Jennifer Aniston Blasts Young People Finding ‘Friends’ 'Offensive' And Says ‘We Can’t Take Ourselves Too Seriously’

Mar 31, 2023

As one of the pre-eminent actresses of her generation, Jennifer Aniston needs no introduction. She's been a notable fixture in Hollywood since her star-marking turn on the hit sitcom "Friends."

Born on Feb. 11, 1969, Aniston was raised in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, and grew up with a love for acting. The aspiring star put in plenty of hard work and dedication into pursuing her passion and ultimately made it her full-time career – and a highly successful one at that.

After rising to fame as Rachel Green on "Friends," Aniston has been one of the most loved actresses to grace the world of entertainment. The role earned Aniston a handful of awards, and it's clear that her career has only taken off since her breakthrough. 

Over the years, Aniston has continued to star in a number of television shows as well as many successful films. Some of her most notable works include "Marley & Me," "Bruce Almighty," "Along Came Polly," "We're The Millers" and "Horrible Bosses." More recently she returned to the small screen in an award-winning turn on Apple TV's "The Morning Show," as well as the Netflix whodunnit "Murder Mystery" with Adam Sandler. On top of being an acclaimed actress, Aniston is also a highly respected producer.

Known for her intuitive comedy skills, Aniston has been a leading lady in many romantic comedies and made us laugh in her various TV shows. While on the press trail for the sequel to "Murder Mystery," Aniston weighed in on the changing state of comedy and how writers and comedians have to be more cautious than they once were.

Aniston has been promoting her film "Murder Mystery 2," which sees her team up again with Sandler, as the two embark on another whodunnit adventure. In the first film, the two actors played a married couple who end up embroiled in a murder investigation while on a billionaire's yacht. Aniston's character is a murder mystery novel enthusiast, which gives them an edge and helps them solve the crime.

In the sequel, which is set in Paris, the couple launch their own agency and find themselves in the middle of another investigation when a friend gets abducted. Like the first film, the sequel features a strong supporting cast including Mark Strong, Jodie Turner-Smith and Mélanie Laurent, among others.

During a press event in the City of Light, the actress weighed in on the evolution of comedy and how filmmakers have to be a lot more careful with humor nowadays.

"Comedy has evolved, movies have evolved," Aniston told AFP, as reported by Yahoo. "Now it's a little tricky because you have to be very careful, which makes it really hard for comedians, because the beauty of comedy is that we make fun of ourselves, make fun of life."

Best known for her comedic roles, Aniston has been making audiences laugh since the start of her career. But she lamented about how some jokes are off limits now, which she considers stifling to the craft of comedy.

"(Before) you could joke about a bigot and have a laugh — that was hysterical. And it was about educating people on how ridiculous people were," she said. "And now we're not allowed to do that."

What's more, Aniston spoke up about some of the more recent criticism that has been leveled at "Friends." She said, "There's a whole generation of people, kids, who are now going back to episodes of 'Friends' and find them offensive."

"There were things that were never intentional and others... well, we should have thought it through — but I don't think there was a sensitivity like there is now," she added.

Aniston made it clear that humor is essential and the more we police it, the more separated we become as a society.

"Everybody needs funny! The world needs humour! We can't take ourselves too seriously. Especially in the United States. Everyone is far too divided," she said.

The actress isn't the first entertainer to comment on the divisiveness of comedy today. British comic Rowan Atkinson, famous for his character "Mr. Bean," weighed in on cancel culture. 

"It's important that we're exposed to a wide spectrum of opinion, but what we have now is the digital equivalent of the medieval mob roaming the streets looking for someone to burn," Atkinson said. "So it is scary for anyone who's a victim of that mob, and it fills me with fear about the future."

Atkinson denounced social media algorithms for "creating a simplistic, binary view of society," and elaborated: "It becomes a case of either you're with us or against us. And if you're against us, you deserve to be canceled."

In an interview from 2012, he said that people must have the "right to insult or offend."   

However, Seth Rogen has a different opinion. He told Good Morning Britain:

"There are certain jokes that for sure have not aged well, but I think that's the nature of comedy. ... I think there's a reason (my old movies) lasted as far as people still watching and enjoying them today. Jokes are not things that necessarily are built to last." 

Rogen even had words of advice for those who complain about the changing nature of comedy.  

"To me when I see comedians complaining about this kind of thing, I don't understand what they're complaining about. If you've made a joke that's aged terribly, accept it. And if you don't think it's aged terribly, then say that," he said. 

Rogen added, "To me, it's not worth complaining about to the degree I see other comedians complaining about."  

Meanwhile, Sandler spoke out on the bigger expectations that are placed on comedies nowadays in terms of aesthetics, as audiences have come to expect the genre to be just as flashy as blockbuster action and drama films.

"You know what else has changed about comedies? The look," he said, as he jokingly pointed to his own clothes. "Remember when we used to make comedies? They would give you a budget, not too much money, and say: 'Do whatever you can with that.' And now they want us to look pretty awesome. We work harder on that."

"Murder Mystery 2" is the third movie in which Aniston and Sandler have starred together, following the first film in the franchise and 2011's "Just Go With It." That same year, Sandler gushed about Aniston's comedic chops to Access Hollywood:

"I couldn't believe how quick and funny Jennifer (is)," he said. "I know she is (funny) in real life, but it was pretty amazing when we were together how much fun (we had) and how she added and ended up beating me in scenes. I'd walk back to the trailer saying, 'I gotta get some writers to help me.'"

What do you think about Jennifer Aniston's comments about "Friends" being found offensive today? Do you think comedy has become too policed? Do you side with her or Seth Rogen on the matter? Let us know, then pass this on to the funny people in your life so they can weigh in!