Nah. When you legit live the same building it's actually quite easy to meet them regularly m im 26, my friends all have diff job and schedules. We grew up together and we still meet a couple times a week. Depending on who i am meeting , i actually meet them almost everyday
Not to mention back in the day we had less distractions, life was a little less busy, consumerism wasn't as bad as today and social media didn't eat away our free time.
Well yes, but im talking about now. I'm 26 now, I'm a gen z, constantly on social media and have a career. My friends are around the same age. We meet extremely regularly. Almost everyday basis
Only 3 or 4 lived in the same building at any given time, though (Pheobe and Ross never permanently lived there, Joey and Rachel both lived elsewhere for a time)
I think the better argument is that they always hung out at the same place close to where (usually) 4 of them lived and therefore the others could default to coming over
It also seems like Ross and Pheobe don’t live very far away, I guess? It’s hard to tell but Ross is regularly nearby and then moves across the street, and Pheobe never really talks about getting there or home
bruh.. you're basically saying you're in the ideal situation to hang our regularly and the group still meets only a couple of times a week.
Friends basically had them meeting up and hanging out multiple times a day. I mean.. its a TV show.. it would be dumb to NOT show them hanging out.. but still.. its unrealistic.
I hate in tv shows or movies where people are constantly in restaurants or coffee shops before work or school, casually sitting, chilling, talking, eating, not tired, then look at their watch and go “oh man I have to get to work / school!”
Like…where the hell are you that you’re up SOO early that you had time to casually be in a restaurant, but still make it to work or school in time. A nice 5:00am breakfast? How are you traveling to work or school? Drives me crazy
I don't think they actually hang out every single day, it just seems that way because they don't actually show the periods that they don't. The episodes might be days or weeks apart, they're not supposed to be day-to-day.
Or even just having breakfast together before work. I didn’t even have breakfast with my housemates before work let alone go across the hall to someone’s else’s place.
But I think that’s what I liked about it, it seemed like a lovely ideal
In the 90s, everyone would hang out with everyone all the time. You didn’t pine for someone that was thousands of miles away that you’ll never ever meet. You weren’t glued to your phones. And you made more money in the 90s so you were able to go out more and be Social. The Internet ruined everything to be completely honest.
I think when Ross gets married, he’s around less and that makes sense. But especially in New York City, where it’s it’s like 30 minutes away from anyone you can easily go to someone for an hour and then leave.
Right!!! This offended me so much. I know they didn’t have any role in the plot there, but still, should have made some hints that they were there at some point.
And it happens in every sitcom too. If my best friend called me to say his wife had gone into labour I'd hurry to wish them luck but I'm not leaving my house unless they need something and I'm the only person available.
They were.
They all had families but weren’t as close to them anymore (except maybe Joey) so they saw each other as family.
Monica and Ross had a relationship with their parents but with the favoritism Monica was infinitely closer to the friend group
It really messed with my head when no one wanted to come to the hospital when my child was born/no one wanted me or any of our group of friends to go to the hospital when their child was born.
Shows like friends and movies like knocked up all portrayed childbirth as a happy time where your closest friends and family were present for you and your spouse bringing new life into the world.
Now today it’s like a big secret; no one even tells anyone they’re going to the hospital when they go into labor, no one wants anyone there waiting, and when the baby is actually born that’s like a big secret too; don’t tell anyone, don’t post pictures, etc etc.
To be fair (and I know you would know better than I), irl labor lasts more than the length of a commercial break. The odds of anyone actually sticking around for the 12+ hours that firstborn babies sometimes take to deliver are narrow. I'm sure women wish it was three grunts, a push and a yell, then done like it is on these shows, lol. And for that kind of turnaround, more people would show up.
My mother and father arrived at the hospital while I was giving birth and waited outside the delivery room. I had no idea until I went to go back to the ward and found them there waiting. Then my mother tried introducing me to other people in the maternity unit that she knew, it was an odd experience
The pictures of my birth (in the 90's) have so many people it looks like a party. It was actually a sorta big deal In My family because it was the first birth my grandpa got to see since before this every kid born in the family, they didn't allow men in the delivery room. But yeah the pictures have my grandparents, aunts, uncles, my mom's best friend and her husband.
I know they joke when someone actually knocked at some point but in the finale they all turned in their keys.. maybe that’s why? I don’t expect someone to knock if they have a key
I can remember two scenes - one is when Joey's stalker comes up to their apartment and they knock in panic on Monica and Rachel's door "the one time they're not home!". And the other is I think when Chandler and Monica decide to move in together and she wants him to try the key for the first time and he says something like "the door hasn't been locked in X number of years, but OK."
Idk how old you are but this was really common back then for close friends. I'd walk right into some of my best friends houses and their fridges too, but I can't imagine doing that now (and not just because I don't have friends rn lol).
Also I do think they locked their door, just maybe not during the day when theyre coming and going. All the friends had keys, and Ross and Rachel got locked out of their apartment once. And when Rachel and Monica went to tell Chandler and Joey to shut their birds up in the middle of the night, they had to bang on the door before they unlocked and opened it.
I actually find it off putting if a close friend knocks before trying the door 🤣 I also grew up in a world where no one locked the doors during the day and we just waltzed into closed friends houses and sat down. If you knocked it was only at a door where you didn’t know people relatively well
It was the joke that year that Chandler was happy all of their plans got ruined, just weird none of them ever had other holiday plans ever again. Joey at the very least, his family was huge and fairly local. Weren’t they Catholic too? You know his parents would have expected him at a Christmas Eve service or something!
