10 Controversial Episodes of “Pals”

Whereas many TV exhibits and films have aged like a advantageous wine, the hit present Pals has aged extra like that rancid milk that you simply left open at the back of your fridge for means too lengthy with out realizing it. If it had been launched in the present day, there’s a good likelihood that it will not final lengthy on the air, as a result of controversy it will have brought about, and all of the common in-jokes that will not have been acceptable in in the present day’s setting.

10. Joey’s Tailor And The Unusual Motive He’s So Messed Up

Within the episode The One With Ross’s New Girlfriend, Chandler wants new pants and so he decides to go make use of Joey’s tailor — the identical tailor that Joey’s entire household has used for generations. Whereas there, Chandler may be very upset that the tailor took a seize of his crotch whereas measuring, to which Joey shocks each him and Ross by laughing it off as a completely regular factor to do. He’s very shocked after they clarify to him that it isn’t in any respect regular to seize somebody’s household jewel’s while you’re measuring them for go well with pants.

This causes Joey to start out desirous about previous conditions together with his tailor, and he involves a realization that this might have modified him through the years with out him realizing it. As an viewers, we begin to understand that this sexually harassing tailor is meant to be the primary cause each Joey, and his household, are type of freaky and tousled in terms of coping with intercourse. As you may think, the whole factor is dealt with with the sensitivity of a bludgeon, and would doubtless battle to be accepted as a plotline in the present day.

9. Monica Is Haunted By Her Previous As A Fats Woman

In The One That May Have Been, Half 1, it begins out because it usually does with the entire gang hanging out. On this episode, they’re speaking about their previous lives, and the way they may have ended up if their lives had continued extra as that they had been after they had been youthful, as a substitute of taking the turns they did. One of many issues they discuss throughout these flashbacks are Monica’s earlier life as a fats lady, and whether or not she would have the boyfriend she does now.

To his credit score, Chandler appears relatively offended that everybody thinks he wouldn’t have been with Monica merely due to her measurement, however additionally it is made clear that everybody believes that Monica not solely was a fats lady, however was an especially fats lady. Within the alternate actuality she is proven as being grotesquely chubby, and a part of the plotline is that Monica’s largest battle in her previous is getting over being “the fats lady.” These days, with all of the furor towards fats shaming, this episode would in all probability be extraordinarily controversial.

8. Joey Manipulates Warmth In His Residence To Get Ladies Bare

This half is simply a really small throwaway in an in any other case regular thanksgiving episode known as The One The place Ross Obtained Excessive; nevertheless, most individuals would in all probability be very bothered by this, in addition to by Joey’s creepy habits on the whole. Joey, if something, was Quagmire from Household Man earlier than he was even conceived as a personality. On this episode Joey admits to turning up the warmth to his condo with the intention to try and get the lady at present sharing hire in his condo to go with out garments, or not less than as few garments as doable.

He has additionally used peepholes in different episodes, and appears notably shameless about his habits. Joey is clearly a sexual predator who arguably must be locked up, and positively wants severe remedy, however his sick habits is performed for laughs and his so known as “pals” by no means go to any actual bother to get him the assistance he so clearly wants. The behaviors Joey reveals in direction of girls are merely not regular or wholesome. Whereas typically any publicity could be good publicity, throughout our present age, making an attempt to air such predatory habits for informal laughs would in all probability trigger extra hurt than good for his or her scores.

7. Chandler’s Dad The Transvestite, A Completely different Controversy Relying On Your View

This episode known as The One With Chandler’s Dad and may very well be seen as controversial by two very totally different sides of a debate, relying on the way you have a look at the scenario. On this episode, we be taught that Chandler’s dad is a transvestite and ultimately his marriage ended due to it. We be taught that Chandler feels embarrassed by his dad and wouldn’t even inform Monica about him or invite him to their upcoming marriage ceremony in any respect. It seems that Chandler’s dad would gown up as numerous feminine stars from films, and present as much as cheer at any sports activities occasion that Chandler was part of.

