The Straightening of Chandler Bing

[@annonnie]

I actually really loved Chandler's softer masculinity. A feminine straight man having a successful love life, that was a radical concept.

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

THANK YOU

[@flowergirl5962]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@sofia_aa]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@KRAPYBARA84]

Omg same!!

[@bittsystar276]

And Chandler and Monica’s relationship was so well written too. THAT, a healthy, long-lasting relationship based on communication, should’ve been the Big Writing Trend to come out of this show, not Will They, Won’t They.

[@SergioAmigo57]

I think Chandler being gay and having an LGBT father would feed into the stereotype of having lgbt parents makes you gay which is completely false. I also agree that having a feminine straight guy quite beneficial itself.

[@Johnnysmithy24]

Chandler was clearly straight, but he was scared of homosexuality. With his father being trans and his mother an erotic symbol, with growing up so insecure and awkward, and then people calling him gay all the time, he is probably just scared of the thought that maybe he’s gay because of these reasons when he clearly isn’t. All these comments saying that he should be gay would literally just piss him off

[@Johnnysmithy24]

Ross was also uncomfortable with homosexuality because of what happened with his ex wife

[@nandaflorentino]

Exactly. It would be an issue. Like Rachel Berry, for example, they would never made her and Quinn canon as Rachel has 2 dads. Straightland would freak out

[@kyle857]

Yeah, you nailed it.

[@highdefinition450]

That was my thought as well tbh

[@billydeeuk]

As a gay guy, I had no problem with Chandler being a “softer” masculine guy. In some ways I would rather have had Chandler be a “queer acting straight guy” than a camp gay guy. Also - Phoebe is so obviously bisexual

[@G_FRE]

Screaming obvious

[@Autumnnn_017]

LMAO REMEMBER WHEN SHE KISSED RACHEL 😭😭

[@CuttingGrass___]

Bro phoebe never dated a girl plus she's not real, she's a character, so if the writers didn't say that she's bi then she's not , tf

[@billydeeuk]

@@CuttingGrass___ In “The One With Rachel’s Big Kiss”, Phoebe talks about having kissed girls in the past and she kisses Rachel onscreen

[@Volgher]

@@billydeeuk she also gets stunned by Ross and Monica's cousin and daydreams about Monica's boobs

[@Sirzacharia]

Tbh Chandler being not gay really helped me as a straight man who doesn’t really act particularly traditionally manly.

[@naome3904]

yeah it’s actually good because it makes it more normalized for straight men to act less overtly masculine and just be comfortable in who they are

[@Sesshomaru25U]

Am I the only one who didn't think he was gay? I just thought he was intelligent and witty, never gay.

[@DanaNussair80]

Exactly, I always viewed Chandler as someone struggling with masculinity and how people perceive it in him, rather than sexuality.

[@janedoe6704]

@@Sesshomaru25U I never thought he was gay. I thought Phantom of the Opera seemed gay, but never Chandler.

[@SuperSpyKindaGuy]

@@ericjshorts3203 Nobody gets forced into thinking they are gay, and there are literally millions of bi people out there. It's tough to figure it out sure, due to society wanting to demonize anything not 'normal' but as time has went on, we know now that normal is to be gay, straight, bi, trans, or whatever makes you feel happy with consenting parties/yourself. It's just a journey and at the end of it, you're only trying to find yourself and what makes you feel complete. I struggled for years with trying to find who I was due to conflicting messages by society, but I am happy to find who I was though the process.

[@masonallen3961]

Why does everyone care so much about Chandler's sexual orientation when Phoebe is obviously bisexual? She was attracted to Ross and Monica's cousin and immediately answered "Rachel" when she was asked who she would date if she was gay. She was so obviously bisexual. If it isn't already clear I'm a huge Phoebe fan. I always love the oddball of the group.

[@RuuBjAh1]

She's the best for sure haha!

[@thewittyusername]

Did Phoebe even have any love interests? I can't remember any. They kinda treated her as too kooky to date from my impression. If anything they wrote her as a sexual over bi.

[@RuuBjAh1]

@@thewittyusername I only remember Mike being a long-lasting one. Other than that, she also had the fireman, the children's teacher, and the scientist who moved to Minsk, that I remember, but other than that I don't remember many.

[@grafinvonhohenembs]

That’s right! She was definitely bi for sure! Though, they are still mostly afraid to say the word “bisexual” on TV now for some reason, so it really would have been a miracle if they would have said something like that back in the day.

[@Grotomode]

Cause a woman being bisexual (or rather "straight" with an alluded parallel interest in women as well) has always been a common straight man's fetish. So it is not as "shocking" as a guy being gay.

[@genevatrovato6313]

"Write it gay, play it straight" me in highschool

[@pauljames5826]

Me in, well, Middle School

[@hassanalkhalaf1115]

me all my life

[@pksstr]

I always thought the show hinted at him being bi

[@jimd8292]

That would have been great

[@TedEhioghae]

Why do you youtubers always talk about "hidden" LGBTQA+ people in series? Aren't the new series full of LGBTQA+ enough for you? Why are you youtubers spoiling the past series/movies?

[@captainhugs2188]

@@TedEhioghae why would it spoil the series?

[@mateokunzer]

@@TedEhioghae nobody cares shut up

[@mahho1372]

@@TedEhioghae So assuming a fictional character's sexuality is spoiling the show? Please take your homophobia somewhere else

[@legostudios120]

I always headcanonned Chandler as closeted bisexual. As bi guy myself I relate to Chandler the most out of all the characters.

[@ggt47]

Wow. Good for you not a lot openly male bisexuals

[@ggt47]

.*

[@JamesChessman]

ok but it sounds sexual to say “I always headcannoned Chandler,” I mean, wow lol

[@evieh6900]

@@JamesChessman how is that sexual lol

[@evieh6900]

@@JamesChessman that's disturbing and not what the word even means.

[@porfiriodiazcarrillo7551]

they didn't make Chandler gay but they did surely made him Joe's sugar daddy!!!

[@MalenaLorente]

And this is the only fact.

[@do9138]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@amuro9624]

I've always seen his character as a way to say it's OK to not be the manliest guy in the room. This is actually a recurring theme in friends. The 3 guys of the group often try to play a role dictated by unwritten rules of masculinity and always realize it's silly and unnecessary.

[@edisonlima4647]

Yeah, but does the show EVER treat it as ok that they fail at it or they failing at it is always the entire joke, at their expense, and not the weird standards they are pressed against? I don't really remember the gender roles themselves being treated as a joke, just the failure to adhere to it.

[@amuro9624]

@@edisonlima4647 they usually go with a "who cares" kind of attitude instead of being like those 80's sitcom where one guy would sit down next to another to explain the morale of that episode. They usually let you figure it out on yourself instead of being condescending and trying to tell you what to think. Like there's an episode where Ross is weirded out by a male nanny who he deemed to emotional or feminine for a man and in the whole episode Ross is clearly the bad guy. You don't need a conclusion that shows him stop acting that way because it's clear from the beginning that he is wrong for acting that way. You don't always need the characters in the show to understand the message of the show. It seems like people are too focused on the idea that a show should set an example with its main characters but if they did that you wod always have episodes where the main characters become more "virtuous" and let go all of their flaws which would lead to a boring show. Most classics of littérature tell their message by showing the main character do the wrong thing and suffering the consequences in a tragic way. Just like the characters of friends always try to hold themselves to unnecessarily high standards and fail. There's an episode where chandler and Rachel steal a cheese cake, it's obviously bad but they don't realize it's bad and suddenly decide to become better people. The episode ends with both of them eating a cheese cake on the floor because that's how far they fell. That's the way friends deal with morality.

