15 Reasons 'Friends' Would SUCK If It Aired Now

Friends is pretty much the greatest sitcom of all time. It's funny, it's fresh, and it always makes you smile. It's basically the only show that you can watch anytime, anywhere, and it will instantly put you in a really good mood. So naturally, it's your perfect hangover cure, the best way to get over that guy who just dumped you, and just generally awesome entertainment. It's endlessly quotable, you can't get enough of the loveable characters, and it's a show that you can watch with anyone from your siblings to parents to grandma to BFFs. Everyone is guaranteed to love it just as much as you do. But the best part about Friends is definitely the fact that it aired back in the 90s. The show just has such a great 90s feel from the clothing and the hair to the style and tone of filming. What would happen if this great sitcom was on the air today? Things would definitely be a whole lot different… and it would suck. Here are 15 reasons that Friends would suck if it aired now.

15 It Would Be Depressing

Let's face facts here: this show is ultimately about a group of friends in their 20s. Sure, each character has their ups and downs, but their miserable experiences in the dating and professional worlds are played for laughs. You never feel like they are in really dire states or like horrible things are actually happening to them. That's just not the show. However, if Friends aired today, you would be watching a group of -- wait for it -- millennials. And millennials are depressing. They live in super small apartments, they have the worst roommates, they have jobs that they hate, and they get ghosted more than they actually go on a date (or even have an actual relationship). See how bad this show would be if it aired in 2017? It wouldn't be a sitcom. It would be like a horror movie. Or a reality show since you could relate too much. Ouch.

14 It Would Be Annoying

The problem with most sitcoms today (or most sitcoms that have aired since Friends aired its series finale) is that they are super annoying. They try their best to be hilarious but usually, you're left sitting there, scratching your head and wondering why these writers thought those jokes were funny. Or that those were even jokes in the first place. If this show aired today, it wouldn't be as funny as it was. It would be frustrating and annoying AF. It just wouldn't have the same vibe or experience. Something about it would definitely rub you the wrong way and while you might not be able to put your finger on it, you would just know that something was off. This is the kind of show that was made for the 90s, not for 2017, and that's just the way it is. You should be super grateful that it aired when it did.

13 Phoebe Would Be Too Weird (In A Bad Way)

Phoebe is, hands down, one of the best characters on Friends. Okay, okay, so you love them all and you can't pick favorites (*cough* Joey *cough*). But you definitely love Phoebe. She's so amazing, right? She's quirky, she's smart, she's hilarious, and she's her own person. You love that she doesn't care what anyone thinks about her and that she is determined to stay true to who she is no matter what. There definitely aren't enough people like that on TV, let alone in the real world. You sometimes think WWPD aka "What Would Phoebe Do?" when you're in a confusing situation and want to find the right answer. Okay, maybe you don't but that would be a good idea, right? The problem with Friends airing today is that Phoebe would be TOO weird in a really, really bad way. Her character would be completely ruined because the writers would make her TOO quirky. She would make no sense and everything would suck.

12 It Would Be Canceled Too Soon

SIGH. It's a sad and unfortunate truth that these days, the TV marketplace is super crowded. Wait. That's not the sad part. That's the amazing part since you obviously are a total TV fan/addict and can't wait to discover new shows to love all the time. The sad part is that the best shows don't always last as long as they should. The fact that Friends lasted for TEN SEASONS is nothing short of a miracle. Today? Today, that would never, ever happen. The ratings would be super low from the start, no matter how funny and smart the show is, and there would literally be nothing that you could do about it. You would have to resign yourself to the fact that your favorite sitcom would be canceled way before its time. It's literally like watching someone that you love die. Okay, okay, it's not like that, but it's still pretty awful. Aren't you grateful that Friends aired when it did so you could watch so many great episodes?!