Monica disagreed with Chandler’s evaluation, arguing that not less than his dad was supportive of him and at all times confirmed as much as be there for his son. She tells Chandler he wants to fulfill his dad, and so they fly throughout the nation to see him. Upon going to a membership the place Chandler’s dad is performing in full costume, he acknowledges his son, in addition to the marriage ring. Realizing he must make up together with his dad, who is simply being who he’s, Chandler invitations him to the marriage and the story arc ends with a candy second. In some methods it looks as if a reasonably properly performed episode, however many would object, as we mentioned, for reverse causes. Some would merely really feel that the episode is just too accepting of transexuals, and others would really feel that it was a ham-fisted try that solely strengthened stereotypes and didn’t correctly tackle such a weighty difficulty.

6. Phoebe Flashes Her Boobs At The Guys To Win A Soccer Sport

In The One With The Soccer, the gang is watching soccer on Thanksgiving and will get impressed to play their very own sport. In fact, as you may think, issues go south fairly rapidly. Earlier than lengthy it finally ends up just about the blokes towards the ladies, and the ladies resolve to attempt to verify they win by having Phoebe distract the blokes by flashing her breasts at them. In the identical soccer sport, Monica can also be criticized for her aggressive intuition, persevering with to strengthen the stereotype from again within the ’90s that girls desirous to win, particularly at sports activities, was simply bizarre and misplaced.

It’s onerous to think about a present tv present getting away with that type of plotline in the present day, with how folks at present really feel about sexual harassment and crude stereotypes about girls. This plotline, in addition to the criticisms about Monica, reinforce the stereotypes that girls are seductresses who merely use their intercourse with the intention to get what they need, and aren’t good at successful at something except it includes flaunting their intercourse. Like many Pals episodes, if it had been made in the present day, it will in all probability be rapidly shelved, and by no means aired once more — after the following PR nightmare, in fact.

5. Ross Goes Completely Nuts At The Concept Of A Male Nanny

In The One With The Male Nanny, Rachel and Ross are in search of a nanny and a male nanny named Sandy applies. He looks as if a tremendous candidate and Rachel convinces Ross to rent him regardless of his reservations. Nonetheless, he’s very uncomfortable with the concept of a man being a nanny as a result of he thinks it’s a feminine’s job. To make issues worse, the male nanny is delicate, cries quite a bit, performs the flute and does puppet exhibits — this makes Ross much more uncomfortable about the whole factor.

Close to the tip, he truly fires the nanny as a result of he’s too delicate. So as to redeem Ross, the writers have him later confide within the male nanny that he has some severe points about what is anticipated out of a person. He tells Sandy that his father wouldn’t let him play with something that wasn’t manly, and was at all times relatively onerous on him about it. Whereas this looks as if a studying second for Ross, the episode itself nonetheless reinforces lots of relatively crude stereotypes. The concept that a male can’t be a very good nanny, or that males who babysit or watch kids are female or overly delicate is just not true. Whereas males nonetheless typically face discrimination in that type of place, there isn’t any proof that means the kind of man who’s concerned about that type of work is overly female or delicate.

4. Gunther, The Unhappy Man Ou

Gunther is the supervisor on the espresso store, Central Perk, the place the buddies hang around regularly. For some cause, they’re relatively unkind to him all through the present. Regardless of permitting them to have a everlasting sofa setup on reserve in an space the place area and actual property comes at an unimaginable premium, he appears to be extra of the butt of jokes or insults than the rest. Within the episode The One With The Worst Finest Man Ever, Ross exhibits simply how little they know or care about Gunther, even in any case of those years.

At a celebration, Ross is struggling to search out who his greatest man needs to be, and he throws out Gunther’s identify, saying that he might be his greatest man. To his credit score, Gunther doesn’t take what’s mainly an off-the-cuff insult — Ross throwing his identify out of desperation — mendacity down. He fires again asking Ross what his final identify is, to which Ross guesses, relatively lamely, that it’s Central Perk, the identify of the espresso store he manages. Gunther leaves shortly afterwards, disgusted with the truth that even in any case of this time, none of them have even bothered to be taught his final identify. With the web a lot extra energetic in the present day, it will doubtless be a lot tougher to get away with a personality who is consistently taking flack, with no actual cause to deserve it in any respect.

