Wednesday, May 05, 2004

The end of the world comes on Thursday night

Jennifer Frey's views on the impending conclusion of "Friends" clarify some of the reasons why I've grown tired, even resentful, of the show the past few years. I still like it, but the older I get and the longer I live in New York the show has become less interesting to me. Frey thinks that the show was always about escapism for the viewers. "Friends" always existed in a sort of vacuum, where most real-world events never affected it. (This is not a new viewpoint; I know I've read this idea elsewhere before.) 9/11 is the best example: where shows like "The Sopranos" and "Sex and the City" at least addressed the terror attacks and the aftermath in passing, "Friends" never acknowledged that the world outside the characters' circle had anything to do with them. Of course, Frey also mentions things like Rachel's disappearing baby, Ross' missing son and ex-wife, and the clothes and apartments that people living on their supposed salaries could never afford. I still think the show's departure is long overdue, but if I remind myself that none of it is supposed to be real, I can accept it a little longer. Until Ross gets whiny one more time; then I'm going to put my foot through the TV.

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