How is Friends funny?
 

I watched a few episodes of that show. And to me, the jokes are just lame. There is no subtilty in any of its humors. And the actors just feels overly pretentous. Could someone enlighten me as to how is this show funny?

PS. sorry about all the spelling mistakes, I am just not a good speller.

It's not. It's well marketed.

edit: I should be nicer to folks. Sorry. I understand that there are folks out there who really get off on friends. <i>de gustibus non disputandum</i>.

I love it
always have

I think its funnier than Seinfeld (which I also appreciate)

I know not everybody hates it, but its been running for almost a decade now, so there's probably alot of people that like it too.

The people I know who like the show say they like it because its just what they need after a long day at work: simple, straightforward, uncomplicated, easily understandable.

its called a laugh track, thats why it is funny

becuase you dont know what funny is so they will tell you.

That someone who works in a coffee shop can afford a 2000 sq.ft. apartment in Manhatten. Now that is fucking hilarious!

It started out being funny, now I just find it pathetic.

At first I think they were going for the Seinfeld-esque humor... and it was all right. Then the characters started screwing each other, leading to the crap it is now.

I never saw the humor in that show, but I find most sit-coms lame.

last wee's episode when Joey goes on a date and declares that he doesn't share was one of the funniest Friends jokes I've ever seen. I couldn't stop laughing.

I like it because no one has to plaster me with makeup to make me look 20.
Actually, I find some of Chandlers lines funny. But I mostly stay away, sitcoms are pretty lame now-a-days.

It's got moments of good comedy, and then a bunch of 'okay' comedy.

It's a good time passer, but nothing I seek out to watch.

It's funny in a "wanna-put-a-knife-in-my-throat" kind of way.


Or in a "rich-white-people-are-annoying" kind of way.

friends is a great show cuz courtney cox and jennifer anniston.

oh yeah, it's also pretty funny too. not laugh out loud funny, but funny funny.

LOL King, for me the show tickles my funny bone abit but not as much as Seinfeld did(man that show was funny) to bad they cancelled it.

I have watched Friends since the getgo (sp). Not one episode I've seen wasn't funny. I can sit and watch a rerun a million times and still laugh.
It really is about straightforwardness- but a lot of the jokes you can see coming, but they way they say them- with utmost exaggeration, knocks me off my feet. They truly are wonderful actors. I enjoy the mens' jokes more than the ladies, but they are tight as friends in real life and have real come a long way. I don't care for dark comedy and innuendos- give it to me with exaggerated straightforwardness. That is why Couplings didn't make it.
Way to go Friends- you have made a long, successful voyage.

Hmmm,

I swear I just saw a thread like this over on ar15.com.

Anyway, don't ask me.

I've never successfully watched an episode all the way through without getting bored and changing to something else.

I hate that show with a passion

Friends is funny because humor (like any other art) is subjective. That means that what you find funny is not necessarily the same as what I find funny.

From your post in this thread, charlesesl, I think I can safely assume that you are intelligent enough to understand the jokes on Friends, so there is no apparent need for us to explain them to you. In fact, I think you answered your own question in a way. You said that there is no subtlety in its humor (which is a fairly accurate observation, imo). The implication is that you prefer the subtle type of humor over the more obvious. Hence, for you, the show is not, nor ever will be, funny.

Since there is no comedy that is universally funny, to all people everywhere, you will just need to accept the fact that you arent amused by this show and move on. If you've seen at least half a dozen episodes and werent amused by any of them, then no amount of explanation from anyone here (or anywhere else) is likely to change your perception of the show.



my opinion of the show is that it IS funny, but only occasionally laugh out loud funny. I enjoy the show more for the characters, whom I find interesting as well as amusing. Also, it has a bit of the soap opera to it, in that the show carries storylines from episode to episode. This serial nature of Friends is actually fairly rare in american sitcoms, which usually feature episodes that have not plot connections to any other episodes. That too helps keep me (and most other fans) interested in the show. Ongoing stories also tend to develop characters more fully, which helps keep viewers interested.

I could go on and on about what I like about Friends, but I wont. It wont help anyone like it any more or less, but will tend to bore you to tears. But let me close by saying the episode in which first Joey, then Monica had their heads fully inside a very large, uncooked Thanksgiving Day turkey had me rolling on the floor. I was hooked on the show from that day forward.

I haven't been watching it since it first aired, but I have been a lot lately. I love the show...its just so funny. And some of the things on there are just so sweet! Courtney Cox and Jennifer Anniston make the show, but I'd have to say that Chandler is my fav. character.

No idea. Can't stomache more than 5 secs of it before I change channels. Then again I hate sitcoms... except for 3s Company.

Thanx

I guess people's preference in humor are naturally differnt.

I wouldnt say it was funny exactly, its more an "easy listening" style of TV. I find it all very pleasant, all the characters are kind of likeable, and the sets ups and jokes often make me smile... it isnt laugh out loud funny, its just inoffensive and quite sweet and light hearted to me.

I wouldnt go out of my way to watch it, but in the past when Ive been in the room and someone puts it on Ive never wanted to walk out or pick up a book.

'Coupling' uses the same set-up (6 friends, 3 boys, 3 girls) with a lot better results. Plus its still funny cos there hasnt been about 25 series

^^^^ Ya, but they've been canned already.

Friends is funny because of the character. Everyone of them is absoulutly extreme. Chandler is the extreme sarcastic, Monica is the extreme obsessive compulsive anal chick, Joey is the extreme dumb ass, Ross is the extreme sesitive-geek, Phoebe is the extreme wierdo and Rachel is the extreme ditz. The characters in that show are amazingly well developed,and I for one will cry when the show ends. I Feel like they are all my friends..... I am so pathetic!

Yrs 1-4 = funny
5-7 = mildly entertaining
8- = bleech

It is real witty humor, some times cheap but it does get me to laugh. It's a sitcom, I will just sit back and enjoy. It beats some of the crap they make today.

never watched it

friends is ok but phoebe is probably the least funny character in anything ever.

THANK YOU! Of course, if we went by that rule, we'd have very few TFP threads, wouldn't we? :)

I think that the comedy writing - the actual jokes - are still very funny. They still take me by surprise and I still laugh out loud.

However, the situations are relatively lame. It's hard for me to believe that after this many years, any character could believably lie to another character. Almost every episode features someone misleading someone else. Don't you think they would have caught on by now?

oh come on, you'd think that Lucy would have just told Ricky about things all the time instead of just trying to decieve him.... woah.. all the way back to I Love Lucy...