misogynistic, racist, homophobic characters - however it is satire and we laugh at their stupidity + the show never allows the main characters to truly succeed because they are bad people who don’t deserve to thrive.
I have many fond memories of HIMYM, but it’s deeply flawed. That being said, I hated HIMYM letting shitty rapey men like Barney actually doing well in life. People used to excuse this character because the actor who portrayed him is gay, however it doesn’t change the fact his character was a toxic, ageist, a serial rapist misogynist. Notice how there isn’t much homophobia in the series, yet sexism prevails. It’s almost like they cared about not dehumanizing gay people because Neil Patrick Harris (Barney’s actor) is gay. But they didn’t care about not dehumanizing women.
I felt like Ted was often not a genuine “nice guy”. Ted cheats on his girlfriends multiple times with Robin. Uses Tracy as a mommy mcbangmaid. Didn’t mind manipulating women to sleep with him on the way even if Barney was way worse.
Even Marshall was portrayed as low value a few times. He let’s Barney say degrading things about Lily. Had an episode where he said he was tempted to bang his secretary while his wife was pregnant. And also had a scene where he was trying his hardest not to orgasm to stall for something, but all he was doing was receiving head when he should have been giving Lily oral if he wanted to last longer. LMAO
Edit 2: Out of curiosity, can any one give me examples of Ross’s lvm behavior?
The show is hugely overrated and not funny at all. Ross is the worst. Watch Parks and Rec or Arrested Development if you’re looking for a good laugh.
I watched "Friends" way back when, and this show holds a nostalgic, comforting place in my heart. It's a "put it on in the background" show for me. That being said... Sitcom characters like the ones on "Friends" are written for TV ratings and viewership, not for being as close to whole humans as possible. They're 2-dimensional and inconsistent, especially considering this show ran for 10 seasons with 20-something episodes per season. You can sit down and pick apart any comedic show from decades ago if you're applying it to a 2022 lens. I just re-watched a bunch of "Friends" episodes and they still make me laugh, a lot. But definitely not every single joke from this show that originally aired from 1994-2004 is going to hold up. That's just time passing, and our culture evolving. The gay jokes aren't funny and would not be used in a show made today, and I agree somewhat with the OP in your screenshot, that some of Ross's behaviors are absolutely red flags. He has outbursts of rage, he's insecure and jealous, he's self-centered (I could argue that all of the Friends are, though), he's pretentious and a know-it-all. There's also a lot of Ross moments that make me laugh thanks to David Schwimmer's skills at physical humor, like when he goes tanning and when he's trying to put on the leather pants, or moving the couch yelling, "PIVOT!!!!" My point here is that I don't watch shows like "Friends" for a blueprint on what life is supposed to be like, or fully fleshed out, consistent characters reflecting realism to me (you aren't going to find that with any of them, not just Ross). These are supposed to be working-class 20-somethings, and they are literally hanging out in a coffeeshop every day, lol. It's a fantasy. It's fictional. Like I said, nostalgia plays a role for me, so I still like the show overall. When I see something problematic, I say, "Yikes, that joke did NOT age well and would not air today," and move on. I see it as a time capsule from 1994-2004, and how far we've come since then when it comes to the cringe moments, and simultaneous awe at the comedic moments that still make me laugh today. Give the show a shot, if you want. If you don't like it, you don't have to keep watching it. Live your life, girl!! I hope you do like it, though. There's lots of funny moments.
Okay okay...I know you weren't really asking for show recommendations but hear me out... for great examples of FDS principles in a sitcom...Golden Girls is tops.
Those dames were always dating but kept their dating life contained and dumped men at the first sign of disrespect because "of course you do that." Nothing weird about doing it ...deal breakers break the deal, no ifs ands or buts.
I loved the Good Place, the Mindy Project and Schitts Creek for this kind of humour, if you’re looking for alternative shows to watch. Agree with this review, Ross always rubbed me the wrong way.
I've never liked this show so I can't really tell. But some months ago a post became viral on Tumblr and every one there agree the Ross character was a terrible person, so the reveiwrer is probably right.
I think you should watch sitcom "Mom". It is a great sitcom about former alcoholic mother and daughter and how they later level up in life. It also has majority female cast.
I could never watch HIMYM. I found it weird how every male character slept with the brunette. I don't wanna watch a woman get passed around a friend group like its normal cause it aint lol. Arrested development is hilarious and parks and rec is both wholesome and funny. I aspire to be like Leslie Knope lol
Ross is a bumbling idiot. I’m old enough to have see the original show in real time and I thought all the guys on that show were un-dateable.
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is disgusting.