Diversity has become a hot topic of discussion lately, prompting people to consider its value in all facets of life. One recent subject of conversation? Friends, the classic sitcom from the 1990s.
Quinta Brunson, who is well-known for her work on Abbott Elementary, recently criticized Friends for having too few diverse characters. Brunson using her monologue as Saturday Night Live host to draw attention to the lack of Black characters on the adored program.
In contrast to the seeming lack of diversity on Friends, Brunson highlighted the diversity on Abbott Elementary, which follows the lives of teachers in a largely Black, state-funded elementary school in Philadelphia. The contrast was glaringly obvious.
With her signature wit, she cracked jokes, saying, “It seemed like a long audition process to be on Saturday Night Live back in the day, so I just made my own TV show, made sure it became really popular, won a bunch of Emmys, and then got asked to host.” It is so much simpler, so much simpler.
The audience laughed, but it was obvious what the underlying message was. “It’s a network sitcom like, say, Friends,” Brunson went on. But this time, the focus is on a group of instructors rather than a group of friends. It’s in Philadelphia rather than New York, and there are Black people there instead of none.
Even Marta Kauffman, co-creator of Friends, took a serious turn after reading her lighthearted commentary. In addition to publicly expressing regret for the lack of diversity on the show, Kauffman promised to donate $4 million to a university to support African and African-American studies.
Kauffman said, “I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years.” Recognizing and living with guilt is difficult. Gazing at oneself in the mirror hurts. I regret not having more knowledge twenty-five years ago.
It took her a while to see how she had internalized systemic racism, she continued. I’ve been putting a lot of effort into becoming an anti-racist and ally. And it seems to me that this would allow me to contribute to the discussion as a white lady.
Even for a beloved sitcom like Friends, it’s evident that the conversation about diversity has progressed. The debate about diversity is far from ended.