[@onasubmarinemissionforyou]

Exactly

[@jamesmcinnis208]

"actually"

[@rachelc3535]

Best gay joke friends did is when Ross says that Susan and Carol have a lot of books about being a lesbian. Susan says, with perfect delivery, "Well, you know, you have to take a course. Otherwise they don't let you do it"

[@falciforme]

i think the best one is after Ross's hook-up with the xerox girl. he's at Carol's and she looks at Ross like "you slept with another woman?" and Ross goes "ah, you're one to talk"

[@vanimapermai]

I would have left a like but you have 69 likes

[@TedEhioghae]

Why do you youtubers always talk about "hidden" LGBTQA+ people in series? Aren't the new series full of LGBTQA+ enough for you? Why are you youtubers spoiling the past series/movies?

[@peachesngravy]

@@TedEhioghae why are you writing this under almost every comment? Heard you the first time lmao

[@AWSVids]

I think my favourite is in the alternate “What if?” episode, where Carol never came out and Ross still didn’t know, until Rachel was like “Well you might wanna tell this guy that it sounds like his wife is gay.” And Ross is just like... “She is not... she’s gay... she’s gay... OH SHE IS SO GAAY!!!” Schwimmer’s performance there is great, but then Aniston steals it with “I’m sorry your wife is gay.” “I guess women aren’t that great either.” “Try telling my wife that.” 🤣

[@riasaleh173]

When I watched the show, I never really assumed Chandler was gay/bi. I just thought he was a slightly less masculine straight guy. On the other hand, I always had a feeling that Joey could be gay/bi. I know, unpopular. But he never seemed to have a problem with kissing guys (like he kissed Chandler on New Year’s, he wanted to kiss all the guys for practice for a role or something and when Ross kissed him, he said it was a good kiss and how Rachel was a lucky girl). And his nap with Ross?? I mean he was the one who wanted to do it again. I know Joey is known for being the most masculine guy out of the three but I never felt like this. I mean there were SO many moments where he wasn’t afraid of being more feminine like him and his ‘man’s bag’, wasn’t afraid to admit that he cries at sad movies, didn’t have a problem putting on women’s underwear and liked it, when the real estate lady assumed him and Chandler were a couple and Chandler denied it, he was so offended and was like ‘what I’m not good enough for you?’ or when he lived with that Janine girl for a while, Chandler yelled at him and made fun of him for having ‘girly’ decorations in his place so he got rid of them by putting them all in his room… I mean ?? There are so many instances of him being more feminine or straight up okay with kissing guys. Nobody seems to notice this only because he gets the most girls… My theory is that he was bi/gay and realized at some point during the show but decided not to come out to his friends in fear that they would judge him (especially Chandler and Ross).

[@nesie.noodles6541]

this is so interesting I've never heard of something headcanoning joey as gay or bisexual. this makes so much sense though.

[@gabrielabagala]

haha for me Ross is the real "gay in the closet"... but your points are good too

[@alexrafe2590]

Or maybe the point the writers were making was that Joey was so relaxed about his sexuality as a heterosexual man that he wasn’t worried about how people perceived him. Much was also made of Joey being Italian. And Mediterranean cultures tend to be much more relaxed about men being physically affectionate with other men, without it being about sex. That’s the way I always interpreted Joey’s behaviour. He was just more comfortable expressing his affection towards people he was fond of, without getting hung up about how others might interpret what that ‘says’ about him. Ross and Chandler were much more neurotic in that regard.

[@thedusty194]

I just thought of him as confident in himself, and not afraid to be himself.

[@sayhitomymom6969]

Being bi really suits him, but I dont think he would be gay. Did you really consider, that being confident and not feeling shame about doing some "girly" things is gay? Thats where all the restrictions for men come from. Joey is an excellent representation of a non-toxic heterosexuality.

[@LubiczPolkrwi]

For me it was always a joke of internalized homophobia. Like it’s not funny that he’s gay, it’s funny that he wants to present himself as straight and it really bothers him to be seen as gay, yet everyone thinks he can be gay

[@anony-missy]

Yeah I assume at the time the point of most jokes was meant to be “lol they think he’s gay” (and some of the jokes still read like that). But for a lot of them, especially in hindsight it reads more as “lol look at how foolish he looks being desperate not to appear gay”. And a lot of that easily translates to a gay/bi panic reading as well, paradoxically making the characters seem even more gay. And in my experience, nowadays the people who make the most gay jokes are gay people themselves.

[@philliplozano7587]

Friends was never funny. It was a decade-long hate crime.

[@malik87breaker]

@@philliplozano7587 ok then :D

[@SuperHipsterGamer]

@@anony-missy I don't think it was a coincidence, that the male character least concerned with how masculine he presented himself was also the one who most girls found attractive. Joey repeatedly is shown to have far easier with showing affection towards his male friends (as well as having no issue with kissing them).

[@TedEhioghae]

Why do you youtubers always talk about "hidden" LGBTQA+ people in series? Aren't the new series full of LGBTQA+ enough for you? Why are you youtubers spoiling the past series/movies?

[@belkyhernandez8281]

I thought the idea was not about being gay but about challenging masculinity. The Chandler character seemed like a neurotic preppy child of wealth privilege who was insecure about his manhood and was jealous of Joey type street cred. The jokes were about gender expectations being perceived as sexual orientation. They were being accidentally sophisticated. He did give off a slight bi if I'm drunk vibe though.

[@ginger8900]

EXACTLY!

[@cosplayerqueen9878]

I mean, Ross did say that Chandler kissed a guy while drunk before, though Chandler thought it was a girl

[@yakkyjoe1]

Matt just wants to find homophobia even when it's not there.

[@laurigolub8467]

Yes yes❤❤❤❤

[@koretmulder6316]

Agree on every point - well said!

[@nancilane5069]

I loved that's he's a straight guy in touch with his feminine energy. He loved musicals, dressed very preppy, was very sensitive, and I could go on and on. I thought they wrote the Chandler character perfectly. I LOVE all of the friends but Chandler was special (but then I guess I could say that about all of them. I have different opinions on different days).

[@do9138]

I fell in love with Chandler in the first epi and never changed.

[@jabyerackonstanza]

so trueeee

[@Serratiger]

I'm surprised you didn't talk about Phoebe at all, I think she made a much more interesting case for a bi/pansexual character. It comes up in various occasions and it's not treated as a very special episode either.

[@PurpleMoon799]

yes exactly!! like the thing with ross' cousin. the way she stared at her lmao

[@presrvb]

this video is about Chandler though not Phoebe 😂

[@staceyalbert2658]

@@PurpleMoon799 Women can be impressed by another woman's appearance without being bisexual.

[@Thelmageddon]

YUP! Her story became so conventional, for a character who started out so unconventional.

[@bi_cycle]

Idk, I kinda loved her relationship with Mike

[@VanAkita]

I have this weird love-hate relationship with this show due to how badly some of the stuff has aged in it, queer or not. But my favourite scene has to be the one Chandler and Monika attend his dad's drag show to invite him to their wedding. Despite the obvious joke "Kathleen Turner obviously is a woman pretending to be an old gay man in drag", the moment Chandler invites him and he accepts is so heartwarming. Complete silence from the studio audience, both characters are moved to almost tears and until the next gag with the drag show the whole family acceptance situation not being treated as another gay joke. Really powerful moment.

