Matt LeBlanc Got Something to Say to Those Dragging Friends as Problematic

Friends is one of the most popular and successful sitcoms of all time, with an iconic cast and beloved characters that have become a part of pop culture.

However, as the show has become available on streaming platforms like Netflix, some modern viewers have started to take a closer look at the sitcom's humor and have found that it hadn't aged as well as they may have thought.

The humor of Friends has been criticized for being politically incorrect, as it often relies on jokes that come as insensitive or offensive. One of the main areas of criticism is the show's depiction of transgender individuals, with jokes made about Chandler's parent being transgender and insensitive language used to describe them.

Additionally, Ross's ex-wife, who is a lesbian, is the subject of many jokes, and the character of Chandler is often mistaken for being gay, which leads to him displaying "gay panic" characteristics.

Another point of concern is the show's portrayal of women, particularly Monica, who is the subject of recurrent fat-shaming jokes. This kind of humor has long been deemed harmful and perpetuates dangerous stereotypes about women and body image. It is impossible to imagine any current show pulling off similar jokes.

Friends has also been criticized for its lack of diversity. The show features an almost exclusively white cast and does not feature any prominent characters of color, which is not reflective of the diverse population of New York City. The lack of representation perpetuates the idea that some groups are not important or do not belong in mainstream media.

However, one of Friends stars, Matt LeBlanc, thinks the accusations of the show's questionable humor are baseless. In his interview with BBC News, the actor stressed that Friends was about themes that stand the test of time and avoided political content.

"On Friends we steered clear of [any sort of political content]. Friends was about themes that stand the test of time – trust, love, relationships, betrayal, family and things like that," LeBlanc explained.

The actor added that he had always tried to avoid making political jokes and preferred humor that would be relevant for a long time. But it looks like being part of a 90s sitcom made that intent extremely difficult to pursue, as it is not uncommon for the content of the past to be viewed with a critical lens.