Assignment One

Relevant Background Information: random things that might be helpful to know while reading
about my figured world, the show Friends

The observations in this analysis of the show Friends takes place in a few imagined
places in present day downtown Manhattan. The show is a fictional story about the life of six
lifelong friends living and going through life together in simple day to day life. There are a few
sites that are very important and are running themes in the show. One is the coffee shop on the
corner, Central Perk, which is a play on words of the famous Central Park. This is where the
group of Friends come together and become a family throughout the show. Some being friends
and family members from childhood, college roommates, and then just meeting certain people
and becoming close with the rest of the group. They are practically inseparable. Another
important area in the show is the apartment owned by one of the characters (Monica), which is in
the West Village of Manhattan. It is where the group spends the other large portion of their time
together throughout the show. Last but not least, the third most often place to be for the group is
another apartment across the hall from Monicas (Joey and Chandlers). They are roommates and
a lot of mischievous ideas go on one that side of the hall such as ping pong, fort building, hookups, parties, having potential barn animals for pets, etc.
Figured World: a large social structure complete with its own conventions of appropriate
behavior, manners, and communication factors
I have chosen the very popular and very funny show from the 90s and early 2000s,
Friends. Friends is a show that ran from 1994 to 2004 and is recognized as a sitcom with a lot
of romantic and some inappropriate references mixed in. I would say that a lot of people have
seen this show and most of our parents probably watched it. If anyone hasnt seen the show, a
majority of people have at least heard of it from other people who like it or seen in when
scrolling through TV channels. Even though it began before any of us were born, Id say that a
lot of people my age have at least seen an episode or two or like I said previously, have heard of
the show itself. Then, theres the people like me that have seen every episode at least once and

some episodes 10 times. There is a number of different places that the Friends gang go to hang
out. The most known and most often place they are all together is the coffee shop in their part of
town, Central Perk. It is owned by an acquaintance of the gang that is in love with one of the
main characters. They all live in apartments because the show is based in downtown Manhattan,
New York City. Four of the characters live in two apartments right across from each other and
those two places are two of the other main hang out spots for the group. This is 1990s New York
so not too many things are frowned upon in this show. A lot of adult activities take place and not
much besides one of the main characters going back to their ex or cheating on their significant
other is frowned upon. One of the other things that is inappropriate is talking bad about one of
the other group members behind their back, because they always end up finding out and then
getting into an argument. There is also a number of different communities of practice that I
expect to find throughout the show episodes that I watch. There is each group that live in each
one of the apartments. There is the whole group itself is one community of practice. There is
groups of white collar and blue collar since some of the characters have very influential jobs in
the community and some that kind of just live off of the others. Then last but not least, there are
also the different groups and colleagues that each of the members of the group directly associates
with and where they work (which you can find in the actors descriptions).
Actors/Actresses: people who play a significant role in the figured world and they fill a specific
role to the other actors/actresses

Rachel Green: A young female that early in life had everything handed to her by her rich
parents, but once she walks out of her wedding ceremony to live on her own everything
changes. She must find a job so she works at the coffee shop Central Perk just around
the corner from her apartment with Monica. She and Monica were best friends in
childhood and through high school. She is slightly promiscuous and participates in an on
and off relationship throughout the show with Monicas brother, Ross.
Monica Geller: Another young female and chef in assorted restaurants in the city. She is
normally referred to as the mom of the group because she is a perfectionist and also has
OCD about everything being clean, neat, and orderly. She is also very, very competitive
especially with her brother Ross since he was the favorite child amongst the two. She
along with Rachel is also a bit promiscuous and happens to get into a long term
relationship with her fathers best friend, Richard. They end up breaking up because she
wants children very bad and he doesnt want them, and she ends up dating and marrying
another member within the Friends group.
Ross Geller: At the beginning of the show, a paleontologist at the Museum of Natural
History in New York City, but later in the show becomes a professor at New York
University. Made fun of for his nerdy qualities, also for his social awkwardness
especially with women and to make it worse he is also a bit clumsy. He is always trying
to help others learn and sometimes ends up boring them in the process. Throughout the
show he is in an on and off relationship with his make believe high school sweetheart
Rachel. He has a little bit of trouble with women because his first wife turns out to be a
lesbian even though she has a child named Ben with Ross. Through the series Ross goes
through a couple more divorces, but ends up with his one true love.