[@basementdwellercosplay]

Chandler definitely feels like the chaotic bisexual friend of the group, I don't know why but he has the vibe

[@tannersebastian3675]

@@mylifeismadness5465 Didn't Rachel have a kiss with Winona Rider in an episode?

[@christopherb501]

Considering what _has_ actually happened with Phoebe, if we're going with "the" bi friend...not as much.

[@christopherb501]

@@mylifeismadness5465 If I go full "queer reading" with them, Chandler is _way_ more gay than bi, and Phoebe is _so_ bi I consider her the most closeted of the bunch.

[@juliantapia1407]

@@christopherb501 I agree with your take on chandler, but I'm not sure what you mean with phoebe?

[@TedEhioghae]

Why do you youtubers always talk about "hidden" LGBTQA+ people in series? Aren't the new series full of LGBTQA+ enough for you? Why are you youtubers spoiling the past series/movies?

[@natsmith303]

Way back when I was in the closet to even myself, I remarked that I related to Chandler a lot, and another teenager said, "So you're gay?" That alone was enough to shame me out of even watching FRIENDS for literal years. Huh. I had issues.

[@orvilpym]

I feel you, brother.

[@Competitive_Antagonist]

I related to him because he had a sardonic sense of humour.

[@philliplozano7587]

That didn't shame me. The near-total lack of BIPOC representation (except for the occasional diminutive Asian woman fetish) did the trick.

[@Competitive_Antagonist]

@@philliplozano7587 They fetishised Asian women? In what way?

[@Competitive_Antagonist]

@@philliplozano7587 I can agree with the lack of ethnic diversity. It was set in New York, yet there was hardly any non-white people in the show. Apart from one of Ross' girlfriends and a black woman who I now remember was Ross' girlfriend, because she was a scientist. It seems that Ross was the only character to bring any racial diversity into the show.

[@erauprcwa]

I loved Chandler's lack of "hyper masculinity". Not all straight guys are your stereotypical bro's. It's great to have a character who's like most straight men that I know.

[@mishynaofficial]

Exactly. The whole alpha male shtick is very recent. Men used to be more chill.

[@Fenrisaconite]

There was another channel that had a pretty good argument that Chandler was basically Joey's platonic sugar daddy. Because logically speaking if you broke down the cost of living for the two of them living in that apartment, Chandler had to have been paying for literally everything for most of the show. Including Joey's medical bills.

[@kittyxkitsune-wolfgirlie4705]

Fact Fiend with Karl Swallwood, my friend?

[@solarvoid777]

yup its definitely my personal opinion that Chandler and Joey are in some kind of queerplatonic sugar relationship lol

[@QUEERVEEART]

i mean they even talk about it in a few of the episodes of friends. chandler does pay for everything LOL. and one episode joey wants to pay him all back and after adding it all up , realizes thats impossible xD

[@fletcheragenda6014]

Definitely fact fiend with karl smallwood.

[@kittyxkitsune-wolfgirlie4705]

@@fletcheragenda6014 You're my fact friend. :3

[@ihateunicorns867]

Great video. Friends was a weird mixture of problematic content but also some stuff that pushed the boundaries. I used to love Susan and her sarcastic relationship with Ross. Ross: "You guys sure do have a lot of books about being a lesbian." Susan: "Well, you have to take a course. Otherwise they don't let you do it."

[@depressedstressedandfandom7456]

Sorry to ask but what problematic content was in the show? It's been a few years since I've last watched and I can't really think of anything bad. I would love to hear what you think though!

[@AliCatGtz]

🤣🤣🤣 I read it in her voice

[@spiderwickian]

i legitimately thought that was true the first time i heart that line as a ten year old and i was so confused

[@Numbabu]

LOL (License of Lesbianism)

[@alixleddy3492]

Her delivery of that line is so memorable

[@Marchant2]

it would’ve been more groundbreaking if they had made him a bisexual character. That’s something you never see

[@RCReilly]

Honestly, I was thinking that myself. If they did another, final season set now, they would just go, oh he's bi.

[@marcosnonato]

Because if a male character starts to get involved with a woman and then gets involved with a man, it irritates the straight audience who say that the character has been changed. If the character starts to get involved with a man and then gets involved with a woman, it irritates the gay audience who say it was straightwashing.

[@tejaswoman]

It's something you never saw then, yes. You see it a tiny bit more now, but some shows do a good job of it (Madam Secretary) and some shows just exploit it as a path to make more romantic/sexual pairings (Grey's, The Good Wife), as if all bi individuals were all sex, all the time.

[@Shadow-zf5uc]

Also a Bi character that actually says they're Bisexual vs. saying they don't see gender or just think everyone is hot or whatever

[@kevinbailey8827]

David, in Schitt’s Creek was described as pansexual, though his love interests and other sex partners in the show were all cis men and women.

[@brettjohnson6807]

As a young teen gay boy growing up down south in the mid nineties, episode 8 of friends was a life changing moment. They had actually shown a guy being offered a date with another man, like it was nothing abnormal at all. This was very different from my experience growing up. Keep up the great work!

[@johannacert4555]

As a queer woman, I love Chandler and him being straight. But we were robbed of a wlw relationship for Phoebe since she's so clearly pansexual lmao

[@do9138]

If this were on cable TV today, maybe they could have done something with Phoebe's pansexuality that could have been really cool. It was too soon in the '90s. The lesbian wedding was a risk then.

[@lilacdreams5966]

Why do we think she’s pan?

[@johannacert4555]

@@do9138 yeah I know, I think it’s cool enough that they were even considering making Chandler gay

[@LaraM2424]

@@lilacdreams5966 I always assumed she was bi/pan after that one episode where she got mesmerised by ross's cousin like the other guys and thought "ask her out, she's not your cousin!"

[@neihomai8]

correct me if i'm wrong, but i think phoebe waz only ever hinted az bizexual at bezt becauze there were only two genderz in the zhow. no tranzgenderz etc...

[@noctisocculta4820]

I liked that aspect of his character. I'm straight, but can be very effeminate. it was great to know why people thought I was gay, and why I was so oblivious about myself. It also showed that it was okay to be like that.

[@do9138]

OK? It's FANTASTIC! A lot of women are attracted to that kind of man. Women want a man who can be like a best friend x 1,000. I am 66 years old. Every man I have ever been attracted to, ever slept with, ever had a relationship with has been "not as traditionally masculine" as some people seem to expect. I've been a very happy woman because I had men in my life who were best friends as well as great lovers.

[@ميم-ش6ع2م]

There are a different between that and being really closeted

[@ItsAstridEh]

The episode's last line should have been Brian checking out Chandler, nodding and saying "Yeah, you could get a Brian."

[@aja8010]

i now believe this happened

[@Johnnysmithy24]

Cringe

[@aja8010]

@@Johnnysmithy24 lol tf

[@Johnnysmithy24]

@@aja8010 It’s just a bit cringe that’s all

[@WeNeedKPseason2]

Oh yeah now I do want to believe this happened

[@michaelkopelow7913]

As a straight guy who has often been assumed to be gay, I took Chandler as a relatable representation.

[@michaelkopelow7913]

I didn't take his reaction as homophobic. Just heightened for comic effect. Other people's interpretations may vary, of course. As for my reaction, I find it amusing that some people have such narrow ideas of what a straight male might be like that as soon as you start talking about musical theatre or Dorothy Parker they make assumptions about your sexuality.

