F.R.I.E.N.DS is undoubtedly one of the funniest shows ever created, and it also has a few feminist moments that make us love it even more.
The recent F.R.I.E.N.D.S Reunion brought back a lot of memories and also tears to our eyes. The show may have aired nearly 27 years ago, but the joy a 22-minute episode brings is enough to get us through the day. It is known not only for its punchlines, friendships, and love but also for the feminist values it portrayed, which are relevant even today. Take a look:
First of all, we adore Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe’s friendship. Their love and respect for each other is so inspiring. Female friendships are so underrated, right? Their slumber parties and drinking beers while wearing wedding dresses gave us major friendship goals. From Monica letting Rachel use her insurance to the three of them going on a mission to find the fake Monica, they always had each other’s back. Another example of genuine friendship was between Rachel and her friend, Mindy. They teamed up to teach Barry, Rachel’s ex-fiance, a lesson as he had cheated on both of them. We love it when women come together to support other women, regardless of their differences.
Rachel entered the show as a privileged, rich girl and left as a career-oriented woman. From being a waitress to securing a high-end fashion job at Ralph Lauren and then Louis Vuitton (although she didn’t move to Paris in the end), her journey was quite inspiring. She took a break from her relationship with Ross when it was coming in the way of her career. During this time, we saw her thrive in her career and build a life for herself.
Then, there was Monica who went on to become a head chef at a restaurant and refused to give up even when the staff was hostile to her. She was fired once but sustained herself by taking small jobs. She could have moved to Tulsa with Chandler, but she chose her job in Manhattan. Even when she was dating Pete, she wanted him to make her the head chef of his restaurant based on her skills, not because he liked her.
Phoebe may not have a glorious career, but she was one badass woman. She was unafraid to say “no” to things she didn’t want to do. Also, she had immense courage to confront anyone. When the uptight waiter at her birthday dinner tries to move her to a smaller table, she doesn’t cave at first. She stood up to him until she couldn’t anymore.
Motherhood is a choice, and while all three female leads decided to embrace it, they did it in their own ways. Phoebe became a surrogate mother for her brother’s triplets and took care of herself without any assistance from anyone. It was a selfless deed she did for her family. Rachel refused Ross’s proposal to marry her while she was pregnant. She didn’t want to get married just for the sake of her child. She was strong and self-sufficient to raise a child on her own. When she returned to work, she proved herself once more and was back to her old self in no time.
Then there was Monica, who put her desires over a relationship. She left Richard because he didn’t want kids. She could have compromised for love but chose not to. She even considered a sperm bank and was ready to raise a kid alone. That’s how strong she was. Monica almost proposed to Chandler rather than waiting for him to do so. If you love someone, it shouldn’t matter who proposes first, right?
When Monica taught Chandler about seven erogenous zones women have, she shattered the taboo around female sexuality and satisfaction. Even Chandler was more than excited to learn from her. This shows that he considered Kathy’s sexual needs. Although he was comparing himself with Joey, we can give him a few points for trying.
The characters also shattered gender stereotypes with their actions and strong opinions. For example, when Ben chooses a Barbie over a G.I. Joe figure as a toy, Ross panics and demands that he play with “manly” toys. However, Carol and Susan were quick to defend Ben’s choice here. They explain to Ross that toys don’t have to be gender specific. When Rachel hired a male nanny for Emma, she made it clear that professions are not gender specific. Also, that child caring and babysitting is not a woman’s job. Men can and should do it too.
We cannot, however, deny that the show was problematic in some ways. The homophobic jokes, transphobia, sexism, and lack of diversity were definitely off-putting. But it did have a few feminist moments like these that we can appreciate.
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Image credits: Google
Originally published at https://www.fuzia.com.