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Friends is remarkably sharp and witty, but holy poo poo is it ever a mean-spirited motherfucker of a show. The Friends all seem to despise each other, yelling constant put downs and responding to any ignorance or flaw with either mockery or outright anger. Anyone who isn't successful, rich and handsome is lampooned, and any kind of non-median behaviour is to be scorned. About the only shows more openly nasty are Will & Grace and Two And A Half Men. And at least with Two And A Half the nastiness is the point.
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Aug 3, 2011 22:33
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I always think that where Chandler is trying to give Joey a load of money is weird. I mean, it's not weird that he wants to give him money, because he cares about him and knows he's going to really struggle without him paying his bills for him. What's weird is that he invents cups to slyly give him $500, then Joey plays it with Ross and loses the $500. Chandler finds out, then tells Ross it's all bullshit and he just needed to get Joey to take the money. And Ross refuses to give it up! What the gently caress kind of friend is that?
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Aug 3, 2011 22:41
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jfjnpxmy posted:Friends is remarkably sharp and witty, but holy poo poo is it ever a mean-spirited motherfucker of a show. The Friends all seem to despise each other, yelling constant put downs and responding to any ignorance or flaw with either mockery or outright anger. Anyone who isn't successful, rich and handsome is lampooned, and any kind of non-median behaviour is to be scorned. About the only shows more openly nasty are Will & Grace and Two And A Half Men. And at least with Two And A Half the nastiness is the point. Seinfeld did the whole nasty thing before any of those did.
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Aug 3, 2011 22:54
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I feel like the only person who really cannot stand Monica. When I bring this up everyone tells me she's great and I'm crazy, but I hate her so much it's difficult to even watch the show any more  Chandler's the best character. Ross is pretty great. Everyone else sucks.
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Aug 3, 2011 23:01
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eating only apples posted:I feel like the only person who really cannot stand Monica. When I bring this up everyone tells me she's great and I'm crazy, but I hate her so much it's difficult to even watch the show any more Monica became progressively more insane as the show went on, but I still like her craziness more than the manipulativeness, selfishness, and general ineptitude of Rachel. Friends really is the Chandler and Ross show, though. In other news, if anyone's watching Angry Boys, it might interest you to know that S.Mouse!'s Slap My Elbow EP is now available on iTunes.
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Aug 3, 2011 23:30
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eating only apples posted:I feel like the only person who really cannot stand Monica. When I bring this up everyone tells me she's great and I'm crazy, but I hate her so much it's difficult to even watch the show any more I don't like Monica, but she is better then the other two girls and has her moments (like the quiz against Joey and Chandler). Then again, all that really shows is how poor the female characters were on this show.
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Aug 4, 2011 00:02
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I, also, secretly like friends. Which could be the new thread title jeez. I dislike most of the characters and bla bla, but the storyline of Ross' anger was pretty funny. I associate Friends more with being able to stay up late on a friday so I could watch it. How times have changed. Be nice if they replaced it with full runs of quantum leap or futurama although I imagine it will be more along the lines of the big bang theory or how I met your mother. I still find this to be the best chandler impression. Which is a little funny as there are very few friends parodies around. Though there's always the one with ant and dec.
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Aug 4, 2011 00:22
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justcola posted:I, also, secretly like friends. "I associate Friends more with being able to stay up late on a friday" This just triggered a wave of flashbacks in me, Friends then Spaced, yeah.
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Aug 4, 2011 01:42
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justcola posted:Though there's always the one with ant and dec. SMTV Live was brilliant stuff, a few hours of cartoonish hyperactive OFCOM-baiting lunacy was the best way to start the weekend. Actually, I still have the Chums VHS tape, despite presently having nothing to play it on. Still, if Red Dwarf is anything to go by, VHS makes a comeback in the future, so I might as well hang onto it.
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Aug 4, 2011 02:15
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I got every series of Friends for 20 quid off Tesco last christmas, I haven't watched them once because I've seen them all a thousand times each, I just had to have them because they were so cheap. 