[@mrofftopic2802]

@@mattymariah Excuse me, who died and made you Queen? I didn't know you have a mandate from the gay community to 1- Speak for the entire community 2- Decide what is and what is not homophobic 3- Even worst to discredit and to put down other people's life experiences while doing it Get a grip. Nothing the dude said was homophobic.

[@mrofftopic2802]

@@mattymariah Then maybe YOU should learn to read. I never said that Friends do not have homophobic jokes, I said that nothing the other guy said was homophobic and yet you jumped on his throat for nothing. YOU can have YOUR OPINION to what is good and what is acceptable but don't you think for a second you are entitled to talk for everyone else. As a child of the 80's, I will said that Friends was also ground breaking in addressing stuff that was not common in television, despite being clumsy most of time and even homophobic sometimes. I hope you are young and going to the "activist phase" but sooner or later you'll realize the putting down people who mean you no harm is not the way to go. The other guy made a harmless comment you are not entitled to put him down for it, much less speaking for everyone else. Bye.

[@mrofftopic2802]

@@mattymariah Right he said he identified with a character who is always classed as gay by OTHER people because of THEIR prejudice (example: liking theater makes you gay; dressing nicely makes you gay) and you decided to antagonize him for no reason. I hope you learn to be wiser. This is not the way to go. Bye.

[@mirzanmohaimi4148]

@@mattymariah As a gay guy, I don't think that's homophobic.... You're just overreacting.

[@HappyMuffin]

RIP Matthew Perry, so sad that he doesn’t get to continue his sober icon journey longer than he did

[@heath6802]

To me, Chandler’s definitely still bi, you can be bi and marry someone of the opposite sex, so I’m just gonna take the early season hints as my personal headcanon

[@isabelberger9441]

I agree. I think if the show were written today, Chandler would be canonically bi. :) I don’t think the concept of bisexuality or pansexuality was well understood by most people in the 90’s.

[@zoegranville7607]

@@isabelberger9441 I think you're right. There was also instances of lesbian separationism in the 80s and 90s that shunned bisexual women in the name of feminism. It's a bit skewed and wobbly but there was definitely a lot of biphobia back then. Even from this show through to the early 2000s, there is an underlying belief in a lot of cultures that bisexual people are just 'in denial' - I have literally heard this out loud and it often inhibits my comfort with coming out to people as bisexual myself.

[@heath6802]

@@zoegranville7607 Couldn’t agree more, people always expect a second coming out of “I’m a lesbian” or “I’m actually straight in the end” like??? That’s not all there is?

[@brixan...]

You can also be gay and marry someone of the opposite sex... But take it as you wish

[@ad8447]

When was it ever mentioned in the show about his bisexuality??

[@amberwingtundrawing776]

The episode where Rachel talks about her gay college experience with Winona Rider and Phoebe doesn't believe her

[@rgs8970]

Also, Phoebe's character is definitely bi -- she has a voiceover in the end credits sequence of S7:E19 "The One with Ross and Monica's Cousin" where she's stunned into silence by the titular cousin's gorgeousness. Her internal monologue goes: "Say something. Say anything. Ask her out-- she's not *your* cousin"

[@christopherb501]

@@rgs8970 And of course, there was the (speaking to Joey) "I know I had crushes on all of you when I first met you. Well, except for Chandler and Ross." And I guess "Just wanted to see what all the fuss was about." Oh, and "Are you kidding?? that woman has the nose of a _bloodhound._ ...and the breasts of a Greek goddess..."

[@amberwingtundrawing776]

Phoebe is absolutely bi, its not even subtle lol

[@ninjabluefyre3815]

Were all of them Bi the whole time?

[@laakkonen6847]

Also somewhat more relevant, as a young unaware trans child in the Ace Ventura 90s, his line about wanting to be a lesbian is SEARED into my mind forever.

[@QUEERVEEART]

I think that was in the first episode lol? Or at least the first season, I remember that very clearly too!

[@vstopbiaswreckingme7194]

i agree it wouldve been a big deal if a main character on friends was gay, but friends was still very progressive (not only for the cute lesbian wedding), having chandler be so funny and sarcastic and smart and well dressed and straight was also huge, because it went against the stereotype that any well-dressed funny and sassy man is 100% gay

[@JamesCourse66]

I was only a preteen when Friends ended so I didn’t know much of the innuendos and nuance until several years later. I didn’t even realize how gay Chandler seemed, but perhaps it was the difference of when I grew up. Chandler to guys my age doesn’t seem all that gay. He’s weird, yes, but Chandler in 2020 would be a pretty typical straight guy I think.

[@Tracymmo]

I thought he was a typical straight guy when the show first aired.

[@someguy7424]

Yeah, I was in early adulthood when the show ended, so I understood the sexual innuendos, but I still don’t see how Chandler seemed gay. He didn’t even seem particularly feminine.

[@JamesCourse66]

@@TracymmoI think for them he was a little too campy. Guys from their generation I think were generally reserved emotionally while he is very expressive.

[@Ms.FortuneTeller]

Chandler never seemed gay to me.

[@ZenGeekDad]

The "sometimes I wish I was a lesbian" line actually plays very well to straight males. The humor comes from the dogged fascination that straight males have (or at least had in that era) for girl-girl porn. Friends was very comfortable with their characters having sex lives. This made for good stories and good jokes. The "sometimes" joke was one of them. It's not all that funny for him to say "sometimes I wish I was female" (the "he's gay" interpretation), but it is funny for him to mess up saying "sometimes I wish I could be in those incredibly hot porn shoots with two girls" in a way that makes it sound like he wants to change genders, in our then still very masculinity-protective mainstream culture.

[@Galiant2010]

In high school I used to joke with my band friends about being a lesbian because I often related more to the women in the group than the guys but assumed I was cis because I liked girls... but that was like a decade before I came out as trans because I hadn't really discovered/understood what being trans was.

[@ZenGeekDad]

@@Galiant2010 I'm glad that a growing proportion of society is more and more aware that these private definitions of self are not matters of morality, but of innate self, and the only caring position anyone can have is to accept each other on the basis of our hearts, and not on our private preferences.

[@delusionalmilkshake]

that still exist today and the ones who watch toooooo much of that type of porn often ''come out'' as trans, cause to them it is just a fetish

[@duckydae]

chandler not being gay is a definite loss to make such an impact on pop culture, that said i think the chandler we got is such an incredible and positive depiction of a straight dude, especially in comparison to ross and earlier seasons joey. and i think he’s one of the few male sitcom characters from the 90s/00s (again, unlike ross and joey) that has stood the test of time to a decent extent.

[@lisajan580]

i am glad Chandler is not gay,its win win,none of them is gay or lesbien Thank God

[@deaf-tomcat]

it's times like this where I wonder WHY a character can't be bisexual. anyway love this video and Chandler Bing is bi, it's official and it's canon.

[@TedEhioghae]

Why do you youtubers always talk about "hidden" LGBTQA+ people in series? Aren't the new series full of LGBTQA+ enough for you? Why are you youtubers spoiling the past series/movies?

[@gianna-the-lesbian9651]

@@TedEhioghae you’re just spamming this everywhere

[@rafangille]

@@TedEhioghae it’s just a fun analysis of film/tv, it’s not that deep

[@heath6802]

Yeah, bisexual people can marry people of the opposite gender and still be bi! Chandler was a bisexual man with a preference more skewed towards women and there’s not wrong with it

[@alxjones]

@@TedEhioghae Oh you're doing this to everyone, I see... at least write out an original message, this is a weak copypasta.