3. Phoebe’s Clearly Has Psychological Points, However It Is Performed For Laughs

Phoebe is well one of many oddest characters in Pals, and matches a stereotype that was usually utilized in older sitcoms — the loopy particular person. There are a lot of episodes the place Phoebe’s unusual quirks or different oddities are performed for laughs, and to strengthen the truth that her character is loopy, however in a “humorous” means. Nonetheless, the one which simply stands out probably the most because the one which looks as if a cry for assist from a really broken lady, is The One With The Cat. On this episode, Phoebe finds a cat in a guitar case and immediately bonds with it.

After that, issues begin getting bizarre. Phoebe turns into satisfied that the cat is definitely a reincarnation of her deceased mom, and for some time is totally adamant about this. The others, particularly Ross, wish to persuade her that she is unsuitable, particularly contemplating the cat is clearly male. So as to show her unsuitable, Ross even appears for lacking cat posters till he finds the place the cat’s correct house is. Whereas this episode is meant to be humorous, it’s truly relatively unhappy that regardless of her clearly needing some severe remedy, not one of the pals make any actual effort to persuade her to get the assistance she so clearly wants. A lady who turns into satisfied a cat is her lifeless mom isn’t a wholesome lady, and needs to be inspired to speak to a psychological well being skilled. Normally, it has develop into a lot much less acceptable to have a loopy character only for laughs, so Phoebe as a personality may not work on a present that was premiering in in the present day’s ambiance.

2. An Alcoholic Is Dragged Down For Being “No Enjoyable Anymore” When He Tries To Stop

In The One With Russ, Monica is relationship a recurring character often called Enjoyable Bobby. Now, Enjoyable Bobby is meant to be enjoyable as a result of he drinks quite a bit, is an efficient partier, and has a number of humorous tales to inform whereas ingesting. After an extended night time with everybody ingesting away tons of booze, Monica realizes that Bobby is ingesting far more than anybody else, and truly has a really major problem. She informs Bobby of this and, struck by his personal failings, he decides it’s time for him to stop alcohol altogether.

Sadly, Monica rapidly realizes that Bobby is type of… not so fascinating, or humorous… when he’s stone chilly sober, however she doesn’t wish to break up with him and ship him again to the bottle, so she begins ingesting closely with the intention to cope with the truth that she now not finds him fascinating. Bobby is now mocked by others for being not enjoyable anymore, and rapidly realizes that now Monica has a severe ingesting drawback, and truly breaks up with her. This episode doesn’t deal with alcoholism nicely, because it makes it appear like you can’t have enjoyable with out ingesting, and that if you happen to stop, your folks won’t assume you’re enjoyable anymore, will make enjoyable of you, and won’t even wish to hang around with you in any respect.

1 The Time One Of Them Broke Up At A Marriage ceremony Reception

In The One With Barry And Mindy’s Marriage ceremony, the gang attend a marriage for Rachel’s ex-fiance, a man named Barry. For some cause, Rachel decides to be the Maid of Honor, however does all the pieces she will be able to to flaunt her physique and upstage the bride as she takes her flip to stroll down the aisle first. To make issues worse, it seems later on the reception that Barry had guess that Rachel would go away early, and so she stays simply to spite him, regardless of not desirous to be there in any respect within the first place. This a part of the plot is odd and awkward, because it implies a lot of the adults concerned are mainly kids. Barry invitations her to his marriage ceremony and needs her to be concerned, and he or she agrees to be concerned. Nonetheless, each actually appear extra concerned about making the opposite look dangerous than the rest.

As if that wasn’t dangerous sufficient, the second arc on this episode includes Monica and her boyfriend Richard, and their struggles over their relationship. Richard doesn’t wish to have youngsters, however Monica does. Whereas dancing on the marriage ceremony reception, Monica brings it up once more and they’re as soon as once more struggling to agree. Richard needs to be with Monica regardless so he says he would have youngsters if it was really that necessary to her, however then Monica breaks up with him proper there on the marriage ceremony reception, as a result of she needs to be with somebody who really needs to have their very own kids.

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In actual life, it will be thought of fairly a fake pas for a maid of honor to return to a marriage she doesn’t wish to be at and attempt to upstage the bride, to not point out the dearth of social grace in publicly breaking apart along with your important different in the midst of the reception — she may have not less than waited till they received dwelling, or for a extra personal and applicable event. This episode reinforces the selfishness of lots of the pals, who look like principally incapable of understanding the sentiments of people who find themselves not themselves.

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