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Aug 4, 2011 02:28
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I loved SMTV, it was indeed brilliant. Watching clips of Wonkey Donkey on youtube it's still funny, the kids ringing in give the dumbest answers and Ant and Dec are just exasperatedly shouting at them for being so stupid. IT HAS TO RHYME
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Aug 4, 2011 02:41
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ChuckDHead posted:Monica became progressively more insane as the show went on, but I still like her craziness more than the manipulativeness, selfishness, and general ineptitude of Rachel. Friends really is the Chandler and Ross show, though. I'd disagree with the guy (possibly Brown Moses) who said that friends was weak in series 1 and 2. If anything, like you and others have said, it gets weaker as the show goes on. It reminds me in many ways of Scrubs. It starts off as an American style "Dramedy". Think Cold Feet but a little less drama and a little more comedy. After a certain point they find out what "works" and what people like the most jokes wise in the show and just refine it and refine it, which totally ruins it. Characters become entirely one note, playing off the thing that in the earlier series was their character trait that got the most laughs. There was real warmth to the earlier Friends episodes in the same way as Scrubs but by the final series it's all just stupid. I think the worst episode is the one where Joey tries to learn french. It focuses on Joey and Phoebe who are the two stupidest and most unrealistic characters and also on the fact that Joey is, by this point, too stupid to exist. I say they're unreal because the show does a decent explanation of how the other Friends manage to afford stuff. Joey is mostly bankrolled by Chandler so at least has sort of an excuse. Phoebe never really has a job besides Masseuse, which she loses, yet manages to have a pretty big apartment and do the same things as the others. It's addressed in an episode with Monica's birthday, but that's about it. I would say that the point that Friends really started to be noticably different is around the end of series 4. Ross's wedding getting hosed up by Helen Baxendale's real life pregnancy rather ruined the end of the series and from then on it felt like it was getting more and more unreal. They also sort of forget about Ben around this point and he's only in a very small selection of episodes after that. The show doesn't really shoot down as far or as fast as Scrubs (or as the Simpsons), but it's the same sort of effect over all. It's just much more gradual. And I've noticed that "The One With The Free Porn" had vanished! They cut the word porn out every time it's supposed to be said so I guess that is why. It's probably the only one I haven't seen a thousand times. I do kind of feel like I've never seen the episode where Joey gets back on Days of Our Lives too. He just goes from not on it to on it later in the series for no reason, to me. Taear fucked around with this message at 03:32 on Aug 4, 2011 |
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Aug 4, 2011 03:26
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Paperhouse posted:Arrested Development and Community are wonderful and smart and nothing like those multi camera shows. Haven't seen enough of Seinfeld to comment on it though Oh yeah, I should of been more specific, like you said it's the multi camera ones that I dislike, although I didn't really know they were referred to as that. Yeah I like Curb and Arrested Development, you know, the ones that are actually funny.
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Aug 4, 2011 05:29
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I've never considered Friends worthy of watching and always turn it over. Yet I think I must have seen every episode multiple times. The thing that always annoys me that Ross' science background can't be mentioned without it being mocked.
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Aug 4, 2011 09:03
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What annoys me about Friends is how their friendship itself, especially by the end, just seems so synthetic. Manufactured warmth to make the show more likeable.
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Aug 4, 2011 09:45
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jfjnpxmy posted:Friends is remarkably sharp and witty, but holy poo poo is it ever a mean-spirited motherfucker of a show. The Friends all seem to despise each other, yelling constant put downs and responding to any ignorance or flaw with either mockery or outright anger. Anyone who isn't successful, rich and handsome is lampooned, and any kind of non-median behaviour is to be scorned. About the only shows more openly nasty are Will & Grace and Two And A Half Men. And at least with Two And A Half the nastiness is the point. It reminds me of the second group of kids in Skins. They're not a friend group at all. Chandler is friends with Joey and Ross, and is married to Monica. Ross is Monica's brother. Rachel is Monica's friend and Ross's ex. And Phoebe hangs around with them because she has no one else.