[@QueenBoadicea]

0:16 I’m reminded of a comic strip (I think it was Doonesbury) in which a white guy had a conversation with his black friend. The white man wished he were black, at which his incredulous friend wanted to know why. The white man replied that black people had cool accessories, like bad hats, down jackets and cool sneakers. What did white people have? To which his friend snapped that white people had the companies that made bad hats, down jackets and cool sneakers. Wanting to be a lesbian seems to have a similar warped view.

[@moonchild_9479]

I have never thought Chandler was gay and I never understood when people say 'he had a gay vibe'. Maybe because Chandler is my type and he was always my favourite character. I think it was always more about how guys are so insecure (generally) that they are afraid someone would think they're gay and it attacks their ego and masculinity.

[@frausteiner8615]

I don't really think the joke was that people think Chandler is gay, the joke was that people thought this in the worst possible times. Like when Chandler is hitting on two chicks and then Ross comes over and says it's okay that Chandler is gay, thus messing up his chances with the girls.

[@sarahcox1805]

That's the way it always came across to me. Like he's already always struggling to get dates and then this misunderstanding keeps making it even harder for him.

[@vina94]

I just think he was afraid to turn out “like his father” (because he may have had a lot of people laughing about that when he was young, and his mum seemed to be upset by that too causing their divorce) So he was very insecure about all his “feminine moves” or being loving with his male friends or male in general. As I read in others comments, he’s just himself and as all men he has a part of femininity and that’s great that friends is showing this without making him gay !

[@Jake-co7rt]

If I were hanging around with that group and someone told me one of them was gay, Joey would've been my 1st guess. I knew someone once who declared himself gay, after years of overcompensation, that included lots of heterosexual conquests.

[@wylierichardson-tu6zs]

And there are also many men with a long history of 'sexual conquests' who never come out at all, because they are actually straight. They just happen to be hardcore womanizers / seducers.

[@caitywood7110]

Could you compare this to the presentation of raj in the Big Bang Theory? The ‘write it gay, play it straight’ trope is something I’m never gonna be able to unsee

[@BlasterzHD]

There is nothing to write about Raj tho, he is confirmed as metrosexual.

[@charlottesmom]

I was thinking that while watching this video...

[@DiagonelleDAvignon]

Yes! Raj and Howard even have a scene near the end of the series where they talk about what they would be like as a couple. Not to mention Raj's romantic finale of the series is Howard being the one who understands Raj's love of romance movies and makes a big gesture to him at an airport. If they hadn't hammered in Howard and Bernadette so much I'd imagine a future where Raj became very happy married to a guy, maybe Howard, the least of which being that he'd be allowed to indulge his feminine side without worrying about how it effects his chances in getting a date.

[@sophiejones3554]

@@BlasterzHD sadly... When I was watching the show though, I honest-to-God thought he was a closet bisexual. I was convinced they were going to do a story arc with him where he finds out that's a thing, proceeds to hate on it so much that the others launch an investigation into why Raj suddenly cares so much, and it ends with him "accidentally" kissing some guy at a toga party. He is mortified, runs, only to end up cornered by the other main cast members. They get him to confess what happened, then Leonard is like "I thought you didn't hold with all that stuff" and Raj is like "I just hate myself". Cue the girls trying to hug him, Leonard not understanding, and Sheldon trying to explain why suicide is a bad idea. Raj runs back to the party, trailing his now ruined toga-thing, and the episode ends as he arrives at the frat house at the same time as the ambulance because turned out that the guy he kissed was extremely drunk. But looking back on it, this could never have happened. The writers on that show simply weren't cultured or imaginative enough. See, the joke here isn't "lol Raj is queer", it's "lol Raj's life is now a Bollywood movie". Also a meta-joke about how the show purports to be a slice of life comedy but the characters live lives that are decidedly not ordinary (there are at least a few times Sheldon hacks the gov't).

[@blackbird5634]

None of them seem straight and they make dreadful comments about women all the time. These are some weird kids.

[@justinealexandre2448]

It's so interesting, because with the way the show "wrote him gay, played him straight," his relationship with Monica, but the continuation of gay jokes even after his marriage - the text supports the idea that Chandler is bi (not that he HAS to be bi, but that the show gives enough evidence to support this reading).

[@alejandrofrancetich4607]

What about the episode with the quit-smoking tapes that chandler gets to listen as he falls asleep? “ You’re a strong, confident woman who does not need to smoke”

[@TedEhioghae]

Why do you youtubers always talk about "hidden" LGBTQA+ people in series? Aren't the new series full of LGBTQA+ enough for you? Why are you youtubers spoiling the past series/movies?

[@gmm7145]

@@TedEhioghaeTV is so gross now

[@welch_inc6532]

@@TedEhioghae why do you keep asking this on people’s comments?

[@breadfan_85]

@@TedEhioghae bruh, this obsession is not healthy lol.

[@darija9873]

Yeah but Rachel gave him that tape which she borrowed from a female colleague, he didn't buy it himself

[@peach_total]

imo chandler “seeming gay” but being straight works better as a way of asking the question of “what does it mean to seem gay?” the best way it could have been improved would be to have a very “straight-seeming” character actually be revealed to be gay

[@horkology]

Why is it that every time someone talks about Friends, the first thing they bring up is the implausibly large apartment? It was Monica's grandmother's rent-controlled apartment that she was subletting, they explain it in like the first episode, can we finally just let it go?

[@supermarx]

Do you ever see anyone older than the the characters as they were depicted at the time talk about friends? Young people are poor.

[@margaridabaptista3712]

YES! EXACTLY! Thank you! I'm constantly thinking this when people talk about the apartment! This and other stuff too, it's gotten to be some sort of trend to point out plot holes in Friends that were never actually there but then they spread like wildfire!

[@RunnerX13]

Rent controlled or not, it’s implausibly big!

[@Zeithri]

My first reaction is "I loved Chandler! He was my favorite!" and then "Oh yeah, that Apartment was h-uuuuge!"

[@Galiant2010]

I'm pretty sure the "subletting" was just what Monica said to people. I think they actually said that their grandma had died but that they were illegally withholding that information in order to keep the low cost of rent and Monica simply told the landlord that she had left and was subletting to her.

[@seldomplayed6279]

Personally, when I watched this as a newly out teen in the nineties, I always assumed that Joey was the (closeted) gay one. Here's my case: So before the show starts, he thinks being gay or bi is no big deal, but then the events of the first half of the first season happen and his best friend (Chandler) makes such a huge deal about the idea that people might think he could be gay, that Joey stays in the closet, for the whole show. I thought that because it seemed the answer the confusion I had then that Joey always TALKED about dating and hooking up with women, but unlike every other cast member, you so rarely ever SAW any of them. The women Joey was with were almost always off-camera, just left, or he and her had no visible chemistry. It always seemed so convenient, like the old Canadian Girlfriend thing. I figured that the other people on the show weren't going to bring it up after how much of a big deal chandler made about being thought of as gay, so they let it go, even after everyone on the show was on-screen dating and coupling up and joey was mostly the spinster of the group. I love that theory, feel free to make it a video if you are interested. In my head, the finale where he moves to the west coast is so he could finally come out of the closet.

[@kikigarcia4174]

omg!! you're so smart i love this theory!!

[@TedEhioghae]

Why do you youtubers always talk about "hidden" LGBTQA+ people in series? Aren't the new series full of LGBTQA+ enough for you? Why are you youtubers spoiling the past series/movies?

[@yoissy]

@@TedEhioghae hey quick question friend, do you think LGBT people in media ruins them? What does that say about you. If not, why did you phrase your comment like that? Just some food for thought.