11 Everyone Would Date Each Other

What is so awesome about Friends is that not EVERYONE hooks up. Sure, Rachel and Ross are obviously a thing, and Chandler and Monica are the couple that you never knew you were waiting for. And okay, so there is a Joey/Rachel thing but that only lasts for a hot minute and everyone wants to pretend that did not happen anyway so that is the way that you have always played it. You love that the show understands that sometimes, characters are better off as friends and there does not have to be tension and conflict between literally everyone. It's not like this show is Grey's Anatomy. You don't have to watch everyone get together. Sadly, if this show aired today, that would all change. Everyone would definitely date and the results wouldn't be funny, they would just be a total and utter disaster. It would be really awkward to watch.

10 It Would Be Predictable

The cool thing about this sitcom is how totally unpredictable it is. Sure, you can always expect the characters to act a certain way -- Rachel is adorable, Joey is dumb (but not in a bad way), Chandler is hilarious, Monica is a clean freak, Ross is annoying/smart, and so on. But you're still surprised on a regular basis. No one saw the whole Chandler/Monica thing from a mile away because it was so unexpected. And no one would really expect Rachel to fall for Ross either since they seem so different, but of course, that happened, too. Well, that would all be over if Friends aired today. Instead, you would be so bored, you would wonder if you should stop watching altogether and find a new favorite sitcom. It just wouldn't be the same. There's no way that they could capture that same magic today. There was just something super special about the fact that this show existed back when it did.

9 Spoilers Would Ruin Everything

Oh, spoilers. Maybe spoilers were technically around back in the 90s when Friends originally aired, but they weren't such a big thing. Today, spoilers are HUGE and there are people who actually like reading about what's going to happen to their favorite characters before the episode even airs. Not you. No, that would be crazy… Unfortunately, sometimes you can't help it. Sometimes, you log onto your Twitter account and you're super innocent, just reading what's on your news feed, and then BAM. There's a spoiler for your favorite show. You didn't mean to read it, you weren't seeking it out, but it just happened and now it's too late and everything is ruined. Can you IMAGINE learning that Monica and Chandler were going to hook up before you watched it for yourself? What about Ross and Rachel? It would not be the same viewing experience at all. So thank your lucky stars that this show isn't on the air today.

8 It Would Be Too Clever

There are two types of sitcoms these days: ones that are totally stupid (and that you never watch -- no really, you don't) and ones that are way too clever. The latter are even worse because while sometimes they're funny, they're truly way too hard and that ruins things for you. If Friends aired today, it would fall into that category and be way too clever. It would always be trying too hard to impress you and that would get on your last nerve and fast. The cool thing about this show is that sometimes, the characters are totally and completely dorky. They embarrass themselves, they say the wrong thing, they act weirdly, and they generally just mess up and make mistakes. And every single thing that they do is totally loveable. You are charmed by them and you don't find it annoying at all. But if they were trying too hard all the time and being super hipster and ridiculous, it would be a different story.

7 There Would Be No Central Perk

One of the best things about Friends is how everyone hangs out at Central Perk, the amazing cafe where Rachel works for a period of time. Well, say goodbye to your favorite fictional coffee shop. It definitely wouldn't be part of the show if it aired today. Nope. The gang would definitely hang out at an annoying AF hipster cafe because that's what the writers would think would be cool. Only it wouldn't be cool at all. It would be full of hipsters and you would want to turn the TV off every time that you watched the characters grabbing coffee here. Plus there's no way that they would come up with such a cool name for a coffee shop these days. There's just no way. This whole set was totally part of some 90s magic that doesn't exist today. Again, just imagine watching hipsters annoy the gang literally every time they had a scene there. It would be a huge distraction and basically ruin everything.

6 Joey Would Be TOO Dumb

You love Joey because, well, what's not to love?! Joey is the most adorable person ever. He's cute, he knows he's cute, and he's got that famous tagline that you still find funny and charming all these years later. You would totally date him if he was real, don't even try to hide it. You wouldn't be able to stop yourself. The best thing about Joey is that while he's dumb and that's a huge part of his personality, he's not TOO dumb. The writers were super careful and made sure that he is still a caring and compassionate and loyal person. He would never do the wrong thing and he would never hurt someone, either, and he also doesn't have a huge ego. That would all be over if this show aired in 2017. Instead, Joey would be a totally one-note character. He would be dumb, period, and you would get tired of his lame jokes and of him, too.

