'Friends'

[miranda]

Don't know if 'Friends' has already been mentioned - the pentagram on the fridge, the red reptile-type lions on the banner thing in Central Perk and the large fleur-de-lis ornament in Monica's flat. And I'm sure that sometimes, on the little writing board in the boys' flat, some rather odd messages were written.

Hmmm ...

[kiwimaj]

Don't know if 'Friends' has already been mentioned - the pentagram on the fridge, the red reptile-type lions on the banner thing in Central Perk and the large fleur-de-lis ornament in Monica's flat. And I'm sure that sometimes, on the little writing board in the boys' flat, some rather odd messages were written.

Hmmm ...

YES!! Noticed that stuff as well !! Also..UGLY BETTY....the epi the other day, where she is reading a fake essay in front of a class...she sorts through the papers and comes to the one she is meant to read and it has a pentagram on it to remind her...!!.......Also, Willamena, in one shot, she is dressed in a snake skin dress...bit like the gherkin...!!

..it is indeed, EVERYWHERE.........:eek:

[delamo1999]

Don't know if 'Friends' has already been mentioned - the pentagram on the fridge, the red reptile-type lions on the banner thing in Central Perk and the large fleur-de-lis ornament in Monica's flat. And I'm sure that sometimes, on the little writing board in the boys' flat, some rather odd messages were written.

Hmmm ...


More reasons here why I was never interested in watching that show.
:)

[birdontheway]

More reasons here why I was never interested in watching that show.
:)

Indeed. Be glad you never did. Mind numbing garbage that killed off many brain-cells around the globe.

[aya_rei]

That is indeed a bad show, which seems to be forever on syndication here, assuring many generations will see it, I'm sure.

Speaking of that, I might actually watch and episode just to catch the symbols you mentioned now.

[yeshua]

Hexagon's featured in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQJsPGD1t0g

[endlessvista]

Interesting. I can recall Richard and Judy claiming Friends was "the greatest TV sitcom ever made" 9it is not even slightly funny) and they kept refering to "Our Jen" and how she is "loved by the entire nation who are really concerned for her."

At the time I thought it was just being a stupid drunk, but since R&J's whole connection to the McCanns you do have to wonder.

[endlessvista]

Anyone who is a fan of Ugly Betty really is mentally unstable. That programme is disturbing and sick on so many levels - really just about sexualising little girls.

[dreamweaver]

I always hated that show. Never saw the appeal at all. And even worse is that complete knobheads at work have the bloody theme as a ringtone. :mad:

[cafetimes1991]

Frasier's still cool though, right? Although there was some vaccine propaganda, and mentioning of global warming and psychiatrist drugs...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8a/Frasier_Logo.JPG

[endlessvista]

I always hated that show. Never saw the appeal at all. And even worse is that complete knobheads at work have the bloody theme as a ringtone. :mad:

When you think about it the title of that show and the whole trust behind it is these actors on the screen saying stupid things over canned laughter ARE their "friends".

[spiraltrance]

Friends is used to 'teach' the masses how normal people should behave.

[endlessvista]

Friends is used to 'teach' the masses how normal people should behave.


It is so true. I used to work in an office in Dublin were the "bright young things with master's degrees" truly fell for this programming. They are all now worried about paying off the debts from their "Rachel and Ross" wannbe lifestyles.


http://www.eratelock.com/images/b_sheeple.jpg
"BAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

[spiraltrance]

It is so true. I used to work in an office in Dublin were the "bright young things with master's degrees" truly fell for this programming. They are all now worried about paying off the debts from their "Rachel and Ross" wannbe lifestyles.

LOL I know exactly the same sort of people in exactly the same problem. The saying 'theres one born every minute' should be 'theres thousands born every minute'.

[endlessvista]

LOL I know exactly the same sort of people in exactly the same problem. The saying 'theres one born every minute' should be 'theres thousands born every minute'.


and they all share the same mindset that "there are the smart ones" and yet every single generation of them ends up with negitive equity and working like slaves just to pay for meaningless symbols of their social status.

Thing is, did it never dawn on the Freinds fans that affording a flat like that in Manhattan from earning minimum wage working in a coffee shop isn't a realistic economic scenario.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-DaP0G7yGY&feature=channel_page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-DaP0G7yGY&feature=channel_page

[cafetimes1991]

In the last episode they mention this.
Chandler says "and rent control made it [the apartment] a friggin' steal"

[cafetimes1991]

But the minimum wage thing still isn't very realistic of the writers. :)

[spiraltrance]

Thing is, did it never dawn on the Freinds fans that affording a flat like that in Manhattan from earning minimum wage working in a coffee shop isn't a realistic economic scenario.