[@mooble1325]

@@TedEhioghae you've been replying this on a lot of comments, huh? i think you're the snowflake if you're taking the time to copy and paste your blatantly homophobic comment because you can't handle analysis of a piece of media

[@technopoptart]

@@TedEhioghae how many times did you spam this exact comment on this video? like a fly at a luncheon you just keep popping up with the same tired buzz

[@Levyathyn]

After watching Hbomberguy absolutely destroy James Somerton, I was pretty crushed because he had recently become a source of me watching and getting you know, informative videos about this subject and somewhat related queer issues such as coding and baiting, inclusion, representation and just hearing someone talk about interesting subjects and way I engaged with. Having that ripped away from me because well, he was an absolutely terrible person and presumably still is, that sucked. But at the end of his video, HBombs listed several other channels to check out including yours; not only was this video a worthwhile endeavor for me, one I greatly enjoyed, but it made me glad I subscribed to you and I also noticed that I remember seeing a couple of your thumbnails being suggested to me recently, which I added to my Watch Later. It felt great being recommended a channel by someone else I trust as a content creator, but it felt equally great having milked my algorithm enough to let me stumble onto you naturally at the same time. As I said, I enjoyed this video and I look forward to watching the rest of your content and more to come.

[@adorkability]

I recently completed a rewatch of the entire series. I was surprised by just now many homophobic jokes or instances there were during its run.

[@oddtail_tiger]

Hey, don't forget transphobic as well, depending on whether you interpret Chandler's dad as a cis drag queen or a trans woman (as I've seen a KZbin video put it, it's not clear if the writers themselves actually understood the difference). But yeah. I like "Friends" quite a bit even to this day, but it's got a strong streak of homophobia going throughout almost all of its run. It's very uncomfortable to watch sometimes.

[@feandil666]

I disagree, they never make jokes at the expense of gays, it's always at the expense of the straight who has trouble accepting gays. Starting with Chandler, one of his main arc is totally accepting his drag queen father. None of the characters are homophobic in any way, but they do do the stereotypical jokes, to defuse them and show how ridiculous they are.

[@ffarff]

@@feandil666 defuse them how?

[@oddtail_tiger]

@@feandil666 feel free to disagree, there's plenty of jokes where the joke seems to be "gay people exist". Reading your comment, I feel like you and I watched a very different show...

[@mattymariah]

@@feandil666 you’re trying to downplay how hurtful this show is to the LGBTQ+ community because for some reason you Stan it. If you’re not part of the LGBTQ+ community, you really aren’t at depth to recognize homophobia or transphobia, both things this show really is.

[@j.a.ogrady7783]

Honestly as a bi girl Chandler was incredibly helpful to having casual representation for my mom to see and understand my feelings while closeted, even if never confirmed it was still nice.

[@drac124]

The most gay scene in Friends is actually when Joe and Ross take a nap spooning each other and wanted to repeat.

[@FaZerbaby]

As a huge friends fan I saw him as bi and absolutely love him with Monica, If they werent so damn adorable together I'd be more bitter about him not being more bi/gay

[@alexisschiffer4830]

Maybe its the “shipper” in me, but I think Chandler and Joey would’ve been a cute couple.

[@TedEhioghae]

Why do you youtubers always talk about "hidden" LGBTQA+ people in series? Aren't the new series full of LGBTQA+ enough for you? Why are you youtubers spoiling the past series/movies?

[@alexisschiffer4830]

@@TedEhioghae I don’t see how its spoiling anything. I thought the video was very informative. One of the co-creators of Friends is gay and thought about the possibility of Chandler being gay. Ultimately, he wasn’t but given the way he was written, Lisa Kudrow herself (Phoebe on the show) thought that Chandler was, as did many newspapers in the 90s.

[@SapphWolf]

@@TedEhioghae Specifically to spite you Ted. It's all one big conspiracy to ruin your childhood by letting you know how much gay was all around you that you just never noticed.

[@alxjones]

@@TedEhioghae The real question is why did you reply to someone who is clearly not a KZbinr (no public videos on their channel) and proceed to say "you youtubers" a full twice?

[@garenthal9638]

Ehhh the one shipping trope that usually bugs me is when people assume close bonds gotta be a relationship

[@RisingRecluse]

I never thought of Chandler as gay. He seemed the relatable guy that was unable to close like Joey. Especially when he was trapped in the ATM with the model. That was season 1. At that point it seems they were committed to him being straight. But I could be wrong.

[@Galiant2010]

Often before people came out they would try to pass as straight because that's what they thought they were, because that's how they thought they had to be. Which is why lots of gay people have been in hetero relationships. Some could even love who they're dating and then just think they were asexual when they realize they aren't sexually attracted to the opposite gender, not realizing that their sexual attraction was to the same gender. Kind of like how I'm AMAB. The first time I ever told someone I wished I was a girl was when I was in kindergarten. But at the time I had absolutely no idea what "transgender" meant, or that it even existed. I lived the first two decades of my life as a guy because I thought that's what I had to do. Then in college I took a psych class and we studied "Chaz Bono's sex change". Fortunately it was in a trans positive light, but that was the first time I had ever been exposed to the concept. I was fascinated for a reason I couldn't explain at the time. I went (to my religiously conservative) home and brought this fascinating concept up to my parents over dinner and my dad launched into an annoyed speech about how one of his co-workers was a "guy that thought he was a girl". Seeing my parents reaction caused me to drop my interest in the subject after we moved on in the psych class and had me believing that "Sex change people are crazy men in dresses". A few years after that I finally managed to get myself to see a therapist. Something I had wanted but my parents refused to let me do because they thought the subject was hogwash. But I had finally gotten my own insurance. My therapist suggested DBT to me, a group therapy. While there I met a girl who was really nice and pretty. Then over the next couple weeks, through the issues she'd talk about, I realized she was trans. It was only then that the thought occurred to me that I might be, too. Seeing someone so normal. That if she hadn't talked about her struggles I never would've realized she was trans based on anything else. This is when I realized that trans =/= "crazy men in dresses". But even then it took me weeks of researching what it meant to be transgender before I finally accepted it. Personal life rant aside... Chandler's attraction to women was never a doubt in my mind. But I did question his denial of being attracted to men.

[@masonallen3961]

If Chandler had been made gay than that would've meant we probably would've never gotten Janice and that would have been a shame.

[@MattBaume]

I would not have minded a storyline where Chandler and Janice were romantic rivals for a bisexual character!

[@mantaraywizard]

@@MattBaume oh my god that would've been hilarious

[@jwitchbaby]

Janice was such an anti-Semitic stereotype, I would have been fine with never having her on the show.

[@tyrongkojy]

I think the shawl thing was just "acting womanly" and nothing beyond that, because the stereotype was "gays act womanly".

[@T4ko8Yaki]

I mean Occam’s Razor: “be a dear and fetch my shall” sounds like something a “grandma” character would say, so the understanding is probably “him act like woman, so gay!”

[@TedEhioghae]

Why do you youtubers always talk about "hidden" LGBTQA+ people in series? Aren't the new series full of LGBTQA+ enough for you? Why are you youtubers spoiling the past series/movies?

[@JM-gd3hr]

@@TedEhioghae Because for a very long time some lgtqi+ characters were hidden; because writers were afraid of offending portions of the population.

[@MyTexanHeart]

I just loved Chandler and Monica together. Honestly I couldn’t imagine it ending any other way for them.

