What makes Friends such a successful series is how relatable it is when it comes to life in our 20s. It seems as though everyone around us is achieving their wildest dreams while we are stuck waiting tables at coffee shops. Friends narrows in on a period of life that is filled with uncertainty and struggles, yet it is all much more bearable to manage when we are surrounded by good friends.
So without further ado, here are 10 of the most relatable moments from Friends that still hold up decades later.
CHANDLER PAMPERING HIMSELF IN A BUBBLE BATH
We believe his exact words in this scene are “I’ve had a very long, hard day.” Chandler says this as he gets caught by his friends in a bubble bath as he grasps tightly to his glass of champagne. Sounds like the perfect pampering session to us!
Although Chandler is secretly not alone in the bubble bath (Monica is hiding under the water), we would totally be caught in this exact situation after a “very long, hard day” regardless of our gender. Instead of making fun of Chandler, Joey and Ross should admire their friend for taking the time out of his day to participate in self-care! Doesn’t everyone know that only badasses take bubble baths?
WHEN PHOEBE ADMITS TO NOT HAVING A “PLAN”
When Phoebe is asked whether or not she has a “plan”, she admits to not even having a “plan”. As teenagers, it is considered more acceptable to not have any idea about what the future holds, but when you’re an adult and you’re currently living in that “future” it is a lot less cute and naive and a lot more flat-out stressful.
Yet the fact of the matter is, the vast majority of us are struggling through life without a plan or even a plan. Every day is a new adventure, so who cares about responsibilities and all that boring adult stuff? Adults are ultimately children pretending to be grown up. Nobody has it all figured out and that’s totally okay. It’s all part of the human experience, and no one seems to understand this quite like our girl Phoebe!
JOEY REFUSING TO SHARE HIS FOOD
A lot of us can totally relate to Joey’s refusal to share food while out to eat. Even if he’s out on a nice date at a fancy restaurant, our favorite TV-foodie will prioritize his french fries over his potential soul mate any time of the day. We’ve totally been there as someone has attempted to “share food” with us and we were way more offended and flabbergasted about that person stealing a tater tot from our plate than we should’ve been.
When it comes to food, it is every person for themselves! Our refusal to share may be considered selfish, sure, but we’ll accept that accusation of our character if it means we get to finish the rest of the food on our plates!
MONICA’S ANXIETY WHEN IT COMES TO ROMANCE
Rachel: “Go tell him he’s cute! What’s the worst that could happen?”
Monica: “He could hear me.”
Although we’d all love to be suave, charming, and sexy when it comes to our flirtation skills, the majority of us would rather hide under our bed covers for eternity than admit we have a crush on someone. Anxiety comes from considering the worst possible scenario of a situation and when it comes to most of our dating lives we are fully prepared for all hell to break loose at any given moment. The majority of us mortals are so genuinely amazed by people who can effortlessly flirt without any indication of social awkwardness. Most of us though are a lot more like Monica when it comes to our romantic skills.
WHEN PHOEBE ACTIVELY HATES ON HAPPY PEOPLE
Phoebe: “Everybody looks so happy. I hate that.”
It can be extremely difficult to be around happy people sometimes, especially when you are not. Phoebe and the rest of the gang may be considered adults but that doesn’t mean they have their lives planned out. In the process of figuring it all out, it can get extremely difficult and even miserable at times, yet luckily Phoebe has an excellent group of friends to motivate her and keep her going. It’s easy to assume everyone has their lives together more-so than you do, yet the truth is, we’re all somewhat lost. It’s always easier to be lost though when you’re surrounded by friends who are in the same boat as you.
WHEN YOU WISH YOU COULD HELP, BUT YOU DON’T WANT TO
When the crew asks Phoebe if she can help out with a task, she says “Oh, I wish I could, but I don’t want to.” Now that is pure unadulterated friendship if you ask us! Isn’t the basis of any good relationship honesty? Well, Phoebe is as honest as they get and she isn’t afraid to spit some truth with her closest friends. Why tell anything but the truth? This quote just further proves that Phoebe Buffay is our hero and her authentic responses to the world around her is what makes her one of the most lovable and relatable characters on Friends.
WHEN BEING LAZY IS THE TOP PRIORITY OF THE DAY
Monica: “Wanna work out?”
Chandler: “Uh, I would, but that might get in the way of my lying around time.”
If this doesn’t describe our lives, we don’t know what does. We always seem to have these miraculous people like Monica in our lives who actually get up, go to the gym, and manage to be active citizens in society. We, unfortunately, are way too busy prioritizing laziness to get to this point. Why go out into the sunlight and interact with other humans when there are so many TV shows just begging to be binged? Chandler is our lazy icon and we praise him for his honesty.
WHEN SOMEONE EATS THE ONLY THING GOOD IN YOUR LIFE
We all remember that classic moment on Friends when someone ate Ross’s sandwich and the whole universe seemed to come to an end. We’ve all been there before when we have been totally lost and the only thing that brought us solace in our lives was our next meal. When you’re at your lowest point, a good sandwich can be that one (delicious) light at the end of the tunnel and if someone eats that sandwich it is as though the whole world has come crashing down. Think of the horror… Think of the horror!
WHEN YOU ONLY GO ON DATES TO SCORE FREE FOOD
Phoebe: “He may not be my soulmate, but a girl’s gotta eat!”
We’ve all totally been there before when we tolerated dates with people who we knew weren’t our “lobsters” but hey, at least they paid for our lobster! That’s more than enough and we’ll tolerate pretty much anyone to score a free dinner. This is especially true in expensive cities like New York City where basic necessities such as food are ultra-expensive. Phoebe gets it, and we should all take note!
WHEN DRINKING IN THE MORNING IS “GOALS”
Chandler: “I want to start drinking in the morning. Don’t say I don’t have goals!”
As little kids, we all had extremely ambitious goals. Most of us wanted to grow up to be princesses or astronauts or both. As we got slightly older, our goals and ambitions became somewhat more realistic. For example, we decided we wanted to become famous pop stars. Yet once adulthood rolled around, the dreams of our futures became less and less ambitious as we began to familiarize ourselves with “the real world”. Sometimes we find that our biggest goal in life is getting to the alcohol faster. Chandler tells it like it is, and his relatability is what makes Friends such a great series.
