Relatable and competitive: a Monica Geller Analysis
I’m going to come right out and say it: Monica Geller is my favorite character in “Friends.”
Relatability is critical to my appreciation of Monica. Played by Courtney Cox, both of us are painfully competitive, unfailingly controlling and incredibly ambitious. Monica also has great character depth because of her backstory.
Monica Geller has been second to her brother, Ross, all her life. In one episode, Ross said he was the favorite child because his parents thought Judy Geller, his mother, was “barren” and couldn’t have children, making Ross a “miracle baby.” Still, Monica’s mother pokes and picks at her daughter at every meeting. Whether it’s career, relationship status or her appearance, Monica can’t catch a break from her mother. Monica had a rough time in high school too. She was overweight and best friends with Rachel Green who got all the attention.
Although overshadowed by her brother and by her best friend, Monica Geller remained a loyal friend. In the first episode of “Friends,” Monica is enjoying coffee in Central Perk with her friends when Rachel Green, who Monica hasn’t seen since high school, comes into the shop wearing a wedding dress and saying she needs a place to stay. Monica takes Rachel under her wing and they become roommates in a matter of minutes. Monica is immediately a good friend to Rachel, even though they had grown apart over the years. Monica Geller cares about people and works tirelessly to show her love through service. She always puts everyone before herself, especially when it’s Thanksgiving. In “The One Where Underdog Gets Away,” Monica makes three different types of potatoes for her friends who cannot spend Thanksgiving with their families. She loves her friends and does everything for them.
Of course, Monica has her quirks and imperfections, too.
As I said before, Monica and I are both incredibly competitive, which makes for some hilarious episodes. Some of my favorite episodes are “The One with the Football,” (a classic Thanksgiving sibling rivalry), “The One with the Embryos” and “The one in Barbados.” Every one of these episodes have hilarious competitive Monica scenes. Just don’t play games with Monica and expect her to lose, because she won’t. Oh, and her trash talk is prime.
Of course, Monica’s admirable determination and ambition is the only reason she is competitive at all. She works as a chef off and on throughout the entire series of “Friends,” but her ultimate goal is to have a restaurant and work as head chef. In “The One with the Stoned Guy,” Monica has the opportunity to become the head chef and create a menu for a restaurant. The man who is interviewing her is stoned out of his mind and cannot appreciate the work and preparation Monica has gone through to get the job. She doesn’t get the job, but she keeps working at her dream anyway.
Monica Geller is a complicated woman, as most women are, but most importantly, she aches for motherhood, provides for her friends and works hard for everything (except for her apartment, but that’s a different story).
*Graphic by Sadie Buhman
Emily White is a junior studying English and broadcast journalism. She is currently serving as the senior writer for the Lifestyles section of the Statesman.
—emily.white@usu.edu