Anthropology 311-50 1008
Dr. Afzal
06/21/2018
Discussion Forum 4
For this assignment, I watched an episode of the TV sitcom Friends, particularly season 9
episode 18 titled, “The One with the Lottery.” The comedy launched in 1994 and completed its
final airing in 2004, lasting ten seasons. The show is about a group of six friends who all lead
very different lives but manage to stay closely tied throughout their young adult years. All of
them are native English speakers, and live in New York City. The three women, Rachel, Phoebe,
and Monica, work as a fashion designer, massage therapist, and head chef, and the three men,
Chandler, Joey, and Ross, work as a statistical analyst, an actor, and a paleontologist/professor.
Their ages range from mid 20’s to early 30’s. The specific episode that I watched, I feel, did not
give a good portrayal of the characters’ lives, so instead I will discuss the show in whole, as I
have seen it many times over.
Monica and Ross are siblings, and seem to be a part of the Jewish religion, although not
practicing. Other than that, no character to my knowledge represents any other religious
affiliations. Throughout the show, we see the two celebrating Hanukkah, while the others
celebrate Christmas, although all of them exchange Christmas presents to each other throughout
the years.
Monica and Ross both claim a Jewish identity, Phoebe seems to be French, Chandler is
Scottish, Rachel is American and Joey heavily flaunts his Italian roots. This range of ethnicities
is reflective of New York City, a metropolis that prides itself on the diversity of its inhabitants.
Ross hold the highest education of the group and often portrays a sense of prestige and
superiority over them. Phoebe is the most free-spirited of the six and we see her throughout the
show visiting psychics, discussing astrology, and taking part-time jobs or struggling with steady
Dr. Afzal
06/21/2018
Discussion Forum 4
For this assignment, I watched an episode of the TV sitcom Friends, particularly season 9
episode 18 titled, “The One with the Lottery.” The comedy launched in 1994 and completed its
final airing in 2004, lasting ten seasons. The show is about a group of six friends who all lead
very different lives but manage to stay closely tied throughout their young adult years. All of
them are native English speakers, and live in New York City. The three women, Rachel, Phoebe,
and Monica, work as a fashion designer, massage therapist, and head chef, and the three men,
Chandler, Joey, and Ross, work as a statistical analyst, an actor, and a paleontologist/professor.
Their ages range from mid 20’s to early 30’s. The specific episode that I watched, I feel, did not
give a good portrayal of the characters’ lives, so instead I will discuss the show in whole, as I
have seen it many times over.
Monica and Ross are siblings, and seem to be a part of the Jewish religion, although not
practicing. Other than that, no character to my knowledge represents any other religious
affiliations. Throughout the show, we see the two celebrating Hanukkah, while the others
celebrate Christmas, although all of them exchange Christmas presents to each other throughout
the years.
Monica and Ross both claim a Jewish identity, Phoebe seems to be French, Chandler is
Scottish, Rachel is American and Joey heavily flaunts his Italian roots. This range of ethnicities
is reflective of New York City, a metropolis that prides itself on the diversity of its inhabitants.
Ross hold the highest education of the group and often portrays a sense of prestige and
superiority over them. Phoebe is the most free-spirited of the six and we see her throughout the
show visiting psychics, discussing astrology, and taking part-time jobs or struggling with steady
