the Friendsaissance

On this week's Pop Culture Happy Hour, Linda Holmes was talking about how she started watching Friends from the beginning again and she had forgotten how funny it was blah blah blah and now is about the time that the backlash has subsided and people can start watching Friends again. Which is great, but Bitch, Please! Some of us never stopped.

I've loved Friends ever since I started watching in about 6th grade. I own seasons 3-10 on DVD (I started at 3, eventually I'll get around to buying the first two seasons but they're not my favorites anyhow). I have watched countless reruns. And here's the thing: I never watched it for the hype, or because Jennifer Aniston was popular, or even because I love Matthew Perry (which I do). I watched it then, and continue to now, because it's fucking funny. It is! And I know people with all sorts of different tastes - yes, including many men - who love Friends, and who have continued to love Friends even when it was uncool to do so.

So, Linda Holmes, even though I like your podcast, I scoff at your johnny-come-lately-ness. Those of us who are real fans of the show never wavered, even through Joey and The Break-Up and Cougar Town. We loved Run, Fatboy, Run (directed by David Schwimmer) and gobbled down Studio 60. We are excited for Episodes and Mr. Sunshine (Allison Janney! Dillon Killington!) and everything that Lisa Kudrow does. We also watch How I Met Your Mother, which is just Friends post-2005 with the bonus of NPH.

I could post tons of clips here showing how hilarious Friends is, but I don't think I need to. You've all seen the show - and if you haven't, what is wrong with you? (asked Angry Padma-style) Yes, it's a sitcom. Yes, it's very white, for the most part. Yes, some of the lesbian jokes fall flat. But, you know, that's television. Those things could be said for almost any sitcom on today, and most of them are nowhere near as funny as Friends (get off my screen, Two Men & An Ugly Teenager). Plus, in addition to being consistently smart and funny, Friends manages to be touching and deeply emotional at times, while balancing that out with the humor. Just watch The One The Morning After from season 3, or The One With The Proposal from season 6, and tell me you're not laughing through the tears.

I mean, whatever. If you're not into by now, you may never be. But if Friends is going to become cool and awesome again, I want it on the record that, for me, it never stopped being so. All comedy can feel dated at times, but Friends has, for the most part, stayed fresh and lol-worthy - unlike, as Holmes notes, the comedy of Seinfeld, which often doesn't age as well. The Friendsaissance is upon us, so now is the perfect time get back into the show if you abandoned it to be a hipster, or if you were simply too close-minded to give it a chance before. Open your mind and let the jokes on in, and stop worrying so much about being cool.

So I've just got one clip to show you - of possibly my favorite Friends moment. Even if you've seen it before, watch it again - you'll enjoy those endorphins you get from laughing. And if you're too hard-hearted not to laugh, well...this whole argument has just been a moo point.

Friends forever! And speaking of Friends Forever, Saved By The Bell forever! My original favorite teen sitcom will definitely be addressed at some point in the future. Goddamnit, now that's stuck in my head. Might as well be in yours, too:

Enjoy your weekend, friends!

Images via HollywoodJesus.com and HollywoodDame.com