Lisa Kudrow Says She Realized the Friends Cast Was Providing a ‘Mental Health Service’ for Fans Post-9/11: ‘It Hit Me’

https://people.com/lisa-kudrow-realized-friends-was-a-mental-health-service-for-fans-post-9-11-8686689

20 comments

  1. > She said it was common when she was driving home from filming in L.A. that “someone in the car next to me might look over and go, ‘Ah,’ and wave or something,” but after 9/11, those interactions held even more weight.

    > “It happened a few times driving home – someone’s next to me and they looked over and they just looked exhausted and tired and just went, [ and mouthed ‘Thank you’]. And it almost made me cry, and that’s where it hit me – ‘Oh no, we are actually providing a service – like, a mental health service by entertaining people,'” Kudrow recalled. “And they definitely need to not look at the news for a minute and just laugh and be part of a world where all that didn’t happen.”

  4. I remember right after 9/11 there was a debate whether the show (being set in NY) would talk about it. Ultimately they decided not to and just focus on making regular episodes. I think that was the right decision. The news was talking about it nonstop playing clips from that day pretty much 24/7. We didn’t need more. People wanted escapism. Friends provided that.

  5. I wasn’t watching friends when it was airing. I was just a smidge too young.

    But I’m so grateful that they chose to not I close 9/11 on the show. I watch this show as a comfort show and have watched all the way through multiple times since 2007. I wouldn’t be able to handle it or watch it if 9/11 was in it.

    I was 14 when 9/11 happened and in that micro generation of young people who watched it live on tv during homeroom. I’m very far from NYC but it’s not something I can watch, consume or think about in any way. I just can’t.

  6. Not only after 9/11, but during the Pandemic, we spent Hours with Friends ❤️

  8. I wish shows had gone this same route with Covid. I hated watching Grey’s with all the Covid storylines. We didn’t need that at all.

  9. It’s really a mental health service for anything.
    I can’t remember how many times it picked me up.

  12. And as the second tower fell, I knew that America needed asking:

    “How you doin’?”

    “Could this BE any more of a national tragedy?”

  13. The food network and the explosion of food shows owes their success at the time to people looking for comfort and relaxing things to watch too.

  14. Does she not know what a mental health service is?

    “Morale booster” “comedic relief” are the terms that fit.

  18. I did that thing where I saw her and was like “wow, she looks terrible, I saw her just last night and she looked great.” Then I’m like, oh yeah, the cast are all Middle Ages now and I’ve been watching an old show

  19. That makes sense then why a show about togetherness was number one after that. Nice

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