In 1994, Friends made its debut and captured the hearts of millions. As one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, the cast is still well-known in Hollywood almost three decades later. Among the hilarious cast was American sweetheart Jennifer Aniston. She set the tone of women’s style in the 90s and her iconic layered haircut inspired women and young girls everywhere. Not only did she have a hand in fueling 90’s fashion, but she’s also been part of the evolution of comedy over the last 30 years, commenting on the “sensitivity” of today’s generation.
Jennifer Aniston Destined for Stardom
Jennifer Aniston was born in Sherman Oaks, a Los Angeles, California neighborhood. Born in 1969, she was destined for the big screen. Parents John and Nancy, were both active in Hollywood as actors, setting Jennifer up for a life of prosperity and performance. She attended high school in New York, focusing on drama at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.
Although she became well-known for her role as Rachel, she performed a number of minor parts. However, when Jennifer Aniston played a spoiled and jaded brat trying to make it alone in NYC, she captured hearts everywhere. Jennifer Aniston has had an impressively long career in romantic comedies and comedies. She’s also been nominated for and won a number of awards, including a Golden Globe.
Since Jennifer made it big in Hollywood, she has appeared in over 30 movies and directed 3. She’s gorgeous, has a healthy lifestyle, and has an impressive Hollywood career that has set her up for a life of comfort and luxury. However, she seems to be struggling to come to terms with where comedy has evolved to.
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Explaining the Hardships
Jennifer Aniston recently told AFP, “Comedy has evolved” and it’s difficult these days to balance that with political correctness. “Now it’s a little tricky because you have to be very careful, which makes it really hard for comedians, because the beauty of comedy is that we make fun of ourselves, make fun of life,” She explained, “You could joke about a bigot and have a laugh — that was hysterical. And it was about educating people on how ridiculous people were. And now we’re not allowed to do that.”
“There’s a whole generation of people, kids, who are now going back to episodes of ‘Friends’ and find them offensive,” She added. “There were things that were never intentional and others… well, we should have thought it through — but I don’t think there was a sensitivity like there is now.”
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Jennifer Aniston Isn’t Alone
While popular and beloved during its airing, the show ‘Friends’ hasn’t been a stranger to controversy. In recent years, some of the jokes have come under fire for “fat-shaming” and “womanizing“. Meanwhile, the show itself has been criticized for its lack of diversity. Jennifer Aniston isn’t the only member to speak about controversial topics.
More recently, Lisa Kudrow made headlines for commenting on the all-white cast. She explained that she believed the creators “had no business” writing a show about people of color. After all, they wouldn’t be coming from a firsthand perspective. “Well, I feel like it was a show created by two people who went to Brandeis and wrote about their lives after college. And for shows especially, when it’s going to be a comedy that’s character-driven, you write what you know. They have no business writing stories about the experiences of being a person of color.” she explained.
Guilt Inspires Change
Apparently, Marta Kauffman, ‘Friends’ co-creator, has been feeling ashamed by the show’s lack of diversity. So much so that she announced last year, she was making a sizeable donation. The $4 million donation was used to found the Marta F. Kauffman ’78 Professorship in African and African American Studies at Brandeis University. The organization will “support a distinguished scholar with a concentration in the study of the peoples and cultures of Africa and the African diaspora.”
Society has made incredible strides to become more open-minded, compassionate, and sensitive to the needs of others. However, with that comes the need to walk on eggshells for fear of never knowing how something might be taken out of context. Or when something might unintentionally hurt someone else. We’re all walking fine lines between being inclusive and being able to fully relate to the culture or history of another person. According to Jennifer Aniston, the solution is to lighten up. “Everybody needs funny! The world needs humor! We can’t take ourselves too seriously. Especially in the United States. Everyone is far too divided.” She stated.
New Project
Jennifer Aniston has starred alongside some incredible actors and Hollywood icons. Her most current project is, “Murder Mystery 2″. A sequel in which she shares the screen with longtime friend and co-star, Adam Sandler. The movie was set to premier on Netflix at the end of March 2023. It has been described to be about full-time detectives who’ve struggled to open their own PI practice.
It’s not uncommon to find a demographic who’s unhappy or offended by how they’ve been treated in society. Furthermore, generations have long been fighting for racial, gender, and sexual equity. Jennifer Aniston is just one of many Hollywood actors, who’ve had to adapt. Some have even removed themselves or been forced out of the limelight for their inability to adapt. Meanwhile, others have used their voices and fame as a platform to promote these societal changes.
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