Chandler Bing: Joeys roommate and is the sarcastic comment and joke maker off the
group. He is always trying to make people laugh and make them feel better about
themselves by making fun of his own life. He is the sweetest and most emotional of the
guys. He is a statistical analysis executive for a large company based in New York, but
later in the show decides to change his career and do what he really wants to do and that
is to be a writer for an advertising company. He led a childhood that was a little
different than most in that his mother is a famous erotic book writer and his father is a
cross-dressing, gay man owning an all-male strip club in Las Vegas. Generally not too
confident with women, but ends up marrying the sister of one of his best friends.
Joey Tribbiani: DOES NOT SHARE FOOD and a struggling actor with a very old agent
with only three clients, whose name is Estelle. His biggest act on the show is Dr. Drake
Ramoray on the soap opera Days of our Lives. He is the very promiscuous male of the
group using his infamous pick up line, How you doin? that works with almost every
girl he tries it on. He is great with the ladies and has very many girlfriends throughout the
show, but never really commits to a long term relationship. He is roommates with
Chandler who is his best friend and is very kind and a really great friend to all. If
someone is sad, he always tries to cheer them up and make them feel better.
Phoebe Buffay: She is a little bit of the outsider of the group with not any direct ties to
the other characters. She is kind of in her own world most of the time and is very sweet,
honest, and almost childlike. She always tries to help people and push them out of their
comfort zone. She is a masseuse and also a musician and plays her self-written songs at
Central Perk on the weekends. She had a very difficult childhood because her dad left her
and her family and her drug-addict mother killed herself when Phoebe was 8. She lived
on the streets most of her childhood living with random people and mugging people for
money. She has a twin sister that she does not talk to and she believes her to be evil. She
also has a step-brother that she learns about in the series and has some interesting things
that go on between them.
Gunther: He is the manager of Central Perk. He can be very awkward at times and is
very distinguishable with is bright white hair. He is acquaintances with the whole group
since they are at the coffee shop so much and also because he is Rachels boss at the
beginning of the show. Later, you also begin to learn that he has a very large crush on
Rachel.

Ross

Chandler

Joey

Gunther

Rachel

Phoebe

Monica

Artifacts: physical items, emotions, or feelings that are culturally or socially important to
members of the group or a community of practice

Pin-Ball Table: In one of the early episodes, Joey and Chandlers kitchen table breaks, so
they decided to go out and get another. They go to all of these different furniture stores,
arguing which furniture and table to get. When they come home, they dont have a
normal kitchen table, they bought a pin-ball table instead. They use it because it will be
more fun to play with, and they even eat on it sometimes too. It becomes a known part to
their room and to the show as well.
Idea of Monicas OCD: It is a known thing by the Friends and throughout the series that
Monica is a little crazy about everything being clean and in order. She numbers all of her
glasses so she knows she has all of them, fluffs and re-fluffs pillows. So, the group
always tries to make sure they dont upset her by making something messy, spilling
something, or breaking something.

Communities of Practice: is a shared craft or profession. It is members of a domain that

engage in joint activities and discussions, they also can help each other and share information
between them. They normally all have a certain characteristic in common amongst all of them
and do things together to learn more.

The Boys: Joey and Chandler (Ross): They are a community of practice because they
on and off are roommates throughout the show along with best friends. They are together
most nights when one are the other isnt on a date of some sort. Together they are always
thinking of crazy or fun ideas like making a fort out of boxes or getting a chick and a
duck for pets in the room. Sometimes they also just Baywatch together while drinking a
beer. Also they have very common ground in that they are always trying to get the girls
attention and to be able to go out with someone on the weekends.
The Girls: Rachel and Monica (Phoebe): They were best friends during their childhood
and through high school, and now they are best friends again. Since they live together on
and off they also share a lot of feelings and time together as well. Then, when the boys
were making them angry they would include Phoebe and make plans against them.
Ross and his nerds: He has two main jobs during the show. One is that he is a
paleontologist at the Museum of Natural History and his second was a professor of

anthropology at New York University. He is generally known throughout the group to be

kind of a nerdy know it all type of guy and overly infatuated and smart in what he knows.
This generalization of him carries directly over to his career and who he is with at work,
because they are just like him.
Literary Practices: ways that the figured world communicates to each other and is either
through speech, writing, verbal and non-verbal, etc.

Face-to-Face: Face to face interaction in the show is probably the most important and
clear literary practice. They are always together as a group telling them how they day was
and all the good or bad things that happened. It is also how most fights are started and
along with that how most of those conflicts are resolved as well.
Phone Calls: The other main way that this figured world communicates. If the group
isnt together they will call each other to get something set up or know what the others
are doing. Normally a lot of voicemails are left as well if someone is at work or out on a
date with someone else.
Smooth talking: All of the members of the group do this, when they want to go on a date
with or thing that a person of the opposite gender is attractive, they try and smooth talk
them. Anywhere from Rosss awkwardness, to Joeys How you doin? or to Chandlers
casual joke making and sarcastic tone to swoon women. But, the women do this as well,
but a lot better than Chandler and Ross, because it comes very easy to them since they are
known to be attractive all throughout the show.

