The Friends Show: A Popular American Television Program
The Friends show is an American television program that was aired on NBC (National Broadcasting Company) from 1996 to 2004. The program has won several awards including the Emmy Awards, Outstanding comedy series while it enjoyed a five-star rating from the second season up to the last episode. The most appealing season, which scored number one was season eight as it experienced a Nielsen rating. The show was created by David Crane band Marta Kauffman, which comprises of a group of six young persons who are depicted as being roommates or neighbors and reside in the New York City's Greenwich Village (Gunther and Marc 94-98).
The Concept of the Show
The story occurs in the friend's apartments in the event of paying a visit to each other. Based on the program, it is evident to note that it is run by the search for sex meaning and commitment. The friends mingle in threes of men and women in whom the varieties of personalities and shortcomings are the main reason for audience identification and some built-in comedic moments. The beginning of the show presents a lady by the name Monica Geller, who is showcased as Courteney Cox acting as a chef who constantly changes her professions and boyfriends in the run of trial for the perfect match. Her brother, on the other hand, is a paleontologist and has been divorced three times while the last one had a child(Al-Surmi 117-120).
The Characters
He is involved in a crush with Rachael Green who is showcased as a fashion-minded lady after she grew up in a classy wealthy family. Rachael works on a timely basis barista at the Central Perk cafe which is the meeting point for the group. Rachael finally lands on a job with Ralph Lauren. Phoebe Buffay is a musician who is a ditsy masseuse and he is involved in a quirky outlook on life. Joey Tribbiani is showcased as a stringing person and Buffoon a statistician who is having luck with women, and as time goes on, he meets Monica who becomes the love of his eye. In the series, the friends live together and are always showcased as sticking around together or at different combinations. The show continued while each of the characters became a household name and all of them became celebrities (Gunther and Marc 94-98). This piece of work will critique the impact of the show on the American families as well as the lives of people around sitcoms. Determine the show's habitual influence on the American lifestyle and to critically view how it has impacted the lives whether positively or negatively.
Impact of "Friends" on American Culture and Lifestyle
The Sitcom landscape has been changed a lot by FRIENDS. This impact has been transverse in many ways as it is depicted in the show. Earlier, before 1994, many series had a feeling that the 'family' was to fall. Therefore, there was the building up of family TV series on matters which affected families at all times. At this time, many TV series were willing to capitalize on family shows with series which had relative basing like the Margaret Cho's, me and the boys, On our party of five and not one which featured some orphans who were trying to raise themselves while sticking together. Now, this means that 1994 was a year dedicated to families in a non-convectional way as by then some legends like James R. Burrows were the champions of the Friends explosion in the market (Quiglio 54).
The Role of Youth Sitcoms
The show had magnetic chemistry in that the crew was one of the most lively and resembled life events. The show did not just take off, but it is presented as a show which had a significant impact on the landscapes of Sitcom(Al-Surmi 117-120). This was evidenced in the brakes of many standard formats. As noted in the show, it was not only a family issue but also a show which was centered in the market clan. The market clan did not leave behind the Generation Xers as they were in the act of forming connections. The featuring stars were very young as it can be deduced they were in their early twenties. Concerning the tender ages, some network executives were considering older mentor type, who was to be a role model to the opinions which seemed to be weighty. The genesis of the Sitcoms was the not in any way authoritative to parental. The Hip young Sitcoms by then featured the young couples or those who were in the courtship period. The couples were en route to starting their own families. This seemed to be a great show as it touched the lives of many people positively. Many people in these stages are confused and need to know what other people in the same stage are fairing on, and this was an opportunity granted to them (Weinman Jaime and Maclean's 64).
The Impact of Friends on American Culture
These sitcoms were dubbed the youth sitcoms and by then were prevalent compared to nowadays. At the same time, Seinfeld had also debuted on the same network, NBC, but it was done earlier than the others and thus had left a legacy for the youth sitcoms Like Larry Davis Moratorium. No hugging, no learning, and the show lord knows friends broke the rule at least a few times but held fast to the latter. All these shows had no other plot, characters other than romantic relationships (Weinman Jaime and Maclean's 64). The FRIENDS seemed to be the show, which was complete as it did not require any character or a pilot to continue as the showcase had an off the charts chemistry as noted by Burrows. The chemistry was essential in building up of the show and the mingling of the characters.
The Impact on American Families
According to David Schwimmer, Friends show is a vanity fair as it had actors who were perfect in the roles they were given to play. Finding the six roles was an excellent one, and it worked out as a miracle. An equal showcase like Friends was rare to find as many shows consist of supported players (Weinman Jaime and Maclean's 64). This was essential in driving the point home as the balance could bring the impact out well. The show can be considered as having a positive impact on what is the meaning of family as a family is supposed to stick together. The six friends stuck together and are showcased as supportive of each other. Some board meetings on incarnations concluded Chandler and Phoebe to be demoted to the second position or tier. Schwimmers take that if the actors could be given time, they could bring out the gold in them and that they could also earn different salaries depending on one's cast in each episode. This gave morale to the cast members as they remained until the last episode. The spirit was great that they even started submitting in the support category at the EMMY awards. This team spirit was good as it effectively supported how a family should remain solid in times of turbulent storms(Gunther and Marc 94-98). It also shows that the sitcoms were to remain solid and focused for success to be unveiled. The season one depicts that Schimmer and Kudrow were nominated in the awards, which were won by Kudrow. All the actors of the Friends show have won awards. This was essential in a demonstration of the fruits of unity.
