The artifact that will be in focus for this analysis is the television series, Friends that aired between 1994 and 2004 on NBC. The program incorporated an ensemble cast of members of six very close friends, three male and two females. The characters include Monica Geller and Ross Geller who are siblings, Joey Tribbiani and Chandler Bing who are roommates before the latter marries Monica, and Rachel Green and Phoebe Buffay both of whom are close friends the rest of the group. The six friends are all in the mid-20s at the start of the program. Monica is a chef, Joey a struggling actor, Ross a paleontologist, Phoebe a masseuse and musician, Chandler a business professional, and Rachel a waitress before changing careers to work in a fashion company. Furthermore, all of them are single and seem to struggle to find their soul mates. The film centers on the exploits of the six as they encounter romantic adventures, career issues, and life as they experience it in a comical manner.
Class
The television program shows extensively the correlation between friendship and the quest to achieve success. Out of the six, only Ross and Chandler are in a stable job with both of them earning more than the rest of the friends. Rachel joins the circle of friends after fleeing from her wedding (Holtzman, & Sharpe, 2014). Her husband to be was an orthodontist who would care for her the rest of her life. She has never had a job and depended on her father’s wealth to cater for her daily needs. After fleeing from her wedding, she begins to feel poor and incapable of leading a life that she desires (Holtzman, & Sharpe, 2014). Evidently, the television show clearly demonstrates the consequences of class particularly in the second season where the friends fight due to income issues. Their friendships are put to the test showing that the indeed class significant effect on the establishment of relationships. When Chandler and Monica are planning their wedding, he informs her of his personal savings making Phoebe who is in the room assert that she perceives him as more attractive. She states this despite previously pointing out numerous times that that was not the case.
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Race
The pop culture artifact is a pervasive producer of messages about different aspects of the society. In this case, irrespective if their institutional purpose, the disseminated meanings are spread to the contextual interests of the public. Since the beginning of television in 1950s, the cultural norms of racial relations between blacks and whites were explicit as they demonstrated that the two-lived separate and unequal worlds (Holtzman, & Sharpe, 2014). Each of the six main characters interacted with other Black characters given superior positions in the society. For instance, Chandler had a black boss in the first season, and later appears at the end of the second season as a stern manager with few lines. A similar case is the one for the Black director in the tenth season who does not affirm Joey’s skills of speaking French. The main characters would use the Black characters positioned in power to feed off their lines and make comedy. Additionally, the fact that the ensemble cast was made of individuals of white skin was a clear indicator that friendships are formed amongst individuals who look alike. It is for this reason that the group did not allow the entry of any other party.
Gender
Gender identifies the masculine or feminine roles undertaken by members of the society. As a result, an individual can achieve a particular gender through cultural and social practices. The television program provides both traditional and nontraditional presentations of gender. The traditional status of men according to US society is one of sexually aggression, violent, active, and adventurous. On the other hand, women are depicted as youthful, beautiful, incompetent, and passive (Willem, Araüna, Crescenzi, & Tortajada, 2012). Friends , actively presents these stereotypical roles of masculinity and femininity through the characters of Joey and Rachel respectively. The same stereotypes are used to reject the genders of characters like Chandler and Ross whose actions deem them as “wimps, nerd, mother’s boy, or sissy”. The pop culture artifact shows significant impact in the establishment of friendships (Willem, Araüna, Crescenzi, & Tortajada, 2012). Despite the normative attitude that men befriend other men and the same for women, cross-gender friendships may occur between young adults. However, they may threaten the friendship structure once a sexual relationship forms. The relationship between Ross and Rachel shows clearly this occurrence that risks the friendships of the entire circle after a bitter break-up in the second season.
Reflection
The sitcom, Friends, is one of the most popular television programs to date as it depicts the social aspects of society through the interactions of the ensemble cast. Prior to writing this analysis, I had never thought that race, gender, or class motivated the artifact. However, a closer look at the actions and presentation of characters shows a clear focus on these social issues. The television program actively presents the notions, beliefs, and the attitudes of the whites. It depicts the importance and dominance of the race as being better off than the other minor ethnicities. The artifact is a clear indicator of the divide in the society at large based on class, race, and gender despite prevalent notions of equality in the US.
References
Holtzman, L., & Sharpe, L. (2014). Media messages: What film, television, and popular music teach us about race, class, gender, and sexual orientation . London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
Willem, C., Araüna, N., Crescenzi, L., & Tortajada, I. (2012). Girls on Fotolog: Reproduction of gender stereotypes or identity play? Interactions: Studies in Communication & Culture, 2 (3), 225-242.
