I should probably begin this article by stating that Ross, in my opinion, is the best character in ‘Friends’; it’s a recurring disagreement between Jordan and I (he favours Chandler, as I know many people do). But let’s be honest, discussing which of the famous six characters people favour is a full-proof dinner party debate starter.
The iconic show is probably what’s on our TV the most frequently. It’s the perfect watch for any time, and with it available on Netflix it’s for too easy to accumulate an impressive amount of hours watching it that could have been spent starting that other new show you’ve been saying for weeks that you must check out. The FOMO from speaking to others about said new show is real, but somehow Ross Geller always ends up on the screen instead.
Part of the show’s brilliance is how relatable the characters still are to this day; there is no denying how well the show has aged. There’s a unique comfort gained from laughing with others at ordinary, everyday things that usually don’t quite go as planned. In line with this and the long-awaited arrival of a 'Friends' reunion show, I thought it would be fun to collate a list of some Ross Geller moments that when looked into a little further, are a lot like everyday life.
Disclaimer: If you haven't watched all of 'Friends' then firstly, why the heck not? And secondly, this article is full of spoilers.
1. Ross playing the bagpipes (Season 7 episode 15)
After hinting that he wants to surprise Monica and Chandler with something at their wedding, Ross is caught practicing the bagpipes (a skill he does not possess). With a career as a paleontologist and genuine passion for all things dinosaurs and fossils, Ross knew he had to come up with something a little more crowd-pleasing and his options were limited.
There was however no expectation for him to actually prepare anything, so really, it’s sweet that he thought this hard and took the time to attempt something new. We’ve all got those people we would go above and beyond for, it’s just that not all of us would consider learning something with such a probable chance of failure. On the flipside though, I can certainly relate to that feeling of seemingly being onto a winner with something to ultimately be shut down by those closest to you for sheer protection of your reputation. It’s all in the name of love.
2. Ross teaching the art of ‘Unagi’ (Season 6, episode 17)
After explaining how ‘Unuagi’ (a supposed state of total and complete awareness) is not something that can be learnt, but is in fact a martial art skill that Ross just ‘has’, Pheobe and Rachel put him to the test. Hiding in his apartment, they manage to make him jump so much that it becomes clear he is not the king of ‘Unagi’, and maybe he needs to revisit those karaTAY lessons.
You know that feeling of being more experienced at something than your peers, but subsequently being shown up by them or even worse, caught off guard? Well, we’re all with Ross there. Sometimes we can get a bit too big for our boots. Personally, I get a fright when Jordan enters a room without me hearing and we’ve lived together for over two years now so I can’t see me being an ‘Unagi’ professional.
3. Ross creating a fake Ben to get out of packing (Season 6, episode 6)
When faced with the dread of helping Monica with a major packing mission, Ross uses the first get-out excuse that springs to mind; looking after his son Ben. The problem is that he’s not actually seeing Ben on this night, so must create a fake one using a pumpkin for the head (because why not)? He gets away with it initially but is eventually caught out and the truth is, we’ve all tried to get out of doing things when we just can’t be bothered. Whether you’re like me and feel horrendously guilty or can be far more chill about cancelling plans, sometimes peace and quiet with nobody else is all that will do, and that’s OK! Let that introvert inside come out when it needs to.
4. Ross pretending to be dead (Season 9, episode 17)
This is a classic example of how ‘Friends’ transported a frankly morbid topic into something more light-hearted. Using a college alumni website, Chandler changes Ross’ page to say he is dead as a joke, to which nobody reacts. Put off by people’s disregard for the announcement, Ross decides to hold his own memorial service to see who turns up in fears he wasn’t as popular as he’d hoped. Just two people attend, including one of the hottest girls from college who reveals she once had a crush on Ross, making him remarkably more upbeat.
But beneath the joke is a more serious issue that likely affects more of us than we think – that worry of not having a big circle of friends, or feeling ‘liked’ by a lot but ‘loved’ by fewer. Sure, Ross’ way of checking this was somewhat extreme, but the fact stands that people come in and out of our lives as we grow and change as people. The ‘popular’ cliques may seem like a thing of the past, but adults still experience similar feelings in the real world. It’s easy to assume that everyone has more friends than you, but we’re all struggling through the same concerns and sometimes those who seem the most ‘popular’ are the loneliest. Ross’ five best friends probably care about him a lot more than someone’s five million fans do.
