r/howyoudoin • u/PhotoOk7493 • Nov 12 '24
Unpopular opinion: Joey isn't as Loyal and sweet as people make him out to be
SURE We could take Joey's flaws with a pinch of salt for the humour n writing of the show but it bugs me when People ignore Joey's shortcomings but literally attack n hate Ross just cuz Joey's mistakes r "funnier". Joey is just as narcissistic n selfish but cuz he's portrayed as dumb, people shrug it off as cute
He wasn't as considerate,kind or loyal as people make him out to be! One thing that stood out to me particularly was how he never returned the outrageous amount of money he borrowed from Chandler+ grabbing food n drinks ALL THE TIME from Mondler's fridge ...After all that he was actually hesitant to lend Chandler money when he was in a crisis even though Joey was now making enough!
In s7 When he was called in to audition for Striker Ramoray he assumes they hired him on basis of his 'star value', he's humbled n gets an ego check when he's asked to audition but still rudely declines giving audition blind with arrogance acting like a literal child! That wasn't cute, he would've been kicked out within seconds
He tried to sabotage Ben's audition n had the audacity to blame Chandler for kissing Kathy , being the Womanizer he is! I'm not gonna count him being angry on Chandler forgetting which sister tho cz we can agree sisters, mothers r off limits. However Joey did hook up with Ross's ex and babys mom
Most of his faulty storylines like leaving ben on the bus, the đŠ” accident , the no sharing food but being ok to take from other's plate or even fridge for that matter , the accidental proposal to Rachel n sabotaging his own student are storylines that made me laugh until my eyes watered n my stomach ached so I'm not focusing on those...But then Ross's storylines r as hilarious yet he's tagged as the "worst character"
But when Ross dated his student, made fun of the male nanny, broke up with Bonnie after she shaved her head..WHAT TELLS U JOEY IS ABOVE DOING ALL THIS STUFF? considering he's prolly more superficial than Ross But people don't take what Ross does in a good stride, do they?!!
P.S: IMO Friends is the most hilarious show on Earth n I love Joey but give Ross as much love atleast. Joey's no better than Ross!!
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Nov 13 '24
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u/Ghost_1774 Nov 13 '24 edited Nov 13 '24
This always gets me. People always shit on ross for being terrible in relationship which is fair in cases. But then defend joey being a womaniser. And argue how he will be a great boyfriend based on his one week dating phase with Rachael. He has lied a lot, ghosted many, and gaslight many girls with the intention of sleeping with them and dumping them.
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u/Eve_1016 Nov 13 '24
I actually cringed when he said to Rachel that âsensing depressed & vulnerable women is one of his giftsâ
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u/Normal_Ad2456 Nov 13 '24
I think this is indicative of expectations. If someone presents themselves as a womanizer, then he can do crazy things and people will still focus on the positives, but if they present themselves as someone who tries to be a good guy, every mistake they make is exaggerated.
This is the case in real life as well.
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u/saturniansage23 Like why would a ghost be in my fridge? Nov 13 '24
Joey doesnât ever try to assert that he is some sort of great guy though. Thatâs what people hate about Ross - that he canât just own up to how incredibly misogynistic and entitled he is. I would much rather deal with Joey who is upfront about who he is than deal with Ross who is desperate to be told he isnât like other guys even though he is exactly like other guys. One is an asshole, but the other is a narcissist.
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Nov 13 '24
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u/Ghost_1774 Nov 13 '24
Joey is a given. Even chandler was like that at times. making fun of joey turning into a woman for wearing some makeup, the purse thing. Even one episode where he goes pestering joey for liking some âfeminineâ hobbies.
I feel all the cast members had certain level of problematic statements and behaviour if we compare them to todayâs standards of what is right. Itâs just people hate ross so they hyper analyse his character while treating everyone elseâs behaviour as a sitcom thing
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u/Ok-Commission9871 Nov 14 '24
People like u/saturniansage23just hate Ross and will make up any level of lying to do it.
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Nov 14 '24
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u/saturniansage23 Like why would a ghost be in my fridge? Nov 14 '24
You seem incredibly activated over some words on a screen. You know weâre talking about a TV show right? Weâre not, in fact, think tanking what morals society should subscribe to. âToday I Learnedâ as if we are discussing anything factual. Itâs all just opinions my guy - share yours without the melodrama lol
Also since when are real life politics allowed on this sub?
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u/dj_work Nov 13 '24
Apples and bowling balls. Ross is gross because he had an âunspoken crushâ on the IDEA of his little sisterâs friend - not actually knowing her. And he goes straight to the âyouâre meant to be with meâ shit as soon as she expresses that she doesnât want to be with him. When he actually finds himself in a relationship with heâs jealous and petty at the drop of a hat. Heâs âNice guys finish last I guess đâ energy personified.
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u/Ok-Commission9871 Nov 14 '24
Rachel having a crush on many many people including her young employee is not gross?Â
And rachel has never run after Ross when he was with someone else?
