Whether the beloved ’90s sit-com Friends was homophobic still sparks fierce debate among modern audiences and longtime fans.
Speaking to the British Times, actress Lisa Kudrow is opening up about some of the recent criticisms of the show, which originally aired from 1994 to 2004.
“To me, it should be looked at as a time capsule, not for what they did wrong,” Kudrow says.
Related: Did You Know That Friends Was A Homophobic, Transphobic, Xenophobic, Misogynist Sitcom?
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She adds that, despite the copious amounts of gay jokes, the show had plenty of meaningful storylines that were culturally relevant and even forward-thinking for the time.
“This show thought it was very progressive. There was a guy whose wife discovered she was gay and pregnant, and they raised the child together? We had surrogacy, too. It was, at the time, progressive.”
The storyline she is referring to was about Ross’ ex-wife, Carol, coming out as a lesbian and partnering off with another woman, Susan, with whom she later raised her child. The awkward dynamic between Carol, Susan, and Ross was a frequent subplot throughout the series’ ten-year run.
“I don’t see a reality where Friends was anything but good,” Kudrow reflects, adding that she looks back at is today as a “fun comedy” about “people connecting.”
Related: ‘Friends’ actress doesn’t think show was homophobic, despite copious amount of gay jokes
Asked how the show might be different if it were to be re-created today, Kudrow replies, “Oh, it’d be completely different. It would not be an all-white cast, for sure.”
The cast of Friends was supposed to film an unscripted reunion special later this month for the launch of HBO Max, but coronavirus halted production. It’s unclear when the reunion will take place now.
Dymension
Oh, I’m so fucking tired of today’s youth. Everything has to be through their lense. It was the 90s. Get over it. We have moved on since then.
AxelDC
Friends was a very gay positive show for its era, with uplifting storylines and prominent gay characters.
No, it doesn’t pass the 2020 test, but for 1994 it was groundbreaking. This was before Ellen and Will & Grace, and made those shows possible.
averageguy40
OMG there is nothing homophobic about this show. It was relevant then and just as relevant now. It makes me laugh every time I watch.
Blue Zoo
I remember Friends as a very gay-positive show for the times. So much so, in fact, that couple of local stations refused to show the episode with the lesbian wedding.
Cam
Friends actually had an LGBT storyline with an LGBT character/s (Ross’s wife and her girlfriend.) A big deal in the time before Will and Grace.
djmcgamester
Lesbians always went over better than gay men. Not a complaint about the show, just an observation.
jmg619
Looking back and watching the show sometimes, I didn’t realize how awful the show was. Yeah at the time in the 90s I was one of the many people who watched. Now, older and wiser (hopefully) the show feels like the characters were doing awful things to each other. Always getting into some kind of weird predicament or trouble. There were certain episodes that were amusing, especially when they have a guest star on. But overall, it’s not a show I can watch over and over again. Give me the Golden Girls anyday. Now those friends I can keep watching.
HankHarris
I lived about 2 blocks from where the apartment building was, which was 2 blocks sound of Christopher Street. The fact that they didn’t interact with any gay men was completely ridiculous. they should have set it on the upper east side to better reflect the demographic.
ScottOnEarth
It was a mixed bag. They had the lesbian, legit-couple storyline but they always mocked the guys if they looked or acted gay. It’s a very old show, though, so, who cares? Like Lisa Kudrow said, it was a different time and the show would likely be very different today.
djmcgamester
I never got the whole thing of trolling through history to pick it apart based on the standards of today. I was the same age as the cast in its heyday. Never found anything problematic about it. Time is better spent focusing on what’s happening today.