I'm sure it has now all there credit cards are maxed out and the banks aren't handing out loans left, right and center and the Repo men are knocking at there door.

[endlessvista]

In the last episode they mention this.
Chandler says "and rent control made it [the apartment] a friggin' steal"

Man, I would ot be proud that I knew this.

TV got you.

[cafetimes1991]

I'm not very proud... :(

[endlessvista]

But the minimum wage thing still isn't very realistic of the writers. :)


Nothing on that show was realistic. I lived in Manhattan at the height of the show and the only people I knew who lived like them were millionaire Trust Fund kids. Everyone else lived in a dump and worked their tits off.

A friend of mine used to date one of the Rockerfella's kids (for about a week). She was this crazy little nympho who went around with old chicken bones tied into her hair. Serious.

[cafetimes1991]

Is Father Ted still cool?

[endlessvista]

Is Father Ted still cool?

How dare you for a second even ask that question!

Fr Ted is BEYOND cool.

http://noisetosignal.org/images/posts/ted/rightthere.jpeg

[endlessvista]

I'm not very proud... :(


The first step to being cured is admitting you had a problem. You're alright dude.

[cafetimes1991]

:)

[cafetimes1991]

Is Seinfeld cool? Forgetting that Kramer is a Freemason in real life.
http://api.ning.com/files/3h9DsfW6AEDj9DgTJjLNwzax2rRJnBX18aD66lVwzIbHKRwkfA mV8QMI5wewSkvGdEaEMR9erxZnXTxbVMqMhsVQXKrJIDtl/seinfeld.jpg

[miranda]

Oh, come on, Endless Vista. It wasn't THAT bad a show. In fact, it was pretty funny and sweet and clever at times, and it cheered me up when I was feeling awful.

Thing is - now I do think it (like a lot of TV shows) helps make people feel inadeqate and dissatisfied with their own lives. And maybe a bit/ a lot energy drained. Undoubtedly, 'Friends' did get a lot of energy given to it from viewers, and maybe it was one of the worse? Sort of psychic vampirism???

(And the colours in those umbrellas - there's a thread here about the four colours, and another one about umbrella symbolism.)

I think a lot of New Age books do the same energy vampire thing - especially the ones where the authors talk at length about their own experiences - usually their trials in life, then the uplifting experience that changed them, then how great their lives are now. Oh, sorry - that's pretty much all of 'em!!
It's the most basic of basic advertising techniques.

Ultimate feeling for the viewer/reader: 'Why aren't people paying that much attention to me and my life?'

Really makes you feel hopeless. As Icke wrote, re the celebrity cult: 'Doncha just wish you didn't work down the laundry?'

[aya_rei]

Criticism of the show spawned from its merits is not relevant. Some of us hated it and thought it to be pretty unfunny, whilst some others enjoyed it, which is a matter of personal preferences in my book.

I do think there was definitely more to the show beyond trying to make people laugh/entertain though. The NBC sitcoms have always appeared to be massive vehicles to dumb people down, be it by instilling unrealistic desires on them, or to simply just distract them from other issues going on.

[miranda]

It's a bit bossy (and rude) to say 'criticism of the show spawned from its merits is not relevant' (!!!) This is a discussion, not a seminar or a court case ...

[aya_rei]

My apologies if it came off as rude. Please understand I wasn't trying to patronize anybody who liked the show, just wanted to point out that it's not an important detail when we're taking in consideration its symbolism I believe.

You know what? Forget this. I think that popular shows and films are popular for a reason. There might be more reasons to explain their popularity beyond the mainstream 'well written, well acted' and so on.

Friends is a show that for many was neither well written, nor acted, yet somehow it remains quite popular. So you are right, it might be important to bring this up maybe?

[miranda]

Cheers, Aya Rei

I was thinking about it myself - and about what Spiraltrance said, about shows 'teaching' people how to behave - and about what you said, re it being a distraction, and it wouldn't surprise me if there was more to it all than met the eye.

There was a report in the paper today - some study done on whether or not romcoms raised people's expectations to a ridiculously high level.

Sorry - I'm knackered tonight. But yeah - hopelessly unrealistic shows (albeit sweet funny ones) can take you away from 'reality'.

[aya_rei]

Cheers, Aya Rei

I was thinking about it myself - and about what Spiraltrance said, about shows 'teaching' people how to behave - and about what you said, re it being a distraction, and it wouldn't surprise me if there was more to it all than met the eye.

There was a report in the paper today - some study done on whether or not romcoms raised people's expectations to a ridiculously high level.

Sorry - I'm knackered tonight. But yeah - hopelessly unrealistic shows (albeit sweet funny ones) can take you away from 'reality'.


That's an interesting observation regarding the earlier comment about sitcoms teaching people how to behave and linking the study with romcoms.

What do you think of Coupling, btw? It's a show NBC tried to sell as the "British Friends" here, but I found the similarity was only in genre from the episodes I caught on the American beeb.

Was it as influential as Friends where human relations are concerned?

I think we can judge how much a romcom is shaping people by looking around us and realizing that several people seem to embrace and adopt characters' mannerisms. I run into Rachel Greens in the real world and that freaks me out.

[angel wings]

Friends is used to 'teach' the masses how normal people should behave.
I always thought that too.

[moina]

Here in the UK its on a channel basically all the time for years. I used to watch it because it put me in a comfort zone now I dont watch t.v at all and am feeling better, alot more energetic.

I noticed that pentagram on the fridge to, the creators of the show know what they are doing they know what makes a succsessfull programme and want people to just accept what is going on in the world through setting a fashionable way of living.

[leeshort27]

Don't know if 'Friends' has already been mentioned - the pentagram on the fridge, the red reptile-type lions on the banner thing in Central Perk and the large fleur-de-lis ornament in Monica's flat. And I'm sure that sometimes, on the little writing board in the boys' flat, some rather odd messages were written.

Hmmm ...

would the pentagram have something to do with the gellers being jewish?

[miranda]

Aww, sweetie - no.

The pentagram is a symbol of Satanism, not Judaism. Things every good Jewish home doesn't have include: pentagrams, chalk circles, Satanic rituals, the odd slaughtered black cock, etc etc.

Although the Star of David does have a pentagram in the middle it is, for the vast majority of people, Jewish or otherwise, a completely different symbol, with a completely different meaning attached to it.

[celtic isis]

Don't know if 'Friends' has already been mentioned - the pentagram on the fridge, the red reptile-type lions on the banner thing in Central Perk and the large fleur-de-lis ornament in Monica's flat. And I'm sure that sometimes, on the little writing board in the boys' flat, some rather odd messages were written.

Hmmm ...

haha :D yeah i've noticed this too! I watch friends quite often in french, it was how i learnt to speak it lol :o

there's even more...in one episode (most likely trying to make loopy character Phoebe look like a new agey bad occult worshipper) they had Monica and Phoebe casually at the table playing with an ouija board game...we both thought it was odd! They were acting as if it was scrabble! And like there was no attention drawn to the game, it had no part in the storyline...just that it was something they did in their spare time?!

I also noticed that they often wear t-shirts with very strange logos.

I hate that show now lol but i still watch it to see if i can spot anything else :D

[celtic isis]

Friends is used to 'teach' the masses how normal people should behave.

This is exactly what went through my mind the other day observing it. And it's on in France ALL THE TIME too.


I was thinking back to when i was a teen and we all used to watch this show how we all tried to be like rachael monica or phoebe...and if they did it it was normal for us to behave like that too...omg the masses are so indoctrinated! And if you tell them this they will tell you you're nuts, paranoid and no fun!

:rolleyes:

Aww, sweetie - no.

The pentagram is a symbol of Satanism, not Judaism. Things every good Jewish home doesn't have include: pentagrams, chalk circles, Satanic rituals, the odd slaughtered black cock, etc etc.

Although the Star of David does have a pentagram in the middle it is, for the vast majority of people, Jewish or otherwise, a completely different symbol, with a completely different meaning attached to it.

The inverted pentagram is a symbol of satanic practices yes - the star of david is made up of 2 triangles placed upon eachother other, one pointing up symbolising the heavens or the element air (could be wrong!) and one pointing down symbolising earth, what is above is below...united opposites...

An ancient esoteric symbol...which made it's way into the jewish faith...

The black inverted pentagram is on joey and chandler's fridge.

[krakhead]

Aww, sweetie - no.

The pentagram is a symbol of Satanism, not Judaism. Things every good Jewish home doesn't have include: pentagrams, chalk circles, Satanic rituals, the odd slaughtered black cock, etc etc.

Although the Star of David does have a pentagram in the middle it is, for the vast majority of people, Jewish or otherwise, a completely different symbol, with a completely different meaning attached to it.

IS a symbol of Satanism? What about the many other uses of the pentagram? Wiccan for example?

Why does the pentagram on the fridge have to be Satanic? Couldn't they be Wiccans? Couldn't it be a throwback to the seal of Jerusalem?

Also, as far as I recall, Friends didn't include the chalk circles etc. that you mention. There were definitely cocks, but as a lot of people liked to point out about Friends - very few Black cocks in the show! ;)

Just because you perceive it as being Satanic, doesn't necessarily make it so!

Create a new, less fearful reality, you'll be happier for it :)

[miranda]

I was JOKING about the black cocks, etc.

Good grief(!!!)

None of the Friends, even Phoebe, were Wiccans. (And anyway, some Wiccans who use the pentagram as a symbol can tend to end up looking into the 'darker' magics. I'm NOT saying all/most do. But the pentagram ain't normally a sign of love and light ...) And, if you look at it properly, that pentagram in 'Friends' is out of place, there's no connection to any sort of pentagram activities in the characters' personalities, and how many 'normal' people have a pentagram on their fridge??

Take that in conjunction with the other Illuminati symbols in the show, and you ain't got just a fridge magnet. Anyway - magnet - magnetic energies(?!)

The pentagram is a pretty major symbol of Satanism. It's used, apparantly, to summon demons. Why would a pastel-coloured, carefully co-ordinated, aimed-at-the-populace show like Friends have a black and red(?) pentagram stuck to the side of a fridge??

Just because you perceive it as not being Satanic, doesn't necessarily make it so, either ...(!!)

[krakhead]

I was JOKING about the black cocks, etc.

Good grief(!!!)

None of the Friends, even Phoebe, were Wiccans.

1) I know, so was I - Good grief indeed!

2) How do you know?

[celtic isis]

Krakhead it is odd for the fridge to have a black inverted pentagram on it!!

And inverted (upside down) pentagram IS "satanic" or luciferian because it is the opposite of the normal pentagram (upright star) symbol, the star for it to have positive energy should have it's point facing upwards, to point it down is to draw on all negative forces, it means that the user is working with intentions drawn from the material world over spiritual.

[krakhead]

Fridge magnets slip! Mine do anyway! ;)

:D

[miranda]

Krakhead, I know because I watched the show. Phoebe was a flaky, pseudo-New Age type, with an edge. No mention of Wicca, ever, to my knowledge.

Or am I to assume this (made-up) character has a whole secret Wiccan life outside the show? Maybe she'll show up at Stonehenge one midsummer's eve, pentagram bracelets a-jangling ...

[krakhead]

Krakhead, I know because I watched the show. Phoebe was a flaky, pseudo-New Age type, with an edge. No mention of Wicca, ever, to my knowledge.

Or am I to assume this (made-up) character has a whole secret Wiccan life outside the show? Maybe she'll show up at Stonehenge one midsummer's eve, pentagram bracelets a-jangling ...

Aha! To your knowledge! So there may be a chance! :D

And who know's - maybe she will turn up! Stranger things have happened.....

:D

[miranda]

If she does, let me know(!)

[miranda]

Krakhead - I meant INVERTED pentagram(!) INVERTED.... ggggrrrrr .... one little word missing, and the whole sentence changes ... : o / Apologies to you and any Wiccans watching ...

Although I'm really not fond of the five pointed star, any which way it comes - apparantly we 'see' everything every which way up, before our brains unscramble it into a set meaning, and so, whenever we 'see' a pentagram/five pointed star, we're also seeing the inverted pentagram ...

And those five pointed stars (not nec. in pentagram form) seem to be everywhere these days, every which way, so there's a lot of inverted pentagrams beaming at us ...

[kiwimaj]

:eek:Anyone who is a fan of Ugly Betty really is mentally unstable. That programme is disturbing and sick on so many levels - really just about sexualising little girls.

..LOL..what did you say..."sexualising little girls.."..what planet u from???

..I am a fan of Ugly Betty, and I don't regard myself as "mentally unstable" at all...but hold on, you say I am, so it MUST be true...can you let me know the name of a holding facility for the mentally unstable, that you think I should check myself into???????????

Hey, all those Ugly Betty fans out there...don't worry about those that wish to exterminate us....:eek:

http://www.aolcdn.com/ch_kids/ugly-betty-america-ferrera-300-032707.jpg

;)

[simplify]

Krakhead it is odd for the fridge to have a black inverted pentagram on it!!

And inverted (upside down) pentagram IS "satanic" or luciferian because it is the opposite of the normal pentagram (upright star) symbol, the star for it to have positive energy should have it's point facing upwards, to point it down is to draw on all negative forces, it means that the user is working with intentions drawn from the material world over spiritual.

Isis: you are correct in your understanding of the pentagram. When using this symbol for postive intention, the point is upwards, when reversed, it is used for the negative.

In fact, using the pentagram upwards, one can do a ritual with it, to ward off any demonic forces from coming around. The gnostics use it for this purpose. Protection.

[dhama_initiative]

I saw Jennifer Aniston being interviewed on channel 4 last year, she looked really strange, as if she was under sedation or hypnosis. She was reacting to questions slowly, and she kept looking confused, and then looking scared, and then continued talking.