# Musings on Watching the Whole "Friends" Series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2012, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235 "2012-09-20T03:39:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/101 "2012-09-26T02:31:07Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Joey was played as fairly dim, but he held his own in his own way. > That’s right! In all fairness, Joey _always_ didn’t share food, and Ross just had issues with it when the rest of his life was crumbling. 😃 > > I just met Phoebe’s birth mom again - Terri Garr was some of the finest casting in the history of television as Phoebe Sr. She looked like Phoebe, she acted like Phoebe, she even _sounded_ like Phoebe. \I know!\ Sometimes she could get all\* floopy\*. I just saw a couple from when Rachel had the baby. Sorry to belabor the point, but man did I hate those episodes. Still, the worst episodes of _Friends_ were better than the average episode of most anything else on at the time, ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/102 "2012-09-26T04:29:16Z")
> [@Slade](#): > > Remember the scene where Chandler’s locked in a box as punishment for kissing Joey’s girlfriend, Kathy? He explains that the meaning of the box is “threefold”: time to think about what he’s done; proof of his friendship with Joey, and forcing him to endure physical pain. > > Later in the episode, Kathy and Chandler have their sad parting-of-the-ways conversation (with him still in the box) and Kathy asks the others something like “Why is he in the box again?” > > “Joey had his reasons,” someone replies. > “They were threefold,” adds Phoebe. > > Lisa Kudrow’s delivery of that line slays me every time. She manages to convey in just those three words that Phoebe genuinely thinks she’s being helpful by adding this - to Kathy - utterly baffling piece of extra information. That was also the episode where Monica, some months after she and Richard broke up, was going to date Richard’s adult son. Everybody else was giving her crap for it. She finally gets pissed and says, “Fine, judge all you want. But… (points at Ross) married a lesbian… (points at Rachel) left a guy at the alter… (Phoebe) married a gay ice dancer… (Joey) threw a girl’s prosthetic leg in a fire… (Chandler) LIVING IN A BOX!!” Courtney Cox’s delivery of this is priceless. > [@Sealemon88](#): > > By far my favorite plot, B or otherwise, was when Joey and Chandler fought over who got to sit in the chair, after whoever was originally there got up to use the bathroom. > > “Look at me I’m Chandler! Could I BE wearing anymore clothes?” > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de-mXVQL3po&feature=relmfu](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de-mXVQL3po&feature=relmfu) > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=w0JgkuNBuWI](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=w0JgkuNBuWI) > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q--6wtCPHg8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q--6wtCPHg8) > > When Joey starts doing lunges I pretty much laugh myself unconscious. It’s when he goes, “Boy it’s hot in all these clothes…too bad I’m going _commando._.” Chandler’s reaction makes me laugh till I lose my breath. > [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I think my favorite Friends episode is the one where the Joey and Chandler challenge Monica and Rachel to a trivia challenge about each other. TV Guide comes to Ms. Chanandaler Bong, that Chandler’s job title is _not_ Transponster (which is also not even a word), and Monica has eleven categories of towels. Monica (berating Rachel for blowing the question): “‘Chandler Bing’? We steal that _TV Guide_ every week!” Chandler: “I _ **knew** _ it!” 😃 Great laughs. ---
**Author:** ![EvilMinion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@EvilMinion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilMinion)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/103 "2012-09-26T07:17:45Z")
Three pages and no mention of Joey’s “moo point”? It’s like a cow’s opinion, it doesn’t matter. It’s his delivery of the last line, like he’s imparting wisdom to Rachel, that cracks me up. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/104 "2012-09-26T11:53:24Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Ross’ boss threw his sandwich out. Ross scream,“My SANDWICH! My SANDWICH!!” To be fair, that sandwich sounded delicious. It had the Moistmaker! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/105 "2012-09-26T17:26:48Z")
It occurred to me a few episodes ago that David Schwimmer really could have taken his shirt off a lot more in the show - dude was BUILT! And, _Parading goats are parading, parading down the street, parading goats are parading, leaving little treats._ 😃 (You can hear it amongst this [selection of Phoebe Buffay’s Greatest Hits.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7TPHSMAszQ) 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/106 "2012-09-26T17:49:00Z")
Another vote for the trivia contest episode. Absolutely brilliant. Some of the lines crack me up just thinking about them. A few other favorites I haven’t seen mentioned yet: The one where Phoebe builds a elaborate dollhouse that eventually catches fire and burns to the ground; The alternate universe episode where amongst other things, Chandler and Rachel hook up and Phoebe has become a high-powered stockbroker, complete with stress heart attack The one where Phoebe teaches Chrissie Hynde how to play “Smelly Cat” properly. And so many little throwaway bits of silliness involving Chandler and Joey being guys, like the “fireball” game. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/107 "2012-09-26T18:14:56Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > And, _Parading goats are parading, parading down the street, parading goats are parading, leaving little treats._ 😃 > > (You can hear it amongst this [selection of Phoebe Buffay’s Greatest Hits.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7TPHSMAszQ) 😃 ) One of my favorite Phoebe songs, which she performs for a group of little children: \*Oh, the cow in the meadow goes Moo Oh, the cow in the meadow goes Moo Then the farmer hits her on the head with a hammer And that’s how we get hamburgers La la la la, la la la la la la… \* Cracks me up evey time. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/108 "2012-09-26T18:22:24Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > A few other favorites I haven’t seen mentioned yet: > > \>\>The alternate universe episode where amongst other things, Chandler and Rachel hook up and Phoebe has become a high-powered stockbroker, complete with stress heart attack\<\< Whoops, looks like I was conflating a flashback episode from early in the series with “The One That Could Have Been” from Season Six. Whatever, they were both good. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/109 "2012-09-26T21:36:21Z")