5 Monica Would Be Mean

Any character that has anything in common with Monica is pretty mean. You know, the whole Type A control freak thing. That's why Monica is so awesome. She's super sweet and caring, even though she wants everything to be exactly the way that she wants it and even though she can be kind of annoying sometimes. That's why she is so endearing and that's why you always adore her, no matter what she's saying or doing. Monica would also be ruined if this show aired today. She would become a mean, one-note character the way that Joey would become stupid and Phoebe would become super weird. This new Monica would be totally different and totally unrecognizable from the original one, and it would be a sad sight to see. It's really awesome that this show aired when it did because Monica is such a strong character and such a big part of the series.

4 It Would Lose That Old-School Vibe

You love Friends because it is such an old-fashioned kind of show. Just think about it. The gang all hang out together ALL THE TIME and they do not exactly text 24/7. They are not obsessed with social media and they do not have that super annoying thing we call FOMO. And think about Rachel's character in particular. Yeah, she has an awkward and awful dating life and she embarrasses herself on a regular basis. But she does not get ghosted, right? She does not deal with any of the really strange and super humiliating things that millennials deal with in the dating world. Do you really want to see Rachel get ghosted? Or have someone gaslight her? Or any of the other awful things that happen? No, you really don't. You get enough of that in your own life, thanks. So be grateful that you did not have to witness any of that.

3 It Would Be Discriminating

Friends is definitely NOT discriminating. It celebrates the fact that girls can be friends with guys and everyone can hang out in one great big group and it's all totally fine. Unfortunately, if this series was on the air today, this is yet another thing that would change and that would totally suck. Joey and Chandler would probably tease Phoebe, Monica, and Rachel and act super sexist and rude and horrible. They might even be mean to Ross since they wouldn't feel like he's manly enough to hang out with them. Ugh. You're shuddering just thinking about it, right? It's super awkward because it would be horrible. It's really great that this never happened. Sure, the show proves that there are some major differences between men and women, and sometimes the gang played games in teams against each other, but it was all in good fun. It was never cruel or mean-spirited and that would change if the show aired today.

2 There Would Be No Chandler/Monica Romance

These two are such a good couple, you can't even handle it. They are perfect for each other, made for each other, soulmates -- you could go on and on. You loved that Chandler and Monica were such an unexpected couple because it kept the show fresh and fun and unique. It proved that no matter how many seasons and episodes were aired, you could still be surprised and there were still so many reasons for you to keep watching. If this show aired today, there would definitely be no romance between these two lovely characters. Instead, they would probably go the totally opposite route and fight all the time or something equally annoying. Critics and fans alike might wax poetic about how these two should just date already, but the writers would never let that happen. Unfortunately, sometimes TV couples are way too obvious these days, and there are no real surprises. Phew. Aren't you so happy it aired back in the 90s?

1 There Would Be No Ross/Rachel Break

The best part about the Ross and Rachel romance? The fact that they were on a break. Sure, you may totally disagree because you think that break was the worst thing ever. But think about it: it was a completely brilliant move on the part of the writers and producers. This storyline kept you watching, right? It kept you super invested and interested and it made every scene that these two were in have so much tension and conflict. It was truly awesome and will go down in TV history as one of the best things ever. Unfortunately, if Friends was on the air in 2017, this relationship would have been ruined before it even truly started. Today, things like this don't happen. Characters don't go on breaks. They either get together WAY too soon and you are super bored and wish they had just stayed friends, or they never date and you wonder what the writers are thinking. Or they break up and you are just as devastated as the characters. So now you're pretty glad that Friends is the 90s gem that it is, right?