Read this (it's rather funny) before reading my blog, otherwise it might seem as though I've gone off piste.
“Rachel likes to shop.” It was upon this sentence
that I tripped, skinning my elbows. Rachel
likes to shop? It’s true. But if we remember that pilot episode when, adorned in
the shackles (we later learn) that already imprison those in her circle, we meet Rachel in a moment of defiance.
She rejects the well worn path opting instead for the
road less travelled. And when her need is greatest and she throws herself onto a
pyre of scorn, rejection and judgement she is embraced by a group who have not
known her for several years, knows her in passing or have never met her and
whose decency and kindness are to be lauded. The burgeoning flames that so
many of us would have allowed to ignite are doused.
Then later, as the trajectory of her life takes her
into a directionless fog she decides to right herself and begin again from the
bottom in order to live her life, in so far as is possible, on her terms.
Further, our writer, whose article, I must declare, I
thoroughly enjoyed states that with Rachel, Ross, “could’ve done better.”
Really? The elitist, middle class egotist whose arrogant
view of the world brought him into conflict with his friends? The guy who
married someone he hardly knew (arguably two women he didn’t really know) and then spoke another’s
name whilst committing to the vows of holy matrimony? The guy who views women
in narrow dimensions, the overbearing controlling jealous philanderer? The guy who cheated on his partner and attempted in vain to use his intellect to justify his behaviour in a
battle of semantics? The guy whose rodomontading (thanks LB) behaviour
led him to make a list of the physical attributes of his female “conquests”? The
guy who ogles women at stag parties? Me
Ross. You Jane Rachel.
“Any time Ross would say anything about his interests,
his studies, his ideas, whenever he was mid-sentence, one of his “friends” was
sure to groan and say how boring Ross was, how stupid it is to be smart, and
that nobody cares.”
Perhaps they were merely countering Ross’ hyper-sensitivity,
balancing his need to show how smart he is at every possible opportunity?
Keeping his feet on the ground? Perhaps “joshing” is merely a prevalent dynamic
of their group. For I recall, on many occasions in those early years, Ross bemoaning
yet another trip to the theatre to watch his friend Joey, the shows cultural
fulcrum, perform on stage. Philistine.
On this evidence it’s Rachel who could’ve done a lot
better.
