Conversations about diversity have become increasingly important, touching all areas of life, including our favorite TV shows from the past. This brings us to the beloved 90s sitcom, Friends, which has come under scrutiny lately for its lack of diversity.
Quinta Brunson, who many know and love from her performance in Abbott Elementary, recently voiced her concerns about Friends. During her hosting gig on Saturday Night Live, Brunson took the opportunity to address the issue in her opening monologue. She highlighted the absence of black friends in the iconic series.
Brunson also shed some light on her own show, Abbott Elementary, which follows a group of teachers in a predominantly black, state-funded elementary school in Philadelphia. When you compare the diversity on Abbott Elementary to Friends, the contrast is quite stark.
In her humorous style, she remarked: “I wanted to be on SNL back in the day but the audition process seemed long – so instead, I just created my own TV show, made sure it became really popular, won a bunch of Emmys, and then got asked to host. So much easier, so much easier.”
The audience resonated with her sentiments as she continued: “It’s a network sitcom like, say, Friends. Except, instead of being about a group of friends, it’s about a group of teachers. Instead of New York, it’s in Philadelphia and instead of not having Black people, it does.”
Despite the playful tone, the issue Brunson raised is serious and has been shared by many, including Martha Kauffman, one of Friends’ creators. Kauffman has expressed embarrassment over the show’s lack of diversity and took steps to atone for it by pledging $4 million to a university in support of African and African-American studies departments.
Reflecting on her journey, Kauffman said: “I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” admitting, “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.”
She continued: “It took me a long time to begin to understand how I internalized systemic racism. I’ve been working really hard to become an ally, an anti-racist. And this seemed to me to be a way that I could participate in the conversation from a white woman’s perspective.”
The discussion around diversity in entertainment is ongoing, but it seems like progress is being made, at least in recognizing past shortcomings and working toward a more inclusive future.