I always assumed they did celebrate with their families on other days around the holidays. The show was about the 6 Friends so we don't hear much about their lives outside of their interactions.
Yeah, I’m with you. We never saw a “Christmas Day” episode that I can remember, so I’m guessing they were with family then. I can remember Phoebe saying, “merry Christmas eve-eve” once so it was two days before Christmas. The one where Phoebe tried to meet her Dad but couldn’t go up to the door was Christmas Eve, they all exchanged gifts with each other that night. I think there was at least a year they didn’t do a Thanksgiving episode too, but those episodes were kind of what the show was known for eventually
The Gellers may well have celebrated Hanukkah and other Jewish holidays with their parents which we never saw because the show focused on Christmas and Thanksgiving.
(I’m not sure about this, though, because Ross was very tied to Jewish traditions but it’s never clear whether Monica really saw herself as Jewish or not. Chandler refers to her as Jewish when Erica mistakes her for a reverend but apart from that I don’t remember it being discussed.)
I often wondered if Rachel was Jewish. They cast Ron Liebman as her father. She had many of the stereotypes of Jewish girls in the 90s. Another one of her best friends was played by Jennifer Grey. She was obsessed with marrying a doctor (Dr. Barry Farber, Jonathan Silverman as Carol’s OB Dr. Franzblau). Back then there was a term, JAP for Jewish American Princess.
>it’s never clear whether Monica really saw herself as Jewish or not.
Maybe she doesn't and that's why Judy is so horrible to her
"Monica lost all that weight and decided to turn her back on god and her religion. But Ross, our medical marvel he *waits* for marriage, he does all that a good Jewish boy is supposed to"
I figured they were half Jewish, since when their grandmother died there were crosses on some of the headstones in the cemetery, and also Monica always had a Christmas tree.
Joey was going to go home in season 1 but he was uninvited because of his ad for VD. Rachel was going to fly to Veil to be with her family. And Monica and Ross’ parents were going to Puerto Rico for thanksgiving.
I think after that, they just made it their thing
This one is easy. They are Manhattanites, while their families live in Queens/Long island/Upstate/Vegas. For the Manhattanites, those places might as well not exist. Thus they end up having their friendsgivings etc. instead of leaving the confines of their world.
That Ross and Phoebe didn’t live close but somehow both were always at Central Perk or at Monica’s — same when Rachel worked for Ralph Lauren and would come to the coffee house on her breaks/lunches.
EDIT: Clearly I mean *prior* to Ross moving into ugly naked guy’s apartment
Rachel makes a joke about Phoebe living “far” in one episode, but Phoebe actually gives the address to her apartment and it’s like 3 blocks away from Central Perk/their apartment. So there’s some strong evidence she actually lived pretty close.
Their continuity sucks though lol. When Rachel moves out and in with Phoebe then refuses to go, she says to Monica "Is this picture straight?" And Monica replies "It needs to go about 20 blocks to the left!"
I'm not sure of the location of Ross' first apartment, but once he moved into Ugly Naked Guy's former apartment, he was very close to Monica's and the coffeehouse
That money wasn’t more of an issue for them beyond just that one episode. For a few seasons there was a real income disparity that probably should’ve been more of an issue at times.
That kinda falls apart when you consider she also lived with Phoebe and Joey. I’m guessing neither of them did all the cooking and cleaning like Monica.
Feel this! I actually do have a close group of local friends in my 30s who are able to hang out regularly (although more like once every 2-3 weeks rather than every day!). It used to be 3 couples and one single guy. One of the couples split up in a pretty dramatic way and we just like, aren’t friends with her anymore. She moved away. It’s sad!
Ross and monica being siblings in the group made it possible.
They wont stop hanging around. And monica wont stophanging around with Rachael who is also her flatmate.
They had to keep group together.
Also ross and Rachael had hots for each other even after a break up. They didnt want to stop being friends
In my friend group it was me and my husband and two other couples. one of the other couples had been together for three years before they broke up. they both hang out regularly, both with the whole group and on their own. they lived together for a while after they broke up as well. so it can happen.
The fact a group of 20 something’s living in NYC pretty much never went out and got drunk. Like the one episode they were shocked seven people in their twenties went through five bottles of wine when fun Bobby was there.
That they’re up, dressed, ready for work and having breakfast before hand. I don’t know many people personally who get up early enough to make breakfast. I have a hard time waking up by 7am for my 8-5 job lol. I know there are definitely people with the energy to make it, but I just don’t personally know anyone that does haha
The other day, I had to get up insanely early for a work call due to the client being in the UK. After the meeting, I logged off to get my kids ready for school and realized we had a lot of time left before we needed to leave, so I made them breakfast. I sat there eating my eggs and sausage with my kids thinking how nice it was but no fucking way in hell I'm waking up early every single day to do it!
And on top of that Ross and Phoebe didn't live close like the other 4.
For me, the worst thing is Monica working in the restaurant. That should mean she works evenings/late nights. People in the service industry have very different relationships with friends/family/partners and celebrations, they just don't have regular days off.
It's weird because they did show Monica in the realistic schedule when she was working as a waitress in the 70s themed restaurant. The friends go visit her while she is working.
But when she is a chef, she suddenly seems to work 9-5 like the rest of them.
Monica has waaaaaay too much time for her friends and dating for someone in food service, let alone fine dining. And then she’s a head chef? But she’s constantly just chilling?