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Aug 4, 2011 10:20
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FelixMeOneMoreTime posted:Seinfeld did the whole nasty thing before any of those did. Well yeah, but again, in Seinfeld it's the point. They're supposed to be nasty, and you're not supposed to sympathise with them, or think they're good people. Friends basically goes "Look at these guys! You want to be friends with them! And they are good friends with each other!" without a trace of irony, and there's umpteen "Music goes all soft and emotional, they hug, they are There For You When The Rain Starts To Pour" moments throughout the series, despite the fact that they are absolute motherfuckers and they hate each other and anyone who isn't like them equally. Take, as a random example, The One With The Ballroom Dancing. Joey does something genuinely nice for Rachel and Monica, and they impugn his masculinity, suggest he's gay, basically offer him no thanks or recompense and treat him like an rear end in a top hat. The supervisor he's dancing with is automatically a Bad Person because, even though he has a legitimate gripe (Monica and Rachel keep blocking the trash chute, which is a fire hazard, and also they're committing fraud) he a) is slightly older and not very rich or handsome and b) He wants to learn ballroom dancing which is like sooo weird (laugh track) let's point and laugh at him! loving show is dreadful. Don't even get me started on Gunther. I've typed too many words about a flimsy sitcom in a thread about UK TV already, dammit! jfjnpxmy fucked around with this message at 11:21 on Aug 4, 2011 |
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Aug 4, 2011 11:16
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Apparently there are only 236 episodes of Friends. E4 have been showing at least 2 a day as far back as say the first season of big brother (2000). So they'll have shown the complete series of Friends about 33 times over the last decade. I wonder how much this will affect the next generation. I'll be there for you because you're there for me to.
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Aug 4, 2011 11:19
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justcola posted:Apparently there are only 236 episodes of Friends. E4 have been showing at least 2 a day as far back as say the first season of big brother (2000). So they'll have shown the complete series of Friends about 33 times over the last decade. I wonder how much this will affect the next generation. I'll be there for you because you're there for me to. I realised the other day that "I'll be there for you" is probably the bit of popular music I've heard the most times in my life. e: I'm fairly sure they're showing 3 a day on e4 at the moment. And there's a separate "strand" being played on Channel 4 in the mornings, and another one on T4 on weekends. atomic gog fucked around with this message at 11:35 on Aug 4, 2011 |
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Aug 4, 2011 11:27
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Take out the laugh-track and it becomes a Harold Pinter play. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J9q4UaEIdU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLvB_ybcKt0
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Aug 4, 2011 11:38
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Atomic Dog posted:I realised the other day that "I'll be there for you" is probably the bit of popular music I've heard the most times in my life. There's a great bit about the rest of the song they made up in a hurry so they could have a radio hit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S8wBNoiv90
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Aug 4, 2011 11:39
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ChuckDHead posted:SMTV Live was brilliant stuff, a few hours of cartoonish hyperactive OFCOM-baiting lunacy was the best way to start the weekend. Not to mention Cat Deeley 
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Aug 4, 2011 12:56
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Paperhouse posted:I loved SMTV, it was indeed brilliant. Watching clips of Wonkey Donkey on youtube it's still funny, the kids ringing in give the dumbest answers and Ant and Dec are just exasperatedly shouting at them for being so stupid. IT HAS TO RHYME I seem to recall that someone who knew a friend of mine (or maybe it was just someone with his name) phoned into that once and did terribly. They showed a sort of weird-looking elongated bird talking about theatre. "Posh ostrich!", he kept yelling, despite the fact that the answer was probably "culture vulture" (because, you know, that actually rhymes). In fairness, that was arguably one of the more difficult ones. I never understood why other kids found that so hard, since I could usually get it. I can only assume that the time pressure made them choke, which is partly why I never bothered phoning in myself, because I didn't want to be responsible for finally making Ant and Dec have an aneurysm out of sheer rage at the millionth failed attempt at rhyming two words. The other all-time best SMTV moment for me had to be when some pedantic sperg wrote in to complain that Ant and Dec were mangling the word "Pokemon" by pronouncing it "Poke-eh-mon" instead of "Poke-ay-mon". The boys apologised, and promised to say it the right way from now on, and launched into the second half of the cartoon. Within seconds of it starting, Ash said "Poke-eh-mon", and they just cut from the cartoon back to the studio so that Ant and Dec could laugh their asses off and generally yell at whoever sent the letter in. Sadly, Ant and Dec will never do a show better than SMTV Live. The Supreme Court posted:Not to mention Cat Deeley I never noticed just how remarkably tall she was until years later when she was towering over a contestant on some singing/talent contest show. Looking back at that Chums episode, it's really obvious. Unfortunately, the same thing I said about Ant and Dec above also goes for Cat. SMTV is by far the best thing I've seen her in. Pablo Bluth posted:I've never considered Friends worthy of watching and always turn it over. Yet I think I must have seen every episode multiple times. The thing that always annoys me that Ross' science background can't be mentioned without it being mocked. Bear in mind we're talking about a show where Rachel has the most successful career as a high-flying fashion exec despite being completely inept as a waitress. Of course the guy with actual knowledge about anything is going to get it when he shows that he's not mediocre. ChuckDHead fucked around with this message at 13:10 on Aug 4, 2011 |
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Aug 4, 2011 13:01
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ChuckDHead posted:I never noticed just how remarkably tall she was 5'9? 