Domain: the shared commitment of the community or practices shared goals and interests, the
main focus of the group that allows them to learn from one another

Having money to keep their nice apartments: Each member of the group whether they
are rooming with someone else or living on their own, they all have nice and big
apartments for it being New York City. So, these apartments probably cost a lot of money
so they have to each make good money and be able to support each other to keep the
apartments. Because New York is expensive so they have to be focusing on their careers
to keep their homes. Most of the group has good and steady jobs that they are working at,
some liking their jobs more than others. Ross is a paleontologist and tenured professor,
Rachel is a waitress and in the fashion industry, Monica is a chef, Chandler works with
statistics and in the advertising industry, Phoebe is a masseuse and plays guitar at the
coffee shop, and Joey is an actor, jumping around from gig to gig. They all work together
to provide for each other and to have nice things and have a good time.
Helping Each Other with Relationship Issues: Through the show, the characters go in
and out of relationships with people and even each other. It is a part of life. When
relationships end, people get hurt and they get sad. So, the group has to always be there
for each other when a relationship isnt going right or ends. They help pick each other up
and keep everything off of their mind. Thats what good friends are for, theyre there for
you in the bad and the good times. They always are telling them that they dont need the
other person, or giving them ice cream to eat their pains away.

Keeping Group Conflict Low: Friends are going to fight. Sometimes someone says
something behind someones back, does something on purpose to piss people off, or even
accidently saying something that really hurts someone else. That is also a part of life,
sometimes people fight. But, you have to keep it on the low or it will overtake all the
good times. When you are fighting, you have to calmly figure the situation out without
getting more upset at each other. So, when they fight, sometimes they have to get other
people involved so that there can be a middle ground with the whole argument. It helps
everything to go a lot smoother and helps to get everything resolved quickly.

Practices of the Community: beyond just habits of the community, practices of the community
revolve around a set of shared ways to accomplish tasks, accomplish a goal, communities of
practice must do regular activities that help further their ideas

Going to the Coffee shop: The group always hangs out at the coffee shop together. They
go there to get coffee, talk, listen to Phoebe play the guitar, to meet other single adults,
the options are endless. Normally, the group will be in there talking about new things that
have come up in their lives recently or just really random things as well. A lot of times,
its also before or after work to help them wake up or wind down from the day they just
had. Plus, Rachel worked there for a while so she was there even more than the other
friends were.
Accompanying one another in Monicas apartment: The other thing the group always
does is relax at Monicas apartment. All kinds of things go on in her apartment
throughout the show from eating dinner, breakfast, holidays, birthday parties, random
parties, and a lot of hook ups for different members of the group.
Taking Trips Together: The group takes a lot of trips together throughout the series.
Whenever one of them goes on a business trip normally the whole group goes with them.
There are multiple episodes where Ross has a business and the group goes together with
him. Also, sometimes the whole group goes on vacations together or takes trips to
different parts of the world for different purposes. Those episodes are either two part
normally or a little longer than normal.
Their jobs: Most of the group has jobs that they have to go to everyday. All of the
members have nice apartments and things so they need good jobs to be able to provide
food and to pay rent as well.

Observation One:
Season Three Episode Nine:

22:06: It is Thanksgiving and the whole group is in Monicas apartment. They guys are
watching football intently while sitting on the couch holding footballs and are not paying
attention to the girls. The girls are nearby in the kitchen starting all of the food for the
evening and of course Monica is being a perfectionist and telling Rachel how to put the
marshmallows on the sweet potatoes. Phoebe is trying to get the guys to come help them
with the food preparation, but they kind of blow her off and continue watching the game.

