Phoebe’s Proposal Scene Made One Big Friends Problem Even Worse

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Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) double-proposal scene in Friends season 9 makes one of the show's main problems even worse. Since its 2004 finale, Friends has remained a pop-culture staple and a go-to feel-good show for people across the globe. But several running gags have not aged well, such as Joey (Matt LeBlanc) repeatedly reinforcing heteronormativity or the gang mocking fat Monica. When David (Hank Azaria) and Mike (Paul Rudd) compete over Phoebe's love, Friends' outdated jokes come to light in a big way.

After Chandler (Matthew Perry) accidentally advises David to propose to Phoebe, he shows up in Barbados with an engagement ring. As he shows it to Chandler, he squints and asks,«Isn't an engagement ring supposed to have a diamond?» It turns out it does, but it's tiny, as David could not afford a ring with a big diamond.«Being a failed scientist doesn't pay quite as well as you might think,» David argues while presenting his 1/70-karat diamond ring. Later on, at the dinner table, David is portrayed as a nerdy scientist who is too soft to fight Mike (all his attempts are comic reliefs). This is all-too-reminding of Friends' insulting jokes about Ross (David Schwimmer) and his passion for science.

Related: Friends Theory: The Real Reason Behind Monica's OCD

Through David's failed attempt at proposing to Phoebe, Friends once again mocks scientists and reinforces a problematic belief that science is boring. After nine seasons of the gang consistently insulting Ross' intelligence and acting bored (or worse) whenever he shares a work-related event, in comes David. His moments of kindness towards Mike (like offering him a seat after a long flight) are laughed at, and he is shown as a poor, weak scientist who stands no chance