Which FRIENDS character are you and why?
Q&A With Shay Each Sunday
There’s a lot of madness going on in the world right now with this pandemic and quarantine, and perhaps I’ll do a post on that the longer it continues, but I don’t feel I have much more to offer than what has already been said on the topic at the moment, so let’s go for some unrelated, and un-writing-related entertainment. I’m sure we’re all watching more TV/series right now, though sadly probably not as much FRIENDS since it’s no longer on Netflix, so let’s keep it alive.
Most people who know me well know that I’m a big FRIENDS fan, like a lot of other people in the world. I’ve thought about which character on the show I’m most like, have even taken some of those online quizzes over the years, but they usually gave different results. Plus, the questions they ask are pretty obviously skewed toward a certain character. So, I will give you my own determination of my Friends character—tell me yours!
Q: Which FRIENDS character are you and why?
A: I have to say I think I have a little bit of all of them, though I’m probably least like Joey or Ross.
I believe I’m a combination of Chandler and Pheobe, probably leaning more toward Pheobe now, though I used to always think I was most like Chandler. I say Chandler because of his sarcasm and being fairly awkward in general. That’s very much me, but I’m kind of bad at coming up with something clever to say when I’m with people I don’t know, then I’m just quietly awkward. My sarcasm and jokes generally saved for people I’m actually comfortable with. I’m like Pheobe because she is a hippie, free spirit, vegetarian. That’s also me, though not to the extreme degree projected by Pheobe. I love animals and I am a vegetarian (mostly vegan) and I probably have some of the more artsy vibe and am generally pretty holistic, but again I’d say my anxiety prevents me from being that free spirited. I also love how bizarre Pheobe is, and I only hope I possess some of that strangeness.
I have a dash of Monica because of her obsession with cleanliness. I definitely need organization, but I’m not competitive like her. I used to be more competitive than I am now, especially when playing high level tennis, but I don’t think it was ever a quality I really held, which is probably one of the reasons I stopped loving tennis as much anyway. When it comes to competition I’m much more laid back now (more Pheobe). So, Monica is much more intense than I’ll ever be or want to be.
I also have a bit of Rachel—I’m very sensitive and emotional. I love fashion and shopping. It would almost seem that I’m most like Rachel, I suppose, and on some of those aforementioned quizzes I did get her as a result. But, for some reason I don’t feel the total connection to her as a character. Perhaps it’s the vanity or whininess, and I definitely wasn’t the popular-homecoming-queen-sorority-type. I must say the episode where Phoebe tells her she’s a pushover felt pretty true for me, too! Maybe I am more Rachel.
I’m not really like Joey much, but who doesn’t love pizza?
And I also don’t think I’m anything like Ross. Science certainly isn’t my thing. I will say though even if Ross isn’t my favorite character, or the one I connect to most, I think he’s in all the greatest scenes of the show. His absurdness is amazing. (PIVOT anyone?)
Pheobe and Chandler are probably least like each other and somehow that’s the combo I feel. The thing about FRIENDS is that the characters are all kind of hyper exaggerated. We can see parts of ourselves in all of them because of the very specific traits they possess and how many of them they cover. The show in general presents a lot of very real and relatable situations (i.e. situational comedy as the genre would suggest) but it keeps it light and somewhat absurd in a way that doesn’t mirror real life due to the way the characters are presented. The appeal would be gone if we got into the darker and more realistic nature of situations and characters. But, I love the exaggeration of the characters whereas I’m not a huge fan of that sort of development anywhere else—that’s why FRIENDS is so great. Also, encompassing all of the characters is easy because who wouldn’t love to hang out in Central Perk drinking coffee all day?
Do you love FRIENDS too? Which character is most like you?
