5 Unthinkable Moments Friends Would Never Be Able Get Away With In 2023
Can you believe it's been nearly 20 years since Friends ended?
The iconic sitcom that kept us laughing through the '90s and early 2000s still holds a special place in our hearts, but it's not that hard to admit that some of those plot points and storylines really, really didn't age well.
The Carol Jokes
Oh, Ross. Remember when he made all those cringe-worthy jokes about his ex-wife Carol and her relationship with Susan? It's hard to imagine that such blatant homophobia used to be considered funny. Today's TV shows would never dare to go there, honey!
Chandler's Transphobia
Chandler's attitude towards his transgender parent was beyond offensive, right? Who could forget how he mocked her outfits and makeup? And let's not forget the drama of considering not inviting his own parent to his wedding. So not cool, Chandler!
Fat-Shaming Monica
Our dear Monica was regularly the butt of fat-shaming jokes because of her past as an overweight teen. Can you believe that was once considered hilarious? Thankfully, we've moved past that, and today's shows know better than to body shame like that. And the gist of it? If you really, really think about, Monica isn't even that fat. Still hard to believe that we have been eating up all those "fat Monica" jokes for years. Man, did she have moves!
The One with the Male Nanny
Ross wasn't all that lovable throughout the series, but sometimes he really went too far, and the whole storyline with Freddy Prince Jr.'s character is another example of that. You know the episode: Ross just couldn't wrap his head around the idea of a man being a nanny, so he questioned the poor guy's sexual preferences, and boy does it feel cringey. Today's audiences would definitely give Ross a piece of their mind for his sexist behavior.
Ben & Barbie – Ross' Daddy Issues
Speaking of Ross, his masculinity issues really came out to play when he freaked out over his son Ben playing with a Barbie doll. He even tried to swap it for an action figure, while being entirely too weird about it at the same time. We can only imagine what little Ben had to deal with growing up.