I'll Be There For You: Friends and the Fantasy of Alternative Families
1998; American studies; Volume: 39; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
2153-6856
Autores Tópico(s)Media Studies and Communication
ResumoAs I finish writing this article, the fourth of Friends, a weekly sitcom about a group of single, white, middle-class, twenty-somethings living in New York City, is about to come to a close. The finale (set to air after this goes to press) is expected to feature the wedding of one of the show's central characters Ross (played by David Schwimmer), to his English girlfriend Emily. Given the history of sit-coms in general, and of this show in particular, it seems highly likely the wedding will not take place, but will instead—at the eleventh hour and amid chaotic slapstick, irony, and sentimentality—be called off by a declaration of true love from his former girlfriend, Rachel (played by Jennifer Aniston). Previews suggest that Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow)—unable to attend the London wedding because she is pregnant as a surrogate mother with her brother and sister-in-law's triplets—will do her best to prevent Rachel from making a fool of herself, while Monica (Courtney Cox), Chandler (Matthew Perry), and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) will stand by as the true friends that they are. Even if you have never seen an episode of Friends, and have no idea who these characters are, you could probably picture the scene. Friends is nothing if not derivative of other television shows, and the trope of the season finale wedding—together with last-minute declarations of love, and friends to help or hinder the romance(s)—is generic. Of course I may be wrong. The wedding may in fact take place, and all will be well. What will be noteworthy if the wedding
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