Friends: The One Where Joey Tells Rachel…
The expression, “When art imitates life,” always had an effect on me; I have always felt strongly that music and theater are instrumental in the way that they allow for all sorts of people to relate to one similar theme or idea. No matter how different people are amongst the masses, we as humans have the common trait of emotion, that manifests itself from the songs that we listen to and from the movies or television shows we watch. The best times are when a song or a scene in a show has certain similarities that are analogous with one’s life and this weird tingling feeling up the spine that comes with it. This is where the “arts” have had a tremendous effect, good and bad; sometimes the scenes or scenarios are so similar that it can bring back shunted memories or the greatest of recollections. Either way, it is truly phenomenal the way emotions can creep back up from memories 20 years ago or just 10 minutes ago just from a song or show.
Now that the intro sch-peel is done with….I have always had the knack for getting INTO fads, television shows, and music after its peak popularity. Unfortunately, FRIENDS was one of those fads that I never got into during middle school and high school when the show was at its prime. Everyone I hung around with in high school seemed to love the show, they would quote the scenes and imitate the mannerisms of the characters {Most notably, the WOOOPAH episode!}, while I was quoting Next Friday lines that only a select few understood. But recently, the Friends episodes have been coming on right around my bed time and so I decided “what the hell, lets see what the fuss is all about!” OH MY GOD! I HAVE BEEN MISSING THIS!? The show completely astounded me in how similar my situation on money issues, roommates, jobs, friends, coffee, and love were to the characters. It was the first time I could honestly say a sit-com was actually relate-able to my life, unlike Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Martin, and Family Matters. (I realize now why I was called ghetto) The life of a twenty or thirty something in New York, how brilliant!
Every show had its little resemblance to my life but one particular episode, the title of this blog, had an enormous emotional effect on me. Here is a summary of what happens on the episode; Rachel and Ross have had an on and off relationship for the past 7 years, but one drunken night they do the “CHIMICHANGA” and 
now Rachel is a few months pregnant. However, during this time Ross’s best friend, Joey, has a thing for Rachel but he knows he can’t do anything about it because he doesn’t want to do anything that would hinder his friendship with Ross. Joey can’t sleep, eat, or live his normal routine life because all he thinks about is his love for Rachel. Ultimately, Joey decides to tell Ross about his feelings for her and not surprisingly Ross is not pleased to hear about the situation. Eventually, Ross decides to give Joey his blessing cause he knows Rachel and he are not officially together and also knows that Joey would treat Rachel like a Queen. After the talk, Joey is a nervous wreck; he doesn’t know what to say, how to say it, where he will tell her, what she will say; his mind is going 100mph. Finally, Joey asks Rachel to dinner and tells her they need to talk about something tells Rachel how much he loves her. Rachel is in awe and in somewhat of a shock. Sadly, Rachel doesn’t have the same feelings but still wants to remain lasting friends and wants nothing to change. Joey is heart broken but oddly respects the decision and is somewhat relieved to have it all out in the open. The episode ends with both of them hugging…however through the course of the show he still longs for her and loves her uncondionally
With a few minute details added and erased from that episode and with substituting Joey to Won and Rachel and Ross to _______ and _________, you have just read one of the toughest moments in my life