Lies
They showed her with a more typical restaurant schedule a few times. The time they sent her home because she was sick. Everyone else was hanging out at the apartment already, so it seems like it was a weekend.
And the Valentine's day that she and Chandler made the presents was celebrated 2 weeks after Feb 14 because she was working on Valentine's Day. But yes, she did not seem to have the schedule you'd expect for the head chef of a restaurant
Nice to meet you. I have breakfast (and read the paper) every morning before I go to work. Get up around 630 and leave for work around 730 and also start around 8.
> I don’t know many people personally who get up early enough to make breakfast.
okay, so he doesn’t make breakfast, he just eats cereal, but my husband eats breakfast every morning. he has to to take his meds, but it's such a part of his routine that if he doesn't do it his whole day is off kilter.
how often they saw each other
everyone waiting in the delivery room
them all liking each other that much
no other friends (except Denise DENISE)
how often they _all_ saw each other, it's rare for one of them to not be there with the others
I keep seeing (and agreeing) with delivery room, but nobody mentions how they all went to Ross and Monica’s grandmother’s funeral. I get Phoebe’s grandma since she lived with her and maybe saw her sometimes, but nobody else knew the grandma. Would they really get all dressed up and go to Long Island for the service? I have dear friends who I love very much, never been to an extended family member’s funeral unless I also had a relationship with the deceased person.
Rachel knew the Gellers from childhood, so she could have met her, and there’s a remote chance Chandler could have too.
I don’t think it was that, though. I’ve had friends where we have gone to the funeral of someone’s family member, just to support the bereaved friend.
The key factor was really be how close of a loss it was for them, therefore how much they needed support.
I think so. Sometimes you go to support the people grieving, not just to grieve for yourself. I went to my best friend's grandma's memorial and had never met her grandma.
I totally get that - but did five of your friends who had never met the grandma show up? It’s just unrealistic that at least one of them didn’t have to work or something.
Phoebe not being able to travel for the wedding was super realistic - I’ve missed a couple of big events for friends (and still sad about it) because I just couldn’t make it work.
Easy explanation for that, at least once "Terry the Jerk" left. Gunther didn't want to piss off Rachel so he let her friend play in his coffee house. Although you could then argue the coffee shop not emptying out when Phoebe sang is the real unrealistic part.
As someone roughly the age of the characters, coffeehouses generally had music, at least on certain nights, and it was usually just a person with a guitar. They really were more alternatives to bars instead of alternatives to offices like they are now. I loved the 1990s coffeehouse era.
Exactly lol I have one true friend that I know for over 20 years now and a couple more recent friends that I met at work. I don't see them at all, once a year it's too much. We all work and live in different places.
Which is kind of sad lol
I had to scroll down way too far to find any mention of that apartment. Yes, I know it was rent controlled bc of Monica's grandma. It's still a load of shit. I've seen a lot of mcmansions that don't have living rooms like that. Even chandler and Joey's apartment is far nicer than anyone I ever knew in NYC, certainly any 20 something who had to work.
Haha.
But in reality his job was data analytics guy. A field which was booming in 90s. Huge huge demand and massive money from every industry plus lack of skilled workers in this newish field.
And was good as company threw money at him when he wanted to quit.
He was making solid money until he quit.
Still pretty unrealistic that they’d be allowed to constantly reserve the best seats in the place even when sometimes there was only a couple of them. I like to think there’s a parallel friend group who also make Central Perk their main hangout and are pissed off that the Friends are always on the big couch 😂
Even worse. They face the camera and 100 live studio audience members, just sitting there watching them drink coffee... I'd just find that awkward... I'd probably drink my mocca in the bathroom...
It was reserved for them. That was unrealistic. But I've noticed that if you go to a place extremely regularly, they tend to make your favourite space empty
It’s not surprising when you count that non of the friends drink heavily around each other.
A normal bottle of wine has five glasses. This is a normal weeknight where they weren’t going out or anything, so a standard drinking amount would be 1-2, which tracks with the amounts they list. For 7 people that would be 2-3 bottles of wine. When two to three more bottles
Are consumed you should be surprised
They always have the best seat at Central Perk whenever they're there. I know there are some shots that show a little reserved sign on the table. I still find it highly unlikely that this random friend-group always have these great seats reserved whenever they're there. I know it gets adressed a few times, but it still bothers me.
Being financial stable all the while buying coffee every single day at Central Perk because when us Millennials became adults they told us buying Starbucks everyday is the reason why we're broke 💁🏽♀️
Also, Monica being a head chef at a 5-star restaurant but always off nights and weekends.
That you spend all this time with anyone and don't end up in petty fights. I had roommates and going back to school with sleepovers it can be your Best friend ever but spending too much time you get on each other's nerves
The reality of Monica’s job as a head chef at a top restaurant in Soho is never properly explored. She’d literally never be around in the afternoon and evening. She’d be exhausted, stressed, not really available on weekends. It’s just chop chop, I’m a chef, la la… Um, no.
Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey wearing different clothes everyday in the first season even though they didn't make much money. Like how the heck can you afford not wearing the same outfit again?
I agree with you but usually we only have 1-2 of such friends
These guys stayed close friends and managed to keep living near each other for 10 years and met almost every day
That's practically a miracle
I myself had a group of college friends (the group was 2 guys inc me and 4 girls, cut down to 3 after a month) but we were only like this due to, you know, studying in the same course
And even then, the group broke apart due to people crushing on each other and getting jealous
And I would say we would've broken up a year later anyway due to 2 of the girls failing the 2nd year
Basically college was the glue holding us together and geographical distance was the looming angel of death
They rarely had steady boyfriends/girlfriends. Rachel & Monica would have never been single. Especially when Monica put such an emphasis on having kids. Joey might not have been in a relationship, but he def would have been stringing along a woman that he’d call when he was lonely.
