Hi everybody

I´m a German student of English and history and I´m looking for a topic for a termpaper for a course I had last semester. As this is a Friends- forum I´m sure this is the best place to find experts who might be able to help me. The course I took was about several American TV shows and the termpaper should deal with one of them and integrate some aspect of American culture, society etc....
My question is this: are there any episodes of Friends in later seasons since the end of 2001 where the topic 9/11 or war against terror is brought up? I think it would be an interesting topic for a termpaper to have a look at how this topic is represented and in how far it is made a topic at all. So are there any episodes which contain this topic or at least touch it? Giving the season or name of the episode would already help me a great deal.
Thank you. I´d be very glad for replies!

Sandra

Hi Sandra!!

No - they never did refer to the 9/11 attacks or terrorism on Friends specifically, however, you can tell that a show was taped after 9/11 as they put the American flag prominently in the background. It can be clearly seen in Chandler's and Joey's apt. to the left of the door, by the refridgerator.

Many sitcoms did the same. Everybody Loves Raymond placed an American flag on the bureau up agains the wall, behind the sofa.

I'm sure many other shows did the same.

Hope this helps! :wave:

I'm a big fan of friends, but I can not remember that there is an episode where they talked about that....I also have the "Friends til the end book" and there are interviews with the cast and the interviewer asked them about working after 9/11...that's all I know....I also can send u what they answered there in the interviews, but I can not help more....Sorry

They definitely didn't touch on it. Aside from small things such as Joey wearing a FDNY t-shirt and other references like above, they stayed clear. If I'm not mistaken, in the 10th season, when Erica wants to see New York, Chandler and Monica take her places that haven't been open since 9/11, and, if that's true, it's safe to say that the show severed all ties with the real New York.

I remember the producers once saying that after 9/11, they wanted "Friends" to represent the idealistic New York, a New York where nothing bad ever happens and everything remains bright and optimistic. Thus why the characters can leave their doors constantly unlocked in a city with a high crime rate and never get robbed.

I remember joey once wore a shirt that was in memory of the firemen and people who were lost in the 9/11 attacks. hope that helps :lol: :happyface

Joey never wore a t-shirt in Memory of the fire fighters, he wore a t-shirt that simple had FDNY as a sort of honour to the New York Fire fighters. Someone else mentioned and hit the nail on the head. The writers did not write in the attack because this was a fanasty show, where the characters all had really oversized apartments for their "jobs", all six friends are beautiful and nothing ever "bad" happens to them. The writers felt that after the 9/11 attacks that fans were watching even more because the show reminded them of the days before the attack where the world was safe. Ratings actually went through the roof because of this. The show in their own way paid homage to men and woman of New York with the doodle board behind Joey and Chandler's door, Joey's t-shirt and the flag being shown more. These were really nice touches to add to the show without taking away from the comedy. After the attacks when they show the New York Sky Line, they no longer showed the spot where the towers use to be, they used footage from other parts of the sky line after that.

I always thought it was extremely odd they never mentioned it.

hmm.. i LOVE Friends.. but, as far as i know, they never touch on that issue.

Hi everybody

I´m a German student of English and history and I´m looking for a topic for a termpaper for a course I had last semester. As this is a Friends- forum I´m sure this is the best place to find experts who might be able to help me. The course I took was about several American TV shows and the termpaper should deal with one of them and integrate some aspect of American culture, society etc....
My question is this: are there any episodes of Friends in later seasons since the end of 2001 where the topic 9/11 or war against terror is brought up? I think it would be an interesting topic for a termpaper to have a look at how this topic is represented and in how far it is made a topic at all. So are there any episodes which contain this topic or at least touch it? Giving the season or name of the episode would already help me a great deal.
Thank you. I´d be very glad for replies!

Sandra
Hey Sandra,

I am not an American but I am a big friends fan. I have studied US culture, language and accent too. I can give you some info on 9/11 effect in the Show itself ie if you are still researching on the topic.