One of the my favorite parts of the classic sitcom Friends was all the unique, interesting, and sometimes crazy folks the titular friends encountered on dates. Remember when Phoebe dated a UN diplomat, Monica went out with Chip the high school hottie who became a total loser, and Rachel hooked up with Paolo the Italian guy who later hit on Phoebe? While reliving all these iconic moments on Netflix I got to thinking: What kinds of folks would the Friends date if they were all single in 2015? Sure, some tropes are timeless, but there's so much more to dating now than there was in the '90s.
I mean, can you imagine Joey Tribbiani scrolling through Tinder? At least he's got a pick-up line all ready to go: "How *you* doin'?" I have a feeling Monica would've taken the more premium route and signed up for memberships with eHarmony and Match.com, while Chandler and Rachel would've opted for OKCupid. As for Ross, I think he'd bemoan online dating and would want to stick to meeting people in person. Phoebe would probably try all the hyper-specific dating sites, like Farmers Only, Gluten Free Singles, and Sea Captain Date. (Yes, that last one is real.)
Lucky for these pals, they never had to log on. But, if Rachel, Ross, Joey, Phoebe, Monica, and Chandler were on the prowl in 2015, here are the six types of single folks I think they'd encounter.
1. The Tinder Pervert
No, not Joey. I'd like to think he'd show some class on the app. I can imagine Phoebe getting on Tinder (post-Sea Captain Date, of course) and getting really confused about what the guy wants. And then, of course, the dude sends an ill-timed d**k pic.
2. The Insufferable Hipster
One of my deepest wishes is that Friends had been on a little bit longer and tackled The Hipster. Rachel would definitely fall for one (perhaps on a shopping sojourn to Williamsburg?) and she'd start displaying all of his qualities — being into bands before they were cool, wearing ironic T-shirts, etc. The rest of the gang would have a Hipstervention to get her out of that phase.
3. The Facebook Stalker
The great thing about social media and the Internet is that you can find out information about people — but it's also the worst part about the Internet. It takes away that natural getting-to-know-you process when everything's laid right out there on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. So what if Chandler went on a date with a gal who has already looked him up on all three? She'd basically recite his interests and his Twitter jokes (he would so have jokes on there) back to him, rendering their courtship beyond awkward.
4. The Obsessive Gamer
Gaming is huge these days and I'm not just talking about World of Warcraft, which has spawned so many other titles that pretty much give gamers their own worlds. Imagine Monica going on a date with a seemingly great dude — he's got it all together and has a great job — but when they go back to his apartment, he insists they interact as game avatars. She would not be a fan of that — at first. Once she got to know the game, I have a feeling Monica would totally get into it and let her competitive freak flag fly.
5. The Kardashian Wannabe
Friends aired only partially into the reality TV craze. In 2015, Joey would totally date a gal who was obsessed with the Kardashians, aspired to be Kim, and lived her life as if cameras were following her. Joey would be kind of into it at first, until she trashes one of his precious sandwiches, because it wouldn't look good on camera. That's the last straw for him.
6. The YouTube Star
We're in the era of the YouTube/Internet celebrity, so I could see Ross going out with a very accomplished woman who reveals she's huge on YouTube. Ross would later go online and find out she's got millions of followers for makeup and hair tutorials. Just for kicks, he tries one — and it doesn't go well.
Long story short: Friends in 2015 might get a little weird.
Images: Warner Bros. Television; Giphy (6)