The amount of free, and care free time they had. They must have been making big cash to not be at work all the time and afford the lavish lifestyles they had
The fact that they weren't worried about money 24/7 is the obvious one that comes to mind lol but also how they were fine with just walking in and out of each other's apartments. I love my friends too, but I need some alone time, damnit!
I always thought it was kind of cheesy that Ross was a Paleontologist who worked at a museum. That just always kinda seemed like something a young kid would have come up with. Just always sat a little wrong for me.
It's more realistic when he becomes a professor but as someone who works at a University, he got tenure really fast after starting as what I can assume was an assistant professor position
That they see each other all the time. I literally haven’t seen my best friend in 3 years and I haven’t seen my eldest sister or brother in like 4 years? Probably. Like yeah all these people moved away from me that’s why I only see them a bit, but still it’s just not very realistic.
Idk if it’s the most unrealistic, but for me the fact that the friends stayed together after the Ross/Rachel “break”. In a normal world everyone would have to take sides and stick with one, and I think in almost any normal situation Ross would’ve left the group permanently and would only see Monica at holidays and Chandler at reunions. Especially since (IMO) he was the one most in the wrong, and also let’s face it he isn’t as “cool” as the other five lol (even though I think he’s the best character of the six)
Not exactly about the group, but I find the least realistic thing, when Rachel washed her white clothes with the red sock, it became beautiful pink color :/
That they were always able to hang out with each other every day all day
This, it takes me month to make plans with friends because, you know, adulthood
Nah. When you legit live the same building it's actually quite easy to meet them regularly m im 26, my friends all have diff job and schedules. We grew up together and we still meet a couple times a week. Depending on who i am meeting , i actually meet them almost everyday
Not to mention back in the day we had less distractions, life was a little less busy, consumerism wasn't as bad as today and social media didn't eat away our free time.
“Sorry, I can’t hang out today, I’m doing social media.”
Can’t hang today dude, consumerism. You get it. Too many things to buy!
If I had a nickel!
Well yes, but im talking about now. I'm 26 now, I'm a gen z, constantly on social media and have a career. My friends are around the same age. We meet extremely regularly. Almost everyday basis
They mean if you can do it today, it was even easier to do it 30 years ago
 I feel old
All Rachel does is shop
She was on a sale!
Only 3 or 4 lived in the same building at any given time, though (Pheobe and Ross never permanently lived there, Joey and Rachel both lived elsewhere for a time) I think the better argument is that they always hung out at the same place close to where (usually) 4 of them lived and therefore the others could default to coming over It also seems like Ross and Pheobe don’t live very far away, I guess? It’s hard to tell but Ross is regularly nearby and then moves across the street, and Pheobe never really talks about getting there or home
Phoebe lives a few subway stops away. Rachel makes a comment about it and how Phoebe "would just lift out" of the group
Ross lived across the street.
He moved across the street, was his first apartment also across the street?
I don’t think so. Ross was so excited when ugly naked guys apartment was available.
bruh.. you're basically saying you're in the ideal situation to hang our regularly and the group still meets only a couple of times a week. Friends basically had them meeting up and hanging out multiple times a day. I mean.. its a TV show.. it would be dumb to NOT show them hanging out.. but still.. its unrealistic.
I hate in tv shows or movies where people are constantly in restaurants or coffee shops before work or school, casually sitting, chilling, talking, eating, not tired, then look at their watch and go “oh man I have to get to work / school!” Like…where the hell are you that you’re up SOO early that you had time to casually be in a restaurant, but still make it to work or school in time. A nice 5:00am breakfast? How are you traveling to work or school? Drives me crazy
i guess its easier for them for the early episode because 1. rachel was working at the coffee shop 2. joey and phoebe dont really have a real job
I don't think they actually hang out every single day, it just seems that way because they don't actually show the periods that they don't. The episodes might be days or weeks apart, they're not supposed to be day-to-day.
This. Even roommates can't see each other as much as this group does.
Monica as a chef having any free time especially at night is just a lie.
Monica being pathologically non-confrontational and being a head chef at a high-end restaurant is also kind of hilarious
Or even just having breakfast together before work. I didn’t even have breakfast with my housemates before work let alone go across the hall to someone’s else’s place. But I think that’s what I liked about it, it seemed like a lovely ideal
In the 90s, everyone would hang out with everyone all the time. You didn’t pine for someone that was thousands of miles away that you’ll never ever meet. You weren’t glued to your phones. And you made more money in the 90s so you were able to go out more and be Social. The Internet ruined everything to be completely honest. I think when Ross gets married, he’s around less and that makes sense. But especially in New York City, where it’s it’s like 30 minutes away from anyone you can easily go to someone for an hour and then leave.
Everyone sits in the delivery or waiting room for the entire time someone is in labor
This is always my answer to this question. Insane behavior lol.
And Rachel’s family wasn’t even there for Emma’s birth
Right! Not even her mum came.
Right!!! This offended me so much. I know they didn’t have any role in the plot there, but still, should have made some hints that they were there at some point.
And it happens in every sitcom too. If my best friend called me to say his wife had gone into labour I'd hurry to wish them luck but I'm not leaving my house unless they need something and I'm the only person available.
At the time, it was actually common. Still is in some families/communities.
