Friends. The infamous sitcom has had me hooked since I was a little girl and over the years, it’s been able to keep up a huge fan base, even after reaching its 20-year anniversary. The show was always on growing up, whether I was tuning in before school in the mornings for a good laugh or I caught an episode before turning-in to bed at night. Now that I’m in my twenties, I reminisce from time to time about memories from my childhood and one distinct one I have is of me getting up next to my television and dancing to the Friends theme song, “I’ll be there for you.” I loved the show so much. However, looking back on it now, I can’t help but think about the fact that a five-year-old couldn’t possibly have had anything in common with these adult characters. Yet, I loved each and every single one of them.
Being a true fan, I watch re-runs of the show often (and basically know every word to every episode.) Is it a bit obsessive? Maybe, but I prefer to think of myself as dedicated. As I’ve continued to watch this fan-favorite, I’ve come to realize why I’ve always loved it so much: It’s extremely relatable (and now I can finally relate it to my own life.)
Friends has been the quintessential show about the harsh reality twenty-something’s face for decades now. As Monica Geller said, “Welcome to the real world. It sucks – you’re going to love it.” Friends has been an accurate representation of a world where dead-end jobs, breakups, poverty and life crises prevail (aka the life of your average twenty-something.) The pilot, which aired in 1994, created this aura when Rachel Greene, a wholehearted “daddy’s girl” was thrown into a whirlwind of no money, no job and no place to live. As she strolled in to the now iconic Central Perk café in a weathered down wedding dress, Greene not only set up the show for the next ten years, she created a sense of credibility for all the viewers who were finding themselves in the same place. Now, not everyone finds themselves as a cut-off runaway bride, but they could relate to Rachel because she was struggling to find herself in this new place in her life, something viewers around our age entering the so called “real world” definitely connect with.
Now there were some liberties taken. Look at Monica’s apartment for example. It was inherited from her grandmother and let’s be real now – that’s the only way she could’ve had an apartment like that. I mean what average twenty-something could afford an apartment in NYC, let alone one that big? But everyone’s entitled to some good fortune! With many of their jobs being not exactly stable – an aspiring actor, a paleontologist, a chef and a woman with no idea of what she was going do with her life – these friends needed all the help they could get.
And when it came to dating, we watched them all struggle in many of the same ways we do. Ross and Rachel were in love, but just too young and immature to maintain a stable relationship. After all they “were on a break” (though Rachel might contest that statement.) And then there’s awkward Chandler, who struggled with even talking to women. However, as the years progressed, these young friends all started to put the pieces of their lives together, something all twenty-something’s are anxiously awaiting.
So what exactly is it that sets this show apart from other sitcoms, especially those of today? We are living in what many are deeming “The Golden Age of Television,” so why can’t we let go of this show from 1994? Well for one, it’s topic is one that is more relatable and realistic than many shows on today (especially any reality TV show.) Through any crisis, up or down, these characters grew from their experiences; whether it was falling in love, being broke, or fighting with one another, at the end of the day they maintained their friendships and were able to succeed. Seeing the lives of the not-so-perfect turn out okay is reassuring, especially to those of us finding ourselves at the same point in our lives.
Over twenty years later fans are still begging for an official reunion, but what else could we possibly ask for? Friends left viewers with a guidebook on how to survive your twenties. Make mistakes, have fun, enjoy life, and most importantly always be yourself. The show may now seem a bit outdated – lacking cellphones, social media, and what not – but maybe that’s why its success continues. It reassures everyone that even though your twenties may have a few rough patches, with a good group of friends by your side, you’ll make it to your thirties just fine.