the mythical actress Kathleen Turner, remembered for ‘Tras el corazón verde’ and ‘Fuego en el cuerpo’ (among others), she remembers in a bittersweet way her time on one of the best sitcoms in history: ‘Friends’. The interpreter got into the shoes of Chandler’s transgender mother, who was continually called “father” in the series and about which countless transphobic jokes were made.
In an interview with GuardianTurner has stated that “I probably wouldn’t accept the role today. But I don’t really regret taking it. It was quite a challenge!”
The creator of ‘Friends’, one of the best series in history despite everything, recently apologized for the treatment of the character, who was called “father” despite being a transgender woman. Marta Kauffman regretted the gender confusion in ‘Friends’ a few months ago, stating that “We kept referring to her as ‘Chandler’s dad,’ even though she was trans. Pronouns were still something she didn’t understand. So we don’t refer to that character as ‘she’. That it was a clear mistakeKauffman shared, referencing some of the best ‘Friends’ episodes.
“The choice of a trans person or a drag queen was not on the table; never considered. It never crossed my mind that I was taking on someone’s role,” added the actress.
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Turner’s comments reflect the retroactive critique of LGBT representation in old movies and television. When Kauffman confirmed that Helena’s pronouns were feminine despite her calling her Chandler’s “father,” the writer also lamented many more aspects of “Friends” that she has regretted. For example, although Ross’s first wife’s lesbian relationship was somewhat progressive at the time, Kauffman acknowledges that ‘Friends’ was riddled with gay jokes that were insensitive and dehumanizing. What’s more, perhaps the biggest criticism of ‘Friends’ is its lack of diversity with a main cast of six white characters.
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