The conversation around diversity has been intensifying lately, making everyone think about its importance in all areas of life. One recent topic of discussion? The iconic 90s sitcom Friends.
Quinta Brunson, known for her role in Abbott Elementary, recently pointed out Friends for its lack of diversity. While hosting Saturday Night Live, Brunson used her monologue to highlight the absence of Black characters in the beloved show.
Brunson contrasted the diversity on Abbott Elementary, which features the lives of teachers in a predominantly Black, state-funded elementary school in Philadelphia, with the noticeable lack of diversity on Friends. The difference was strikingly evident.
With her well-known wit, she joked: “I wanted to be on SNL back in the day, but the audition process seemed long – so instead, I just created my own TV show, made sure it became really popular, won a bunch of Emmys, and then got asked to host. So much easier, so much easier.”
While the audience chuckled, the underlying point was clear. Brunson continued, “It’s a network sitcom like, say, Friends. