Friends Fans React to China Censorship Removing Ross' Lesbian Ex-Wife
screenrant.comFans have reacted to the Chinese version of Friends undergoing some major edits, cutting out the scenes that referenced Ross' ex-wife, Carol. The famous sitcom, which dominated the small screen during the 90s to early 2000s, tells the story of six friends in their 20s living in Manhattan. The hit series ran from 1994 to 2004 and starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer. All six cast members reunited last year for Friends: The Reunion special that aired on HBO Max.
Throughout its 10-season run, the show explored coming-of-age themes such as finding jobs and navigating relationships. It also lightly touched on social issues including feminism, blended families, marriage, and LGBTQ+ inclusivity. Nearly 20 years after the series ended, Friends re-runs continue to air on several streaming platforms and cable channels. In China, Friends was recently re-launched on domestic streaming platforms, but Chinese fans were shocked to see that the sitcom isn't quite as they remember it. The version of Friends that dropped on Chinese streaming platforms Tencent, BiliBili, iQiyi, and Youku was censored, and cut out the scenes where Ross' (Schwimmer) ex-wife Carol, who is a lesbian and in a long-term relationship with a woman, was mentioned. Additionally, references to sex were reportedly translated differently in the Chinese subtitles. For instance, a scene that referenced «multiple orgasms» was reportedly subtitled as «women having endless gossip.»
Related: Friends' Darkest Fan Theory Totally Changes The Show's Happy Ending
According to Reuters, the drastic censorship of LGBTQ+ storylines and other content has upset many fans in China. Fans took to China's popular social
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