Every weekend, I tell myself one more episode, and then I will start my homework. Yet, one more episode turns into five more episodes, and Sunday afternoon turns into Sunday night. This is the addictive nature of the hit comedy called Friends. Yes, I have already seen every episode of Friends, and yes, every weekend, I continue to watch and rewatch the episodes. Maybe it’s the comical relief brought by Chandler’s witty jokes, Phoebe’s quirkiness, or Joey’s shocking immaturity, or maybe, it is Monica’s obsessive qualities, Ross’s geekiness, or Rachel’s self-absorbed behavior. However, together the six of them fall into hilarious situations in all aspects of their life – relationships, work, and other miscellaneous situations. Through the seasons, I began to watch them grow up as people, to the point where I feel as if I know them. I have heard people say, myself included, things like, “Oh, that’s such a Rachel thing to do”, or “I can’t believe Joey got that turkey stuck on his head.” Those who watch the show regularly speak about these six characters as if they had cultivated personal relationships with them. However, it’s not only that, I sympathize with Chandler when Janice randomly pops back into his life; I laugh at Ross when all of the characters make fun of his multiple failed marriages, and I get excited with Rachel when she finds out that she is going to have a baby. Not only that, during the 90’s, Friends was so popular that people were constantly asking for the “Rachel” haircut.
Friends is an attractive show to all because of the blatant but still funny humor. For me, there are some shows that people find funny, but since I can’t seem to understand the jokes, I just nod along and pretend to enjoy it. There are other shows, like slapstick comedies, that are obnoxiously funny that after a while they stop being funny and become boring. Yet Friends mixes up the jokes in a way that every episode is funny. I always find myself looking for a funny episode but then remembering, it doesn’t matter because every episode is funny. However, what is it that makes a friends episode funny? I looked up the top ten funny episodes online, and almost every list had “The One Where Everybody Finds Out.” If you look at the description of that episode, it combines all the kinds of funny. The basis of this episode is Chandler and Monica’s secret relationship, combined with Ross needing to find a new apartment. Therefore, you have one random situation and one relationship. When Phoebe finds out about Monica and Chandler’s secret relationship, each of the characters handles the situation in a way that fully embodies their personalities. Monica’s competitive edge shines through, as do Phoebe’s weird quirks. Meanwhile, Ross is desperately trying to get this apartment and resorts to all ends to do it. Finally, work issues get worked into the episode as well because Ross has been fired for his job for his intense rage and is trying to show his boss that he is back on his feet when he sees Monica and Chandler through the window and freaks out in a typical Ross manner. This episode meshes together all of the qualities that makes Friends a funny show. Everyone can relate to work problems, relationship problems and those random problems that just rattle your day. Friends attracts so many people because it is about everyday issues that people face everyday.