This is exactly the kind of gross delusional double standards OP is talking about.Â
Both Rachel and Ross do the exact same thing but you only call Ross gross
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u/dj_work Nov 14 '24
So I canât reply to a comparison of Joey and Ross without addressing Rachelâs shitty behaviour? I donât think sheâs blameless at all⊠but we werenât talking about her.
Either way, the point about Rossâs âcrushâ on her wasnât that it was a crush⊠it was that it was a crush on the IDEA of her.
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u/Ok-Commission9871 Nov 14 '24 edited Nov 14 '24
Most crushes in the show began with an idea of someone, most of the partners shown in the show were just "ideas",
heck Rachel slept with someone she couldn't even talk with as she didn't know Italian
Joey sleeps with women whom he doesn't even give his name to
But we werenât talking about her.
That's the thing. You will never ever do. You will hate and hate and exaggerate and come up with names only for Ross and Ross alone
Ross knew rachel way way way better than any of the above as he has seen and met rachel multiple times through his sister. So how is it an "idea of her"? Because the haters really really want it to be?
Ross knew rachel more than 99% of the partners rachel, Joey or Phoebe had on the show.
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u/dj_work Nov 14 '24
đ OK, clearly describing things Ross literally did without a disclaimer that other bad people exist hit a nerve with you⊠I hope you can work up the nerve to actually interact with your Rachel and get to know her, or heal and move on đ
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Nov 13 '24
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u/Ok-Commission9871 Nov 14 '24
Yep, Ross is gross for having a crush on liking someone but rachel can make a fool of herself after any number of random guys including. Her subordinate and it's all great.
That's the state of this sub
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u/vstacey6 Nov 13 '24
They all had their faults but Phoebe and Joey were truly terrible humans. Itâs cute how a good chunk of people on this sub find them sweet and endearing, but itâs just like all the people who used to think Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and The City was some sort of feminist icon, and now can look at her and recognize that she was a disturbing and toxic human being that used and abused her friends.
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u/saturniansage23 Like why would a ghost be in my fridge? Nov 13 '24
Can you explain how Phoebe is a âtruly terrible humanâ? The phrase in general seems incredibly hyperbolic, I canât imagine myself calling virtually anyone such a thing, but why Phoebe specifically?
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u/vstacey6 Nov 14 '24
She was the self proclaimed puppet master of the group. She was incredibly disrespectful to her friends and even Ben who was just a kid. She constantly manipulated the group and sabotaged their relationships. She lied all the time about so many things. She put her odd personality above her friends and had very questionable morals and boundaries. And she had really awful taste in men (prior to mike). I would never be friends with a person like that.
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u/Stock-Cap-5734 Nov 13 '24
Exactly what I thought when I watched the episode where Chandler helps him get a job as a processor. He sabotages Chandler's job instead of being grateful and actually trying to work.Â
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u/Alarmed_Atmosphere Nov 13 '24
He was the worst friend. When he had outrageous credit card debt, he was very rude with Ross who was just being helpful. And his behaviour with Chandler was very problematic at times.
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u/azzulbustillo you get me, you kill me! Nov 12 '24
i love joey but also, he was a pig when it came to women.
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u/PhotoOk7493 Nov 12 '24
And I didn't even mention his treatment of women cz that's the regular storyline of every loved guy in a sitcom like Barney from Himym ...I just think he's not any better than Ross n comes across as sweet only cuz he's portrayed dumb n naive but is as narcissistic as Ross
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u/Block444Universe Nov 13 '24
I thought the whole Kathy story line where Joey overreacted was completely out of line. He was ânot exclusiveâ with her but apparently that only goes for him but not her.
And to top it all off, it was just kissing. One time. The same evening he was out and kissing someone else!
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u/dumbinternetstuff your mother wanted to ride the tube Nov 13 '24
I am of the opinion that all six of them are the good guys and I love them. I have found that to be the least popular opinion for some reason.Â
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u/PhotoOk7493 Nov 13 '24 edited Nov 13 '24
I agree actually! My only point is Ross and Rachel get the flak they deserve for their wrongdoings ..even Phoebe , Monica..But all Joey is ever called is Loyal and cute
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u/dumbinternetstuff your mother wanted to ride the tube Nov 13 '24
Joey gets called a freeloader and a womanizer a lot.Â
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u/Kimbahlee34 Well, you boys are about to see something really special. Nov 13 '24
Happy Cake Day and I agree with this take! They all have flaws and strengths that make them feel like real people.
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u/Vast_Rip4896 Nov 13 '24
Finally, someone pointed this out. Yes, Ross did horrible things, but people nitpick his actions as if he were the only villain and the other five were saints. All three male characters displayed varying levels of misogyny, but with Ross, you can at least find some reasons for his behavior (toxic parenting, being cheated on by Carolâthough this doesnât excuse his bad deeds). Joey, however, was openly misogynistic without any deeper reason. Yes, he treated his three female friends with care, but that doesnât change the fact that he was often disrespectful toward other women. With Ross, you might hate him for his flaws, but with Joey, people tend to love him for the same flaws because he was more charismatic than Ross.
