Jennifer Aniston: ‘Friends’ Offensive for Some Younger Viewers
"There's a whole generation of people, kids, who are now going back to episodes of 'Friends' and find them offensive," Aniston told AFP at the premiere of her Netflix movie "Murder Mystery 2". "There were things that were never intentional and others... well, we should have thought it through," she said. "But I don't think there was a sensitivity like there is now." Aniston's comments sparked a heated debate on social media, where some users agreed with her and others criticized the show for its lack of diversity and problematic jokes. Some of the issues that have been raised about 'Friends' in the past included the fact that the cast and the storylines were predominantly white, while ignoring other racial and ethnic groups in New York City; the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters, especially Chandler's transgender parent, who was often used as a punchline in earlier seasons and the sexist and homophobic views of some of the male characters. However, not everyone finds 'Friends' offensive or thinks it is outdated. Some fans still enjoy the show and its style of comedy, and argue that it was a product of its time and culture. Aniston said comedy used to be about making fun of ourselves and others, and educating people on how ridiculous people were. "That was hysterical," she said. "And it was about educating people on how ridiculous people were. And now we're not allowed to do that." 'Friends', which ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004, followed the lives and loves of six friends in New York City. It was one of the most popular and influential shows of its era, and has gained a new generation of fans through streaming and reruns.
Jennifer Aniston (photos
), who played Rachel Green on the hit sitcom 'Friends', said she thinks many young people watching the show now find it offensive because they are more sensitive and careful about comedy.
April 2, 2023 | |