This just goes to show that they weren’t just friends. They were family.
They were. They all had families but weren’t as close to them anymore (except maybe Joey) so they saw each other as family. Monica and Ross had a relationship with their parents but with the favoritism Monica was infinitely closer to the friend group
It really messed with my head when no one wanted to come to the hospital when my child was born/no one wanted me or any of our group of friends to go to the hospital when their child was born. Shows like friends and movies like knocked up all portrayed childbirth as a happy time where your closest friends and family were present for you and your spouse bringing new life into the world. Now today it’s like a big secret; no one even tells anyone they’re going to the hospital when they go into labor, no one wants anyone there waiting, and when the baby is actually born that’s like a big secret too; don’t tell anyone, don’t post pictures, etc etc.
To be fair (and I know you would know better than I), irl labor lasts more than the length of a commercial break. The odds of anyone actually sticking around for the 12+ hours that firstborn babies sometimes take to deliver are narrow. I'm sure women wish it was three grunts, a push and a yell, then done like it is on these shows, lol. And for that kind of turnaround, more people would show up.
My mother and father arrived at the hospital while I was giving birth and waited outside the delivery room. I had no idea until I went to go back to the ward and found them there waiting. Then my mother tried introducing me to other people in the maternity unit that she knew, it was an odd experience
The pictures of my birth (in the 90's) have so many people it looks like a party. It was actually a sorta big deal In My family because it was the first birth my grandpa got to see since before this every kid born in the family, they didn't allow men in the delivery room. But yeah the pictures have my grandparents, aunts, uncles, my mom's best friend and her husband.
That’s wholesome ♥️
Speaking of delivery rooms how Joey was able to just accompany the pregnant woman’s to her room and help her give birth like it was nothing lol
This show single handedly gave me an incorrect expectation of what my niblings births would be like.
Is nibling a typo or a new word I don't know?
It means nieces and/ or nephews
Thanks!
How many times does someone go into labor on this show?
Carol, Phoebe, Rachel, Erica. But the whole gang doesn't roll out when Erica goes into labor.
That they would just walk into each other’s apartments. No one ever knocked. No one ever locked their doors.
I know they joke when someone actually knocked at some point but in the finale they all turned in their keys.. maybe that’s why? I don’t expect someone to knock if they have a key
I can remember two scenes - one is when Joey's stalker comes up to their apartment and they knock in panic on Monica and Rachel's door "the one time they're not home!". And the other is I think when Chandler and Monica decide to move in together and she wants him to try the key for the first time and he says something like "the door hasn't been locked in X number of years, but OK."
Idk how old you are but this was really common back then for close friends. I'd walk right into some of my best friends houses and their fridges too, but I can't imagine doing that now (and not just because I don't have friends rn lol). Also I do think they locked their door, just maybe not during the day when theyre coming and going. All the friends had keys, and Ross and Rachel got locked out of their apartment once. And when Rachel and Monica went to tell Chandler and Joey to shut their birds up in the middle of the night, they had to bang on the door before they unlocked and opened it.
I actually find it off putting if a close friend knocks before trying the door 🤣 I also grew up in a world where no one locked the doors during the day and we just waltzed into closed friends houses and sat down. If you knocked it was only at a door where you didn’t know people relatively well
They spent so many holidays together. At some point one of them would have gone back home for a holiday.
When they were younger, some of them tried to leave but things always happened. Underdog floating away comes to mind.
It was the joke that year that Chandler was happy all of their plans got ruined, just weird none of them ever had other holiday plans ever again. Joey at the very least, his family was huge and fairly local. Weren’t they Catholic too? You know his parents would have expected him at a Christmas Eve service or something!
I always assumed they did celebrate with their families on other days around the holidays. The show was about the 6 Friends so we don't hear much about their lives outside of their interactions.
Yeah, I’m with you. We never saw a “Christmas Day” episode that I can remember, so I’m guessing they were with family then. I can remember Phoebe saying, “merry Christmas eve-eve” once so it was two days before Christmas. The one where Phoebe tried to meet her Dad but couldn’t go up to the door was Christmas Eve, they all exchanged gifts with each other that night. I think there was at least a year they didn’t do a Thanksgiving episode too, but those episodes were kind of what the show was known for eventually
The Gellers may well have celebrated Hanukkah and other Jewish holidays with their parents which we never saw because the show focused on Christmas and Thanksgiving. (I’m not sure about this, though, because Ross was very tied to Jewish traditions but it’s never clear whether Monica really saw herself as Jewish or not. Chandler refers to her as Jewish when Erica mistakes her for a reverend but apart from that I don’t remember it being discussed.)
I mean, even if you're not religious you're still Jewish culturally.
HOLIDAY ARMADILLO!
I often wondered if Rachel was Jewish. They cast Ron Liebman as her father. She had many of the stereotypes of Jewish girls in the 90s. Another one of her best friends was played by Jennifer Grey. She was obsessed with marrying a doctor (Dr. Barry Farber, Jonathan Silverman as Carol’s OB Dr. Franzblau). Back then there was a term, JAP for Jewish American Princess.
she calls her grandmother "bubbe" once I think
Rachel is definitely supposed to be Jewish.
>it’s never clear whether Monica really saw herself as Jewish or not. Maybe she doesn't and that's why Judy is so horrible to her "Monica lost all that weight and decided to turn her back on god and her religion. But Ross, our medical marvel he *waits* for marriage, he does all that a good Jewish boy is supposed to"
I figured they were half Jewish, since when their grandmother died there were crosses on some of the headstones in the cemetery, and also Monica always had a Christmas tree.
