FRIENDS

The popular television show FRIENDS is about six young adults who all happen to be closely connected in one way or another. To even things out there are three males, Ross, Chandler and Joey and three females, Rachel, Monica and Phoebe. For those of you who don’t watch the show, this may be a little confusing. Okay, so Ross, Chandler, Monica and Rachel all went to school together. Ross and Monica are siblings. Ross and Chandler are best friends, as are Monica and Rachel. Ross had always had a crush on Rachel, and throughout the seasons of the show they have had a very intense love story. Coincidently, Monica and Chandler eventually get married. Joey and Phoebe were added into the picture as the funny crazy characters, kind of like comedic relief, but they also go through serious problems. The show is mainly a comedy, with relationship tribulations between the characters that can really tug at your heart strings. The characters in this show are extremely realistic, and the writer never really strays from the structure in which they are based on. The only case where this does happen is how at the beginning of the series Phoebe was a stressed out smoker who never took time for herself. Eventually she turns into a hilarious laid back, funny massage therapist. All of the characters relate to each other in terms of power, age and class. They’re all almost thirty and at one time or another they experience difficulties with their careers. This media comes from a series of writers and directors, all working towards a common goal. That goal is to create a show that will be enjoyed by its audience, and the creator of FRIENDS has done more than this. They created one of the longest running series, and acquired a huge fan base. Re-runs of FRIENDS can still be found on various television networks today. This media text appeals to me greatly, as it happens to be my favourite show. The only thing I could say I dislike is how the producers tried to make a spin-off entitled Joey, because although Matt Leblanc was a hilarious character among his FRIENDS co-stars, I don’t think he was powerful enough to stand on his own. This text appeals to the audience because although it is a half- hour sitcom, the underlying story makes it pleasurable for long-time as well as first time viewers.