Many Gen X'ers came of age with the cast of this NBC sitcom, but to them "Friends" was more than a popular sitcom; it was an explanation and an exploration of what it meant to come of age in the 1990's. If you want to understand today's 30'somethings, "Friends" is a good place to start. Some cliff notes:
- Today, 28 is the average age of a first marriage. Ross got married first, but it was a "starter marriage"...to a lesbian. Many Gen X'ers are pushing back their nuptials, experiencing starter marriages, and understanding that the nuclear family has exploded. Gay parents, adoption, step-parents, blended families...all of this is normal to Gen X'ers.
- The cast of "Friends" was a family. Ross, Monica, Phoebe, Chandler, Rachel and Joey celebrated birthdays, holidays, and life's turning points together. United by socio-economic status – they all lived in the same building – these friends found family in each other. Pundits said that when Generation X – the first generation to grow up with computers – came of age, they wouldn't want or need social interaction. Turns out, Naisbitt had it right in High Tech, High Touch: the more technology advances, the more we reach out for human interaction.
- Live first, work second. Monica the chef. Ross the paleontologist. Phoebe the coffee house crooner/massage therapist/past life regressionist. Rachel the retailer. Joey the actor. Chandler the... (what IS Chandler?) Careers were a secondary plot line in "Friends." New York was the seventh character in this sitcom.
I'll be TIVO'ing "Friends"...to bid adieu to the characters who helped me make sense of it all. Remember, every Friend has an End.
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