In this current age of cancel culture , absolutely nothing is sacred. And the sad reality is that with the benefit of hindsight, many classic TV shows have a hard time withstanding the scrutiny .
But I’m here to say that we must be able to see the forest for the trees. To help illustrate my point, here are 10+ times Friends tackled serious issues. It wasn’t always elegant, but it was unquestionably progressive.
Self-worth and body image issues.
Many people are quick to condemn friends for all of the “fat Monica” jokes but fail to see the purpose behind the satire.
Friends was highlighting the power of our words and the serious emotional impact they can have — even years later. It was supposed to be a teaching moment.
Suicide and the emotional toll it takes on those left behind.
I’m not saying that they did this in the most delicate of ways, but in the early ’90s, the topic of suicide was still largely taboo — especially for a primetime TV show.
Phoebe’s story helped advance the conversation on the subject.
Alcoholism and the effects it has on a person’s relationships.
While it was on the one hand commendable for Friends to broach the subject of alcohol abuse, they went about it in a very backward way.
It’s not really fair for Monica to tell ‘Fun Bobby’ she can’t see him if he continues to drink, but that he’s also too boring to be with while sober.
Trans identities.
The term ‘transgender’ was not widely recognized at this time and as a result, Chandler’s father was incorrectly labeled a drag-queen.
Still, despite the many faults of the character portrayal, this kind of representation was groundbreaking and a huge first step in the right direction.
The struggles that come from divorce.
Up until Friends came along, all that married couples did (by and large) was play house and constantly dote upon one another.
Ross’s family dynamic reflected the growing reality that was becoming prominent in the ’90s.
Vegetarianism.
Are you old enough to remember when new episodes of Friends were airing every Thursday night?
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If so, then you know full-well that the first time you ever heard the word ‘vegetarian’ was out of the mouth of one Phoebe Buffay.
Gender stereotyping — especially when it comes to raising children.
Ross is kind of a dinosaur (pun intended) when it comes to a lot of his opinions on gender and childrearing.
Choosing to make Ben’s favorite toy a Barbie Doll not only shattered those preconceptions, but it also spoke volumes to millions of young fathers dealing with similar issues.
The idea that a blended family can still be a healthy environment for a child to grow-up in.
The idea of the Nuclear Family was still going strong up until the end of the ’90s. Divorced families weren’t called ‘blended’ back then — rather, they were called ‘broken.’
Ross, Carol, and Susan may not have always gotten along, but they always made it work for Ben.
Surrogacy.
Even today, there is still a huge stigma surrounding infertility and surrogacy. Can you imagine how tense the conversation must have been more than 20 years ago?
Phoebe’s act of love and devotion for her brother was way ahead of its time.
Chandler and Monica’s struggles with infertility.
I can happily say that my partner and I do not want children and that we’re perfectly happy with that decision. But my heart truly aches for anyone who wants them — but can’t.
The feelings of utter helplessness conveyed by Chandler always send me over the edge.
Normalizing adoption.
Just because you happen to be related to someone, doesn’t necessarily make you family. Conversely, you don’t need to have the same blood in your veins to call someone your own.
Chandler and Monica helped show us that.
Expressions of love and emotion between male friends.
Was it often interlaced with blatant homophobia — undoubtedly.
But the bromance between Joey and Chandler allowed many men to witness for the first time that emoting was nothing to be ashamed of.
Single motherhood.
Yes, I know that Rachel got off the stupid plane in the end. But before all of that and all throughout her pregnancy, she was totally on her own!
Rachel was a glowing example of a strong confident woman that neither needed nor wanted a man.
The stigma of gender roles and how they reflect in our society.
Do you remember when Ross completely freaked out when Rachel found a male nanny?
It sounds archaic now, but at the time those kinds of stereotypes were rampant. Friends may have gone about it in a satirical way, but they really were kicking down doors with this one.
Gay marriage.
How many TV weddings have you seen over the course of your lifetime? Now, of those marriages, how many of them were same-sex couples? Not many, not many at all.
It’s one thing for a series to say that a character is gay; it’s something completely different to endorse and celebrate their right to marriage.