[@GlennDavey]

Actually remember watching that flashback episode when it aired, where Monica's wearing the towel and Chandler hugs her saying like "you're my best friend and the most beautiful woman I've ever met in real life" or whatever (it's been a while) thinking "man it sucks that these two can't just be together... but now he's with Janice." --- flash forward a season or two...

[@breadfan_85]

I think him not saying "gaydar" was, itself, a joke. That whole thing of subverting expectations by not saying what everyone is expecting you to. Here's an example that I'm making up off the top of my head, because I can't think of a real one lol: Roses are red, violets are blue. I'm good at rhymes, can you rhyme also?

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

that's how i understood it too

[@crystalwolcott4744]

also like you know how when you talk to a straight to have to censor yourself which inevitably messes with your ability to be funny because 80% of your humour is just gay jokes? I think that's what happened. he knew gaydar was right their but he wasn't sure if he should say it to this weird guy so the joke is him swolliing the joke and just saying it like that I think lol.

[@HudsonDoodle]

I agree. But I always thought, based on the actor’s delivery, he was also talking down to Chandler - silly straight guy, I can’t even say “gaydar” to you so I’m just going to say “radar” because I can’t even be bothered. And because the whole audience knew about gaydar, it was kind of a wink to the audience that we’re smarter about this than Chandler.

[@breadfan_85]

@@HudsonDoodle you might be right, but I don't feel like watching the entire video again lol

[@Rider9530]

Am I the only one who never even suspected him of being gay or bi?

[@adrivoid5376]

Chandler’s relationship with his father- well I always thought it caused him to hate the part of himself that is also gay, a clear repression. His relationship with Joey,,,, I mean,,,, I’ll always think him as either bi or extremely closeted gay. It wouldve been nice if he had the arc of realizing he is gay and exploring it, would have been revolutionary.

[@TedEhioghae]

Why do you youtubers always talk about "hidden" LGBTQA+ people in series? Aren't the new series full of LGBTQA+ enough for you? Why are you youtubers spoiling the past series/movies?

[@alx8571]

@@TedEhioghae Bald flop 👩🏻‍🦲

[@vina94]

I just think he was afraid to turn out “like his father” (because he may have had a lot of people laughing about that when he was young, and his mum seemed to be upset by that too causing their divorce) So he was very insecure about all his “feminine moves” or being loving with his male friends or male in general. As I read in others comments, he’s just himself and as all men he has a part of femininity and that’s great that friends is showing this without making him gay !

[@lotem_-vi7ny]

@@alx8571 LMAOO PLEASE I LOVE THAT REPLY 😭😭🖐

[@allisonfisher9304]

As a bi person myself, I always found it so interesting that right after the initial shock of me telling someone, they would go through two distinct phases- Them: “Oh God, are you attracted to me???” Me: “No.” Them: “Oh……really?……….Why not??” 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@rainquarm]

yeah .. that was for me one of the most 90s thing about freinds . even as a kid i noticed that every single gay joke was , "theyre gay , thats the joke " . my personal favourite for outright awkwardness was " Carol : dont work ross youll find the right woman, ross : thats easy for you to say , you already have!"

[@TedEhioghae]

Why do you youtubers always talk about "hidden" LGBTQA+ people in series? Aren't the new series full of LGBTQA+ enough for you? Why are you youtubers spoiling the past series/movies?

[@Beebs4583]

I adore your optimism. Sometimes it’s fun just to laugh along with the stereotypical jokes about us and just move on!

[@Nehelenia3000]

It always made sense to me to read Chandler as a deeply closeted gay man.

[@ShinobiSora]

I could see that. He reminds me of Richie from the Static Shock. He's gay in the comic and in the cartoon, but they portray it in the cartoon as him showing a ton of interest in girls in order to hide it. At least, that's what I've read.

[@eliseo5416]

@@ShinobiSora Richie was obviously gay in the show. Anytime he mentions girls reads as overcompensating

[@ToruKun1]

@@eliseo5416 That's what Dwayne McDuffie says was the intent with Richie's character in the cartoon (he even wears an earring on the "gay side"), but when I was a dumb-ass little kid I took everything at face value and assumed he was straight.

[@daisyoverton204]

I've been rewatching the show again and in an episode when the guys are asked which out of each other they would date, Chandler says Joey without hesitation while Joey and Ross refuse to answer. Lowkey Bisexual king energy XD

[@SevCaswell]

Eh I'd say that showed that Chandler was 100% confortable in his identity and sexuality, and both Ross and Joey are not as they feel threatened by the question. I would be more likely to suspect Joey or Ross of being gay from that reaction, than Chandler.

[@ElblocdelArquitecto]

Actually I used "Chandler" as nickname in the beginnings of Facebook, so I could give a hint while I was still in the closet. I met my still love partner online back then.

[@KappaBooks]

I can only imagine how fandom spaces were around Friends and Chandler

[@TedEhioghae]

Why do you youtubers always talk about "hidden" LGBTQA+ people in series? Aren't the new series full of LGBTQA+ enough for you? Why are you youtubers spoiling the past series/movies?

[@KappaBooks]

@@TedEhioghae Maybe come back when you've thought about why you consider queer characters to be "spoiling" the media you watch

[@MalenaLorente]

I think Chandler is perfect as he is. Other shows can have gay leads. I enjoy him being a feminine straight man. It breaks down stereotypes.

[@carltonbanks2351]

You know what: Chandler being gay and in a relationship with Joey would actually make me like Friends again.

[@UncleBoogieRF]

I've tried to rewatch it several times and always flame out around season 5, like I did in the original run. Ross is just unbearable.

[@farranasution4068]

What?

[@charlottesmom]

AGREED!!

[@carltonbanks2351]

@my spirit digimon is rareraremon I'm not talking about the probability of them being gay here, I'm just saying that most of the relationships in Friends felt cartoonish and had no chemistry or real depth (Yes, I'm coming for Monica and Chandler too)... Chandler and Joey actually had chemistry and were two interesting characters that would work wonders TOGETHER. + Joey being a "lady's man" was becoming tiring, he could've kept the same personality but being attracted to men and settled with his longtime friend who he'd always been in love with. They make more sense together to me than Chandler and Monica.

[@carltonbanks2351]

Also, I definitely agree with the fact that this is NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING CANON, at ALL.

[@thenothing2786]

I love when performers satirically manufacture stereotypes, it is such a brilliant way for us to see how ridiculous we are for creating societal stereotypes in the first place.

[@cassiusmishima9052]

Matt, you are really helping me with a lot of the "Anti-Gay" feminine young man scare that happened in my late teens, and early twenties. I'm a pretty open minded guy now, but back then I was pretty twisted up about the idea. Thank you for all that you do, you're getting a patron here after I get my paycheck this month!

[@clarasundqvist6013]

Coming back to this video in the wake of Matthew Perry's passing, and it's finally starting to hit me just how impactful his portrayal of Chandler has been on me. I'm a bisexual woman, but a big part of my personality can be traced back to Chandler, especially as a teen when I was going through my Friends phase. Far and away the best character on the show. He'll be missed

[@MiotaLee]

I'm just happy now that most of the characters I liked and shipped as a young teen are now coming out of the woodworks shouting at me "I WAS QUEER CODED ALL ALONG! MWAHAHAHA!"

[@NYD666]

I actually liked the fact that he was the gayest acting straight guy.

[@bigbobut0]

That "punch line" at the end of the SNL sketch seemed like an homage to "The Birdcage" and Nathan Lane's gay stereotype.

