Recently the world (that's right the whole world) celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of NBC hit sitcom Friends. While there was a lot of celebrating there were also some questions raised about certain jokes and characters and how the show, while still popular, is a product of its time. Some of the jokes no longer ring true, or appropriate for that matter. But, as we reminisce and rewatch the smash hit on its quarter-century anniversary some questions have also come up about the characters themselves.
In a show titled Friends was everyone really friends? Some people perhaps hung out merely because it was convenient. Case in point: Joey and Ross.
10 The Pilot
How are we introduced to Joey and Ross? What does their relationship look like at the very beginning? As the show opens and the cast sits in Central Perk, Ross enters with an umbrella and says, "Hi." Doesn't seem like such a big deal, does it? Except that he sounds broken and unhappy, probably depressed. How does Joey react to this introduction? By replying to the room at large, "This guy says hello and I want to kill myself." Not terribly supportive there at the start, not very close on the whole. The bigger problem? Their relationship doesn't develop much over time.
9 Met Through Chandler
Ross and Chandler were roommates in college. Not everyone makes friends with their college roommate, often they just tolerate each other, but Ross and Chandler became close. Later in life, the two are still in contact and both living in New York City when Joey enters Chandler's life as his new roommate. Just as he did in college, Chandler develops an actual friendship with his roommate and thus brings him along when hanging out with college friend, Ross. So Joey and Ross hang out, but it's really only because they are both friends with Chandler.
8 Spend Less Time Together
Odds are any Friends fan can name numerous episodes where Chandler and Joey, or Chandler and Ross, or Joey and Phoebe, hang out and get into all sorts of hysterical situations. Can you name a time when Joey and Ross memorably hung out? Maybe one, like the time they both took a nap together. That one comes up a lot, probably because it's funny. But it also comes up a lot because it's one of the very few examples that exist of Ross and Joey enjoying their time together with just the two of them.
7 They Have Very Little in Common
Other than Chandler there is very little Ross and Joey have in common. They each take up residence on different ends of the Friends spectrum with all the other characters falling somewhere in between them. Ross is a college professor and Joey is a struggling actor. He's not only a struggling actor, but he's also the least intellectual member of the group, and often comes across as a dim bulb. Other than their shared love interests there's little for them to discuss when left alone with one another. And they probably don't want to talk about their shared love interests anyway.
6 Ross Dates Joey's Ex
Shockingly it's Joey who stars dating a paleontologist, Charlie Wheeler, because he has more confidence than Ross. But, when Charlie and Joey eventually breakup, as the audience always knew they would, Ross is literally right there to jump into Charlie's arms.
This is like, immediate. Ross doesn't take time to check on Joey or to check himself and give everyone maybe five seconds to breathe, but rather starts a fling with Charlie as soon as she and Joey part ways in Barbados. That doesn't sound like a very good friend thing to do.
5 Joey Kisses Rachel
Ross may have started dating Joey's ex, but Joey also kissed (and then dated) Ross's ex as well. Everyone was slightly horrified when Rachel accidentally thought Joey was proposing to her after the birth of her daughter (with Ross). Joey not only doesn't know how to get out of this misunderstanding, but also then kisses Rachel, and starts to date her. Every fan and character knew that Rachel and Ross were always going back and forth with each other, and Rachel had just given birth to Ross's daughter. It's just, again, not a thing a real friend would probably do.
4 Joey Doesn't Care About Ross's Award
If we're being honest no one really cared when Ross was getting an award in "The One Where No One is Ready," but Joey takes things to the extreme. Phoebe may have stained her dress, but she's still got her dress on. Chandler eventually gets dressed and Monica, at least, is dealing with a real problem. But Joey, after getting into a spat with Chandler over a chair (that's right, a chair) puts on all of Chandler's clothes, rather than getting dressed so everyone can leave. Funny? Definitely. Childish? Also definitely. And not very kind if someone is really your friend and an event is important to them.
3 Joey and Chandler Do Not Want to Live With Ross
Ross brings a lot of his problems onto himself, like when he says the wrong name at the altar. Anyway, when Ross parts ways with Emily he is short on places to live and moves in with Joey and Chandler. In all honesty, Ross is not a great roommate (who asks roommates to chip in on an air purifier and demands quiet time?) However, we know that in the past, he did successfully share a space with Chandler. Despite that history, and despite the heartbreak and disintegration of his most recent marriage, Joey does everything in his power to get Ross to move out.
2 Chandler Would Be Emma's Guardian
When it comes to all the important matters in Ross's life he leans on Chandler, not on Joey. If Ross and Rachel died then Chandler and Monica would have been Emma's guardians.
Sure, it makes sense. Chandler and Monica are married, Monica is Ross's sister, but in reality, Ross never even considers Joey. What sort of friends are you if you can't even consider trusting that person with your child?
1 Ross Asks Chandler to Be His Best Man
In "The One with the Worst Best Man Ever," Ross shows up to Joey and Chandler's apartment to give Chandler the wedding rings, since Chandler, at first, is going to be Ross's best man. While any fan, or anyone who has seen the episode, knows that Ross eventually asks both Chandler and Joey to be his best men, who goes and risks hurting a friend's feelings that way? Someone whose not very concerned about that friend at all.
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