20:32: Phoebe decides she wants to learn about football so she sits down to watch the
game with the guys. Right as she sits down the game goes into halftime. Then, Joey has
the good idea for the group to go out and play a game of touch football, but Phoebe
doesnt know how to play. So Joey jokingly says that she can guard Chandler inferring
that hes not very good, but hes not in the mood to play. He has just found out that his
girlfriend Janice was cheating on him with another guy so he is really upset and
depressed. Joey says he needs to move on from her because hes way better than her and
playing some football will keep his mind off of it for a while. So, Chandler ends up
agreeing with Joey and chooses to go play.
18:51: Joey, Chandler, Phoebe, and Rachel ask Ross and Monica in the kitchen if they
want to play too. They both say that they cant and Chandler sarcastically jokes that their
mom said so, but that is the truth. Monica and Ross tell the story of their last Geller
Bowl that they used to play every Thanksgiving with their family. Apparently, to score
the winning touchdown, Monica threw a savage elbow to Rosss nose that ended up
breaking it just so her team could win the game. She said it was an accident, but Ross still
doesnt believe it. So, after that incident, their dad threw the Geller Cup into the lake so
the legacy was over and their mother firmly told them that they are not allowed to play
football ever again because it is too dangerous.
16:00: Monica decides to talk to Ross privately to tell him that they should play another
game because its been 12 years since the incident. Ross disagrees so Monica starts
calling him some mean and childish names so he decides to play. The other members of
the group joke that asking if theyre old enough to even cross the street. Then the camera
pans over to them warming up in the park across the street. They have to pick teams and
Ross and Monica are captains and the teams end up being: Ross, Rachel, and Chandler on
one, the other is Monica, Joey, and Phoebe. Rachel is upset that she was last pick even
though her best friend and boyfriend were the captains. Monica has to set a timer so she
knows when she has to go cook again and Chandler jokingly says just like in the pros.
Rosss team is kicking off and Chandler is pretending the ball is Janice when he kicks it.
He ends up accidently kicking Ross so they decide to throw the ball for the kick-off
instead. Phoebe doesnt know how to block, but joey still catches the kick-off and runs it
back for the first touchdown of the game.
13:15: They continue playing and Rachel isnt doing very well for Rosss team because
she cant catch the ball. Monicas team gets the ball back and on the first pass, she over
throws Joey and the ball rolls far away to the foot of this woman watching. Joey runs to
get it and finds that the woman is very pretty and he begins flirting with her and finds out
that she is Dutch. Then, Chandler runs over and introduces himself and starts flirting with
her as well. They walk back to the game and Joey wants to ask her out but so does
Chandler, but Joey decides to let him have her to be able to get over Janice. Chandler
takes offense to this and wants to prove that he can get her without Joey letting him have
her.
10:30: The group continues playing and then when Chandler tags Joey he rips his
favorite jersey when he does so right in front of the pretty girl. Now, Joey decides to go
all out to try and get this girl so that Chandler feels bad about himself. Rachel starts

feeling like she is not a part of the team because Ross just keeps telling her to go long
just so that she gets out of the way so she doesnt mess the play up. Monicas team gets
the ball back and right as they snap the ball the buzzer goes off, then Monica throws the
ball and they get a touchdown. Ross says it doesnt count because the buzzer went off, so
then the teams start arguing if it was fair or not. Ross accuses Monica of trying to cheat to
win so she decides to say that it is half time and theyll finish the cooking and finish the
other half afterwards. They all go up to the apartment and Monica shows Ross the Geller
Cup. She tells the story that while all the family went to go get Rosss nose fixed at the
hospital, she stays at home and goes into the lake and swims to the bottom so that she can
keep the trophy. By trophy means a troll doll that is nailed to a piece of 2x4.
8:00: After they get the cooking they need done, done, they go back down to the park and
so Joey continues to want to play, she tackles Chandler in front of the Dutch girl to show
he is weak because a girl tackled him. Ross gets mad because they were playing touch so
he says that its time to play dirty. Joey and Chandler start going extra rough on each
other to try and impress the girl and then Ross sees Rachel with a big pretzel and she just
says that she went really long(like he said) to get it. Monica begins bragging to Ross
because her team is up 42-21 and Ross says its because she got first pick so therefore she
got the better team. So, Monica decides to prove it to Ross and they switch the teams to
boys versus girls. Monica knows that the girls can win, but Phoebe and Rachel are
doubtful.
5:10: Joey and Chandler start arguing over the Dutch girl again so finally Ross decides to
just ask her to decide it. She picks Chandler and he begins to dance and make jokes at
Joey, so she decides to change her mind to neither of them. Now Joey, knowing that
Chandler just messed up his chances, has saved himself from a few months of sex. But,
at this point Chandler doesnt care because she still picked him over Joey. Now, Ross gets
both of them refocused on the game so that they dont lose to the girls.
2:35: The girls decide to use what they have and flash the boys to get them to stop and
look so the other girls can get the ball. Rachel is sick of going long and tells Monica to
use her so she makes a play where Rachel gets the ball. They run the play and Rachel
runs the wrong way then gets to Monica and hits her in the eye with the ball. Monica is
hurt and they hurry to huddle and Rachel is upset because she knows she messed up and
isnt going to get the ball again. They get to the line of scrimmage and theres 30 seconds
left in the game and Monica tells Rachel to go long again while she is upset and they snap
the ball.
00:30: Monica has to throw it because she is about to get hit by Ross and Phoebe is being
guarded by the other two boys. Rachel goes up to grab it and finally does and catches it
and is so excited that she throws the ball down before she reaches the end zone. The boys
point that out and are excited because they think they one, but Phoebe points out that if
no one touches her then the play is technically not done. Monica and Ross race to grab
the ball laying on the ground and the rest of the group piles on top of them. Chandler says
after everyone except Monica and Ross get up that since its Thanksgiving that its not
important who wins or loses, just that the Dutch girl picked him and not Joey. The other
four go inside and decide to eat all of the food, meanwhile Monica and Ross are still

fighting over the ball till late in the night. They realize that it has started to snow and then
begin squirming and trying to take the ball from the other again.
Observation Two:
Season Three, Episode Ten:

