Friends: Encyclopedia II - Friends - Running gags

Friends - Running gags

Friends had many running gags throughout the span of the show. Some of the most famous include:

• The One With [episode name]: Almost every episode name starts with these three words. In reference to the fact that most sitcoms don't display the title of their episodes, so fans must discuss the main plot points with each other when referring to specific episodes.
• Fat Monica: Monica, now slim and attractive, was obese as a child. She and the other characters would often refer to her "fat past" and several flashbacks throughout the series allowed us to see just how she looked then. She is also known to have "fat clown feet" as mentioned by Rachel. There is confusion as to at what point she became overweight as a child, as several episodes put her at developing her weight as early as kindergarten, while one episode shows a home movie of her clearly after that point, as being still thin
• Gay Chandler: Chandler was often painted with the possibility of being gay, despite his determination to prove himself as the heterosexual he actually was. Various characters on the show had assumed that he was gay when they first met him, and describe him as having a certain "gay quality." In addition, Chandler's father was a transvestite, which may have been the cause of some of Chandler's feminine behavioral traits (as well as the middle name Muriel), and one of Chandler's first phrases on Friends was "I wish I was a lesbian... Wait, did I say that out loud?"
• Ugly Naked Guy: An obese, nude hermit who engaged in odd habits in the "privacy" of his apartment across the street from Monica's. One of the gang would often notice something going on in his apartment and cry out "eww, eww, Ugly Naked Guy is..." and would describe the usually strange act to the others, who would then crowd around the window to a chorus of "ewwwww". During a flashback in one episode that was set a year before the pilot, Phoebe and Ross have a conversation that goes, Phoebe: "Aww, that is so unfortunate." Ross: "What?" Phoebe: "cute naked guy is really starting to put on weight." Ugly Naked Guy decides to sublet his apartment in Season 5, and Ross rents it to live across the street from his sister.
• Joey & Chandler as a couple: One of the more frequent recurring jokes of the early episodes paralleled the interactions of Joey and Chandler to the interactions of a married couple. The gag was usually used to enhance the aforementioned "Gay Chandler" joke, as Chandler would often assume the "wife" role, but was often funny on its own. This gag even appears in the first episode of the spinoff, Joey.
• Gunther likes Rachel: When Gunther appeared in an episode it usually involved his anything-but-secret crush on Rachel, who however remains oblivious to his feelings throughout most of the show's run. In one episode she even believes that he is homosexual when she thanks him by saying, "One day you'll make a man very happy." That he virtually obsesses about Rachel is evident in the episode where Chandler breaks up with Janice so she can give her marriage another try. When Gunther sees Chandler with Janice's gold-coloured shoe in his hand, he observes, "Rachel has those in burgundy". This is also seen when he buys all the stuff Rachel came into contact with in Ross' apartment.
• Phoebe's previous way of life: It is often mentioned that Phoebe once lived on the street, and her strange former friends often come up. Various random facts from her childhood are revealed throughout the show, such as that she "stabbed a cop", had a pimp spit in her mouth, has lived in Prague, and even mugged Ross when they were 14. In addition to those, Phoebe is known for holding grudges (for a long time) against people who have "betrayed" her. Notable examples of this are her feud with her twin sister, Ursula, her ex-singing partner leaving her to write jingles for an advertising firm and her birthmother not looking for her
• Ross' tendency to marry: Ross marries a total of three times throughout the course of the show, all of which end in divorce. Many gags from the sixth season on, run along the line that Ross will likely marry any girl he hooks up with and is equally as likely to break up with her after marriage.

