Friendsis one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, and for good reason. It is wildly funny, with standout episodes like “The One with the Embryos” where the friends compete in trivia about each other, with the prize being an apartment switch. Another highlight is “The One Where Everybody Finds Out,” in which Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) play a game of chicken, as the friends attempt to get Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler to admit to their relationship.
That being said, there are some aspects of the show that haven’t aged as well. This includes the fat-shaming of Monica’s younger self, the cruel and transphobic jokes about Chandler’s father (Kathleen Turner), and Ross’s (David Schwimmer) entire relationship with Elizabeth (Alexandra Holden). One ofFriends' worst habitswas its stereotyping of gender, and how that often played a role in the friend group. This can first be seen inFriends' fourth episode ever, “The One with George Stephanopoulos.”
In “The One With George Stephanopoulos,” the Friends Are Split Up by Gender
InFriends' “The One with George Stephanopoulos,” the six friends break up into two groups for the evening. Phoebe is spending the night at Monica and Rachel’s (Jennifer Aniston), to get a break from her very loud grandmother and new boyfriend. Meanwhile, Chandler and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) have an extra ticket for the game, so they invite Ross to come with him. Both sets of plans become focused on cheering up both Ross and Rachel respectively. Ross is feeling down because this is the anniversary of his first time with Carol (Jane Sibbett) and the first time it has occurred since their separation. Meanwhile, Rachel is in a funk due to the combination of her painfully small first paycheck, andthe second thoughts she’s having about her choice to become independentafter running into a group of friends from her old life.
Throughout the episode,Ross drags down the excitementof the hockey game by constantly whining every time something reminds him of that night with Carol. Monica and Phoebe are excited to have a classic slumber party, but Rachel’s mood has been destroyed after seeing her old friends. While Chandler and Joey are more dismissive of Ross,Monica and Phoebe put in a lot of effort to support Rachel. Sadly, though, this gets Monica and Phoebe to start questioning their own life choices. A stray hockey puck gets Ross sent to the ER, where they get stuck waiting for a long time. Monica, Phoebe, and Rachel cheer up after they realize that their pizza was swapped with George Stepanopoulos', and that they can see into his apartment from theirs. Chandler and Joey change their tune when they realize that Ross is so upset because he lost his virginity with Carol, and that he’s never been with anyone else. The episode ultimately ends with all of the friends playingTwistertogether.
“The One with George Stephanopoulos” is not an inherently bad episode, but it isbogged down by gender stereotypesthat feel especially outdated over 30 years later. The super-competitive Monica very well might have enjoyed a hockey game, but Chandler and Joey just invite Ross because he’s a man. After they find out that this is the anniversary of Ross losing his virginity, they treat it as a huge deal, making Ross' sadness more about sex itself than the end of his marriage. They both also make a big fuss about the fact that Ross has only ever been with one woman, both shaming him and objectifying women in the process. Both storylines are resolved in oddly gendered ways as well. Ross cheers up instantly after his hockey puck accidentally renders the rude nurse running the ER (Mary Pat Gleason) unconscious. The women spend the night second-guessing their lives, but ultimately cheer up when they get to ogle Stephanopoulos. Both of these moments are played for laughs,but they also aren’t challenged.
The episode’s handling of gender is the most glaring example of arecurring problem forFriends, but it’s not the only flaw of “The One with George Stephanopoulos.” Joey sexualizes Carol and Susan’s (Jessica Hecht) relationship, which occurs rather consistently throughout the series. While telling stories from the past, Rachel makes meancomments about Monica’s weightwhen she was younger, and says directly that Monica’s crush from back then wouldn’t have been interested because of this. Ross calls the rude nurse’s brutal injury “fun” just because she was a little unkind – and the character is literally credited as Nurse Sizemore, which feels especially odd when coupled with the scene where she complains to a candy bar company over the phone. Also, the women spend a large chunk of the evening peeping into their neighbor’s apartment, which the friends do with “Ugly Naked Guy” throughout the series.
There is still value to “The One with George Stephanopoulos” as an episode. It shows Rachel second-guessing her decision to leave her entire life behind and become independent.Phoebe tries to cheer her upby comparing her story to “Jack and the Beanstalk,” which initially doesn’t help. At the end of the episode, though, Rachel finally answers a call from the credit card company, who have sent a representative to check on her after she stopped using hers. While looking at her friends,Rachel smiles to herself and says that she will be okay because she has “magic beans.“Aside from that heartwarming moment, this scene also hasone ofFriends' best earlier jokes. Rachel asks Chandler to fill in for her inTwisterwhile she talks on the phone, but he jokingly prepares to pretend to be her to the credit card company. Ultimately, like the rest ofFriends, “The One with George Stephanopoulos” is still funny and touching, but it is held back by outdated jokes and stereotypes, especially related to gender.
