Despite being 26 years old, Friends still has one of the biggest fanbases to date. Years from now, the show will still be one of the most popular sitcoms to ever exist. However, some people can't help but wonder if it would be as successful if it was made now.
Although Friends was progressive for its time, some of the show's gags have been seen as problematic and offensive — especially season 9, where fans have seen characters make homophobic, sexist, and prejudicial jokes. Would you like some examples? Keep reading to discover 10 jokes from season 9 that have aged poorly.
10 Class Difference Jokes
A recurring gag that has aged poorly are the potshots taken against the working class. As the show progressed, it became increasingly clear that the gang was part of the middle class. They all had extremely successful jobs that didn't involve manual labor. However, whenever they did find themselves in hospitality work, they made it out like it was the end of the world.
For instance, "The One with the Mugging," Chandler was ashamed to be an intern as he thought it was degrading. He also believed it was "humiliating for a grown man to be serving other people coffee," which offended Gunther. Comments like this are disrespectful and snobbish, especially when Chandler doesn't realize how hard hospitality work can be.
9 Portrayal Of Cat Owners
In "The One with Rachel's Phone Number," gender stereotypes come into play again when the show portrays single women as crazy cat ladies. This episode opens with Chandler listening to his assistant talking animatedly about her cats, showing him several pictures of her pets dressed up in clothing.
Although Chandler tries to be respectful, he can't help himself when he sarcastically quips, "Single, are you?" Chandler then digs himself into a bigger grave when he puts Joey on speakerphone and the actor calls Jo Lynn "his crazy assistant." It may be a light joke but the "crazy cat lady" stereotype is tired and played out.
8 Monica's OCD
Over the past couple of years, society has tried to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health. We encourage people to talk about the feelings, get help when they feel they need it, and to always be kind to one another. However, some people show little compassion as they tend to make fun of certain illnesses.
An example of this is Monica's OCD. In "The One with Rachel's Other Sister," Monica is deemed neurotic and "crazy" by the gang because she worries about her china plates being damaged. When one drops on the floor, she almost collapses. People may have laughed at the overreaction years ago, but now, most would be able to empathize with her character due to awareness of OCD and anxiety.
7 Joey's Awkwardness At Rachel Breastfeeding
Another issue society has been trying to change is its attitude toward breastfeeding. On several separate occasions, Joey has expressed his discomfort over women breastfeeding in public. This was particularly seen in "The One Where No One Proposes" when Joey refuses to watch Rachel nurse Emma because her breast was exposed.
Fans also see Joey's immaturity arise when he expresses his frustration at the nurse for using words that have sexual connotations. Ultimately, this gag suggested that breastfeeding was something unnatural and invasive — which is an incredibly outdated notion.
6 Ross Controls Rachel's Dating Life
Ross didn't have the best character development in season 9 when he seemed to control Rachel's dating life. Although the fashion executive was wrong to ask Ross to stop dating, the paleontologist took it one step further when he sabotaged her dating life.
During one episode, Rachel goes to a club with Phoebe and ends up giving her phone number to some guy. However, she never gets his message because Ross doesn't give it to her. This goes undiscovered until "The One Where Monica Sings," where Rachel presses Ross as to why he never gave it to her. He tries to joke his way out of it but in reality, this is the sort of toxic behavior we are trying to eliminate.
5 Monica Manipulates Chandler For Sex
Although Rachel and Ross didn't have the healthiest of relationships, Monica and Chandler weren't exactly the model of a perfect marriage either. Season 9 saw Monica illustrate some toxic habits herself when she manipulates Chandler into sleeping with her.
In "The One with Phoebe's Birthday Dinner," Monica and Chandler are seen trying for a baby. However, they get into a fight when she realizes he is smoking again. Since Chandler now refuses to have sex with her, Monica then pretends to forgive him so he gets in the mood again. Afterward, she then admits she tricked him into bed so they kept up to date with her ovulating schedule. It's quite demeaning and unhealthy if you think about it.
4 Phoebe's Mental Health
Another gag that seems played out today is joking about Phoebe's mental health. Every fan will agree that Phoebe is a unique character. She's quirky, funny, and very open-minded. However, some people have suggested that Phoebe may be suffering from schizophrenia, which can also be evidenced in "The One Where Emma Cries."
After Monica manages to stop Emma from crying, Phoebe states how she can hear the voices in her head again. Although Phoebe says she is joking, when Monica looks at her alarmed, her face seems to suggest otherwise. While it may appear as one of Phoebe's quirks, nowadays this is too serious to be joked about.
3 Chandler's Insecurity Over Being Perceived As Gay
In recent years, Chandler's character has faced a backlash with some fans believing he is homophobic. Throughout the show, the viewer has seen Chandler become paranoid over whether people believed he was gay. By season 9, it appeared he still had this insecurity when he became very defensive.
For instance, in "The One With Ross's Inappropriate Song," Chandler takes offense and gets angry when a woman mistakes him and Joey for a couple. In "The One with The Memorial Service," he also expresses his annoyance when his former classmates believe him to be gay. It's not funny; it just comes across as outdated and bigoted.
2 Treatment Of Lesbian Characters
Another gag that has been deemed problematic by the fans is the show's treatment of lesbian characters. While many have issues over the depiction of Susan and Carol, we also seem to forget how Molly was treated by the gang.
Introduced as Emma's new nanny in "The One with Phoebe's Rats," Molly looked as if she was going to be another one of Joey's flings. However, at the end of the episode, it was soon revealed that Molly was a lesbian. Instead of backing off after this, Joey only gets more aroused. It seemed like the show was fetishizing lesbianism, which is considered disrespectful in today's society.
1 The Manny Situation
One of the episodes that have been deemed very problematic by fans was "The One with the Male Nanny." In this episode, the men of the group come across very sexist and homophobic when they discover that Emma's new nanny is a guy.
As they are interviewing Sandy, Ross comes across as homophobic when he asks Sandy if he was gay. When Sandy confirms he isn't, Ross then expresses his discomfort, saying a "nanny" was not a job a man should have. This sexist stereotype is further supported by Joey and Chandler, who believe it to be a joke. This gag would be seen as outdated due to contemporary political movements for equal rights and opportunities.
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