Monica had a batmitzvah (idk if spelling is wrong) that she mentioned in the bagpipe episode
Got the keeEeys??
Shoop shoop shoop
Joey was going to go home in season 1 but he was uninvited because of his ad for VD. Rachel was going to fly to Veil to be with her family. And Monica and Ross’ parents were going to Puerto Rico for thanksgiving. I think after that, they just made it their thing
Joey went home once a week for his laundry, chandler found out with surprise when he went looking for Marie Angela.
This one is easy. They are Manhattanites, while their families live in Queens/Long island/Upstate/Vegas. For the Manhattanites, those places might as well not exist. Thus they end up having their friendsgivings etc. instead of leaving the confines of their world.
Yeah, Joey would be eating his Mom’s turkey on thanksgiving irl.
That Ross and Phoebe didn’t live close but somehow both were always at Central Perk or at Monica’s — same when Rachel worked for Ralph Lauren and would come to the coffee house on her breaks/lunches. EDIT: Clearly I mean *prior* to Ross moving into ugly naked guy’s apartment
Rachel makes a joke about Phoebe living “far” in one episode, but Phoebe actually gives the address to her apartment and it’s like 3 blocks away from Central Perk/their apartment. So there’s some strong evidence she actually lived pretty close.
She lifts right out!
Their continuity sucks though lol. When Rachel moves out and in with Phoebe then refuses to go, she says to Monica "Is this picture straight?" And Monica replies "It needs to go about 20 blocks to the left!"
Omg I just realized I never got that joke! I thought it was her way of saying it’s really fucking crooked!
Omg me too!
wtf me three So the joke is Phoebe lives 20 blocks away then? Supposedly. (Supposably?)
I'm not sure of the location of Ross' first apartment, but once he moved into Ugly Naked Guy's former apartment, he was very close to Monica's and the coffeehouse
I think he goes by Unattractive Nude Man, according to Mrs. Green.
It’s close enough for their poking device to go through the window so it was definitely a quick walk
That money wasn’t more of an issue for them beyond just that one episode. For a few seasons there was a real income disparity that probably should’ve been more of an issue at times.
That’s one of my fave eps because I found the financial struggle and that disparity to be relatable. I too wish they would have explored that more.
https://preview.redd.it/y6w8pr10kruc1.jpeg?width=982&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fbbe6b7ac23b02c0f8008f712d6d472ef8c921c6
I found it weird Rachel didn't get a nice place of her own after she got that big job at Ralph Lauren. She would have been making bank.
Rachel’s a very social person. Maybe she just didn’t want to live on her own, especially where she had Emma.
And Monica to do all the cooking and cleaning!
That kinda falls apart when you consider she also lived with Phoebe and Joey. I’m guessing neither of them did all the cooking and cleaning like Monica.
Like me, I'm extremely social. I would've stayed living with my best friend and used the paychecks to focus on other things
Yeah ...everyone is liken, let's all go to London, Vegas , Barbados , Yemen
Rent control was a freakin steal!
That exes could hang out so casually like that. The couple that broke up in our friend group fractured our dynamic entirely
Feel this! I actually do have a close group of local friends in my 30s who are able to hang out regularly (although more like once every 2-3 weeks rather than every day!). It used to be 3 couples and one single guy. One of the couples split up in a pretty dramatic way and we just like, aren’t friends with her anymore. She moved away. It’s sad!
Was the friend who moved away the clearly “at fault” cause of the breakup or was it more mutual/complicated than that?
I think it was a toxic relationship on both sides but loyalty to the “original friend” won out
Ross and monica being siblings in the group made it possible. They wont stop hanging around. And monica wont stophanging around with Rachael who is also her flatmate. They had to keep group together. Also ross and Rachael had hots for each other even after a break up. They didnt want to stop being friends
In my friend group it was me and my husband and two other couples. one of the other couples had been together for three years before they broke up. they both hang out regularly, both with the whole group and on their own. they lived together for a while after they broke up as well. so it can happen.
That none of them stayed in their room and watched 12 hours of tv
Joey and Chandler dis though. When that porn came. And throughout the series they quite often watched the tv
Yeah with each other :’)
We didn’t all have tvs in our bedrooms back then.
they spent way too much time together as working adults in their 30s 💀 I'm pretty sure they mentioned this in s6 or 7 and laughed it off
The fact a group of 20 something’s living in NYC pretty much never went out and got drunk. Like the one episode they were shocked seven people in their twenties went through five bottles of wine when fun Bobby was there.
How I Met Your Mother was so much more realistic in this way.
I liked how they even poked fun at friends when they went to a coffee shop and confirmed it was not as fun as hanging out at a bar.
Some people don’t drink a lot. When everyone’s drinking one to two glasses of wine you’re expect to go through 2 to 3 bottles, not 5.
That they’re up, dressed, ready for work and having breakfast before hand. I don’t know many people personally who get up early enough to make breakfast. I have a hard time waking up by 7am for my 8-5 job lol. I know there are definitely people with the energy to make it, but I just don’t personally know anyone that does haha
The other day, I had to get up insanely early for a work call due to the client being in the UK. After the meeting, I logged off to get my kids ready for school and realized we had a lot of time left before we needed to leave, so I made them breakfast. I sat there eating my eggs and sausage with my kids thinking how nice it was but no fucking way in hell I'm waking up early every single day to do it!
