14 Oct 2019

25 Reasons We’re Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Friends

The world is officially in party mode as Friends, arguably the ’90s sitcom with the most longevity, celebrates its 25th anniversary. As Chandler might say: could there BE anything better?

There are so many reasons to love Friends – here’s our top 25.

1. The theme song: Friends who clap together stay together, right? The fountain, the umbrellas, the clapping: completely iconic.
2. Exotic pets: Friends had Marcel the monkey; the chick and the duck; Paolo’s cat, Tutti; Joey’s porcelain dog, Pat; and Phoebe’s mom, aka “Julio the Cat.”
3. The insults: It’s impossible to rank them, but we especially loved the time when Rachel and Monica fought it out on their epic double date.
4. Thanksgiving: Monica loves to host. Chandler hates Thanksgiving. And Rachel really messes up the trifle.
5. Hilariously nonsensical additions to our vocabulary: Words like “phalange” and “unagi” are forever embedded in our vocabulary to stand in as an essential airplane part and the Japanese concept of wisdom.
6. All the marriages: OK, mainly Ross’s marriages. But there were some other surprises – like Phoebe’s first husband, Duncan.
7. Central Perk: The fictional Friends haunt literally brought coffee house culture to the mainstream.
8. Sex education: Thanks for the clarification, Mon. “SEVEN!”
9. “How YOU doin’?”: Never has there been – nor will there ever be – a funnier or more effective pick-up than Joey’s signature line.
10. The outfit blunders: Whether it was Ross’s leather pants, Joey wearing all of Chandler’s clothes, or Rachel’s new dress, there were some hilarious fashion faux pas.
11. The unbelievable (yet totally believable) celebrity guests: George Clooney, Bruce Willis, Winona Ryder, Reese Witherspoon, and the unforgettable Isabella Rossellini. They need their own list!
12. The competition: Sure, they were best friends, but the stakes were raised plenty of times. Remember that time Joey and Ross tried to date the same woman?
13. The hilarious “makeovers”: Mostly brought to us by the Gellers. Remember Monica’s “Dudley Moore” haircut and vacation cornrows? Or Ross’s fake tan and teeth whitening?
14. Ross & Rachel: The best “will they, won’t they” storyline in TV history. We were worked up until the final episode.
15. Janice Litman Goralnik, née Hosenstein: OH. MY. GAWD. You just never knew when she’d be back or how Chandler would try to end it – again.
16. Rachel’s hair: The style that launched a thousand haircuts.
17. The supporting cast: Gunther, Ursula, Ugly Naked Guy, Mr. Heckles, and, obviously, Janice have places in our hearts, too.
18. Red Ross: We always laugh when Ross yells. Who can forget PIVOT, MY SANDWICH! or WE WERE ON A BREAK!
19. The apartment envy: We all wanted to live in Monica’s apartment. But Joey and Chandler actually did!
20. “Smelly Cat”: Phoebe sang her #1 hit with Chrissie Hynde and Chris Isaak, it got made into a video, and she played it live with the one and only T-Swift.
21. Lovable underdogs: While every friend was a dark horse at some point, Miss Chanandler Bong, aka Chandler Bing, was undeniably the greatest of them all.
22. They taught us Loyalty: Whether it was making sure they had first dibs on a sweet apartment, or saving each other from the sting of a jellyfish, they would do anything for each other.
23. All the jobs: Friends proved that you could follow your dreams, fail a few times, keep working hard, and still make them come true. 
24. Friends always came first: Through it all, the six friends always stuck together. They really wanted what was best for each other, no matter what.
25. They felt like our real friends: With the same flaws, trials, and successes we all experience, the Friends gang were some of the most real and believable characters on TV in the ’90s and are still relatable today.