If you’ve ever wondered where all the Black characters were in the iconic TV show “Friends,” you’re not alone. Actress Quinta Brunson has called out this wildly popular sitcom for its glaring lack of diversity. Let’s dig into this spicy critique and see what makes this topic burst with relevance, shall we?
“Friends”—the monolith of sitcoms, the holy grail of 90s television, the show that filled our living rooms with laughter for a decade—is still riding high, even two decades after its curtain call. It revolves around six adults navigating life, work, and love in the bustling streets of Manhattan. Overflowing with quotable one-liners and memorable moments, it continues to captivate new audiences every year. Yet, as the laughter rings out, so does the criticism.
What has Friends faced backlash over? Well, let’s start with its conspicuous absence of non-white characters in notable roles. For instance, remember Aisha Tyler as Charlie Wheeler, the paleontologist who caught both Joey’s and Ross’s eyes in season nine? Despite her pivotal role, she’s often remembered vaguely as “the Black girl from Friends.” Tyler herself has laughed off the label but doesn’t that reek of tokenism? Just a tiny bit?
To her credit, Tyler embraced her role with gusto, though it didn’t exactly skyrocket her to a lasting Friends fame. The fact remains: she was the only Black character with a recurring role. Given that, you’d think the 2021 Friends reunion would take a moment to feature more diverse faces, right? Wrong. No Phil Lewis, Chandler’s sarcastic boss, nor Gabrielle Union, another swoon-worthy love interest, were among the featured players.
Even Marta Kauffman, one of the show’s co-creators, has had to face the awkward music. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Kauffman admitted, “I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years. Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. It’s painful looking at yourself in the mirror. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know better 25 years ago.” To make amends, she even donated a cool $4 million to the African and African American Studies department at her alma mater. Not a bad move, but still, only time will tell if it makes any real dent.
Oh, and let’s not forget Lisa Kudrow, our beloved Phoebe, standing up for Kauffman and co-creator David Crane. Kudrow reasoned that Friends was birthed from the experiences of two Brandeis graduates reflecting on their post-college lives. But,I mean, your kale was that bland? Friends’ life in the Big Apple had no room for multicultural marvel? Could have used some seasoned salt.
Quinta Brunson didn’t hold back when she took her shot at the show. Sharing her own less-than-glamorous SNL audition experience, she noted, “I wanted to be on SNL back in the day but the audition process seemed long – so instead, I just created my own TV show, made sure it became really popular, won a bunch of Emmys and then got asked to host. So much easier, so much easier.” Ah, the sweet taste of roasting success.
Brunson then explained the core concept of her wildly entertaining show, Abbott Elementary. Juxtaposing it with Friends, she said, “It’s a network sitcom like, say, Friends. Except, instead of being about a group of friends, it’s about a group of teachers. Instead of New York, it’s in Philadelphia and instead of not having Black people, it does.” Boom. Mic drop.
So, there you have it. A hilarious, dark-humored critique of “Friends” from none other than Quinta Brunson. As beloved as the show is, it’s always worth revisiting and scrutinizing our old favorites to understand how far we’ve come—and how far we still need to go. After all, even in reruns, there’s always room for more characters of color.
In Karen’s humble opinion, hey Friends, as much as we love your Central Perk musings, a little more color in the cast could’ve been the caffeine your latte really needed.
