The conversation around diversity has been intensifying lately, making everyone think about its importance in all areas of life. One recent topic of discussion? The iconic 90s sitcom Friends.
Quinta Brunson, known for her role in Abbott Elementary, recently pointed out Friends for its lack of diversity. While hosting Saturday Night Live, Brunson used her monologue to highlight the absence of Black characters in the beloved show.
Brunson contrasted the diversity on Abbott Elementary, which features the lives of teachers in a predominantly Black, state-funded elementary school in Philadelphia, with the noticeable lack of diversity on Friends. The difference was strikingly evident.
With her well-known wit, she joked: “I wanted to be on SNL back in the day, but the audition process seemed long – so instead, I just created my own TV show, made sure it became really popular, won a bunch of Emmys, and then got asked to host. So much easier, so much easier.”
While the audience chuckled, the underlying point was clear. Brunson continued, “It’s a network sitcom like, say, Friends. Except, instead of being about a group of friends, it’s about a group of teachers. Instead of New York, it’s in Philadelphia, and instead of not having Black people, it does.”
Her playful commentary sparked serious reflection, even from Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman. Kauffman has publicly expressed embarrassment over the show’s lack of diversity and pledged $4 million to support African and African-American studies at a university.
“I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” Kauffman admitted. “Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. It’s painful looking at yourself in the mirror. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know better 25 years ago.”
She added, “It took me a long time to begin to understand how I internalized systemic racism. I’ve been working really hard to become an ally, an anti-racist. And this seemed to me to be a way that I could participate in the conversation from a white woman’s perspective.”
The discussion around diversity is far from over, but it’s clear that the conversation has advanced—even for a cherished sitcom like Friends.
The Woman Took The Dying Dog In Her Arms, He Weighed Like A Feather And Could Not Move!
When they discovered an emaciated dog living next to a busy highway. He was so emaciated that his bones were visible through his skin, and almost all of his hair had fallen out from illness and starvation.
The poor dog was so weak that he couldn’t even move, let alone stand or walk. It was so heartbreaking. There was a small billboard where he was, which protected him from both heat and cold, but even there he could not stay for long without help
Despite this, rescuers will now do everything possible to give him a new chance at life. The woman picked up the dog and carried it to the car. She was so emotional to see the dog in such a state that she began to cry, realizing what he had to go through alone.
Rescuers then rushed him to a nearby veterinary clinic to see if the veterinarians could do anything to help him. They were completely stunned by his appearance.
They wasted no time. Veterinarians conducted a full examination and discovered he had scabies and parasites. He was severely malnourished and dehydrated, but they could fix it. The dog, named Lancris, was put on a strict diet to help him regain his weight.
During the day he had to eat a lot and in small portions. This will continue until he reaches a safe enough weight and then can begin eating several large meals a day. After the vets were assured that the dog would recover, they discharged Lancris from the clinic and he was now in the care of his amazing savior.
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