“I’ll be there for you” is the message of Buddies theme tune, however 30 years after the present first aired there are some noticeable flaws that make it appear as if that will not completely be the case.
Certain, all of us nonetheless love the hit 90s sitcom, however loads can change in 30 years, and on a re-examination, followers have discovered tons to critique throughout the present. It’s not simply plot holes and continuity errors, there are some greater issues which might be onerous to look over when rewatching the sequence, regardless of how nostalgic it might be.
- Launch Date
- September 22, 1994
- Seasons
- 10
- Studio
- Story By
- Marta Kauffman
- Writers
- Marta Kauffman, David Crane
- Community
- NBC
- Franchise(s)
- Buddies
- Administrators
- Marta Kauffman, David Crane
- Showrunner
- Marta Kauffman
- The place To Watch
- M
10 Plot Holes
One can’t speak in regards to the flaws in Buddies with out mentioning the various plot holes and inconsistencies all through it. In fact, any present will undergo from the occasional plot gap, however Buddies has numerous them. One factor that has all the time stood out was the truth that within the pilot episode, Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) supposedly met everybody (besides Monica (Courteney Cox) and Ross (David Schwimmer)) for the primary time.
But, within the Season 3 episode “The One with the Flashback”, we see that she met Chandler (Matthew Perry) a 12 months earlier than the pilot episode. It’s a complete oversight by the showrunners, and despite the fact that it made for a humorous episode, it’s maddening to look at. Different particulars akin to inconsistent birthdays, ages, and a Bruce Willis cameo create main holes within the Buddies universe.
9 Joey’s Character Downfall
One other flaw of the present that many have identified is how Joey’s (Matt LeBlanc) character modified all through the sequence. Once we first meet Joey he’s extraordinarily charismatic and charming. He all the time has a date, and he’s all the time flirting.
However because the present goes on, Joey will get progressively dumber. Granted, Joey was by no means the neatest man, however the present ultimately made it appear as if he actually had nothing in his mind. He began not even feeling like himself. He out of the blue didn’t know what an Adam’s Apple was, referring to it as a “Joey’s Apple”, and claimed to not know tips on how to use air quotes. It was under no circumstances the suave girls’ man we met within the early seasons, and it’s one of many more odd selections the present made.
8 Joey’s Remedy of Ladies
Talking of Joey, his therapy of ladies has all the time been a flaw of the present, however it by immediately’s lens actually brings new consideration to only how problematic a associate he was. In each episode he was taking residence somebody new, and whereas that in itself isn’t problematic as long as each events are consenting, what’s problematic is how he handled them the following day. He would make these ladies really feel as if he was falling in love with them, and that he actually wished one thing with them simply to get them into mattress, after which the following morning he would get Chandler to allow them to down for him. He typically by no means calls once more, one thing we be taught from the occasions he runs into previous lovers all through the present.
To not point out, Joey is all the time objectifying ladies. He’s all the time checking them out and having lewd ideas, typically even voicing stated ideas out loud to his pals. Certain, he’s charming, and he has a manner with flirting that makes the women swoon, however let’s face it, Joey, as loveable as he’s, is sort of a pig!
7 Ross is a Cheater
One thing no person talks about sufficient is how Ross is a cheater. A serial cheater at that. He cheats on Julie (Lauren Tom) and Bonnie (Christine Taylor) by kissing Rachel whereas he is relationship them, however it’s by no means identified as one thing dangerous as a result of it’s Rachel he cheated with.
But, when Carol (Jane Sibbett) cheated on him, he by no means obtained over it, and nonetheless introduced it up, even when he was in a relationship himself. It’s a complete double commonplace, and but it’s by no means introduced up as a result of most love him and Rachel collectively, and see any love curiosity in between as nothing however a short lived roadblock. However I’ll say it, Julie and Bonnie didn’t deserve that, Ross. Disgrace on you!
6 Unrealistic Monetary Scenario
This can be a subject that’s introduced up loads these days and for good purpose: how on earth had been the chums affording their residences? Particularly in these early seasons when none of them had been working notably flashy jobs. Certain, all of them have roommates, however there are nonetheless some fairly swanky residences in Manhattan, no much less. By the top of the present, it makes extra sense for them to be residing within the residences they do, however within the early seasons, they make numerous mentions of barely scraping by, so how on earth are they affording such good residences?
The one one who has a steady and well-paying job all all through the present is Chandler, as he’s in IT and is claimed to make a great sum of money. However Rachel takes some time to get excessive within the ranks of trend govt, Ross doesn’t grow to be a paleontology professor till halfway by the present, Monica is usually bouncing between chef jobs, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is a masseuse, and it takes a bit for Joey to get a gradual appearing gig that pays him properly. None of this provides as much as the type of dream life laid out for them on the present.
