Monica Geller often gets the short end of the stick on Friends. She isn’t as wry as Chandler or as kooky as Phoebe, but honestly, she is the unsung MVP of the show. Courteney Cox managed to embody a character that is both warm and neurotic, and the fact that Cox was never nominated for an Emmy during her run is a travesty. Still, she was easily the better Geller (no matter who won the Geller Cup) and was the glue that held the group together.
Monica’s journey over the course of the show also felt the most real (save for that apartment, I mean, come on!). She was a little unsure of herself and had to go through some serious rough patches in love and her career before she settled down with Chandler and found success as a chef. Still, no matter what came her way, Monica was endlessly optimistic, and underneath all of that optimism was a desire to have things just so. Because how can there be joy without order? Amirite? Monica wasn’t afraid to do things her way, because she was always right. Trust her. Always right. That confidence that she was right led to a lot of brutally honest moments over the course of ten seasons. So, as you navigate your own life, remember that sometimes you have to lay down the law and tell the hard truth. You might crack some eggs along the way, but if those wimps can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.
“Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You’re gonna love it!”
Monica gets friendship bonus points for sticking by Rachel as she transitions from relying on her parents (or her ex-fiancé, Barry) for everything to her newfound independence. Being an adult is usually hard, but there is a certain satisfaction that comes from being on your own (save for, you know, your friends. There’s a whole song about that). In Monica’s case, there are certainly rough seas along the way, but the lesson is in the journey, right?
“Hey, Mon, look, I’m melting butter!” — Rachel
“That’s great, Rach. You now have the cooking skills of a hot day.” — Monica
Still, just because Monica was encouraging her best friend’s growth didn’t mean that she was going to coddle her. As a chef, Monica had pretty demanding standards and expected others to live up to them. So, when you approach your own friendships, don’t be unkind, but don’t sugarcoat the truth either.
“Fine! Judge all you want to, but married a lesbian, left a man at the alter, fell in love with a gay ice dancer, threw a girl’s wooden leg in a fire, LIVE IN A BOX!”
Sure, it was pretty creepy that Monica even entertained the idea of dating her ex-boyfriend Richard’s son, but at least she had the good sense to pull out of the situation before it went too far. Still, no one likes to be the target of a group pile on, so at least she has the presence of mind to whip out this retort in no time flat. Remember this moment when you’re shamed for your past choices. Yes, they were probably bad, but we’ve all done stuff we aren’t exactly proud of.
“Don’t tell me what to do. I tell you what to do.”
It’s always good to stand up for yourself and accept your own authority in the right situation. Someone has to be the boss, so it might as well be you, right? You can’t argue with the results that happen when Monica is in charge. Phoebe, Joey, and Rachel’s lives would have probably spun out of control if Monica hadn’t helped them (even when they were unwilling) figure life out. If you are the de facto “mother” of your friend group, this line has probably come to mind on many occasions.
“I heard how dirty your apartment was and I couldn’t sleep.”
Normal people are kept awake at night by thoughts of the next day or remembering that one embarrassing event in middle school that essentially stunted your emotional growth. However, Monica is kept awake thinking about the state of other people’s apartments. So, when 3 a.m. rolls around and you still aren’t asleep, you can at least take comfort in the fact that your brother’s date’s undone laundry isn’t one of the things stealing your precious minutes of shut eye. There are few things as honest as owning up to your own quirks, and Monica is always up front about weirdness.
“No, you’ve messed it up. You’re stupid.”
There is always that one friend who has to be the most clever, the most cutting, the most quick-witted (also known as The Chandler). While this kind of person can be a riot to be around for a while, eventually their need to be the funniest person in the room can get downright exhausting. While I don’t condone cruelty, knocking them down a peg or two probably is probably some kind of public service. The next time they fumble a joke, help them gain a little perspective.
“I really think I might kill someone tonight.”
While Monica is probably the best friend to have around in a pinch, she’s ambitious and does not suffer fools, so do not get in her way. When she gets her first kitchen to run, the staff is less than welcoming. She’s cowed at first by their bullying, but decides to put her foot down and go after what she wants. Sure, she gets a little help from Joey (I mean “Dragon”), but Monica definitely puts herself out there and takes control of the situation.
“THAT’S NOT EVEN A WORD!”
When the stakes are high (like “losing your apartment” high), there is no room for error. If you’re going to win game night, you need to get your troops in line. Do you want to be nice or do you want to WIN? You want to win. Channel your inner Monica if you want to take home the prize, and be brutally honest with your teammates. Sure, they may resent you a bit in the moment, but that’ll all vanish when you win trivia night.
