The 'Friends' Blooper Reels are Instant Serotonin Boosts

With Matthew Perry's passing, a heartfelt appreciation of the NBC sitcom's outtakes, which demonstrate what made him and the cast so special.

Credit: NBC (via The Friends Central Wikipedia page)

When I’m feeling low and want to cheer myself up, my quickest way to feeling better has always been gag reels.

When hearing the news of Matthew Perry’s passing, the Friends bloopers were one of the first things that came to mind. Particularly this one.

This clip of Ross playing the bagpipes might be the blooper that incited the most hysterics amongst the cast. Phoebe’s “singing” has them in hysterics from the start. I particularly adore how Perry scream laughs while imitating her. Not in a mocking way, but in “I’m so in awe of how amazingly funny you are” kind of way.

And that is the beauty of the Friends blooper reels. The six actors so obviously enjoyed being in each other’s company and delighted in making each other laugh. Their chemistry was so incredible that just by witnessing it, you were welcomed to be a part of it.¹

Which is why during the early weeks of the pandemic, when my loneliness was most acute, I often turned to these gag reels. Not just because they were laugh-out-loud funny, but they also provided an instant sense of warmth and camaraderie.

When nearly everyone I loved was so far away, watching them helped me remember what friendship could feel like. And I’ll always be appreciative of how much comfort they gave me at the time.

In rewatching the clips now, every funny moment is tinged with poignancy, knowing this close-knit cast will never all be together again. It’s even more poignant considering the amount of laughter and joy Perry brought to others was often equal to his private suffering.

I'm glad that by publishing his autobiography and going on book tour, last year, Perry was able to see firsthand how much affection people had for him. He also took the opportunity to share how he would prefer to be remembered, beyond Chandler Bing: as someone who helped people. And that he did.

Reading recs

**Of all the many tributes to Matthew Perry’s life and career, "Matthew Perry Couldn't Be Boxed In" might be the best. By highlighting his work in the episode “The One With Chandler in a Box,” the writer perfectly captures what made Perry’s work as Chandler Bing such a standout. The piece quotes some of Chandler’s most memorable lines, and the fact you can read them and remember all his inflections—they were just so incredibly specific—prove the singularness of his talent.

**Meg Ryan has a new romantic comedy out now called What Happens Later, and her love interest is played by David “Mulder” Duchovny. How very 90s, I’m intrigued! And so I really enjoyed Erin Carlson’s latest newsletter post about Ryan’s complicated relationship to romcoms, past and present.

The Meg Ryan We Remember

**Halloween is over, and no doubt the residents of Salem, Massachusetts have let out a huge sigh of relief. “Salem’s Unholy Bargain” goes deep on the town’s tragic history and how it has led Salem to become an out-of-control tourist attraction every October. I also learned something about the origins of the Salem witch trials that truly floored me, and that I had never heard before, making the article worth reading for that alone.

Author events

November is going to be a pretty fun and exciting month for me! By the time you read this, I’ll have appeared at the Literary Diwali Festival in NYC and undoubtedly had a great time. In addition:

• I’ll be one of the featured authors at the Worcester Public Library Foundation’s annual fundraiser, taking place Nov. 9 at 6 pm. Details here!

• I’ll also be attending the 40th annual Miami Book Fair, taking place the weekend of Nov. 17. Details about my panel can be found here. I’m so looking forward to both of these events!²

And since we’re talking book stuff, here’s a link to check out if you’re so inclined:

This week’s fun fact

It’s a pretty random fact too. And perhaps a drink you can one day order at Starbucks?

The Universe's average color is called “cosmic latte.”

To explain: “In a 2002 study, astronomers found that the light coming from galaxies averaged into a beige color that’s close to white.”

Thanks for reading and all of whom have sent warm messages too! I’m glad many of you are enjoying this as much as I enjoy writing it. Wishing you a wonderful week.

1. Sorta fun fact: My mom, sister and I actually attended a taping of an episode of Friends. It was the Thanksgiving episode where Monica wore a turkey on her head. My most enduring memory, besides how freezing they kept the studio, was getting to see the cast be both focused on their work yet also chummy and goofy together.

2. The majority of writing life is spent solo, so it’s thrilling to have these very fun and social events to look forward to all in the span of a few weeks. Also, it’ll be my first time visiting Miami—if you have any recommendations on what to do/where to eat, please let me know!