21:10: It is right before Christmas and Chandler and Rachel are sitting in the coffee shop
talking, then Gunther, the manager of Central Perk comes up to her and tells her she has
to do her waitress training again. Rachel cant believe it and asks Chandler what he thinks
and he understands it because shes not that great of a waitress.
19:00: Chandler and Ross are going back to Monicas apartment after a game of
racquetball. Chandler didnt do very well so Ross is telling him what he was doing wrong
and what he should fix for the next time. When Ross swings his racquet to show
Chandler, he hits a little girl scout that is walking up the steps. The little girl falls down
the steps and breaks her leg. So, Ross goes to the coffee shop and tells the group and they
cant believe that he did that. He decides that he needs to go to the hospital to check on
her and wants to bring her something, but doesnt know what to get her. He decides to
just leave and go see her and so Joey decides to leave to go to work along with him. He is
working at a place that is selling Christmas trees. Phoebe gets mad because she doesnt
want him doing that because she doesnt like to see all of the trees cut down and killed.
But, Joey tells her that the trees are just fulfilling their Christmas destiny and that it is
good and that is what is supposed to happen. He asks the others if they and signals to
them to agree with him so it makes Phoebe feel better about the whole thing. Then he has
to leave so that he isnt late for work.
18:15: Rachel is mad that she is having to do the waitress training over again, but once
Gunther starts going over everything with her, she realizes that she really does not know
as much as she thought she did. She gets upset and apologizes to Gunther for not
knowing much and walks away. Once shes gone Gunther says It is okay, sweetheart,
since he is in love with her, yet no one knows it.
15:30: Ross goes to the little girls house to visit with her. They start talking and she tells
him how she wants to be able to sell all the boxes of cookies for the Brown Birds, but
she cant because she is for the most part stuck in bed with the broken leg. Ross tries to
cheer her up by saying its not so bad since she doesnt have to go to school every day
and says that hell buy the cookies so she can get the prize. Whoever sells the most
cookies will get a trip to space camp and she wants that really bad because she wants to
become an astronaut when she grows up. She needs at least 400 more boxes sold to be at
the same level as the girl that won last year. So, since he cant buy all the cookies himself
he decides to go out and start selling the cookies. But, once he starts going apartment to
apartment selling them, no one wants to buy because it is a 30 year old man selling Girl
Scout cookies and that is a little sketchy.
14:20: Phoebe goes and visits Joey at work to tell him that she believes him now about
the trees having to fulfill their Christmas destiny. Then, she sees one of the older, smaller,
and browner trees getting taken away. She asks Joey where they are taking it too and he
says that they throw it in the back to get put through the chipper. Now, she gets upset

again because it seems like the tree is getting murdered and she doesnt like that. Joey
motions for the guy to stop putting the trees through the chipper because Phoebe is
getting upset.
10:55: Ross goes back to Joey, Monica, and Chandler. He tries to sell boxes to each of
them and convinces them to buy more cookies than they actually want. Then he gets to
Monica and she says she only wants one box because when she joined the Girl scouts as a
child she gained a lot of weight. When it came time for her to sell cookies, she ate all of
her boxes of cookies so her dad ended up having to buy them all. He starts to try and
convince her to buy more but she gets upset and yells no and runs out the door. Ross
chases her saying that she knows she wants to buy more than just one box. Rachel walks
up to Joey and Chandler complaining about her job. She wants to go into the fashion
industry, but they point out that she hasnt even sent out a resume for a job in over two
years. They tell her that she needs to quit her job at the coffee shop and go try and find
another because then she will be motivated to get one since shed be unemployed. She
decides to go tell Gunther that she is a horrible waitress and that she is giving him her
week notice and quits right there on the spot.
8:15: Chandler and Ross are counting all of Rosss cookie sales for the little Girl Scout.
Monica runs in and looks for a certain kind that she wants and is trying to find them.
Ross tells her that he has no more because he sold them all and also that he is deciding to
cut her off. She says no and that she only wants a few more boxes and begins to freak out
again. Ross points out that she has cookie crumbs on her neck and that she has a problem
and that she needs to stop. Chandler asks how many Ross has sold and hes sold 517
boxes because he found the new trick to selling them. He figured out that he needs to sell
the cookies to people with the munchies. So, every night he has been going to NYU and
selling them to all of the college kids that need them. Then, Rachel comes rushing in
needing help to put her new resumes that Chandler made for her into envelopes to mail
out to different fashion companies. She is really scared because her last day at the coffee
shop is the next day and she doesnt even have an interview lined up. So, she thinks that
she wants to call Gunther to ask him for her job back. Then, Joey busts in the door.
7:30: Joey says that he has really good news for Rachel. His dad is a plumber and is
doing some plumbing at this fashion company and he overheard that they have a positon
open. So she gets really excited and thanks Joey for finding that out for her. Then Joey
says that he has more great news and its that he got snow in a can at work. Its in an
aerosol can and it makes windows and other things look like they have snow on them.
6:10: Joey is at work selling all of these different and really large Christmas trees to
different customers. Then, out of the blue Phoebe comes in and tries to sell the older and
browner trees to them. They give a weird look to them and then walk away saying that
theyre going continue looking elsewhere. Joey tells Phoebe that she has to stop doing
that because he is working off of commission. Then, Monica walks up to both of them
looking to buy a really nice Christmas tree herself. Phoebe gets emotional because she
wants people to be buying all of the trees even the not as pretty ones just so they fulfill
their Christmas destiny.