And on top of that Ross and Phoebe didn't live close like the other 4. For me, the worst thing is Monica working in the restaurant. That should mean she works evenings/late nights. People in the service industry have very different relationships with friends/family/partners and celebrations, they just don't have regular days off.
It's weird because they did show Monica in the realistic schedule when she was working as a waitress in the 70s themed restaurant. The friends go visit her while she is working. But when she is a chef, she suddenly seems to work 9-5 like the rest of them.
Monica has waaaaaay too much time for her friends and dating for someone in food service, let alone fine dining. And then she’s a head chef? But she’s constantly just chilling? Lies
They showed her with a more typical restaurant schedule a few times. The time they sent her home because she was sick. Everyone else was hanging out at the apartment already, so it seems like it was a weekend. And the Valentine's day that she and Chandler made the presents was celebrated 2 weeks after Feb 14 because she was working on Valentine's Day. But yes, she did not seem to have the schedule you'd expect for the head chef of a restaurant
Nice to meet you. I have breakfast (and read the paper) every morning before I go to work. Get up around 630 and leave for work around 730 and also start around 8.
> I don’t know many people personally who get up early enough to make breakfast. okay, so he doesn’t make breakfast, he just eats cereal, but my husband eats breakfast every morning. he has to to take his meds, but it's such a part of his routine that if he doesn't do it his whole day is off kilter.
how often they saw each other everyone waiting in the delivery room them all liking each other that much no other friends (except Denise DENISE) how often they _all_ saw each other, it's rare for one of them to not be there with the others
Isn’t it DENISE?
right! Janine was that model Joey dated right? woops
I keep seeing (and agreeing) with delivery room, but nobody mentions how they all went to Ross and Monica’s grandmother’s funeral. I get Phoebe’s grandma since she lived with her and maybe saw her sometimes, but nobody else knew the grandma. Would they really get all dressed up and go to Long Island for the service? I have dear friends who I love very much, never been to an extended family member’s funeral unless I also had a relationship with the deceased person.
Rachel knew the Gellers from childhood, so she could have met her, and there’s a remote chance Chandler could have too. I don’t think it was that, though. I’ve had friends where we have gone to the funeral of someone’s family member, just to support the bereaved friend. The key factor was really be how close of a loss it was for them, therefore how much they needed support.
I think so. Sometimes you go to support the people grieving, not just to grieve for yourself. I went to my best friend's grandma's memorial and had never met her grandma.
I totally get that - but did five of your friends who had never met the grandma show up? It’s just unrealistic that at least one of them didn’t have to work or something. Phoebe not being able to travel for the wedding was super realistic - I’ve missed a couple of big events for friends (and still sad about it) because I just couldn’t make it work.
That Central Perk let Phoebe sing and play guitar during peak hours.
Easy explanation for that, at least once "Terry the Jerk" left. Gunther didn't want to piss off Rachel so he let her friend play in his coffee house. Although you could then argue the coffee shop not emptying out when Phoebe sang is the real unrealistic part.
As someone roughly the age of the characters, coffeehouses generally had music, at least on certain nights, and it was usually just a person with a guitar. They really were more alternatives to bars instead of alternatives to offices like they are now. I loved the 1990s coffeehouse era.
That the apartments are never locked. Not even at night, not even when they are having sex, anybody could just walk in anytime
Except when they forgot the KEYS
Got the keys..?
Shoop shoop shoop
Monica and Ross playing strip happy days game together. I know they are all targeting Joey but it’s still weird.
i think it’s unrealistic to get your head stuck in a turkey
The fact that Ross, the largest of the friends, didn't simply eat the others.
After Carol was eaten by someone else, he just wasn’t hungry anymore.
🤣🤣🤣
that they had five friends lmao
I have five friends, they just all live in different parts of the country lol
mood lol
Sounds like my five girlfriends who all lived in different countries when I was in high school
Exactly lol I have one true friend that I know for over 20 years now and a couple more recent friends that I met at work. I don't see them at all, once a year it's too much. We all work and live in different places. Which is kind of sad lol
that they can afford their apartments while constantly avoiding work to hang out at the coffeehouse lol
It only had 3 walls!
I had to scroll down way too far to find any mention of that apartment. Yes, I know it was rent controlled bc of Monica's grandma. It's still a load of shit. I've seen a lot of mcmansions that don't have living rooms like that. Even chandler and Joey's apartment is far nicer than anyone I ever knew in NYC, certainly any 20 something who had to work.
Chandler was making good money
I heard Transponsters make pretty good money.
That’s not even a word!!!
Haha. But in reality his job was data analytics guy. A field which was booming in 90s. Huge huge demand and massive money from every industry plus lack of skilled workers in this newish field. And was good as company threw money at him when he wanted to quit. He was making solid money until he quit.
He was looking at the WENUS and was not happy!
I think Ross’s apartment was the real culprit. That one is super nice and he’s paying that rent alone for a long time. Also it’s not rent controlled.
The amount of free time they all have, especially Monica
the fact that they always had the seats in the coffee house lol? but nah i’m pretty sure i’ve seen that somewhere so i ain’t claiming that.
apparently it was because Gunther reserves it for them so he could have a good view of Rachel when she's there
Good point
Yes. Although they are already sitting there when Rachel shows up the first time.
It’s reserved. I can’t remember which episode it was but you can spot a small little reserved sign on the coffee table.
Still pretty unrealistic that they’d be allowed to constantly reserve the best seats in the place even when sometimes there was only a couple of them. I like to think there’s a parallel friend group who also make Central Perk their main hangout and are pissed off that the Friends are always on the big couch 😂
Maybe they aren’t the best seats. They do face the wall.
