What if the series that has been so popular around the world for many years was racist? This is indeed the feeling that the co-creator of Friends, Marta Kauffman. Indeed, the “mom” of the most famous of the sitcoms which brings together Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, or even Courteney Cox, made strange revelations during an interview granted to the Los Angeles Times. In this interview, she confided to having “ashamed” on several points that she would like to change at the present time in her show.
“I have learned a lot over the past 20 years. Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. Looking in the mirror is painful”she confided at first before sharing her embarrassment at not having been able to “do better 25 years ago”. This regret, it was at the time of the tragedy of George Floyd that he invaded him. “It was after what happened to George Floyd that I started to question that I had participated in systemic racism in a way that I had never been aware of”she admits before explaining that she felt partly responsible for having “participated” in this racism.
Lack of diversity in the series
A few years ago, the creator of Friends already underlined the lack of diversity in the show. “I wish I had known then what I know now. I’m sorry. I wish I had known, I could have made different decisions”she already admitted and noted that she did not have “done enough… now I can only think of what I could have done! What would I do differently today? How would I take my series in a new direction?”.
A “mistake” that allowed her to question herself and push her to act. For example, she made a donation of 4 million dollars to a Boston University to help the development of African and Afro-American studies. “The show’s failure to be more inclusive was a symptom of its internalization of the systemic racism that plagues our society. […] This realization was the catalyst for his decision to pledge $4 million to Boston-area Brandeis University.”you learn in the article of the Los Angeles Times.
See also: David Schwimmer (Ross): Contacted to play in the pornographic parody of FRIENDS!
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