Elizabeth Bradford

The One About How It All Started
                  Friends is a critically acclaimed sitcom that originally aired on September 22, 1994 and lasted for ten seasons, ultimately ending it’s run in 2004 (IMDB). The television show aired on NBC and is currently in syndication across many platforms like TBS, Netflix and local TV affiliates. The creators, David Crane and Marta Kauffman, were also the executive producers with the addition of Kevin Bright (IMDB). Hence, the Kauffman/Bright/Crane Production image at the end of every episode. It’s important to note that David Crane was the only contributor to Friends that identifies as gay; the remainders are white, heterosexual individuals.
The One With The Summary
                  The show follows around three males (Dr. Ross Geller, Joey Tribbiani and Chandler Bing) and three females (Phoebe Buffay, Rachel Green and Monica Geller) around New York City. It follows the six best friends through the trials and tribulations of life. The main cast all have distinguished personalities, which ultimately collide creating drama and comedy for the audience. Joey is the Italian womanizer. Chandler is troubled and unable to feel anything. Monica is an obsessive clean ‘freak’. Rachel is promiscuous and privileged. Phoebe is the “dumb blonde”. Lastly, Ross Geller is the dorky guy who can’t sustain a relationship. The most interesting character (some would argue otherwise) is Ross Geller. Ross’ rampant homophobia and failed relationships signal an internal struggle regarding his own sexuality.
The One With The Explanation
                  I selected this television show to critique because it’s a program that I’ve followed for many years. I’ve seen every episode multiple times and created para-social relationships with many characters. In my teenage years, I took the show for face value but in my adult years, I am able to acknowledge and understand mature undertones within the context of the show. Therefore, applying the knowledge from JMS 410 to Ross Geller, a character I’ve known for decades, is important. Not only am I seeing themes I didn’t know were there all along, I’m opening my eyes to blatant discrimination and lack of representation for all who aren’t intersectional and born with white privilege.
The One Queering Ross
                  Ross Geller goes against hegemonic masculinity. Hegemonic masculinity touches on the patriarchy and how men police each other by noting a failure to excel in sports or to have an adequate number of sexual encounters, an overabundance of adjectives in a sentence or a reluctance to consume red meat, signifies that they are veering dangerously close to becoming female or gay (Ross, p. 111). If Ross were based on this theory alone – he would be ousted immediately. He’s a feminine paleontologist who, throughout ten seasons, manages to get divorced three times. In between marriages, dating also results in failure.  His first wife and mother to his son, Carol Willick, left him for another women. This adulterous act leaves Ross insecure and unable to cope with anything related to the LGBTQ community, thus resulting in sexual ‘othering’ (Rodriguez, 2017). For example, in one episode, Ross’ son, Ben, is seen playing with a Barbie doll and Ross panics thinking it will ‘turn his son gay’.  In another episode, an old home video plays showing Ross dressing up as a ‘girl’ hosting a tea party. There are many innuendos throughout the series that shed light on stereotypical behavior giving clues to the audience that Ross is in fact queer. But, the issue is that the creators based this solely on LGBTQ stereotypes.
The One with The Academic Critique
                  Friends severely lacks diversity throughout the series. The LGBTQ community was stereotyped in relation to the patriarchy and hegemonic masculinity (Rodriguez, 2017). In all ten seasons, there was one black female on the show, and all characters on the show were able-bodied. According to Dr. Rodriguez, inclusion does not equal representation. The show is an exaggerated first-world sitcom representing privileged white men and white women, who for the sake of the patriarchy are oblivious to themselves. Tom Fordy in The Telegraph says, “the male characters in Friends are sexist, stupid, selfish, and emotionally repressed and do men everywhere a disservice”. In one episode, Ross asks another character if he’s gay because he’s interviewing for a nanny position. This representation signifies the misunderstood stereotype that men who go against hegemonic normativity must be gay. This is interesting considering the creator, David Crane, is in fact gay and still entertains this stereotype.
The One with Consumption and Conclusion
                  The consumption of Friends is deliberately meant for generation X, those born between 1965 and 1984 (Bump, 2014), therefore the audience tended to be more conservative and traditional in ways of the patriarchy. Ross reinforced their ideas of hegemonic masculinity, patriarchal importance, and what men should aspire to. Men could be prejudice, sexist and promiscuous – as long as they were funny, but women had to be less successful, aspiring wives, cooks, and secretively promiscuous.  Ross’ character did the show and their audience a disservice by reinforcing stereotypical ideas. With their favorability, Ross could have been at the forefront of progressive change and shown the world that it is okay to be gay, but instead production chose to suppress his struggles in order to maintain steady viewership. Ultimately, Friends could have been a more realistic show teaching intersectionality, culture and third-wave feminism, but unfortunately, it was the complete opposite.
 
 
References
Bump, P. (2014, March 25). Here Is When Each Generation Begins and Ends, According to Facts. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/03/here-is-when-each-generation-begins-and-ends-according-to-facts/359589/

Fordy, T. (2014, September 18). Why the men from Friends are no friends of mine. Retrieved April 12, 2017, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/11097176/Why-the-men-from-Friends-are-no-friends-of-mine.html

Friends. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2017, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Rodriguez, N. (n.d.). Geography of Women and Media. Lecture.

Rodriguez, N. (n.d.). GLAAD's Network Responsibility Index. Lecture.

Rosa, C. (2015, September 16). Sorry to ruin your fond memories, but Friends was homophobic AF. Retrieved April 12, 2017, from http://www.vh1.com/news/206164/friends-homophobic-moments/

Ross, K. (2014). The Handbook of Gender, Sex, and Media. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
 
 

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