Jennifer Aniston discusses the reasons why TV series 'Friends' offended ‘a whole generation of people’

It was the biggest show of the 90s and is now considered a classic sitcom. Friends first aired in 1994 and introduced us to a group of young adults living their best life in New York City (or a TV production set made to look like New York City that was actually filmed in LA). The series ran for 10 years and introduced us to the characters Ross and Rachel, Chandler and Monica and Joey and Phoebe. Even after the show ended in 2004 it is still one of the most watched series. 

But Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green) admitted “There’s a whole generation of people, kids, who are now going back to episodes of ‘Friends’ and find them offensive." The Friends alumni is currently promoting her new movie Murder Mystery 2 and spoke candidly about the television show explaining “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."

In recent years with the show now being available to watch on Netflix for a new generation to ‘appreciate’ it has faced a lot of criticism. Mainly for the lack of diversity, homophobic jokes and the body shaming of ‘Fat Monica’.  

Co-creator Marta Kauffman and executive producer David Bright have both commented on the lack of diversity of the cast. David told The Hollywood Reporter “If we did ‘Friends’ today, no, I don't imagine they would probably end up being an all-white cast." The writers never set out to offend anyone and based most of the series on their personal experiences of living in New York. 

There was also sexism objectifying women and lesbian jokes. But aside from the now very obvious problematic issues of the show there aren’t many TV series that after 20 years since it ended can still make you laugh out loud. 

And for the many generations of Gen X, Y and Z that find it offensive, there are still more generations of baby boomers and millennials that appreciate it for what it was. An iconic sitcom that will always be iconic.