The Impact on American Culture
The show "Friends" was one of the first TV shows aired depicting youth on their own. It represented a new culture in America different from the current one where the youths stay with their parents and never alone like in the sitcom "Friends". According to most cultural experts, the show marked one of the rare shows which impacted the current American culture at large. The show represented a sign where the youth would be ruling themselves and more adversely being in prime life at a tender age of even 20s (Gloria 13). The show also represented a new culture where the youth would become dominant according to most cultural experts.
A New Way of Living
Irrespective of the fact that other shows depicted a different cultural practice from the current one, the Show Friends will be remembered for having represented a culture whereby the youth lived on their own even without parental care or even guidance by their parent who are expected to be their mentors at such age (Tom King 4). The domestic way of living was also discarded according to the sitcom. Earlier sitcoms portrayed cultures where people were living in nuclear and extended families, and this, however, did not differ from the current normal cultural practices. The characters in the sitcom also reprinted a culture where those living together on their own would be looking for each other for moral guidance hence forming a kind of family by themselves instead of the norms. The sitcom also laid a dominant theme that even reflected a mainstream change in the current society (Vranica and Suzanne 4).
Creating a Family of Your Choice
This also represented a new generation of youths who were emerging being better than their parents, contrary to the normal belief that parents are seen as being superior and their siblings being inferior to them(Gloria 13). In this sitcom also, the youths were seen living in apartments and not in houses. According to the characters, these apartments were either inherited from their parents. The youths had friends whom they only stayed and grew up with according to the scenes of the show. This represented the idea that all you needed was only good friends to make a family, thus in turn created a new cultural belief of creating a family of your choice since you only had to find your best friends. The settings on the shows also laid a belief that as a youth, you never needed to be serious about life, and this created a new way of living. According to cultural beliefs, one is expected to be cautious and keen with his or her life to make it better for them. The idea of creating and sustaining relationship lays was meant for seeking help in case of need, this bringing a new rapid change in the current culture where one is expected to seek help from parents.
Communication Skills and the Impact of Friends on American Language
A new lifestyle was also created due to the roles the youths played on a daily basis. During this time similar shows were also cast but of adults who were living together and seen as being so happy and funnier. These shows had no much influence in the society as compared to how the sitcom "Friends" had. The sitcom had also gathered audience from readers of most T.V guides and most viewers by that time because it had a tremendous higher rating as compared to other sitcoms of the time. This, however, did not transform the current cultural belief at large due to tough economic time experience at now. This made the impacts on the current American cultures not to transform at large (Gunther and Marc 94-98).
The Importance of Communication Skills
The unity within the cast was essential in the translation of chemistry even in small screens, and consequently, it formed a non-breakable bond. The actors were more than just the show itself in that they had a good experience other than the drivers of the show and the rest of the team. Again, this explains that only the active members of a family know and have better experiences. This was followed by the fact that the six actors could join together to watch the show every other Thursday (Gloria 13). This was to be just like other friends in the world could do. This partnership had a great impact on the sitcoms as it fueled the friendship further to a more intact thing. It was also evident when the three males went for a vacation in Europe after the end touches of the first season. This friendship was extended further where Aniston was now the godmother to Cox's Daughter. There was a feeling that the success of the show was to be built on chemistry and this succession has been developed from season one. The conversations between the five friends on the dreams they had while at the same coffee shop. This depicts that the show will be dominated by more talk.
The Impact on American Language
On the other hand, sitcom Friends versus natural conversations try to explore virtually untapped research on television dialogue. It comprises of a study to put into comparison the American language as it is used in the comedy Friends in natural conversation. The dialogue which ensured between the Friends of Sitcom was different from other shows in that it communicated passion for each other. Communication skills run from verbal to non-verbal skills and are termed as the key ingredients in any given communication. In this case, the friend's show was complete in that it accumulated all the ingredients of communication skills. There is no doubt the Friends show was conversant with the American language, and perhaps that is why it ended up being favorite to many. It is evident that generally, the audience prefers what they are familiar with to the unknown. Friends was, therefore there at the right time when people needed it. The impact of the communication skills on the society is deeply felt as it uses a language which is deeply rooted in the American ethnicity (Gloria 13).
Negative Effects and Room for Improvement
While the impacts seem to be dominated by the positive ones, there are still negative ones. For instance, there seems to be a negative lifestyle among the six characters as they are in the constant search for sex and its meaning. Although this subject is wide, there are new things which need be tackled too, such as the emerging new technology. The show can hinder exploration to other fields which might be important in a society. Although the show has changed Sitcoms, there is the need to incorporate other characters to continue from the old age (Walker and Andrea 11).
Works Cited
Al-Surmi, Mansoor. "Review: Quaglio (2009).Television Dialogue: The Sitcom Friends Vs. Natural Conversation. Philadelphia: John Benjamins." Corpora
7.1 (2012): 117-120.
Gloria Goodale .Arts and culture correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor; Boston, Mass. [Boston, Mass]03 Oct 2003: 13
Gunther, Marc. Jeff Gunther Faces Life Without Friends. Fortune; New York Vol. 147, Iss. 9, (May 12, 2003): 94-98.
Paulo, Quaglio. N.p., 2018. Web. 8 May 2018.
Vranica, Suzanne. Friends Costly Farewell. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]27 Apr 2004: B.1.
Tom King. A Very Rewarding Friendship. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]13 Sep 2002: W.4.
Walker, Andrea K. NBC’s Hit Television Show Friends Expected To Draw 85 m Viewers. Knight Ridder Tribune Business News; Washington [Washington]25 Apr 2004: 1.
Weinman, Jaime J. Maclean's. No One Wants Friends Anymore. Toronto Vol. 120, Iss. 34, (2007): 64.
