I had broken Jennifer Aniston’s heart.
Well, that’s not entirely true. I don’t know her personally. However, I assure you that if I did, she would have been completely inconsolable. I was sitting around a table with a group of people I had met my first summer session of college. We all agreed that living with each other for six weeks had allowed us to know each other fairly well. This led to a discussion on which character from Friends we would be. All of us found the stereotypical television tropes easy to label each other with. As we went around the circle laughing at which stereotype we all fit, I waited patiently to be crowned Rachel Green.
See, I was born to be Rachel. In fact, my parents named me after the bubbly blonde herself. At the time of the labeling, I hadn’t actually seen a full episode of the show, but I knew enough about her character that I agreed with my namesake. Rachel was supposed to be the epitome of style. She was spunky, flirtatious, approachable, and beautiful. To my knowledge, everyone wanted to be her.
The (shockingly) overwhelming response from my friends was that I am Chandler Bing. I was stunned. Wasn’t Chandler supposed to be the complete dork that couldn’t get a date? After over an hour of pleading my case, my friends urged me to start watching the television show on Netflix to understand their decision. As I finally decided to sit down and start the series, I began to learn that while Rachel is still a trendy character, all of the characters of Friends have personalities that make them irreplaceable. There is a twelve step process to accepting you are not “the Rachel” of your social circle, but to spare you the melancholy details, I will skip to the part where I admit to now using Chandler-traits to my benefit.
Your personality doesn’t have to be faultless, and your quirks make you unique.
While most call Chandler awkward, I see him as exceptional. I have a quick sense of humor which has always propelled me through times when it hasn’t been my day, my week, my month, or even my year. Much like Chandler, I have an unusual take on situations because of my spontaneous and idyllic look on life. You do not have to be an effervescent jetsetter like Rachel to be accepted by society. Chandler was far from charming, and his sarcasm often offended those who didn’t understand it was just part of his temperament. However, that didn’t stop him from making a great group of friends that stayed with him for ten seasons.
This goes for all of the other characters as well. Joey could be airheaded, but his emotions ran deep, and he would have dropped everything for his loved ones. Phoebe even channeled the dead from time to time, yet she is notorious for being the most eccentric of all the characters.
Romance isn’t just for beautiful people.
It’s no secret that Rachel is stunning. I’m sure that if you asked the population of Friends fans who would actually kill to have her wardrobe, a concerning yet hefty amount of people would. Despite the fact that in the Friends’ universe Rachel is crowned the prettiest, that didn’t stop the other characters from finding love.
Chandler repeatedly points out throughout the show that he cannot get a woman. Some of his most famous lines include, “I’m gonna die alone,” and “Until I was twenty five I thought the only response to ‘I love you’ was OH CRAP!” By the end of the series this hopelessly awkward and desperate for love man is married with children, as are most of his friends. This goes to show that you shouldn’t abandon all hope when you aren’t fashion-forward, magnetic Rachel in the dating pool. Whether you’re avant-garde like Phoebe, playful like Joey, sensitive like Ross, or extemporaneous like Chandler, there is someone compatible with you.
You’re enough the way you are.
Could you imagine Friends if every character was just like Rachel? Of course not. Each character was different because everyone in the real world is. Since no one told me life was going to be this way, I catch myself comparing my strengths and weaknesses to others (this is very Chandler of me). I don’t have Rachel’s wardrobe because I buy my clothes at thrift stores. My dancing skills are sub-par, and my sense of humor is full of “punny” one-liners. However, the group of friends was as strong as they were because of their differences, and they all belonged just as equally.
Rachel Green is still amazing, and there are plenty of fans that want to be just like her. However, accepting that you’re not the most chic of your social circle may actually benefit you. Whether you’re rocking the guitar like Phoebe or have a geeky passion like Ross, you bring something to your own group of friends. I may be constantly trying to laugh myself out of life’s tough situations like Chandler Bing, but I’m doing it with confidence.
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