4:15: Ross goes to the Girl Scout meeting about the cookie sales. The little girls there
dont like him because they know that he is the one that broke the other little girl, Sarahs
leg. One girl sells more than him so he decides to rewrite how many he has sold to one
more than the number that she sold. But, the head Girl Scout mom notices and also points
out that he bought most of the boxes himself. So, he tells her that that is because his
doctor told him that he has a nougat deficiency.
3:10: Ross goes back to the coffee shop and Phoebe and Chandler ask him what
happened while at the meeting. He tells them that he lost and that the girl that won lent
her uniform to her 19 year old sister and went to the naval ship on the harbor and sold
over 2000 boxes of cookies. Rachel gets back from her interview and is upset and says
that she wouldnt have even hired herself. Chandler tells her that maybe she should get
the job back at the coffee shop, but she says she cant because they already hired another
girl with waitress experience.
2:15: Rachel, Chandler, Ross, and Phoebe walk back up to Monicas and when they walk
in they see a bunch of the smaller and browner Christmas trees and Joey and Monica yell
surprise. The group went in together and bought all of the old Christmas trees so that it
would make Phoebe really happy. They are finally getting to fulfill their Christmas
destiny. Then, the phone rings and Rachel answers it and it is the fashion company calling
to tell her that she got the job and that shes hired. Everyone congratulates her and now
everyones day has been made.
1:30: Rachel serves her last cup of coffee at Central Perk to Chandler as the group hums
the graduation song. Rachel makes an announcement to the shop that it is her last day and
that she is happy to be leaving and not to be making a cup of coffee ever again. Gunther
is upset that she is leaving because he doesnt want her to.
00:20: Rachel starts her job at the fashion company and the manager of the store is
teaching her how to work the coffee machine and she is not too happy about it. Then,
Ross brings the little girl back to Joey and Chandlers apartment and he makes the room
look like space. They turned the lights off and put foil on the recliner and puts starry
looking lights and stars hanging from the ceiling. Since she wasnt able to go to space
camp because Ross and her didnt sell enough cookies, the boys her own little space
camp in their apartment to make her feel good.

Observation Three:
Season Three Episode Eleven:

20:15: Rachel, Ross, Monica, Phoebe, and Joey are in Monicas apartment and Joey is
doing a few not very good magic tricks. The group is pretending not to know how he is
doing it, when really it is obviously very fake. Then, the apartment above them took out
the carpet and the peoples steps are very loud. Monica has told him to keep it down, but
she says that he is very charming so then she ended up apologizing to him. Phoebe is mad
that he didnt respect Monica, so she decides to go up there and talk to him and tell him
to be quiet. Joey begins to tell the rest of the gang how he did his card tricks and they
pretend to be amazed at how he did it. Then, they hear Phoebe knock on the guys door

