-The theme song became a hit on a radio station.Friends: The Reunion · 2021 — Chapter 13 of 25 · 4'06" · B1
Fans on What Friends Meant, Explained: had a big hand in
This is the fan-testimony section: people around the world describe what a sitcom did for them. One says it "had a big hand in teaching me English"; another proposed to her husband after watching Monica propose to Chandler; others call the cast the friends they never had.
What happens
The cast and creators recall Friends going global—magazine covers, a theme song on the radio, crowds behind barricades—and marveling that it "entered the zeitgeist." Then fans take over, describing how the show taught them English, pulled them through depression, and even shaped how they propose.
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had a big hand innot your average television showtake control of your lifeenter the zeitgeist
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Phrase of the scene
had a big hand in
在……上出了大力；起了很大作用
一位观众说《老友记》在她的英语学习上出了很大的力。
Her mentor had a big hand in shaping her career.
Also in this scene
- not your average television show
不是普通的电视剧；非比寻常
- take control of your life
拿回人生的主导权；掌控自己的人生
- enter the zeitgeist
进入时代潮流；成为集体意识的一部分
Everything marked in this scene
41 notes across 58 lines
liaison
-The theme song became a hit on a radio station.that was like, "Wow, this is not your average television show."-They're on the cover of Rolling Stone.-They've somehow entered the zeitgeist.liaison
-They've somehow entered the zeitgeist.-They've somehow entered the zeitgeist.-Jennifer is gorgeous. Why is it such a phenomenon?It just suits her very well. It's spectacular.-I think my favorite was I was dropping my kids off,flap
-I think my favorite was I was dropping my kids off,-Wherever we were, suddenly there are thousands of people gathered.Everybody was screaming and yelling and behind barricades.Everybody was screaming and yelling and behind barricades.-Once "Friends" had gone global,weak form
-Once "Friends" had gone global,-Basically any place I went, you know, from Jordan to India, they knew what "Friends" was.-My mom bought me the DVDs of the whole series when I was in elementary school."Friends" really had a big hand in teaching me English, and the show really taught me the thingsidiom
"Friends" really had a big hand in teaching me English, and the show really taught me the thingsflap
"Friends" really had a big hand in teaching me English, and the show really taught me the thingsabout life and true friendship.-Could I be wearing any more clothes?when we were in first year in college.We were too shy to talk to girls,so "Friends" was a way to boost our morale and boost our confidenceso "Friends" was a way to boost our morale and boost our confidenceand be able to make new friends, especially ladies.-My most favorite episode on "Friends" is the episode in which Monica asks Chandler to marry her.relative clause
-My most favorite episode on "Friends" is the episode in which Monica asks Chandler to marry her.-I'm a single mom, and, you know, society pushes usBut I mean, as a woman, you have to take control of your life.So watching that episode got me thinking that I can also take charge of my own relationship.-I was battling depression.I was at a very dark place.metaphor
I was at a very dark place.The need to even eat was a problem.-I was a gay man who wanted to have hair like Jennifer Aniston.-And "Friends" was what I came home to.-It became a reason for me to wake up every day because I felt I had friends around me.-Like every Chandler, I found my Monica.Fans on What Friends Meant, explained
What's really going on
Strip away the nostalgia montage and this scene is about evidence. The cast offers proof of scale—magazine covers, the theme song on the radio, crowds held back by barricades—and admits it "entered the zeitgeist" without anyone noticing the moment it happened. The fans offer proof of meaning instead: one says the show "had a big hand in teaching me English," a single mom says it taught her to "take control of your life," and a viewer fighting depression calls it "a reason for me to wake up every day." The two halves argue the same point from opposite ends—a show that reached millions only matters because, for some of them, it filled a private gap.
Theme
FriendshipFans describe the characters as the friends they didn't have.
LonelinessTestimonies about isolation show the show filling an empty place in people's lives.
Listen for
- became a hit — liaison
- entered the zeitgeist — liaison
- dropping my kids off — flap
- gone global — weak form
But I mean, as a woman, you have to take control of your life.A viewer says women shouldn't wait to be chosen and should steer their own lives.
I was at a very dark place.A fan describes hitting the lowest point of a depression.
They were my friends since I didn't really have any.The characters stood in for real friends during a lonely time.
-Like every Chandler, I found my Monica.A fan says the show's romance mirrored finding his own partner.
-It became a reason for me to wake up every day because I felt I had friends around me.Watching the show gave a depressed viewer a reason to get up.
Questions about this scene
Why do fans say the show helped them with English?
One fan says the sitcom "had a big hand in teaching me English," and that it also taught her about life and true friendship, so for many viewers it doubled as a way to pick up the language.
How did a fan use a Friends episode to propose?
One viewer says her favorite episode is the one where Monica asks Chandler to marry her, and that after watching it she knew she wanted to propose to her own husband the same way, which she did.
What does "entered the zeitgeist" mean here?
It means the show became part of the cultural moment everyone was talking about. The cast recalls magazine covers and a hit theme song, and marvels that they somehow became that big without noticing when it happened.
Why is the Rachel haircut mentioned?
Jennifer's hairstyle became a phenomenon of its own. Someone notes it just suits her very well and calls it spectacular, a sign of how the show shaped fashion as well as TV.
Why did some fans describe the show as a lifeline?
One fan says the cast "were my friends since I didn't really have any," and another calls the show "a reason for me to wake up every day." For them it filled a real gap when they felt alone.
Friends: The Reunion · 25 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 14got you hookedThe Cast Answers Fan Questions
Chapter 1get in the wayThe Cast Returns to the Set
Chapter 2in the bagThe Friends Cast Reunites On Stage
Chapter 3stay in touchThe Cast Reunites at the Fountain
Chapter 4that time in your lifeThe Friends Creators Explain the Premise
Chapter 5pet peeveThe Cast Plays a Friends Quiz
Chapter 6has this magicThe Cast Plays Trivia
Chapter 7at the top of their gameThe Cast Revisits the Jellyfish
Chapter 8down to the wireHow Friends Cast Its Six
Chapter 9to make a long story shortThe Cast Recalls Their Auditions
Chapter 10in the wrong handsCasting the Rest of the Cast
Chapter 11tail between my legsThe Producer Who Predicted Stardom
Chapter 12a completely different ballgameThe Cast on Sudden Fame
Watching · Chapter 13had a big hand inFans on What Friends Meant
Chapter 14got you hookedThe Cast Answers Fan Questions
Chapter 15down-to-earthThe Monkey Kept Ruining Takes
Chapter 16cost a fortuneThe Chair Scene Goes Wrong
Chapter 17put our heads togetherThe Sling Written Into the Show
Chapter 18beat you to itHow Monica and Chandler Became a Couple
Chapter 19take something for a spinThe Cast Reenacts Smelly Cat
Chapter 20buy a word of itThe Couch Pivot Scene
Chapter 21keep straight a faceThe Friends Blooper Reel
Chapter 22calls out to meJanice Returns to the Reunion
Chapter 23two ships passingDavid and Jen's Secret Crush
Chapter 24the long arm of the lawWere Ross and Rachel on a Break?
Chapter 25go to piecesSaying Goodbye to FriendsChapter 13 of 25 · about 48 min to go