Lisa Kudrow Says There Wasn't More Diversity In 'Friends' Because The Show Was Created By White People: "You Write What You Know"
In 1994, "Friends" aired on NBC and the last episode aired in 2004. The show may long be over, but it has become a cult classic that millions of people still love to this day. Lisa Kudrow, who played the eccentric character Phoebe, recently spoke about the backlash the show has received for not featuring enough diversity.
In a society obsessed with diversity and inclusivity, there are many retroactive accusations for not featuring enough people of color on popular shows and movies of the past. "Friends" is no exception; the creators have received much criticism for featuring an all-white cast rather than including minorities. Lisa Kudrow has some thoughts on why this is the case.
Lisa Kudrow Says There Wasn't More Diversity in 'Friends' Because the Creators "Have No Business Writing Stories" About Minorities
"Friends" co-creator Marta Kauffman recently made a donation of $4 million to Brandeis University, her alma mater, to establish a professorship in the African and African American studies department. She admitted that she felt guilty for not featuring more people of color in the popular show.
“I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” Kauffman said. “Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. It’s painful looking at yourself in the mirror. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know better 25 years ago."
Lisa briefly spoke about the issue in her recent interview with Daily Beast and pointed out that "Friends" was a show that was "created by two people who went to Brandeis and wrote about their lives after college." And when you write a comedy show 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 added. "I think at that time, the big problem that I was seeing was, 'Where’s the apprenticeship?'"
"Friends" has been accused of being misogynistic, sexist, and racist because of insensitive jokes made when the show was airing, but Lisa didn't give any response to these accusations. It seems like no show or movie is immune from the retroactive criticism related to diversity and race.