11 Most Cringeworthy ‘Friends’ Moments Ever
Friends was a cultural phenomenon that TV audiences are still binge-watching now, more than 20 years after its final episode. But it’s also a product of the 1990s, when sitcom writing was more reckless and less responsible. And as Zoë Kravitz recently pointed out, Friends certainly shows its age.
In a recent interview with People about her new ’90s-set movie Caught Stealing, Kravitz said she’s nostalgic for the decade, except when it comes to “super homophobic jokes on mainstream television.”
“If you watch Friends now, you’re like, ‘Whoa,’” she added. “Like, things that aren’t punchlines are punchlines. It’s wild.”
She’s not wrong, as you’ll see below. And yes, Friends was progressive in some aspects — it featured a same-sex romance from the jump, for example, and it depicted interracial relationships and casual sex without judgment. And perhaps there’s an argument to be made that the six lead characters and their narcissistic, toxic, fragile, biased traits are the punchline. But you still can’t excuse away Friends’ worst transgressions, including the following fails — our picks for the sitcom’s most offensive moments, presented chronologically.
Paolo gropes Phoebe mid-massage
Paolo (Cosimo Fusco), who was dating Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) at the time, books a massage with Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) in “The One With The Dozen Lasagnas.” And once on the table, he runs his hands up Phoebe’s legs and grabs her butt. Then he proudly shows off his erect penis. And the audience members in the Friends studio — or those on the laugh track — cackle with amusement. It’s later described as him “making a pass” at Phoebe, but in retrospect, it’s plain old assault.
Joey’s past molestation is played for laughs
In “The One With Ross’ New Girlfriend,” Joey (Matt LeBlanc) sends Chandler (Matthew Perry) to the tailor he’s been using for years, and that tailor runs his hand up Chandler’s leg. Chandler says later there was “definite cupping.” Joey tries claiming that’s normal tailor behavior — and this after he told Chandler he’d been going to that tailor since he was 15… meaning, this man was a full-on pedophile. Not exactly a hoot, huh?
Monica gets hit with fat jokes
Many sitcom scribes know now what the Friends writers apparently didn’t know in 1996: that fat suits are never a good idea. In “The One With the Prom Video,” the gang watches an old home movie and sees teenage Monica (Courteney Cox), looking fat and happy. But present-day Monica’s pals tease her relentlessly, with Joey exclaiming that “some girl ate Monica!” And when Monica argues that the camera adds 10 pounds, Chandler says, “So how many cameras are actually on you?” (It wouldn’t be the last time that fat suit came out on Friends, either.)
Rachel adopts an Indian accent
“The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance” has Ross (David Schwimmer) getting a guest lecturer gig at NYU, and he’s so nervous that he addresses his class with a British accent. Monica and Rachel, who see the whole thing, tease Ross about it afterward, and Monica trouts out an Irish while and Rachel — cringe — attempts an Indian accent as she talks about the weather in Bombay. (The city had changed its name to Mumbai years earlier.)
Ross dates a student, knowing full well it’s wrong
You’d think that titling an episode “The One Where Ross Dates a Student” would be the first sign a storyline is ill-conceived, but nevertheless, Ross accepts a date invitation from Elizabeth (Alexandra Holden), one of his pupils, in that installment. Even after they realize that’s a fireable offense, they continue seeing each other. Worse yet, Friends fans have deduced that Ross is around 30 at the time, which means that Elizabeth, who is established to be 12 years younger than he, is 18 years old, barely the age of consent.
Rachel spreads self-serving lies about her assistant being gay
Homophobic jokes are a dime a dozen in Friends, from Ross’ aversion to his ex Carol’s (Jane Sibbett) relationship with wife Susan (Jessica Hecht) to Chandler’s panic about being perceived as gay. But let’s turn to a despicable moment from Rachel. In “The One With Rachel’s Assistant,” she hires Tag (Eddie Cahill) to be her assistant, solely for his looks. And the HR violations don’t stop there: She wards off romantic rivals in the office by spending a false rumor that Tag is gay. Worse still, when Tag proves he’s straight by saying he’d like to ask out Phoebe, Rachel then claims Phoebe is gay.
Ross tries to kiss (and do more with) his cousin
In “The One With Ross And Monica’s Cousin,” Denise Richards guest-starred as Cassie, the titular relative. And as Ross and Cassie watch a movie together, Ross’ inner monologue (externalized via voiceover) and his leering stares makes it obvious he’s lusting after her. He then goes in for a kiss that Cassie rebuffs. His excuse? “I haven’t had sex in a very long time.” (Shudder.)
Chandler’s mom gets transphobic
The show insinuates but never confirms that Chandler’s drag-performer parent, a Kathleen Turner character with the stage name Helena, is a trans woman. And the show makes plenty of jokes at Helena’s expense, including one in “The One With Monica And Chandler’s Wedding, Part 1”: Chandler’s mom, Nora (Morgan Fairchild), asks Helena, “Don’t you have a little too much penis to be wearing a dress like that?”
Ross uses intersex attributes as a slur
“The One With the Rumor” is famous for featuring Brad Pitt, Aniston’s husband at the time, as a guest star. But it’s infamous for the revelation that his character and a teenage Ross once responded to a Rachel’s bullying by starting a “I Hate Rachel Green Club” and by spreading a rumor that she “had both male and female reproductive parts.” The episode drew a rebuke from the Intersex Society of North America, and activist Devon King called it “ignorant, insulting, degrading, and absolutely unprofessional.”
Monica gets cornrows, and Chandler is disgusted
In “The One After Joey and Rachel Kiss,” Monica gets cornrows and beaded braids in Barbados and is delighted by the look and sound of her new hairstyle. But Chandler is, decidedly, not. “It’s a treat for the eyes and the ears,” he says, sarcastically. So it’s cultural appropriation with an added implication that this traditionally Black hairstyle is unattractive. Worse still, Aisha Tyler’s character even has to tell Monica, “You go, girlfriend.”
Ross says he kissed Rachel while she was passed out
Cringe your way through this Ross monologue from “The One Where The Stripper Cries,” in which he recounts a 1987 party. “After you told me she was passed out in our room, I went in there to make sure she was all right. She was lying on my bed, all buried in people’s coats. Well, I went to kiss her on the forehead, you know, but it was so dark, I accidentally got her lips. I started to pull away, but then I felt her start to kiss me back. It was only for a second, but it was amazing.” (Turns out, the passed-out victim of Ross’ unbidden kiss was Monica, and not, as Ross believed, Rachel.)
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