Friends premiered 25 years ago, but we still remember all of these lessons like it was yesterday.
25 years later, there are still so many iconic moments from Friends that live on in pop culture. The unique brands of humor among the six stars, the cozy and intimate feeling of the Central Perk and the gang’s apartments and the epic romances made for some of television’s most memorable moments.
Friends was truly a phenomenon, and remains so, today. A whole new generation is discovering the show and determining if they’re a Monica, Phoebe, Rachel, Chandler, Joey, or Ross. People are still coming back to the New York City of the 90s to visit a time when you applied for jobs by mailing in resumes and people spend all of their time just hanging out in real life!
Related: Generation Friends book review: A deep dive for the most fierce ‘Friends’ fans
It’s true that not every aspect of Friends has aged well. The lack of ethnic diversity is problematic even for the time that the show aired and there are many jokes made in poor taste about sexuality and gender.
However, in other ways, Friends was far ahead of the curve. Joey and Chandler had one of the first and best TV bromances. The three women and the three men on the series had equally important and well-rounded roles. The characters were all fundamentally flawed and incredibly lovable.
On top of the 10 seasons of hilarious jokes Friends delivered, it was packed with so many timeless moments and lessons. Its funniest moments are extremely quotable and memorable, and the overall tone of the show is something that sticks with its viewers long after they’re done watching (until they inevitably watch it again).
Here are 25 things about love, life and friendship that we learned from watching Friends.
25 things ‘Friends’ taught me
- Friends are your family when you’re in your 20s and 30s, and they’ll be “there for you” in good times and bad.
- Even if everyone’s always told you you’re a shoe, that doesn’t mean you have to be one. You could be a hat. Or a purse!
- Sometimes letting your friends take a win at a poker game is even better than winning yourself.
- Drunk voicemail messages are a bad idea. Always. This one now extends to drunk texts.
- You should make sure you and you partner have the same understanding of what it means to be “on a break.”
- Staying in a box during Thanksgiving dinner can be a highly effective friendship saving strategy.
- Monkeys really don’t make good pets, but chickens and ducks do!
- The seventh erogenous zone is an exciting place.
- Powder, lotion and leather pants are a dangerous combination.
- It’s important to read the entire 18 page (front and back) letter before agreeing to its contents.
- A good trifle recipe should never include ground beef sautéed with peas and onions.
- Smelly cats need love too. It’s not their fault they’re smelly.
- It’s not okay to kiss your cousin. Even if you haven’t had sex in a very long time.
- When forced to choose between saving your sandwich or your friend, you should probably choose your friend.
- Eating cheesecake off the floor is an absolutely fine thing to do and it’s an activity that can and should be enjoyed with friends.
- Naps are best when combined with cuddles.
- A Foosball table is a perfectly acceptable substitute for a dining table.
- Pivoting is the only way to move couches and other large furniture through tight spaces.
- Tailoring pants shouldn’t involve sexual assault.
- Don’t take credit for the work of others, because they might write you off your TV show.
- 10% of your paycheck, where does it go? The bank!
- Spray tans and teeth whitening require a delicate balance.
- If you have a rent controlled apartment in New York City, never let it go.
- Lobsters fall in love and mate for life. This one turned out not to be true.
- Change is inevitable and sometimes even the closest friends need to say goodbye. That doesn’t mean the friendship is over, though!
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