[@johnd6487]

Not thought of that.. I thought it was a seriously oblique reference to the British drag act ‘Hinge and Bracket’.. Dame Evadne Hinge rarely went anywhere without her shawl :-)

[@racheln8563]

And then there’s Chandler’s dad, which is a whole other issue....

[@mattymariah]

One of the most unforgivable things about this show. So transphobic.

[@siamesefightingfish2861]

@@mattymariah uNfOrGiVaBLe 🤡

[@mattymariah]

@nnkkla90 please don’t try and diminish the hurt this caused many trans people including myself (no I’m not speaking for all trans people, but the ones I know and ones I know are offended by this). Her name is horrifically transphobic as is the whole situation surrounding her. It’s the writers. They chose to write in a trans woman and use her as the butt of every single joke. We are still fighting to be respected as members of society and, in many places, are struggling even to get equal treatment. Punching down at trans people wasn’t funny then, and it’s certainly not funny now. I’m allowed my opinion. I think this show is homophobic, transphobic, sexist trash. And it’s ok if you don’t. But that doesn’t mean I’m not entitled to my feelings. I am.

[@lotem_-vi7ny]

@@mattymariah I always thought that they were a drag queen and not a trans woman, I was super confused while rewatching it because I knew the difference but they used the terms interchangeably... sad that they couldnt give her an actual storyline

[@yellowsparklefish337]

@@mattymariah The writers did say that they regret the way they handled this charachter and wish they could go back and change it

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

While I am open minded to Chandler being gay, I always loved Chandler with Monica because they were the healthiest couple on the series and gave me hope that I could find love and friendship like they did. However, if the writers wanted to continue his storyline as a gay character, they could write a man outside of the group and have a healthy friendship to lovers arc. I always thought he was metrosexual than gay. He had his feminine side and he had his masculine side. It was hard to assume that he was gay because of his opinions outside his usual mannerisms.

[@AnxiousGary]

I'm stealing "I'm just gonna go flush myself down the toilet now"

[@s.m.iberosi8064]

I am glad chandler was not gay, because his relationship with monica gave me an example on how a healty relationship can look like. So greatful for these two!

[@gameguy73]

I always saw the Chandler is gay joke more about the character's paranoia over being perceived being gay than anything else. The punchline for me was that the guy who everyone thinks is gay is straight. Sort of like Ross's hang up over his ex wife being gay and being teased about that hang up by the others. I never really saw it as it would be funny if Chandler was gay.

[@Zephyr616]

Chandler Bi-ng, he's always felt a hidden bicon to me

[@conorowens8382]

The joke isn't "Chandler is gay", the joke is he wants to sleep with women but he keeps striking out because they assume he is gay. Its an obvious punchline The joke with the Nanny isn't he might be gay but that Ross feels threatened. It's making fun of Ross, not the Nanny How can you misunderstand the punchline that much? It's obviously not making fun of being gay

[@KotoCrash]

"Until they decided to make him straight" But he was straight from the very beginning

[@VicenteTorresAliasVits]

Great video! Although Chandler was the main focus, there were plenty of gay-related jokes involving Ross. In fact, in "The One Where Monica Sings," he tells Chandler something that could be perceived as double entendre, but he anticipates his sarcastic response by immediately saying "Very funny! Ross is gay! Ha ha!"

[@jeff6413]

Let's not forget the episode when Chandler listened to one of Rachel's motivational tapes. He started repeating "I'm a strong, confident woman" with cucumbers on his eyes.

[@TedEhioghae]

Why do you youtubers always talk about "hidden" LGBTQA+ people in series? Aren't the new series full of LGBTQA+ enough for you? Why are you youtubers spoiling the past series/movies?

[@jeff6413]

@@TedEhioghae Why do you care?

[@darija9873]

Yes, but the tape is especially designed for female's but they didn't know that so he became feminine because of it. He was listening to it while he was sleeping and that's why he repeated it

[@RodrigorReyes123]

I always felt uncomfortable with the way they made chandlers possibly being gay a bad thing. I didn’t understand why at the time but here we are

[@ranvit1305]

But what I think is its fine because the creator is gay so it's coming out of a place of non hatred. But the SNL skit (which the creator of friends wasn't a part of )was just homophobic

[@kathystavrakis7038]

Its because chandler was straight and that's why he thought it was bad lol. It was the character who didn't want to be perceived as gay bc he wasn't and that annoyed him

[@kassandraconk1763]

I don't think it was seeing it as a bad thing, everyone was chill about it and Chandler not wanting to be perceived as gay (at least for me) comes from a place of "fragile masculinity", I mean, there's a whole episode about how he doesn't wanna take a bath because "it's not something man do"... Anyway this is just my opinion

[@kathystavrakis7038]

@@kassandraconk1763 it because friends was made in a peaceful time where people didn't take offence and complain about everything.

[@kathystavrakis7038]

@@user-pq6rm1be4q im not offended by peoples complaints, that would be stupid. It is that nowadays people complain so much about so many little things that are meaningless that nothing is allowed Anymore or deemed appropriate because it does not suit a minority of 5 people out of 10000

[@bkyu39]

My favorite thing in this video is Matt’s adorable cowlick hair tail sticking up from time to time when he turns his head.

[@peaceloveandmusic8]

I am sorry but I still really don't see what was especially "gay" in Chandler : I never thought as him as less masculine as Ross, and all these gay jokes the others made about him always surprised me. I don't know if it is a cultural thing (I am French) but I don't think that he would be considered "gay" in my country 😅 By the way, on the other hand I don't even think as Joey as more masculine (too childlish) but just as hotter ! For me, a character that is really more masculine, would be Richard, because he is good looking, but also responsible (unlike Joey) and...the mustache 😜

[@FeyPax]

Chandler to me has always been Bi and I think he helped me come to terms with my bisexuality. But now he also reminds me of my boyfriend who is extremely fruity and we all thought was gay for the longest time. I’m non-binary and so I joke that he’s gay anyways and he honestly doesn’t mind anyway. He won’t put a solid label on being gay or straight and I always believed that’s where Chandler’s sexuality lies. So all in all I actually like the ambiguity because I think it doesn’t really matter and over all sexuality is such a spectrum, I prefer them not to always label it. But I also see that for the time it could have been good representation (although that could’ve backfired as well)

[@JVR10893]

As someone who isn’t that big of a fan of Friends, Chandler being gay would have taken away what I consider one of the few great parts of the show: Chandler’s and Monica’s romance.

[@MoonPoolWaves]

10:08 if one of the main cast challenged him like this, he would’ve actually did it and realized he’s at least bi

[@gheist966]

they really missed a whole "but 20 dollars is 20 dollars" thing

[@polinagonch]

Wasn’t expecting you mentioning Natalie here, love her with all my heart. Great vid btw!!

[@aryswheel9327]

i truly just wish characters were allowed 2 be bi in the 90s. he totally expressed attraction to men and women throughout the show.

[@juanfranciscobrizuela]

How do you not have a Will & Grace video? I'd love to see your take on that show

[@soulofash2112]

Closeted bi guy for YONKS here, and his reaction was far more in line with how I handled the "So you're gay?" than I would like to admit. Never was a big "Friends" fan (though my *extremely* conservative family--go figure--were). I'm still in the closet to my family, but most everyone else important in my life knows who and what I am.

[@evantaylor-hermes9327]

I always thought about Chandler and Phoebe both being bi. They hinted at it a few times

[@alejandrovargasaguilar6180]

I love the fact we just love chandler. He is just the best guy. Being a not classic man, i immediately felt connected to him. And the best reward was he getting monica, best couple ever.