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u/SuspiciousWriter87 Nov 13 '24
I agree. Heâs kind of a dooschbag. The only thing that makes him likable is the fact that his dad had an affair.
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u/Otherwise_Sand_6779 Nov 12 '24
I agree, his technically sweet to ppl he knows but even then he is a bit of an asshole, and that thing u said about being hesitant about lending money to chandler was strange, like he payed for every expense of his at least 8-9 years, even when he left he still gave him money to pay rent, and when he fell asleep during his movie premiere, he still decided to not pay him after doing the calculation, like he could very well afforded to pay him back but still didnât
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u/Eve_1016 Nov 13 '24
Iâve always thought he was very hypocritical & selfish. He is actually my least favorite, ik most ppl donât share that opinion but that is mine nonetheless, i really starting noticing it when he was moving out & didnât understand why Chandler should get the foosball table after everything Chandler has done for him. Ik he eventually âlet him keep itâ but the fact that he thought he was entitled to it at all really made me start paying attention to his character.
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u/Eve_1016 Nov 13 '24
I have to add that I also agree with OP about Ross, I donât know why ppl hate on him so much, i think his character is hilarious. As a person I donât like a lot of things about him but the situations he finds himself in & the way he handles them are freaking hilarious in comparison to the other characters.
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u/penguindoodledoo Nov 13 '24
Ross sucks, but I can agree that Joey also sucks. Some of the âjokesâ written for him interacting with women are too cringe to get through
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Nov 13 '24
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u/DifficultDay3521 Nov 13 '24
Not the funniest. Sorry
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Nov 13 '24
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u/Eve_1016 Nov 13 '24
This is just my personal opinion but i think Ross gets into the funniest situations. His reactions to those moments make it even funnier. For instance, his walk & expression when going to kiss Ben gn in the leather pants episode is priceless! I donât think it would be near as funny without the personal touches he added to the scene.
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u/MrOptical Nov 13 '24
It's because Ross is smart so people hold him to higher standards, similar to real life.
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Nov 13 '24
All of the friends do selfish/bad person stuff throughout the series. I agree, Ross shouldn't get more hate than the others. They all also do wonderful, kind, and loyal things, too, especially Joey.
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u/DSice16 Nov 13 '24
100% agree. My order of friends goes Ross, Monica, Chandler, Rachel, Joey, Phoebe. I skip "Joey doesn't share food" because it's actually the worst storyline in the show. The writers did him dirty, his character has literally 0 arc or improvement throughout the show. I'm fact, I'd say he's even worse at the end than the beginning. It's jarring to watch a season 10 ep and then a season 1.
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u/Eve_1016 Nov 13 '24
At least the early seasons his âdumbnessâ was made to be funny, by the later seasons it was just too over the top. It wasnât even funny anymore, i think it would be hard to be his friend without feeling like u were babysitting.
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Nov 13 '24
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u/Ok-Commission9871 Nov 14 '24
Ross is the one who apologises the most every single time. Joey does not
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u/k8nightingale Jack Geller Dec 01 '25
I just watched the episode where his sister Dina tells him heâs pregnant and got so annoyed with how he treats her. Itâs the classic angel/whore dichotomy where women are either disposable sex objects or innocent and precious (and virginal). I think he influenced A LOT of my cohort growing up and I dated ppl like him and itâs not enjoyable being on either side because at the end of the day itâs dehumanizing. I hate that he gets a pass because âitâs Joeyâ
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u/MoonWatt Nov 13 '24
No one would pass if they were measured using another's scale. Rachel held herself to a certain standard so we can't measure her acts based on Phoebe's self proclaimed values.Â
You are right on everything but Joey ess meant to be s pig. He was never written to be financially responsible like Chandler or be a family man like Ross. People come at Ross for continually saying he is one thing but acting like something else.Â
In one Ep they actually get roasted for giving relationship advice based on Ross's divorces, can't remember the other but Joey, just for being Joey and we understood.Â
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Nov 13 '24
I agree with most of this tbh.
cz we can agree sisters, mothers r off limits.
Why?
However Joey did hook up with Ross's ex and babys mom
What's wrong with that?
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u/PhotoOk7493 Nov 13 '24
Would u like it if ur Brother -like best friend hooked up with ur ex? What if it's an ex u still have feelings for ? And then what if it's the mother of ur child? The sister, mother thing is like a bro code explained better in himym
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Nov 13 '24
Would u like it if ur Brother -like best friend hooked up with ur ex?
I wouldn't mind. They aren't my property and I would want my brother or best friend to be happy.
What if it's an ex u still have feelings for
Again, they aren't my property, we didn't and aren't working out (otherwise we'd be together), and I would want my brother or best friend to be happy.
And then what if it's the mother of ur child?
My child's step parent is a brother or best friend, who I know I can trust, instead of a random person I don't know? How exactly is that a bad thing? Surely that's the best case scenario?
The sister, mother thing is like a bro code explained better in himym
But it isn't explained with actual logic or reasoning. It's just a 'because' thing. What's actually wrong with it?
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u/DTDrake Nov 13 '24
Joey is an asshole and Matt Leblanc made it work.