Friends [rant]

[gauchecritic]

So as not to divert attention from Sarahhhhhhh's webcammery frolicking I'd like to take this opportunity to further alienate myself from frippery and display once again some ill-perceived anti-americanism and self styled culturally intellectual snobishness.

Friends -- all laughing
Monica -- The camera adds 10 or 15 pounds
Chandler -- Just how many cameras were on you?

As much as I find Friends amusing, the very clever wordplay there and numerous others, I find the show to be representative of many things that non-americans find distasteful about america. (distasteful, just how English do you want me to be?)

This tirade speaks to two essential components. The writing (groan) and the apparent successful reflection of american 'culture'. (not limited to the US but this is what set me off)

Fat jokes. The fat suit that Monica wears really riles me, especially the dancing sequences. The lines they gave to Ross about fat girls. With no hint of empathy whatsoever about the plight of self-image and insecurity that many people go through in these situations, just a method of writing poor script for cheap laughs.

Successful rich white people (with the very occasional token other race/class). Aspirational you may say, but aspirational only to other rich white people. Of course you can run for President, but that's only because those in power know you can't.

Characters. Where they're not hateful they're insipid. Where they're not two-dimensional they're stereotypical. The only complex character is Phoebe and that's because they made her into two people.

Farce. From dicdotcom:
1. a light, humorous play in which the plot depends upon a (skilfully) exploited situation rather than upon the development of character.
2. humour of the type displayed in such works.
3. foolish show; mockery; a ridiculous sham.

The number of situations where nothing would actually happen if one character or other would actually admit or correct, at the first opportunity, another's misconception is; every episode.

Friends has some great lines but the dependency of the writers to fall back to the lowest common denominator for plot and more often for cheap laughs leaves me feeling despondent about its success amongst the american public.

There are some really great american shows (Scrubs, Seinfeld, Becker) but Friends, for me, whilst being popular is a disaster both socially and writerly. {/rant]

 

[Recidiva]

The part that gets me is the ability to get an apartment that looks like that in NYC without paying a million or so. I think they tried to explain it as rent controlled once. Right.

So far the only program that really portrays New York City housing accurately is Peter Parker's apartment in Spiderman.

And I didn't watch Friends anyway. Though I did like Phoebe and her brother because I adore the actor playing him.

But I can watch him in "My Name is Earl" and be much happier now.

Aaaand...you try too hard to alienate yourself from something you know a lot about. I think thou dost protest too much

 

[Guest]

i really liked the sound track when it first came out about, what? twelve years ago?

Scrubs rocks. The writing is wicked and i have sledom been tempted to change the channel when watching. John C. McGinley is the penultimate actor who can deliver sarcasm with deadly accuracy. *melt*

 

[Recidiva]

i really liked the sound track when it first came out about, what? twelve years ago?

Scrubs rocks. The writing is wicked and i have sledom been tempted to change the channel when watching. John C. McGinley is the penultimate actor who can deliver sarcasm with deadly accuracy. *melt*

Another great show. I love Scrubs.

Also love "How I Met Your Mother" and Barney.

 

[jomar]

I like Earl and Scrubs too.

I'm sort of surprised you like Seinfeld Gauche. It is a funny show, but they're all really shallow and selfish at heart. If you look that hard at Friends, don't the character's natures in Seinfeld diminish your enjoyment of the show?

 

[Recidiva]

I like Earl and Scrubs too.

I'm sort of surprised you like Seinfeld Gauche. It is a funny show, but they're all really shallow and selfish at heart. If you look that hard at Friends, don't the character's natures in Seinfeld diminish your enjoyment of the show?

At least Seinfeld was up front about it. The show's mission statement was "No hugging. No learning" as crafted by Larry David.

But although I watched a few episodes of Seinfeld, I was turned off by the selfishness, I find it tough to sympathize with or be interested at all in adults who behave like retarded kindergarteners and think they're clever and entertaining.

 

[Guest]

I like Earl and Scrubs too.

I'm sort of surprised you like Seinfeld Gauche. It is a funny show, but they're all really shallow and selfish at heart. If you look that hard at Friends, don't the character's natures in Seinfeld diminish your enjoyment of the show?

