Why Is It So Hard to Watch 'Friends' Now?

The legacy of NBC's Friends has outlasted those of many sitcoms that graced television screens way before and after it. Decades after the emotional finale of the show for which 52.5 million viewers tuned in, the show and its characters continue to rule pop culture, thanks to the show's fandom that refuses to let the show's spark die down. Apart from the memes and pop culture references that the sitcom has fostered for years, the cultural impact of Friends has definitely been significant. From Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) haircut to Joey's (Matt LeBlanc) pickup line, a lot of Friends has seeped into the cultural makeup of the world, reaching international audiences everywhere. But despite continuing to find some sort of relevance even today (as evidenced by 2021's Friends: The Reunion), Friends has become a demanding show to sit through, given how much of it fails to stand the test of time.