upstairs. They can vaguely can hear the conversation upstairs and it seems like he is
flirting with her and she is falling for it.
18:55: Chandler walks into Monicas apartment to Monica, Rachel, Ross, and Joey
sitting and talking and he is upset because he saw Janice with her new husband and they
seemed really happy. He tells them that he almost feels bad for taking a little kids pretzel
and throwing it at them. Joey tries to make him feel better by telling him that a girl that
he saw his ex-girlfriend laughing with one of her friends on the street and it was really
awkward. Chandler proceeds to tell him how he also ended up having sex with both of
them later that afternoon. Joey says that he knew that, he just likes to tell that story to
people. Ross reassures Chandler that he will be able to have fun and forget about her at
Joeys birthday party the next day. They hear Phoebe upstairs with the guy again and they
are laughing and messing around and the group is shocked that shes still up there with
him.
16:50: Rachel is at her job, procrastinating on the couch reading a magazine when her
boss walks in asking for coffee so she hurries to get up and make him some. He says that
he has a task for her that is more closely related to fashion. She gets very excited and he
takes her to a closet and opens it and tells her that it is her job to untangle the entire closet
full of clothes hangers. Rachel gets upset and the camera pans over to her at Monicas
diner job and she is complaining about her job and how much she hates it. Monica feels
the exact same way as Rachel does because she wants to be the chef of her own
restaurant. A gentleman a few seats down from Rachel begins laughing at her job
struggles and she turns to tell him to shut up because it isnt funny. He says that he
understands because he used to sort manikin heads and Manikin Mart, but now works at
Bloomingdales and has a job possibility for her so she takes her attitude with him now.
15:00: Everyone is at Joeys party and Phoebe tells Monica shes going on a date with the
guy from upstairs and Monica disapproves. Monica wants a hello shot so she asks Joey
where they are. He says that Chandler is supposed to be passing them out. Joey, Ross, and
she turn around and Chandler is attempting to give a shot to a dog sculpture because he is
very drunk. Rachel runs through the door to Ross and begins to tell him about how she
may have a job opportunity at Bloomingdales from a random guy she met at Monicas
diner. Ross is skeptical and thinks that this guy just wants to have sex with her. She cant
believe that Ross would think that and he asks for Joey to back him up that guys arent
just nice for no reason and Joey agrees that its just to get sex.
13:35: Joeys seven sisters finally come to the party and Chandler tells some of them that
hes taking his ex-girlfriend, Janices, number off of his speed dial and they feel bad for
him. But, since he is drunk he told them not to feel bad because it is a good thing. Then,
hes so drunk that he points out to all of them that one sister has really big breasts. Ross
starts talking to Monica about the Mark guy that she and Rachel met and talks about how
dreamy and attractive he is which makes Ross feel worse.
10:45: Ross brings Mark up again at breakfast at Monicas the next morning with
Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe. Ross thinks that he is still up to no good and Rachel jokes
that shes probably going to have to shower with him, like at most jobs. Chandler comes
in and is very hung over. He tells the others that he woke up in the storage room (the

group lost him) and he wasnt alone. He was with one of Joeys sisters but he cant
remember which one it was. Ross makes an example of Chandler saying that this is what
men do and that men arent nice. The group starts telling Chandler that Joey is going to
kill him when he finds out, but Chandler is already very aware of that. Then, Joey busts
through the door, obviously pissed off and wanting to talk to Chandler. Joey tells him that
he knows that he messed around with his sister because Mary Angela (the sister Chandler
fooled around with) called telling Joey that Chandler told her that he could really fall for
her. Chandler says that it is true just so that Joey isnt very upset with him and so he
doesnt sound like he just used her to get over Janice. Since he said this, Joey gets very
excited because his best friend and sister may get together.
9:25: Rachel gets to Monicas asking if Mark has called yet, but he hasnt. Phoebe us at
the guy upstairs apartment again and has just gotten back from their date and seem to
begin to be doing certain inappropriate things. So, Rachel and Monica run out of their
apartment so that they dont hear what is about to happen up there. Ross is reading a note
that Chandler has written to give to Mary Angela to break up with her. Ross says that
Joey is going to be extremely mad at Chandler if he does that to Mary Angela through a
letter. Ross tells him that he needs to do it in person and tells him how to do it and that he
needs to let her down easy.
6:00: Chandler goes to Mary Angelas house and Joey answers the door because he said
his grandma is finishing his laundry. Chandler tells him that he is coming to see Mary
Angela and Joey gets excited. Joey invites him in and tells him that he just needs to be
smooth and to make a good impression on his grandma. Then he shows Chandler where
Mary Angela is, but the rest of the sisters are there with her. Rachel is with Monica and
Ross at the coffee shop and she is upset because mark still hasnt caller her yet. Ross
pretends to be upset about Mark not calling, but Rachel knows hes not being honest.
Then, Ross does reassure her that he does want the best for her. Monica suggests that
Rachel should call Mark first, but Ross doesnt like this idea. Rachel decides this is a
good idea and does it. Mark answers and apologizes because he forgot her number at the
office over the weekend and wanted to call. He invites her for an interview the next day
and also for lunch so he can help her prepare for it. Ross doesnt seem excited, but Rachel
is very excited and says bye and runs out the door so she can get everything ready for the
next day. Ross gets mad at Monica for her telling Rachel to do that because he thinks that
Mark is trying to steal Rachel from him. Monica says that its not about him and that he
needs to trust her.
3:40: Chandler is eating dinner with Joey and his family and still doesnt know which
sister Mary Angela is. He keeps trying to figure out which one she is, but Joeys grandma
keeps interrupting. One of the sisters tells Chandler to take a bathroom break and he goes.
She meets him there and starts kissing him and he tries to tell her that he is not ready for a
commitment place since he just got heartbroken by Janice. But, this sister is not Mary
Angela, it is Mary Terese. Mary Angela sees this going on and calls for Joey to come in
there. All the sisters and Joey rush in and they begin to gang up on Chandler because he
thought that Mary Angela was another girl.