“The One with Joey’s New Girlfriend” has Phoebe getting a cold and a husky bluesy voice. Later she is trying to write a blues song but complained to monica that “nothing that sad has ever happened to her?” Monica looked incredulous and said “What about when your mom died and you had to live on the street?” Phoebe just looks at her then said “I know, I’ll write about when my hair did that woo-woo thing!” Love that. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/110 "2012-09-27T01:03:50Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > One of my favorite Phoebe songs, which she performs for a group of little children: > > \*Oh, the cow in the meadow goes Moo > Oh, the cow in the meadow goes Moo > Then the farmer hits her on the head with a hammer > And that’s how we get hamburgers > > La la la la, la la la la la la… \* > > Cracks me up evey time. _Sometimes men like women, Sometimes men like men, And then there are bisexuals but most of them are just kidding themselves…_ ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/111 "2012-09-27T03:23:23Z")
Another fun Ross moment that I watched today; when Phoebe is selfconscious because she’s never been in a long term relationship and Ross makes up the story of Vikram to fool Mike (Yay, Paul Rudd!). “Hello, this is Vikram. . .” Speaking of Paul Rudd, what a fun addition he was to the show. When Phoebe has dinner at his parents house for the first time and is putting on her high class, Eastern Seaboard personality. I love when he says " I want them to meet Phoebe, not “_Ffeee_beh”. Sorry, hard to convey in print but he delivers the line so well. Lisa Kudrow was also especially good in that episode. “Soooooo, wheh do you all summeh?” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/112 "2012-09-28T00:54:14Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I could’ve sworn that it was “Chariots of Fire” and “WaB 2”, but you’re definitely right about the first half, and probably about the second. > > The trivia contest may be my favorite scene of the whole series. I watched that episode today - it really was one of the best ones. The whole fourth season is great so far - they’ve really hit their stride here. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/113 "2012-09-28T18:21:23Z")
The One With Rachel’s Crush (on Joshua) - we meet “How you doin’?” for the first time. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/114 "2012-09-28T18:24:13Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > The One With Rachel’s Crush (on Joshua) - we meet “How you doin’?” for the first time. 😃 Notable, to me, because none of the girls think it will work until Joey actually does it, when it promptly does. I think someone had to physically restrain Phoebe from jumping Joey’s bones. (Of course, I’m in the camp that says Joey & Phoebe were quietly having sex for years and just never told anyone else about it.) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/115 "2012-09-28T18:42:02Z")
Oh yeah - Joey turns it on Phoebe, and she gets all giggly. It’s so cute! I must discount your theory about Joey and Phoebe, though, because Joey couldn’t keep a secret that long even if he wanted to. Holy crap, Charlton Heston was in “Friends”! I totally forgot about that! ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/116 "2012-09-28T18:46:48Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Oh yeah - Joey turns it on Phoebe, and she gets all giggly. It’s so cute! I must discount your theory about Joey and Phoebe, though, because Joey couldn’t keep a secret that long even if he wanted to. > > Holy crap, Charlton Heston was in “Friends”! I totally forgot about that! Joey could certainly keep a secret. Years passed before Chandler knew that he licked spoons and then put them back. A better argument against Joey & Phoebe being secret fuck buddies is that it’s difficult to imagine Phoebe remaining _just_ his fuck buddy. Recall how she reacted when he mistakenly thought she was pregnant and almost immediately\* proposed. “Hell yes, I’ll marry you!” \*Well, first he did go off to the kick the ass of the guy he thought had abandoned Phoebe in her time of need. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/117 "2012-09-28T19:33:12Z")
My absolute favorite expression on the show was the look on Ross’s face when, after all the drama about being late to the banquet where he was getting an award, and Joey and Chandler wearing each others clothes and going commando, everybody rushes out the door and Rachel emerges from the bedroom in a very slinky dress, smiles at Ross and says “Guess what? I’m going commando too.” Absolutely priceless, and I generally hate Ross as a character. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/118 "2012-09-28T19:45:21Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Joey could certainly keep a secret. Years passed before Chandler knew that he licked spoons and then put them back. Well, he wasn’t keeping that a secret, Chandler just never knew. Joey didn’t see any sort of problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/119 "2012-09-28T21:27:37Z")
I really can’t remember the exact line and am too busy to google it, but the whole Phoebe’s twin Ursula shows were quite funny. The line about “How did you know it was my birthday?” “Twins thing.” never fails to crack me up. Ursala made Phoebe look like a rocket surgeon. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235/120 "2012-09-29T03:57:40Z")
I have a question that may or may not be \*Friends \*related Not even sure how to pose it. Okay, I have this vague, fraction of a memory niggling at my brain of two male characters having a conversation whereby one is, I don’t know - lamenting _something_-and the other one mocks him in a condescending, talking to a small child type of voice. He says something like " ,awwwww, did it hurrrrrt?" or, ugh. I don’t remember what. When I try to think of the details it’s just out of my reach but I have a feeling it might have been a Joey scene. Sparse details I know, but since you’re all _Friends_ fans I thought it might sound familiar. It’s driving me crazy because I can hear the tone and the cadence but I don’t know how to convey it in words. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musings-on-watching-the-whole-friends-series/635235.md?page=7)