Seinfeld, for me, was distasteful. It surprises me how iconoclastic the show is/was.

totally self-absorbed characters who brated anyone who was not like them.
the best thing that came from it was the soup natzi and killing off a character with poison glue from licking envelopes..

 

[Recidiva]

Seinfeld, for me, was distasteful. It surprises me how iconoclastic the show is/was.

totally self-absorbed characters who brated anyone who was not like them.
the best thing that came from it was the soup natzi and killing off a character with poison glue from licking envelopes..

I do love Patrick Warburton, he started in Seinfeld, I'll give them that.

He has a new show, "Rules of Engagement" that's horrible. But he's great. I wish he'd play every part. It's not long for this world.

 

[cloudy]

Seinfeld, for me, was distasteful. It surprises me how iconoclastic the show is/was.

totally self-absorbed characters who brated anyone who was not like them.
the best thing that came from it was the soup natzi and killing off a character with poison glue from licking envelopes..

...and master of your domain.

 

[jomar]

At least Seinfeld was up front about it. The show's mission statement was "No hugging. No learning" as crafted by Larry David.

But although I watched a few episodes of Seinfeld, I was turned off by the selfishness, I find it tough to sympathize with or be interested at all in adults who behave like retarded kindergarteners and think they're clever and entertaining.

I didn't know or forgot about the mission statement. It's good.

Seinfeld, for me, was distasteful. It surprises me how iconoclastic the show is/was.

totally self-absorbed characters who brated anyone who was not like them.
the best thing that came from it was the soup natzi and killing off a character with poison glue from licking envelopes..

I think part of what made it a hit, aside from the luck of timing and the great scripts, was that they did a good job of making fun of themselves. They never got ahead and so were "punished" for their selfishness and shallowness.

 

[Guest]

I do love Patrick Warburton, he started in Seinfeld, I'll give them that.

He has a new show, "Rules of Engagement" that's horrible. But he's great. I wish he'd play every part. It's not long for this world.

i keese you.


right now im totally involved watching "Girls Next Door"
I had all these preconceived notions of Hugh Hefner which have been thoughly dissolved. God what a wonderful man. I'd love to sit at his feet and listen to the tales he could tell!

ok, so thats not quite the same as the scripted shows Gauch was talking about, still...its something i enjoy.

 

[matriarch]

i really liked the sound track when it first came out about, what? twelve years ago?

Scrubs rocks. The writing is wicked and i have sledom been tempted to change the channel when watching. John C. McGinley is the penultimate actor who can deliver sarcasm with deadly accuracy. *melt*

The wife loves Scrubs. I tolerate it. For her.
Given the choice, I'd rather watch a documentary on Archeology, History or Natural History. Really. Honestly. Every time.

But then I'm a Brit. And quite old.

 

[Recidiva]

i keese you.


right now im totally involved watching "Girls Next Door"
I had all these preconceived notions of Hugh Hefner which have been thoughly dissolved. God what a wonderful man. I'd love to sit at his feet and listen to the tales he could tell!

ok, so thats not quite the same as the scripted shows Gauch was talking about, still...its something i enjoy.

I'll have to give that one a try, thanks. Put my TIVO to the test. I don't watch commercials any more (Again, blessed be the TIVO) so I must learn of things from word of mouth. And you have a great mouth.

 

[Recidiva]

The wife loves Scrubs. I tolerate it. For her.
Given the choice, I'd rather watch a documentary on Archeology, History or Natural History. Really. Honestly. Every time.

But then I'm a Brit. And quite old.

Oh, I love the documentaries. I've been watching all of Josh Bernstein's "Digging for the Truth" and the new series "Ancient Discoveries" - I'm a documentary junkie.

 

[Guest]

The wife loves Scrubs. I tolerate it. For her.
Given the choice, I'd rather watch a documentary on Archeology, History or Natural History. Really. Honestly. Every time.

But then I'm a Brit. And quite old.

shuddit.

i love documentaries as well. im not ready to be old yet.

but i think i might be the only one on the boards that really likes survivor and american idol. what i enjoy about it is that even though my logical side knows there is rigging going on, i can see how people react to odd situations. its pretty cool and mind numbing too. i need mental vacations.
reality tv is anything but real.

