Sunday, October 3, 2010

Friends: The Sitcom Phenomenon (Hunter)



Everyone who watches television tends to have a favorite show. Friends, though, is a seemingly timeless sitcom that is enjoyed by nearly everyone. I have never heard anyone say that they dislike Friends. Although this is my own experience, I have brought up the show with enough people to realize that the general consensus is that it is a really interesting, witty, and charming show. Why do people like this show so much? Is it the characters? The quick and successful jokes? Or is it the happy-go-lucky feeling it gives you when seeing such drama-free friends hanging out? (Occasionally, drama is employed to interest viewers but the problem is always solved and there is a happy ending.) The show is so lovable because it is extremely intimate; the viewers imagine themselves as if they are one of the Friends. The viewer experiences the laughs, the tears, the conversations. The viewer hears Ross whine incessantly, sees Monica become ridiculously competitive, and is charmed by Joey's "How you doin'?" The timelessness contributes to the show's lovableness as well. The show ran for ten seasons and people still record the reruns on their TiVo. Also, each episode is something that one can watch more than once because the jokes don't seem to get old. It's also conveniently short (twenty minutes without commercials) so there's no effort involved in sitting down to watch it. The show had an extremely strong affect on society. Phoebe's rendition of her song "Smelly Cat" was turned into a dance mix and the name of a Portuguese comedic troupe called "Gato Fedorento." Rachel's signature hairstyle became known as "The Rachel" and was copied constantly. Joey's "How you doin'? became a common phrase, and "Central Perk" imitations popped up across the nation. Friends, the sitcom phenomenon, is, to this day, one of the most watched television shows on the planet, and plays a vital role in the universe of pop culture.

7 comments:

  1. I feel so left out because I've never even seen an episode of friends... wanna lend me the DVD box set? you da best.

    -Christian

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good job Hunter, I like the way you explored why people like Friends. It was an interesting article to me also because I love Friends and never really thought about why I had liked it. -Kate

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Hunter, great blog post. Now, I personally am in LOVE with Friends, like most of the nation, and it was so awesome to read about it. (I actually took it upon myself to re-watch almost every episode this summer...obsessive, I know) ANYWAYS, I thought it was really cool how you mentioned the ways the show has effected the nation ex. "the rachel" central perk, and "how you doin?" But, I guess what I was left wanting more of, was your personal opinion on Friends, obviously you like it, but why? Do you make meaning? Can relate? What exactly is it that draws you to the show? -Gracie

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have never watched friends before, but in sayign that I have heard of the show and its general concept. I like how you say its a timeless sitcom, i would also like to argue that Seinfeld is also a very timeless sitcom as well. The role and the impact of this TV show is still felt in todays society. Great article.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I didn't realize that How you doin? came from Friends. Interesting though how a lot of societies thing are taken from a tv show when a tv show really express parts of people's life and society. So I guess my question is How you doin? and also Why do you think Friends became so popular?
    -Jack

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great topic I also love friends and you really seem to show what is lovable about the show. When I watch i dont understand why i love it either but now that you mention all those points it all relaly click i think you should have expanded more because it seems like you have a lot of ideas
    -jOe TaRbE

    ReplyDelete
  7. I enjoy watching Friends. The people are all nice to look at, the plot is well constructed, and the dialogue is frequently funny. It clearly resonates with people, and I always here people say, "Oh its just like that time on friends."

    But part of me hates Friends, and I struggle to figure out. I think I dislike it because it does touch on these complex situations- Ross' initial baby, jealousy, class differences, etc- but they ignore real emotional costs of these issues. The characters never seem quite broken enough given the circumstances they walk through. So when I hear people say, "its just like on friends" I want to say, no its not, because on Friends nobody ever gets hurt!

    ReplyDelete