What qualifies one as being crowned with the coveted title of the best friend from “Friends?” What criteria makes one individual from the popular ’90s sitcom “Friends” superior to the other five? Is it bestowed upon the one who gives the best advice, such as words of wisdom regarding the “seven” erogenous zones? Or maybe it should be given to “the best neurosurgeon in all of Salem,” as described in Screen Rant? Would the friend with the most nipples be more deserving? I think it’s a healthy combination of all of these. Most importantly, it is the one who can instill the knowledge that, well, they’ll be there for you.
Who is that, you ask? Well, in no particular order, let’s meet our contestants.
Ross Geller knows a lot about dinosaurs and divorce papers. And while grand gestures like buying Phoebe Buffay her very first bike stand alone as noble acts, his character is also riddled with flaws. Whether or not you believe that he and girlfriend Rachel Green were on a break, sleeping with another woman not even a day after separating is unacceptable and, frankly, disgusting. While attempting to repair the relationship, his unyielding hubris and immaturity constantly stood in the way of them mending their past, resulting in the loss of several years they could have spent together. Unfortunately, this takes Geller out of the running.
Rachel Green is the fashion guru who arguably has the largest character arc in the entire show. She went from being daddy’s spoiled princess to a self-sufficient working girl. Still, as impressive as Rachel’s rise to stardom was, it was marked by some notable missteps. I love Rachel’s friendship with Ross’ sister, Monica, as much as the next die-hard fan, but Rachel was a terrible roommate, making her unworthy of our top spot. Whether she was going after actor Jean-Claude Van Damme when she knew Monica liked him or “stealing her thunder” on her engagement night, a part of Rachel just seemed stuck in high school — and not just the part of her that put on her old cheerleading outfit at 28 years old to get a guy’s attention.
It’s hard to argue that Monica Geller is not one of the most generous characters on the show. She literally opens up her home to the entire gang, making her apartment a go-to spot for all six of the friends. But her overly competitive spirit is exhausting, and her need to be clean or self-righteous has irritated the friends on more than one occasion, keeping her just out of reach of the title. I’m sorry, but a grown woman should be able to accept that she sucks at giving massages without needing to receive the “Best Bad Massage” award.
Joey Tribbiani, aka Dr. Drake Ramoray, is a fan favorite among all avid watchers of the show. His friends-over-everything mentality has warmed the hearts of viewers for years. However, Joey’s unwillingness to accept change of any kind has stunted his character’s development throughout the show, preventing him from growing and maturing as a person and a friend. Joey always stood still, thinking that he could will the static nature of their coffee-house-foosball-chick-and-duck lives into existence. Unfortunately, this wasn’t possible, and Joey was the only one left to sit on that orange couch when time passed and people moved on.
And Chandler Bing, the Chan-Chan Man! Whether it be cracking a joke or paying for headshots, Chandler always managed to help his friends when they were in a tough spot. Unfortunately, even a man like Bing had his imperfections, unlike the gum offered to him by Jill Goodacre. Actions like kissing Joey’s girlfriend and also his sister are clear violations of the bro code, which are grounds for disqualification. Often misguided in the ways of love, Chandler was prone to hurting himself or others when dealing with the affairs of the heart. As annoying as she was, his treatment of Janice was rough, even for him — a man who proposed to a woman because he was “sorry.”
Last but certainly not least, the greatest friend of all would have to be Miss Phoebe Buffay.
Pheebs is well known as the ditzy, intuitive, badass member of the Central Perk gang. A masseuse, singer and songwriter known for her renowned hit “Smelly Cat,” she is arguably the most positive and bubbly friend. She is generous, with a heart as big as her belly when she gave birth to her brother’s triplets as a surrogate, and appears to be the most morally sound member of the group, standing by her principles at all costs.
While her whimsical behavior can be considered ridiculous at times, such as when she stole a little girl’s cat believing it was her reincarnated mother, she always prioritizes her friends’ well-being. This can be clearly seen during one of her finest moments in the show’s entire 10-season run, playing a key role in reuniting Ross and Rachel in the two-part series finale. Phoebe’s driving of “The Death Cab” in order to get Ross to Rachel at the airport before she leaves for Paris changed the future for the couple as they know it. She knew that they were meant for each other even before they were able to see it for themselves. Maybe it was her psychic ways, or maybe it was just a friend understanding what it was that could make her friends happier than they ever thought they could be. In her most Buffay of ways, she did everything in her power to make it happen for them, including hitting an old woman on a bicycle and delaying the flight by claiming that something was wrong with the “left phalange.”
It was a situation where she had nothing to gain other than the satisfaction of knowing that two people who couldn’t possibly live without each other could live a life where they no longer had to. And that selflessness, strength and unconditional love for another person embodies the very definition of what it means to be a friend. It’s what makes Phoebe an exception in the best way.
Julia O’Reilly is a freshman majoring in biology.