In the time before but especially after most of the Friends cast reunited for the recent NBC special, fans have wondered if we might get a real Friends reunion down the line. We already knew that Friends creator Marta Kauffman isn't keen on the idea, but other former cast members, including Matthew Perry, have expressed some positive thoughts toward the idea. This week, Jennifer Aniston was asked to reveal her own feelings, and as it turns out, she's not so keen. Here's why she thinks a Friends revival would not really work:
I don't know what we would do. I think that period of time was sort-of nostalgic, you know. There's something about that time. I think why people have such an affection for it is because even though it was only 12 years ago it ended, or 13. God, it's getting farther and farther away. There was something about a time where our faces weren't shoved into cell phones. We weren't like checking Facebooks and Instagrams. We were in a room together or in a coffee shop together. We were talking, having conversations. We have lost that.
Technology is a big part of a lot of modern sitcoms, so it's not like the concept of Friends is totally moot in a world where everyone is on their cell phones. In fact, Gilmore Girls recently brought a little bit of technology into the foray when the show aired its revival on Netflix. Still, Jennifer Aniston's comments to Lorraine Kelly do make sense. When's the last time you hung out with a bunch of pals at a coffee shop? You're more likely to text them or keep tabs on Instagram. There's not necessarily a lot of spirited humor in that.
Honestly, Aniston's comments shouldn't come as a huge surprise. I've never seen Jennifer Aniston more uncomfortable than when Jimmy Fallon has the actress, along with Courtney Cox and Lisa Kudrow, reenact a "Friends" scene that he and his writing staff had created. Granted, the scene was a Jimmy Kimmel fantasy and as such it was meant to be uncomfortable. Still, she wasn't happy about doing it before Jimmy Kimmel coaxed her into it, and it seems like she wouldn't be into the real deal, either. If you somehow missed that, you can see what I mean below.
On the bright side, at least Jennifer Aniston does seem to have positive thoughts related to the series, which really was the big breakthrough in her career. While talking in the interview she does have positive thoughts about Friends and isn't bitter about her experience or anything, explaining why the show has continued to be popular.
It was something that people have been able to carry with them. It's comfort food.
We're currently in the middle of a ton of TV revivals and spinoffs, and it's kind-of refreshing to hear someone put their foot down and say, "No." At the end of the day, Friends made 10 seasons worth of episodes, and that's plenty to revisit on a lazy day. You can catch episodes whenever you want courtesy of Netflix. To find out what's coming to network TV, head here.