5 Everyone seems to be a Stereotype
A minor element which will appear straightforward to miss, is definitely actually noticeable on a rewatch, particularly these days when exhibits and flicks take pleasure in creating well-fleshed out and dynamic characters. However all of the characters on Buddies match right into a stereotype of some kind.
Rachel is the favored one, Joey is the flirt, Ross is the nerd, Chandler is the humorous one, Monica is the detail-oriented one, and Phoebe is the black sheep. This, in fact, makes for an fascinating dynamic between a pal group, particularly on a sitcom, however it additionally implies that these characters are painfully caught in a field and don’t develop out of all of it that a lot. That’s to not say the characters in Buddies had no progress in any respect. That may be unfair, however by the top of the present, they type of deep dived into the stereotypes of every character and actually honed in.
4 Fatphobic Jokes
One of many working “jokes” in Buddies is that Monica was once chubby. It’s constantly introduced up by her family and friends, however by no means in a praising manner, all the time in a unfavourable manner, or as a solution to tease her. Flashbacks typically depict a youthful Monica, during which actress Courteney Cox donned a “fatsuit” and was the butt of the joke for the episode. In “The One with the Promenade Video”, Joey quips “That woman ate Monica!”
Whereas these jokes might have been humorous on the time, they’ve aged so poorly now, and are simply merciless to look at. Particularly once we see flashbacks of Monica deciding she must drop pounds as a result of Chandler (who she had been crushing on as a young person) referred to as her fats. And hey, if Monica is the one making the jokes, then no matter, they’re her jokes to inform, it’s her life and her physique. However coming from her family and friends, those that are supposed to love and help her? It’s onerous to look at.
3 Sexist and Misogynistic Storylines
Buddies has some storylines that haven’t aged properly, however there are some that stick out for being notably sexist and misogynistic, that make followers flip up their noses. Conveniently, a number of need to do with Ross. One instance is the episode “The One with the Metaphorical Tunnel” during which Ross will get uncomfortable as a result of his son needs to play with a Barbie doll. He tries to drive him to as an alternative choose up a GI Joe doll, however it’s to no avail and Ross is left defeated and unusually uncomfortable all through the episode on the concept of his toddler son enjoying with a Barbie.
This bizarre development continues later within the sequence after he and Rachel have a child collectively and determine to rent a nanny. One of many candidates is a person named Sandy (Freddie Prinze Jr.). He’s completely excellent for the job, he has a listing of referrals, he’s nice with Emma, and he wins Rachel over instantly. However Ross refuses to rent a male nanny, regardless of how proper he’s for the job.
2 How the Present Dealt with Chandler’s Dad
From the start of the present, we all know that Chandler has a troublesome and estranged relationship with each of his mother and father. He repeatedly makes feedback and jokes (as a result of Chandler’s coping mechanism is humor) about how his father had an affair with the pool boy. In Season 7, we lastly meet Chandler’s dad when he and Monica go to his dad’s drag present “Helena Handbasket” with a marriage invite. Once they arrive, we be taught that Chandler’s father isn’t solely a drag queen, however a transgender girl (co-creator Marta Kauffman has confirmed this, and thus I will probably be going by her phrase). Sadly, the present doesn’t even remotely deal with this storyline proper. She is rarely as soon as referred to by her pronouns (one thing Kauffman has since apologized for) and she or he was performed by Kathleen Turner, a girl, but the character was meant to be a transgender girl, and may have been performed by one.
It was all in all a messy storyline that had the potential to actually break boundaries on mainstream tv had it been dealt with proper. Turner, who portrayed the character, stated she probably wouldn’t take the function immediately, and that there was by no means any consideration from the showrunners about hiring a transgender particular person or drag queen. Yikes.
1 Lack of Range
The most important flaw of Buddies is the dearth of range among the many essential characters. Each character within the core group is white, and there are not often any folks of colour introduced in as visitor stars both. There’s Julie and Charlie (Aisha Tyler), they usually’re nice, and produce a pleasant breath of recent air to the present, however they don’t stick round for lengthy, they usually’re not part of the core forged. It was the 90s, and sadly, there wasn’t numerous range among the many casts in exhibits at the moment, however it doesn’t make it any much less disappointing.
There are some moments of range in different elements. As an illustration, Monica and Ross are Jewish, and the present aired the primary lesbian wedding ceremony on community tv. So, sure, there are moments, however they’re few and much between and general, for a present that spans 10 seasons, the dearth of a lot range is a big flaw that hangs over the present. In a 2022 interview with LA Instances, Marta Kauffman shared her regret for not together with extra range throughout the sequence. “I’ve realized loads within the final 20 years. Admitting and accepting guilt isn’t straightforward. It’s painful your self within the mirror. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know higher 25 years in the past.”
