Jennifer Aniston Says 'Friends' Would Be Offensive Today
Jennifer Aniston -- AKA Rachel Green -- doesn't think Friends would work in today's soft world, and the 54-year-old 1990s heartthrob is unfortunately right.
So, to all of you out there hoping Friends jumps into the reboot game, sorry. Ain't happening.
Of course Friends wouldn't work today! Nothing works today, Jen. In other news, the sun also rises in the east and the sky is blue.
“There’s a whole generation of people, kids, who are now going back to episodes of ‘Friends’ and find them offensive,” Aniston said in an interview with the international AFP news agency while promoting Murder Mystery 2.
"There were things that were never intentional and others…well, we should have thought it through, but I don’t think there was a sensitivity like there is now."
Would Friends work today? (Photo by Warner Bros. Television/Getty Images)
Jennifer Aniston doesn't think Friends would work in today's soft world
Gee, ya don't say?
Comedy has clearly been under attack for years now, and it's reached an all-time low as of late. You can't be funny anymore with offending someone. Frankly, there are just too many different sects of groups out there to offend that comedians just can't keep up.
I was actually watching How I Met Your Father just last night, and they made a joke about how right Florida's become. I laughed, and I'm so pro-Florida your head would spin.
But it was funny, and funny is funny!
Point is, society by in large doesn't do that anymore. We can't laugh out ourselves. Not in today's world. We have to hug and coddle and protect everyone from the meanies out there. It's pathetic.
“Comedy has evolved — movies have evolved,” Aniston said. “Now, it’s a little tricky because you have to be very careful, which makes it really hard for comedians, because the beauty of comedy is that we make fun of ourselves, make fun of life.”
And you know what? Friends wasn't even that offensive. I'm not even sure it was offensive at all? I've seen every episode 50 times, and I can't think of something glaring off the top of my head. I know they got in trouble for not having enough diversity on the show a few years ago, but that's par for the course nowadays.
Actually, now that I think about it, Chandler's dad was transgender! He was a drag queen! And guess what? He was still invited to the wedding. That moment would win you an Emmy nowadays.
I mean, The Office is an example of a show that would never survive today's world. Hell, I think some scenes get pulled from Comedy Central. Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother would never survive today.
I'm still not sure how Family Guy has managed to not get canceled.
But Friends? Eh, I don't know now that I think about it. I guess Joey couldn't be the womanizer he was anymore, and PETA would probably come after Ross for having the monkey, but other than that I don't really recall anything bad.
And, at the end of the day, it gave us Rachel Green and Monica Gellar, and I think we can all agree that was a good thing.
(L-R): American actors Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow of the primetime comedy series 'Friends' pose for a picture at the Golden Globe Awards, January 1996. (Photo by William Holz/Fotos International/Getty Images)
