2/26/2012
New York, New York, I - Friends (1994-2004)
There are only a few series which could be called epic as in a generation shaping way, but Friends is definitely on the list! The sitcom was created by David Crane and Martha Kauffman and it was aired on NBC between 1994 and 2004. For someone who was born in the 90s, it is hard to imagine that anyone could not know about this hilarious show; still, I will do the right thing and provide a link to the best summary I could find.
During its ten running years, Friends attracted 14,88-24,5 million viewers each season, making it the fourth most popular series in the history of American television. Fans all over the world tried to imitate the trend and style of the six friends while longing to have the same close ties and hilarious adventures. I myself dreamed of leading such a leisurely life as an adult; sitting in a coffee house like Central Perk (even though at that time I could not bear the thought of drinking that ‘vile drink’) during the day, laughing with my friends about our unbelievable shenanigans (I had one friend at the time and the most interesting happenings occurred in my daydreams) and eating all the junk food there was without feeling guilty, as the possibility of getting fat was zero (I was a chubby kid).
All in all, life portrayed in Friends seemed easy enough even with the complications the characters created for and by themselves and most people would have happily swapped places with them. The rays of reality only entered through when the laughter of people harshly intruded into ones sensitive fantasies or when the names of the cast and crew appeared at the end. Still, many thought that if life was like that in Manhattan, it is the place to go. I know, because I thought so, too. However, the laughter has long quieted and the harshness of the cruel world (American studies in ELTE) polarized my dreams. Here are some basic facts which will cast a completely new light on life in New York.
The 6 friends lived next to Central Park. Around 2000, the monthly income of the average Joe/Jane was approximately $2,666 a month ($32,000 a year) while the average apartment rent in the fancy Upper West Side of New York was around $2100. It is easy to conclude that living off of $600 a month is more than a bit problematic in such an expensive city. Considering that Joey was a struggling actor often without a job, he would have never been able to make a living in New York even with the constant loans from Chandler. The same goes for both Rachel (waitress) and Phoebe (masseuse). Furthermore, even the others, the luckier trio, Monica, Chandler, and Ross experienced bouts of hardships during their carriers. Though, most of the time they did appear to make a decent living, it was not very credibly portrayed since Ross was a university professor (said job comes with an average income) and Monica a chef. In 2011, New York was named the 32th most expensive city; one has to toughen up to live there!
Another small thing. Non-natives often think that Americans are lazy and have so much more free time than, for instance, Europeans. Wrooong! This misconception is also fed bed Friends in which the six characters’ lives are revolve around Central Perk, dating, and sitting at home. In reality, they would have been able to keep their jobs for a day only with this kind of attitude. Americans in comparison with Europeans take far less leave and do not even have a law for setting the maximum length of the work week. They often complain that they are the most overworked nation of the world.
In the light of these new facts, Friends can finally become what it really is – a fiction. Next week, I am going to take another popular sitcom under my scrutiny. The second post in New York, New York will explore behind the scenes of How I Met Your Mother.
Friends - Opening Season 10
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