While Ross and Rachel could seem too uptight at times on Friends, Phoebe (as played by Lisa Kudrow) was pretty much up for anything and always willing to speak her mind. Since today is Kudrow’s birthday, let’s reflect on some of Phoebe’s most outspoken moments, which will, of course, always “be there for you (clap, clap, clap)”.
When she legally changed her name to Princess Consuela Banana Hammock:
Phoebe’s eccentricity is probably the most integral part of her character, and the main reason we love her. But sometimes, that eccentricity can get a little annoying; like it does for her husband here. After marrying Mike, she decides to change her last name to include his. When she realizes she could change her name to anything, she naturally goes with Princess Consuela Banana Hammock. This doesn’t sit well with Mike, who proves his point by changing his name to Crap Bag.
When she said something all single people can relate to:
Chances are, most of us have been in that situation where you pretend to be happy for two people in love, but really, you’re just bummed about your own romantic life (I know I have). But Phoebe isn’t one to pretend; when she’s feeling miserable, she has no problem just telling you.
When she gave us this immortal lyric:
One of Phoebe’s songs is significantly more famous than the others (“Smelly Cat”), but she wrote plenty of other great lyrics. Here, she writes one of the most brutally honest lyrics of all-time. Beat that, Morrissey!
When she debated Ross about evolution:
Ross has dedicated his life to studying fossils, so when Phoebe reveals she doesn’t believe in evolution, it drives him insane, and he spends the entire episode trying to prove her wrong. The funny thing is, Phoebe’s lack of belief doesn’t come from religious reasons, rather, she simply thinks that the evolutionary process is “too easy.” In the end, Phoebe gets Ross to admit there’s a small chance he’s wrong, then proceeds to chastise him for abandoning his beliefs. At that point, you had to wonder if she was just trolling him the entire time.
When she gave this honest assessment of the situation:
While everyone else — Ross, Monica and Rachel, in particular — benefited from growing up in upper-middle-class families, Phoebe had a much rougher childhood. As a result, she’s considerably tougher than everyone else (in one episode, we find out that as a teen, she mugged Ross), and while that doesn’t come up too much over the course of the series, Phoebe isn’t afraid to remind her softer pals who the boss is.
When she was a little too honest for her own good:
Phoebe was never one to beat around the bush. Should she be a bit more polite in situations like this? Eh, maybe, but then she wouldn’t be Phoebe.
When she had this great response to a snooty waiter:
Once again, Phoebe doesn’t suffer fools well. And if you’re going to be condescending to her, you can expect a response like this in return.
