Physical Appearances

     The social codes in Friends not only signify the characteristics of the characters but they also reinforce the sitcom's obsession with physical appearances. Friends' preoccupation with physical appearances is illustrated through various signs connoting an ideal beauty and an ideal body type.

Beauty

     Friends' emphasis on an ideal beauty is signified through the physical appearances of the characters. This is more prominent when looking at the female characters. All the women possess certain characteristics which reflect the ideal beauty type in our society. Characters such as Rachel and Monica are idealized for their beautiful characteristics. They signify characteristics such as being sexy, beautiful, and lastly successful. By watching Friends one may get the impression that characters such as Monica and Rachel have become successful in their careers (although little mention is made about them) because of their appearances. Friends allows its audiences to believe that the way to success is through your looks. This notion is illustrated through the various signs in the episode "The One With the Rumour" as Will (Brad Pitt) only became popular and successful after he lost weight. Therefore in Friends one's beauty signifies their status and success in all aspects of their life.

Brad Pitt

     The episode "The One With the Rumour" clearly exemplifies Friends' obsession with beauty as this episode features one of the most beautiful actors in Hollywood. Brad Pitt is a sign of beauty, as he signifies all the characteristics of what it means to be beautiful within our culture. He his a celebrity who is well known for his appearances, and by situating him within Friends he reinforces their obsession with beauty. Brad Pitt's character on Friends Will also reinforces this notion as Will, who was an overweight teenager only became recognized after he lost weight.

Body Weight

     The episode "The One With the Rumour" places a great emphasis on body weight, signifying what the ideal body weight should be. This is illustrated through the female characters, more specifically through Monica and Rachel. These characters can be seen as signs which set a cultural standard for the ideal body type, although this ideal is unrealistic for many to achieve. This body type is not only signifyed through the sign of the body figures of the actors but it is also reinforced through the content of the given episode. The episode stressed the fact that Monica and Will were both overweight when they were in high school. This overweight body type allowed them to be viewed as unpopular and ultimately restricted Will from getting a chance to date Rachel. In the given episode Will enters the apartment showing off his new buff body and catches the attention of Rachel, who instantly acknowledges Will's charm, but ultimately does not even remember him from highschool. This illustrates the importance Friends places on body weight as Rachel did not acknowledge Will when he was overweight, but notices him instantly after he lost all his weight.

     The episode also stresses the way in which Will was able shed his weight. For example Will refers to complex carbohydrates as his enemy, signifying a remedy for overweight viewers. Friends not only stresses their obsession with an unrealistically thin body figure through their characters but they also promote this body type to their viewers by telling them how to achieve it.

Vanessa Principe

Back