To mark David Schwimmer's 50th birthday, we've decided to explain exactly why Ross Geller was the best Friends character.
Before you say it, no. Chandler wasn't the funniest. You can give me shit in the comments as much as you like. IDGAF.
I think we can all agree that Friends is one of the best sitcoms of all time. It's quotable, hilarious and we all relate to at least one of the characters. But why is Ross the best?
He's In It A Lot
Well, first of all, he's in it ALL THE TIME. When I was in uni, a few of the lads made up a drinking game called 'Eight Minutes of Ross'. The basic premise being that you watch Friends for eight minutes, and drink every time any part of him is on screen. I'll tell you right now, I got smashed.
Why was he in it so much though? Perhaps because he's the best character?
He's Not The 'Token Funny Guy'
He's not always intentionally funny. Chandler is there with the one-liners and the jokes... but he mentions how funny he is all the time. If you were around that regularly it'd drive you mad. Yes, Chandler. We get it. You use humour as a defence mechanism blah blah blah, I'm just trying to drink my coffee here.
Ross is like a tragic uncle whose life is falling apart but he still manages to make you piss yer kecks.
He's Not Actually That Likeable - That's What Makes Him Hilarious
Another reason why Ross is unparalleled is because his character isn't actually that likeable. To be completely fair, he's a bit of an arsehole. And that makes the times he makes you laugh even more surprising.
You're not expecting to laugh but suddenly it's 22 years later and you're still quoting: "I'M AN EIGHT?!" or "I grew up with Monica! If you didn't eat fast, you didn't eat!" or the especially underrated: "If you ever hurt my little sister, if you cause her any unhappiness of any kind, I will hunt you down... and kick your ass."
His Comedy Appeals To You More As You Get Older
I feel like when you were young, you'd never pick Ross as your favourite. Ever. But as you get to a certain age you realise that his life situation is very relatable. Everything is falling apart more and more, his marriage fell to pieces, it turned out his wife was a lesbian, she got preggers, he lost his job, his best mate was banging his sister... it's just one thing after another. And we love watching him deal with these situations.
In conclusion, Ross is just the best. However, he couldn't have been brought to life without David Schwimmer. If anyone else played him, he'd probably be awful. So thank you, David. And happy birthday.
And I'll leave you with him playing the keyboard, expertly.
Credit: Warner Bros.
Featured image credit: NBC/PA Images
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Friends