Rest in Peace Matthew Perry
How Chandler Bing affected me
I, alongside many others, were shocked by the tragic passing of Matthew Perry. Whilst he appeared in a number of roles, his most iconic is surely Chandler Bing, which he played for Friends’ 10 season run. In the show, whilst all the characters had their own sense of humour, Perry’s role was the main jokester, with his smart one liners and trademark sarcasm. He may have been the funniest character, but there was also a surprising level of depth behind the character for a sit-com.
This article will detail how Friends, and in particular Matthew Perry's wise-cracking and loveable character, shaped me into the person I am today, and why I think I am hard pressed to find a character who better represents me than the New Yorker.
Friends and my Childhood
I may have never sat down and watched the full show from opening to close, though I have probably saw every episode, if not once then multiple times. Growing up, Friends and The Simpsons were for sure the most popular things in my household, and even if my mum could not stomach Simpsons, Friends was a family favourite. I was only 5 when the show stopped airing, so I wasn’t really aware of the effect that Friends had on the world.
I remember, during COVID when the entire globe was at standstill, me and my family started watching it on TV again. In particular, there was one instance where my brother and I were watching the one where Joey wears all of Chandler’s clothes, and I think I went for 1 minute reciting all the lines. Well, safe to say my brother was shocked! But that’s just the level I had watched this show, at my grandparents and my family home.
Chandler’s Humour
When you start watching the show, like any piece of media, you find little parts of yourself and others in the characters - that’s what makes TV so entertaining, that it is a mirror on life. "Oh, my friend is a womaniser and/or stupid, he’s definitely a Joey!" Or "she’s so spoiled, got to be a Rachel". When I started watching, my two biggest likenesses were Ross and his nerdy tendencies, and Monica and her OCD, competitive edge. However, as I grow up, I realise that I am most similar to Chandler.
I think one thing that is quite obvious with Perry’s performance is that most of his jokes come from sarcasm and wittiness. Taking digs at characters, or being sarcastic with Joey when he is slow at catching on to something, are arguably where some of his big laughs come from. On the other hand, I believe it is Perry’s portrayal which had so many comedic aspects to it, like a Swiss army knife. He could be sarcastic, he could be witty and come up with a good pun, but he also had other methods of getting laughs, such as his awkwardness or naivety in certain social settings, and his genuine reactions and connections to other characters. One scene that always comes to mind is when Chandler is secretly dating Rachel’s boss, and he is handcuffed to the cabinet. He pulls out the drawer, and does this expression, which always make me burst out laughing. I genuinely think Chandler is one of the funniest characters in any show, he had so many quality parts to his humour, and Perry was a key part of this.
Chandler's Sorrows
Chandler is considered the comedic member of the 6, but he also arguably has some of the deepest moments. He didn’t grow up on the streets like Phoebe, or grow up in their big brother’s shadow like Monica, but Chandler was not always a happy go lucky character. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas episode, he would always hate the holidays because of his parents divorce, though he would try and crack some jokes all the same to try and lighten his and everybody else’s mood. Clearly, he had some deep-rooted issues to the holidays, due to the arguments his parents most likely had at these times, when everybody else played happy families.
I honestly think the aspect of the character I associate more with, although the humour is also similar, is Chandler’s feelings of loneliness and worthlessness. We see throughout the 10 years, he has an unhealthy attitude in relationships, to himself and not to others. He doesn’t feel himself worthy of happiness, and he pursues Janice because he feels lonely and not good enough for anybody else, and she is familiar. He also seems to think that every time he makes a mistake with Monica, she will leave, because his first experience of love was viewing his parent’s separation. Even when he has been in a serious relationship with Monica for years, he still thinks she would leave for Richard at a moment’s notice, because in his mind Richard is better than him. I have most certainly felt this way myself, and still struggle with now, that I am destined to solitude and that anybody I meet will meet somebody else they’d rather be with. I think having this balance between comedy and tragedy makes his character certainly one of my favourite written in fiction.
Chandler's Affection
An underrated part to Chandler is his love for everybody and everything. He may crack jokes at others expense, and he may try to act rather non-chalant with people, but it is clear to see with his actions that he is a loving person. His first key relationship, with Joey, has Chandler supporting Joey’s dreams of being an actor. He pays for his headshots, he lets him get away with not paying some apartment bills, and even invents games like CUPS to give him more money! I bet Matt Leblanc is torn up right now, because there’s no way that affection stopped when the cameras did. Though he wasn’t perfect, such as sleeping with Joey’s girlfriend, he was a stand-up guy and a true friend.
Now, with Monica, he was amazing. What started out as a fling and evolved into so much more, it's almost wild to think that the Friends writers never intended to do more with these two characters than just London! The two characters gave us some of the best moments of the show, such as when Chandler is pressured into admitting he loves Monica, or when Rachel's younger sister comes to Thanksgiving and Chandler steps up and proves he would be a good dad by disciplining them, it was a very important step for his arc.
It is not only the comedic elements of this duo that work well, but also the emotional/impactful events. One that springs to mind is the entire baby arc, starting with Monica telling Chandler she’s infertile and how he reacts, comforting her and reassuring her that they will find another way. And then, when the surrogate is unsure if she wants to give them her baby(ies), Chandler talking to her about how much it would mean for them to have a child, I always cry when I think about it or watch it. Hell, the fact he quits his job as Christmas to come home and be with Monica is enough.
Now, I couldn’t end this article without discussing the key scene of this couple, who are ten times better than the toxic Ross and Rachel, don’t even get me started. I am, of course, referring to the proposal. The whole episode is a masterpiece, both in comedy and storytelling. Obviously, Chandler’s plans go awry, and he walks into his apartment, which Monica has set up. It is his speech, about how she makes him happy when nothing else could, and promising to try to one day make her as happy as she makes him every day, goosebumps! I feel heard by this performance, as I do feel like I am a hopeless romantic, and the scene is extra impactful knowing his own self confidence issues and his flawed views of marriage. Wow.
Goodbye Mr Bing
What originally started as a relatabiity post, as to how I feel seen by Matthew Perry’s performance, has just ended up being a deep dive character analysis. But, it is only fair - the performance is incredible. Whilst he may no longer be with us, Matthew Perry’s iconic character will never truly leave us, and his star will always shine bright. Thank you for an amazing role, not only on the show but in my development.