5. Ross jumping for joy in the apartment he hopes to secure (Season 5, episode 14)
After Pheobe and Rachel spot Monica and Chandler getting close in their apartment, they must avert Ross’ attention because he doesn’t yet know they’re an item. In total panic, when he re-enters the room they both jump around to strategically re-position him away from the window, and of course he joins in with – THE BEST – jump achieved by anyone.
This is all too relatable for me as apparently I’ve almost perfectly recreated this when in a scare maze (ironically thinking that I could manage something well to then be proved utterly wrong, see point 2 about ‘Unagi’), and one of the live actors decided to run directly towards me. My body didn’t know what to do and obviously settled for channeling Ross’ jump, or so this is what Jordan still tells me to this day. Making a fool of ourselves is part of being a human and being able to laugh at yourself for it is SO important.
6. Ross’ sandwich is stolen (Season 5, episode 9)
In the mundane working week, an exciting lunch can make the day that bit more bearable. In fact, food is sometimes (OK, always) of utmost importance to people’s happiness, right? When having a hard day, a delicious treat is guaranteed to help make the situation that bit better. Well for Ross, this joy was snapped away when somebody ate the only good thing in his life (his leftover turkey sandwich with a ‘moist maker’). The horror of this is honestly tricky to put into words as an avid food lover… I don’t blame Ross for his rage, in fact I think he was remarkably calm. Being emotionally attached to food is OK, I for one can 100% relate.
7. Ross not liking ice-cream (Season 7, episode 8)
This can’t even be classed as a scene, it’s just one line that always gets me. After the gang discover Chandler’s dislike for dogs, Ross is picked on for not liking ice-cream and his reasoning is: “It’s too cold!” We’ve all got that thing we don’t like, or something we do, that people can’t seem to get their head around – an ‘unpopular opinion’. Differences are what make us unique, so let’s just let people think what they want and move on.
8. Ross carrying a little extra ‘holiday weight’ (Season 7, episode 12)
If I’m not carrying any extra pounds after the Christmas season, then I did it wrong! If I was climbing down the outside of a building with someone, and was the person on top, then they’d probably react in the same way as Joey did – “How much do you weigh?!” This scene feels especially apparent as lockdowns have made food far easier to pick at when bored.
But, being in situations where people are talking openly about how much they weigh or (gulp) asking what you weigh can be the worst. The last time I weighed myself was begrudgingly at the doctors because there’s no way out there. If in a situation of this nature with people that you frankly don’t want to be stuck in it with, my advice would always be to channel Ross and simply not answer (and maybe try to not get yourself into a position where you end up clambering down the outside of a building on top of someone...)
9. Ross fails to get a spray tan (Season 10, episode 3)
When Ross decides to try a spray tan after seeing how successful it was for Monica, he misunderstands the instructions and ends up using the tanning booth completely wrong. He reluctantly goes back, only to make the same mistake another two times, resulting in one half of his body being a significantly darker shade that was intended while the other half remains completely unaffected. We laugh (and laugh) at this, but haven’t we all had our own make-up faux pas’? I once went to work with mascara on just one eye and have definitely been out sporting foundation that's far too dark for my skin tone, or with wonky eyebrows. Watch all of the beauty vlogs under the sun, but these things will always happen.
10. Ross tries to carry a new sofa up the stairs to his apartment (Season 5, episode 16)
“Pivot!” Surely no further explanation is needed for arguably the most famous scene of the entire show... all I will say is that I won’t judge if you try to cut corners on delivery prices as they can be incredibly steep. If you know, you know. If you don’t, GET TO KNOW.
So that’s my list of 10 go-to Ross moments. Isn’t it amazing how relatable they are? There are countless more brilliant Ross moments that I could have used, it was tricky narrowing these 10 down! Maybe this will be something I revisit.
I also want to make a final point about the number of different parent/children relationship types the show portrays, which I salute them for as it builds a relatable and realistic conception of the modern world for viewers:
- Ross and his son Ben, with the mother (Carol) now married to Susan
- Pheobe stepping in as a surrogate mother (resulting in triplets!) for her brother, Frank Jr. and his wife, Alice
- Ross and Rachel having their girl, Emma, when not dating
- Monica and Chandler adopting their twin babies
I love that the decision was made to show how families aren’t all the stereotypical nuclear structure (two happy parents with children) that was always taught in school. It’s a lovely reassurance for people that the love of a family, regardless of the structure, will always be the most powerful.