• Phoebe's music: Phoebe was often a musician at Central Perk and was known for her rather unusual, original songs. Some include: "Jingle Bitch Screwed Me Over", "Ode to a pubic hair", "Sometimes Men Love Women, Sometimes Men Love Men...", "The Barnyard Song" in which she graphically describes farm animals being turned into meat products to a group of elementary schoolers, and her most famous, "Smelly Cat."
• Oh...My...God!: Janice's catchphrase; used as her introductory line in her later guest appearances.
• We were on a break!: A highlight of the third season was Rachel and Ross, a couple at the time, having a major fight and subsequently deciding to go on a break in their relationship. Around this point, the depressed Ross sleeps with another woman; his resulting guilt and Rachel's resulting resentment resonated for many seasons to come.
• Regina Phalange: Phoebe's alter ego, which she regularly makes references to (similar to Art Vandelay on Seinfeld). In the last episode she stops Rachel's plane by telling her the plane has something wrong with its left phalange. She is sometimes "Doctor Regina Phalange."
• Mr. Heckles: A slighty off-kilter man who lived below Monica and Rachel's apartment and continually complained about the noise. Usually claims he could have something you know he doesn't. For eg, "I could have a cat", or "I could play the oboe". Died during the second season. In his will, he leaves all his possessions to the "noisy girls in the apartment above mine".
• Chandler's sarcasm: Chandler would often drop snide remarks, typically in response to the actions of his mates. His particular brand of sarcasm is also often based on the phrase "Could this [object] (pause) BE any more [description]."
• Chandler's speech: Chandler has a strange way of speaking, in which he emphasizes the wrong word in his sentences. One exaggerated example, where Ross was mocking Chandler's speech pattern: "The hills are alive with the sound (pause) OF music".
• Ross's Speech: Ross also speaks oddly, leaving long pauses in sentences. When speaking to Russ (an uncannily similar character), he exclaims "It takes that guy...like, hello, what, like, a, uh, year to get a out a sentence", to which Chandler replies "Annoying, isn't it?" and Ross says "heh, uh, (pause) *weeze* yeah."
• How You Doin'?: This is Joey's pick-up line. It was first seen in "The One with Rachel's Crush," and Joey continues using it for the rest of the series, sometimes on Phoebe, Rachel, Monica, and even humorously on Chandler.
• Phoebe's dead mother: Phoebe often references her mother's suicide to various situations on the show, usually as an excuse. For example, when Ross questions her on why she's never tried taffy, "Well, my mother was too busy planning her suicide to provide saltwater treats."
• Monica's obsessive-compulsive behavior: While there is no medical diagnosis to point out she has such, Monica has continuously exhibited various traits of an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, including obsession with cleanliness, refusal to relinquish control over anything, excessive categorization and organization, intense competitiveness, and the need to get people to like her. Her competitiveness could be observed when playing tennis with Chandler's boss and his wife, where Chandler suggests that they should let them win, to which she replies "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you just said." In another instance, Rachel, who is moving out of the apartment, offers Monica a chance to pack her belongings for her, presenting the offer as a goodbye present, which Monica gladly accepts. In addition, the show has innumerable references to Monica cleaning her apartment, or any other location she's in.
• Ross and Chandler's college days: Ross and Chandler used to be roommates in college, and throughout the series, their college days have been mentioned numerous times. For example, Chandler claims the basis of his and Ross' relationship was "unfortunate hair."
• The Magna Doodle: The Fisher-Price Magna Doodle next to Joey and Chandler's front door first appeared in season 3, episode 18: The One With the Hypnosis Tape. In following episodes it was the source of many hidden gags, as it almost always had something humorously written or drawn on it. Joey still has the Magna Doodle at his new L.A. apartment on Joey, next to his front door.
• Chandler's smoking: In early seasons, Chandler is a fairly heavy smoker, and still smokes occasionally (but secretly) in later seasons, stealing cigarette butts from ashtrays, hiding packets of cigarettes in the toilet cistern, and at one point, when told he smells of "Perfume and cigarettes" replies "Well, the perfume's not mine, be thankful for that!".
• Mom loved Ross more than Monica: Monica is constantly criticized by her mother, while Ross is the golden child. Ross's room was maintained "as a shrine" until the house was sold, while Monica's room was quickly converted to a gym. Rachel was once told by Judy Geller that she was like the daughter she's never had. Another time Monica's mother actually told Ross that she would be "childless" if he died. To a lesser extent, Jack Geller also showed this favoritism. In one episode, when Ross went to pick up some of his childhood possessions before the family home was sold, he noticed that the boxes containing Monica's possessions had been used to protect Jack's Porsche from flooding, and were thus ruined. Feeling guilty, Jack gave Monica the Porsche as recompense.
• Alternative way of "giving the finger": When they were kids, Ross came up with an alternative way to give Monica the middle finger when their parents were around. Both hands, formed into fists, would clash together sideways in front of the person two times quickly. Ross is first seen using this on Rachel, and when Rachel asks what is was, Monica explains. Later in the same episode, we find out that they also have another alternative to cursing that includes grabbing the neck with your elbows sticking out and waving your elbows towards the other person, although it is never explained what it is an alternative to.
• Chandler's job: From the very beginning of the show the professions of each of the characters are quite clear, except for Chandler's (Data Reconfiguration and Statistical Analysis). This turns into a recurring joke, culminating on the episode The One With The Embryos (season 4) with the girls (Monica and Rachel) losing their larger, more luxurious apartment to the boys (Chandler and Joey) during a game centering on which pair knows more about the other. The question, "What is Chandler Bing’s job?", to which Rachel answers, transpondster, proves fatal to the girls' efforts and they are forced to trade apartments with the victors.

It is clear from statements made by some of the chracters during the series, however, that Chandler earns a lot more than his friends. Phoebe even metions she would like to know which of the male friends earn the most, so she can decide which one to go out with, at which point all look at Chandler. When it turns out that Monica's parents have spent her wedding fund on her beach house, Chandler is able to pay for her dream wedding and more.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Running gags", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki