Top 10 Times Joey was the Most Relatable Character on Friends

Many of us dream of learning another language, of being able to go to Rome and order food in Italian, or spend time in Barcelona speaking Spanish to the locals. But, for those of us who’ve made the leap - taken the classes and/or downloaded the apps -we know that learning a new language is hard. Which is why, on one level we can totally relate to Joey’s failure to learn French for his audition in season 10. By contrast, his inability to recognize he isn’t speaking French may be less relatable - but it’s still very funny!

While some of us mumble under our breath when we see tourists in our own city, get us to a new place and we all become tourists, just like Joey in London. Okay, so maybe we all aren’t throwing on big, puffy union jack hats. But, we’re definitely checking out the sights and taking photos and videos to remember the trip and show our friends. And before there were maps on our phones, people did have to take out physical maps to figure out how to get places. Chandler might’ve been embarrassed, but the definition of tourist is “someone who visits a place for pleasure” - and Joey was definitely having a pleasurable time in a new city. That’s something we hope everyone can relate to.

When Ross and Chandler’s friend Gandalf makes plans to come to town, the guys are super excited to have a good time with the “party wizard”. However, when Gandalf has to cancel, Joey decides to take over the party-rockin’ duties. At least that is until he and the guys realize that a late night out partying isn’t as viable as it once was. For those of us of a certain age, we might not want to admit how relatable this is, but we know why we were laughing so hard. Because, while going out at 11pm and staying out partying till 3 in the morning might have been our life - these days many of us have already been asleep for an hour or two by the time the clock strikes 11pm.

Change isn’t easy for most people. Whether it’s making a change in our lives, or having change forced upon us, it can be difficult to contemplate. Adjusting to the new situation we find ourselves in can take time, which made Joey’s reaction during this late season 10 episode feel very relatable. Joey loved his life and his world in NYC with his friends. So, when everyone’s lives started changing and Monica and Chandler decided to move to the suburbs, Joey felt like he was losing everything he knew and loved. The only people who hated the idea more were probably us fans who didn’t want the show to end.

This isn’t a shot at Janice. Some people liked her and some didn’t. The point is, we related to Joey, not for his specific dislike of Janice, but for his dilemma of not liking his best friend’s partner. Just because we love our best friends, doesn’t mean we’re always going to like the people they choose to be with. And that can be a hard line to navigate, as Joey experienced. We want to spend time with our friend, but that also means spending time with the other person. We’re not sure we’re all as good a friend as Joey is, given the effort he made to like Janice. So, in that regard Joey might be more inspirational, than relatable, to some of us.

While most of us saw “WALL-E” and understood the warning for humankind, we can also admit that - for a moment - we thought about how cool it would be to never have to leave our comfy chairs. Well, for at least one episode, Joey and Chandler got to live that dream. When Joey gets a big TV and two leather recliners he and Chandler become lazy boys themselves. Having food delivered next door and not drinking to avoid the need to urinate are extreme moves we might not have made. But the idea of a big TV, our feet up, and no other cares in the world is definitely how many of us would enjoy spending a day….. Or two. Or three…

From Shakespeare to “Pretty in Pink” to “Love Actually”, the history of story-telling is filled with examples of unrequited love. And “Friends” was no exception. While you might remember that Joey and Rachel get together - kind of - you’ll also probably remember that when Joey initially tells Rachel how he feels, she doesn’t return those feelings. One reason why unrequited love has been used in writings going back centuries is because it’s something so many of us can relate to. So, when Rachel gives Joey the “I love you so much, BUT…” response, we all knew exactly what he was going through.

Have you ever found out that two of your best friends are hooking up and had to keep that information secret from your other best friends? No, we haven’t either. However, the idea of keeping a secret, or doing something that makes you uncomfortable because your friends ask you to… well, that definitely hits close to home. Joey may not be the sharpest tool in the shed at times, but there’s no denying that he is always a truly great friend. He’s a friend we all wish we had and hope that we are.

Trying to make it as an actor is hard. Auditions, rejections, canceled shows, bad roles… These are all par for the course for most struggling actors - and Joey was no exception. Sure, he got some breaks, but there were many times during the series where money was, shall we say, hard to come by. And while we all aren’t trying to make it as actors, the struggle to get the job we want and to earn the money we need is as understandable as any life struggle one can think of.

While many of us also like custard, jam and meat, we’re pretty sure we wouldn't be as enamored with Rachel’s trifle as Joey was. But, that dish aside, who among us can’t relate to Joey’s love of food, whether it be his favorite sandwiches or the Joey Pizza special (of 2 pizzas)? Joey’s gastronomic indulgences make us both happy and hungry. Although - we wouldn’t dare take any off his plate. Because as much as he loves food, we’re also all aware that - and this is another thing plenty of folks can sympathize with - [“Joey Doesn’t Share Food!”]