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Aug 4, 2011 13:05
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MrL_JaKiri posted:5'9? Hmm, I had always assumed Dec was taller, then. She's wearing heels, but she does seem to have a good few inches on him anyway. ChuckDHead fucked around with this message at 13:16 on Aug 4, 2011 |
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Aug 4, 2011 13:11
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ChuckDHead posted:Hmm, I had always assumed Dec was taller, then. Dec's 5'6, he's a midget
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Aug 4, 2011 13:12
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MrL_JaKiri posted:Dec's 5'6, he's a midget Interesting. Ant must only be about 5'8 then. I just tend to assume people on TV are taller.
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Aug 4, 2011 13:27
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ChuckDHead posted:Interesting. Ant must only be about 5'8 then. Dead on with that guess.
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Aug 4, 2011 13:28
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ChuckDHead posted:Interesting. Ant must only be about 5'8 then. I just tend to assume people on TV are taller. No, they're just painted in gold leaf and are carried to and from work in the arms of big breasted Valkyries.
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Aug 4, 2011 13:51
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ChuckDHead posted:
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Aug 4, 2011 15:34
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Sion posted:No, they're just painted in gold leaf and are carried to and from work in the arms of big breasted Valkyries. Unless they're David Dickinson, in which case the gold is substituted for bronze.
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Aug 4, 2011 15:46
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*SMTV Chat*quote:As a recurring gag, whenever Gary hit Misty with a particularly 'bruising' attack, Misty would shout "I'll never have kids now!" 
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Aug 4, 2011 17:57
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Muppetjedi posted:*SMTV Chat* Dec dressed as a girl and shrieking about being rendered infertile in a loud high-pitched Geordie falsetto is one of the show's many highlights. As far as shrieking goes, I reckon half the kids in Britain nearly lost eardrums when Ant/Gary used Bryan from Westlife to distract Dec/Misty, resulting in a prolonged bout of him screaming the name BRYAN! over and over. ChuckDHead fucked around with this message at 18:14 on Aug 4, 2011 |
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Aug 4, 2011 18:12
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ChuckDHead posted:Dec dressed as a girl and shrieking about being rendered infertile in a loud high-pitched Geordie falsetto is one of the show's many highlights. Here, 2 for the price of 1! God I miss SMTV
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Aug 4, 2011 18:20
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Oh god the sweet sweet memories are flooding back. Was there a flasher priest character who was sexually attracted to sabrina the teenage witch or was that some fever dream?
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Aug 4, 2011 19:22
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Wormophile posted:Oh god the sweet sweet memories are flooding back. Was there a flasher priest character who was sexually attracted to sabrina the teenage witch or was that some fever dream? The Stripper Vicar!
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Aug 4, 2011 19:25
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ChuckDHead posted:Dec dressed as a girl and shrieking about being rendered infertile in a loud high-pitched Geordie falsetto is one of the show's many highlights. Pokemon cosplay didn't take off in newcastle like ant and dec had hoped.
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Aug 4, 2011 19:36
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What? What? GREYHOUNDS?!? Was that a running joke in Chums? I feel like there's something significant about greyhounds, there's a connection there somewhere.
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Aug 4, 2011 20:31
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josh04 posted:The Stripper Vicar! Ofcom must not be up that early on a Saturday.
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Aug 4, 2011 20:54
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Right now Quest is showing a frankly insane import from the US called Cut In Half where they look at how things work by cutting them in half. Tonight: A FIRE TRUCK! This is ridiculous but I can't look away.
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Aug 4, 2011 21:02
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