2:30: Chandler says that because they all look similar and the sisters begin to yell for
Joey to punch him. Joey just asks him why he did it and Chandler says that sober her
would never try and hurt Joey or his family because he is his best friend and that it is
never going to happen again. Joey believes him and says it is okay and that he just has to
apologize to Mary Angela directly. Chandler still has no clue which one she is so Joey
gives his sister, Cookie permission to punch Chandler out and she does.
1:25: Ross is waiting for Rachel right outside the elevator when shes done with the
interview. He asks her how it was and she says that it was tough, but she did well because
of Mark preparing her. Ross apologizes for being so jealous and that it is just because he
likes her so much, Rachel totally understands. Mark gets off the elevator and tells Rachel
that they loved her and that she got the job. She hugs Mark and not Ross, so he looks a
little sad.
00:15: The whole group is in Monicas apartment and Phoebe says that her date went
really well. Then, through the ceiling they can her the guy upstairs has another girl in the
apartment doing inappropriate things and Phoebe gets upset. Joey, Chandler, and Ross
decide to go up there and beat him up for hurting Phoebe. Rachel and Monica reassure
Phoebe that it sounded like he was having a lot more fun with her than the other girl.
They hear the guys knock on the door, the man smooth talks the boys too and they seem
to strike up a nice conversation.

Interview Questions: Devyn Szklinski: My girlfriend and she has been watching the show with
her family, just like I have, since she was little. It is also her favorite show and she watches it
and re-watchs it all the time.
1. Tell me what is appealing to you about the show Friends?
The show Friends is appealing because living with your friends in the same apartment
and being like a big family seems really interesting and plus all of the characters are very
relatable.
2. Give me an example of Monicas OCD.
She and Chandler are in bed and he threatens to go and spill coffee grounds all over the
floor if she doesnt wake up and she immediately jumps out of bed.
3. Explain how the Friends became like one big family.
They are like a big family because they all love each other, take care of each other, relate
to each other, and wouldnt let anything bad happen to one another if they could
potentially prevent it from happening.
4. Tell me your likes and dislikes about the romanticized parts of the show.
My likes are that Monica and Chandler end up together and that certain people that the
characters date are very realistic to real life situations that someone could come across.
My dislikes are that at certain times during the show the episodes just focus on the
relationships or the sex people were having and it took away from the group of friends
themselves.
5. Why do you think that Monica is so competitive with everyone, especially Ross?

Because when she was younger she was fat and also not the favorite child, so she
became competitive and skinny to show people that now she was on top to make up for
her not so flattering younger years.
Second Interview: Hannah Bennett: My sister, she has not been watching the show for very
long. But, Friends is her favorite show and she watches it daily, if not weekly as long as she
has the time.
1. Tell me what is appealing to you about the show Friends?
Seeing the bond between the group of friends from all different backgrounds and how
they stick together and stay so close throughout the series.
2. Give me an example of Monicas OCD.
When the friends come back from London, Rachel is looking at the pictures and Monica
asks her to hold the pictures by the sides, multiple times to make sure no finger prints get
onto the picture itself.
3. Explain how the Friends became like one big family.
The friends are always there supporting each other just like when the Rachel and Phoebe
have babies, when Ross goes through his divorces, Monica breaking up with Richard,
when Rachels father has a heart attack, Monica getting married and wanting to buy a
house, Joey and his lost acting roles, the times are endless and it shows how tightly knit
they really are.
4. Tell me your likes and dislikes about the romanticized parts of the show.
They show all aspects of relationships, from beginning, to when they have problems,
divorces, break-ups, and they really show the love like between Chandler and Monica
and how it grows. I dislike that sometimes they focus on the sexual side more than the
relationship as a whole, which still happens in the real world.
5. Why do you think that Monica is so competitive with everyone, especially Ross?
Everyone is different and has different things they are really good at. But, with siblings
there is bound to be competition between who is better at what. Ross was the one that
received all the school awards and his parents kept every single thing that he ever made
or won. Plus, Ross and Monica both knew that their parents like him better than her and
Monica just wanted to win her parents over. So, Monica would always do what she had to
do to prove that she was as good, if not better, than Ross at anything and everything.