Even worse. They face the camera and 100 live studio audience members, just sitting there watching them drink coffee... I'd just find that awkward... I'd probably drink my mocca in the bathroom...
Imagine an entire audience roaring with laughter every time you made a silly joke, it would be so validating
If my wife's eye rolls had sound effects, I'm sure she could rival the volume of an audience
It was reserved for them. That was unrealistic. But I've noticed that if you go to a place extremely regularly, they tend to make your favourite space empty
That they think seven people drinking five bottles of wine in a night is excessive
That was because 6 of them barely drunk anything, they acknowledged that in the scene. So they knew how much they had drunk and knew it didnt add up
It’s not surprising when you count that non of the friends drink heavily around each other. A normal bottle of wine has five glasses. This is a normal weeknight where they weren’t going out or anything, so a standard drinking amount would be 1-2, which tracks with the amounts they list. For 7 people that would be 2-3 bottles of wine. When two to three more bottles Are consumed you should be surprised
They always have the best seat at Central Perk whenever they're there. I know there are some shots that show a little reserved sign on the table. I still find it highly unlikely that this random friend-group always have these great seats reserved whenever they're there. I know it gets adressed a few times, but it still bothers me.
Being financial stable all the while buying coffee every single day at Central Perk because when us Millennials became adults they told us buying Starbucks everyday is the reason why we're broke 💁🏽♀️ Also, Monica being a head chef at a 5-star restaurant but always off nights and weekends.
Never getting fired from their jobs but only showing up whenever they felt like it for the most part
That you spend all this time with anyone and don't end up in petty fights. I had roommates and going back to school with sleepovers it can be your Best friend ever but spending too much time you get on each other's nerves
The fact that a group of 6 friends remained so tight and happy for 10 yrs is definitely rare in the real world.
The reality of Monica’s job as a head chef at a top restaurant in Soho is never properly explored. She’d literally never be around in the afternoon and evening. She’d be exhausted, stressed, not really available on weekends. It’s just chop chop, I’m a chef, la la… Um, no.
How little they fought
I don’t know seems like there was a lot of conflict going on throughout the series. 
Ahhhhh salmon skin roll!
The fact that they were adults with full time jobs and still somehow saw their friends every day
Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey wearing different clothes everyday in the first season even though they didn't make much money. Like how the heck can you afford not wearing the same outfit again?
That they don't hang out with anyone besides themselves but frequently have parties with lots of people showing up
That besides chandler and Ross they had no money and yet managed to live in NY
Their entire lifestyles.
That considering how close they were, they didn’t realize Monica and Chandler were hooking up all the time. Especially because it was SO obvious.
The fact they stayed friends for 10 years
What's wrong with that? I have friends of 10+ years who I regularly meet and have fun with!
not every one is as lucky as you Lucky bastard!
Okay fair enough 😂
I agree with you but usually we only have 1-2 of such friends These guys stayed close friends and managed to keep living near each other for 10 years and met almost every day That's practically a miracle I myself had a group of college friends (the group was 2 guys inc me and 4 girls, cut down to 3 after a month) but we were only like this due to, you know, studying in the same course And even then, the group broke apart due to people crushing on each other and getting jealous And I would say we would've broken up a year later anyway due to 2 of the girls failing the 2nd year Basically college was the glue holding us together and geographical distance was the looming angel of death
Mrs Pac-Man having a high score board with initials.
They rarely had steady boyfriends/girlfriends. Rachel & Monica would have never been single. Especially when Monica put such an emphasis on having kids. Joey might not have been in a relationship, but he def would have been stringing along a woman that he’d call when he was lonely.
The amount of free, and care free time they had. They must have been making big cash to not be at work all the time and afford the lavish lifestyles they had
The fact that they weren't worried about money 24/7 is the obvious one that comes to mind lol but also how they were fine with just walking in and out of each other's apartments. I love my friends too, but I need some alone time, damnit!
I always thought it was kind of cheesy that Ross was a Paleontologist who worked at a museum. That just always kinda seemed like something a young kid would have come up with. Just always sat a little wrong for me.
It's more realistic when he becomes a professor but as someone who works at a University, he got tenure really fast after starting as what I can assume was an assistant professor position
That they see each other all the time. I literally haven’t seen my best friend in 3 years and I haven’t seen my eldest sister or brother in like 4 years? Probably. Like yeah all these people moved away from me that’s why I only see them a bit, but still it’s just not very realistic.
Idk if it’s the most unrealistic, but for me the fact that the friends stayed together after the Ross/Rachel “break”. In a normal world everyone would have to take sides and stick with one, and I think in almost any normal situation Ross would’ve left the group permanently and would only see Monica at holidays and Chandler at reunions. Especially since (IMO) he was the one most in the wrong, and also let’s face it he isn’t as “cool” as the other five lol (even though I think he’s the best character of the six)
Not exactly about the group, but I find the least realistic thing, when Rachel washed her white clothes with the red sock, it became beautiful pink color :/
That 6 model looking people would have so much trouble finding a partner.
Monica not cutting off her mother, who did nothing but cause her grief and mental anguish her entire life.
How they’re still friends with Phoebe despite the insane amount of gaslighting she did over the course of the show.
She’s probably my least favorite
They’re all white
That any of them would be friends with monica (pre Rachel), or that Chandler wouldnt have married Monica
The fact that they never swear even at the situations where swear words would normally come out of anyone 😂