EC Blog

One of the prompts for this blog was talking about a show that has a love story plot line.  The show I would like to analyze is Friends and the relationship between Monica and Chandler. This relationship is very complex, as they weren't a couple in the beginning of the show.  They went through many ups and downs to make it to their happily ever after at the end of the show.

One way I know this is a romance/love story is the fact that they have to over come obstacles that bring them to their happily ever after.  They start out in a group of friends where they are both dating other people.  At no point during this time do they have any interest in dating each other.  Throughout the years of being friends they go through a lot of break ups and heartaches.  But of course in the end they end up together, but it wasn't easy.

When they first realized they were attracted to each other they tried to hide it.  Resisted their urges and wouldn't want to be around each other.  Then, they eventually gave in but the relationship was basically "friends with benefits".  It took them a long time (many episodes) to become official.  So, in their own way, they had to overcome themselves and what they thought they wanted to be together.

Once they became a couple they didn't tell their friends because they were worried of what they might think.  Chandler is best friends with Monica's brother Ross and didn't want the friendship to be ruined because of it.  Well the truth eventually came out and their friends at first were confused with the whole situation, after all Monica and Chandler never seemed to have any actual interest in each other. 

Finally, after seeing how in love they were, their friends were very happy for them.  They had support throughout their whole entire relationship and of course during fights the girls would take Monica's side and the guys would take Chandler's side but somehow it always seemed to work out in the end. 

Monica and Chandler become the first people in the group of friends to become happily married.  Which is where stereotypes, and privilege vs. oppression really came into their relationship.

Monica is stereotyped as the girl who has been dreaming of her wedding since she was really little.  Making her seem over obsessed by trying on a ton of wedding dressing and wearing one around the apartment for a whole day.  As well as the over controlling woman who expects everything to be perfect because she has OCD.  It makes her come off as kind of a bitch and bossy towards Chandler in a couple of episodes. 

Oddly enough, I believe that Monica experiences a lot of privilege in this relationship.  She is the one who owns the apartment that they eventually live together in, has always kept a job/steady income, and is considered to be attractive.  She is also intelligent, able-bodied, and white.  She pretty much never loses her power as a woman throughout the entire show and more importantly, throughout their entire relationship. 

The one part of this relationship that I think she experienced the most oppression is when she found out she can't have any kids.  These kinds of things are looked down upon in society because if a woman can't have kids then what is she good for right?  Well Monica feels exactly like that and she becomes very sad, almost depressed about how she is "broken". 

Chandler is stereotyped as the guy who has never thought about his wedding until the decided to pop the question to Monica.  He is also portrayed as a dumb silly guy who doesn't know a thing about women.  He just wants to do manly things with the boys and not worry about girly things like planning a wedding, but when he hears about the cost he perks right up and doesn't hesitate to say how ridiculous it is to spend so much on a wedding. 

Chandler experiences privilege in many ways as well.  He is an able-bodied, college educated, white, handsome, and middle-class man.  Also, being in a relationship with a pretty girl gives him privileges because he has something that every man wants.  Society expects men to be with pretty girls.  Society wants men to want to be with pretty girls. 

He also experiences a lot of oppression too.  At one point he becomes unemployed and Monica has to provide for the both of them.  This isn't what men are suppose to do, according to society.  So he becomes the stay at home husband, who cooks and cleans for his wife.  His guy friends start to see him different when they find out how he has been acting/living and try to get to be more manly and masculine.  Gives him support to stop being a stay at home husband and look for a job so he can provide for his family, because that's what men are supposed to do.