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Could It Be Anymore Awkward? Why Did Matthew Perry Scrap A Whole Episode Of 'Friends'?

Matthew Perry himself once put his foot down and axed a whole episode that would've taken Chandler further down the sexually ambiguous route.

By Tom ChapmanPublished 6 years ago 2 min read
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'Friends' [Credit: NBC]

As a nugget of '90s and '00s nostalgia, kooky #comedy #Friends has aged incredibly well. However, even as we sing along to "Smelly Cat," learn the rules of Bamboozled!, and mourn the loss of Dr. Drake Ramoray, a few elements have become somewhat cringeworthy with time.

Whether it be body shaming ugly naked men, dating your own student, jokes about “the hermaphrodite cheerleader from Long Island,” or the fact that is isn't OK to share naptime with your heterosexual friend, the show is a bit like that backward aunt who doesn't quite get the 21st century. Looking back on it now, Friends could even be accused of getting a little too close to the nerve on homophobia — and no, I am not some snowflake liberal who is reading too much into this, it's just a fact.

There were always questions about Chandler Bing's sexuality; whether it was Kathleen Turner as his drag queen father, or Season 1's episode where he is called out for having a "quality," it seemed there was something more implied. However, #MatthewPerry himself once put his foot down and axed a whole episode that would've taken Chandler further down the sexually ambiguous route.

Hotline Bing

Speaking to Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live, Perry told us about the rather awkward incident in question:

"There was a story line on 'Friends' where Chandler went to a male strip joint because he really liked the sandwiches. And I called up and was like, 'Let's not do this one'."

What's not to like? Chandler: good; strip club: good, sandwiches: goooooood.

Perry played Chandler Bing for all 10 seasons of the show, and as the witty transcriber of sarcasm, he always struggled in love more than the others. We all know that he eventually hooked up with the girl next door (literally) and married Monica Geller, but why was Perry so against the strip club storyline? The actor disliked the plot so much, he made sure it was never used in any other episodes either.

While a trip somewhere on a futile mission for sandwiches might sound like something more up Joey Tribbiani's alley, Perry was reluctant to divulge why he nixed the idea. As the years go on and most of the cast remain dead set on the show remaining where it is, chances of Chandler having his strip club buffet are slimmer than Courteney Cox's waistline. Despite the recent surfacing of a faux Friends revival poster and the return of Will & Grace, it looks like the lights are still out in Central Perk.

As for Chandler's antics, don't worry, Matthew, your sandwiches are safe with us, and God knows that Jack McFarland provides enough hilarious homosexuality for every show on network television. We can still have a gay ol' time with the upcoming Friends Broadway musical.

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About the Creator

Tom Chapman

Tom is a Manchester-based writer with square eyes and the love of a good pun. Raised on a diet of Jurassic Park, this ’90s boy has VHS flowing in his blood. No topic is too big for this freelancer by day, crime-fighting vigilante by night.

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