| dc.description.abstract | This study of the 1990s television show Friends analyzes the representations and portrayals of
gender and sexuality presented throughout the series. Episodes containing the word “Wedding”
in the title were examined for issues of gender and sexuality. This examination specifies
particular attention to the lesbian and transgender community in regards to Friends’
representation of sexuality. While an examination of gender in Friends focuses more on ideas of
hegemonic masculinity and adverse ideas of feminism and postfeminism. Through the
application and acceptance of media influence being derived through a process of negotiated
meaning, a motley of possible influences and effects can be extracted from Friends. The
identification of Friends as a negotiated text prevents a solitary identification of Friends as either
a positive or negative text in terms of sexual and gendered representations/expectations and
allays the plausibility of identifying all possible influences Friends has on viewers’ perceptions.
However, it is still vital to examine and identify a number of these representations and possible
influences, so that a greater level of understanding, consciousness, and cultural significance can
be derived about the influence Friends had and has on viewer’s beliefs, attitudes, and
expectations particularly in regards to gender and sexuality. | en_US |
