7.9
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Friends (1994)
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Traditional
Viewer Rating
Rating: 7.9
Overview
Six young people from New York City, on their own and struggling to survive in the real world, find the companionship, comfort and support they get from each other to be the perfect antidote to the pressures of life.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Bias Dimensions
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
LGBTQ: Neutral
Trans: Negative
Judaism: Positive
Overview
Six young people from New York City, on their own and struggling to survive in the real world, find the companionship, comfort and support they get from each other to be the perfect antidote to the pressures of life.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Leans Traditional
Primary
Friends is rated as neutral/centrist because its central subject matter focuses on the apolitical themes of friendship, relationships, and personal challenges of young adults, largely devoid of explicit political messaging or ideological promotion.
The series features a predominantly white main cast with no explicit race or gender swaps of traditional roles. Its narrative focuses on the lives of these characters, presenting traditional identities in a neutral to positive manner without centralizing DEI themes or offering explicit critiques.
Secondary
Friends features a prominent, affirming portrayal of a lesbian couple, Carol and Susan, who marry and co-parent. However, other LGBTQ+ depictions, such as Chandler's cross-dressing gay father and Joey's brief 'gay' acting role, sometimes rely on stereotypes or discomfort for humor, leading to a mixed overall impact.
Friends features Charles Bing (Helena Handbasket), Chandler's father, a drag queen who identifies as a woman. The portrayal often uses Charles's gender expression and identity as a source of comedic discomfort for Chandler, relying on stereotypes and conflating drag with trans identity. While there's eventual acceptance, the narrative largely lacks a critical perspective on the problematic humor, resulting in a net negative impact.
The show respectfully portrays Jewish characters and traditions, particularly through Ross's efforts to celebrate Hanukkah and teach his son about his heritage. It normalizes Jewish identity without negative stereotypes.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
Friends is an original sitcom and not an adaptation or reboot of pre-existing material. All characters were created for the show, establishing their genders within its own narrative. There are no instances of characters being portrayed with a different gender than their prior canonical, historical, or widely established identity.
Friends is an original sitcom with characters created for the show. There is no prior source material, historical record, or previous installment from which character races could have been established and subsequently changed. Therefore, no race swaps occurred.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
8.9
8.4
Critic Ratings
7.8
6.5
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