 

[cloudy]

Oh, I love the documentaries. I've been watching all of Josh Bernstein's "Digging for the Truth" and the new series "Ancient Discoveries" - I'm a documentary junkie.

Josh Bernstein's not hard to look at, either.

Ooh! Tonight's the second episode of the Tudors - gotta remember to watch it.

 

[Recidiva]

shuddit.

i love documentaries as well. im not ready to be old yet.

but i think i might be the only one on the boards that really likes survivor and american idol. what i enjoy about it is that even though my logical side knows there is rigging going on, i can see how people react to odd situations. its pretty cool and mind numbing too. i need mental vacations.
reality tv is anything but real.

Yeah, those I don't watch. To me it's all people who want to be actors who are jumping up and down saying "LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!" and I can get that from my kids.

 

[Guest]

I'll have to give that one a try, thanks. Put my TIVO to the test. I don't watch commercials any more (Again, blessed be the TIVO) so I must learn of things from word of mouth. And you have a great mouth.

tease.


i wish we had tivo but its out of our scope for now. the only day i watch tv for extended periods is sunday...i do the laundry and watch tv. its comforting.

 

[Recidiva]

Josh Bernstein's not hard to look at, either.

Ooh! Tonight's the second episode of the Tudors - gotta remember to watch it.

Doesn't hurt that Josh is completely insane either.

But then again, so were the Tudors...and the Plantagenets...and the Hapsburgs. Hm. Trend.

 

[Recidiva]

tease.


i wish we had tivo but its out of our scope for now. the only day i watch tv for extended periods is sunday...i do the laundry and watch tv. its comforting.

We have...uh...the equivalent of three TIVOs. One TV that records two channels at once and another TV with a TIVO.

I'm spoiled as hell.

Helps to have a technically inclined mate. Who sets up such things and requires them. And built my computer.

Basically I'd be in a cave without him.

 

[cloudy]

Doesn't hurt that Josh is completely insane either.

But then again, so were the Tudors...and the Plantagenets...and the Hapsburgs. Hm. Trend.

ya think?

 

[Guest]

isn't it funny though, how sitcoms have evolved over time? how hard it is for me to watch something like the Honeymooners. i think that though situations are 'basically' the same, the delivery has changed majorly.

 

[Recidiva]

isn't it funny though, how sitcoms have evolved over time? how hard it is for me to watch something like the Honeymooners. i think that though situations are 'basically' the same, the delivery has changed majorly.

One of the shows that I love now is "Ghost Whisperer" that starts out with a major conflict and then resolves it during the course of the show.

I really love that program, if only because the application of humor, forgiveness and understanding toward an emotional issue is NOT what TV has been about, and I like it a lot. They also don't use stupid plot twists that should make a healthy adult laugh as stumbling blocks. (Yes, I'm talking to you, Gray's Anatomy...)

Not to mention it always makes me cry.

 

[jomar]

...but i think i might be the only one on the boards that really likes survivor...

Thank God! I thought I was the only one that likes that guilty pleasure.

If you also like the Dog Whisperer I just might fall in love.

 

[gauchecritic]

Aaaand...you try too hard to alienate yourself from something you know a lot about. I think thou dost protest too much

I freely admit I watched every episode and found it entertaining. It wasn't until the repeats that I saw how awful the characters actually were. And like I say, it does have some good lines.

I'm sort of surprised you like Seinfeld Gauche. It is a funny show, but they're all really shallow and selfish at heart. If you look that hard at Friends, don't the character's natures in Seinfeld diminish your enjoyment of the show?

I was going to answer that this way:

I think part of what made it a hit, aside from the luck of timing and the great scripts, was that they did a good job of making fun of themselves. They never got ahead and so were "punished" for their selfishness and shallowness.

But you beat me to it.
I don't think the premise for Seinfeld sets itself up as 'a slice of life' in the way that Friends appears to. Plus the fact that Friends doesn't have a visual/textual reference to superman in every episode.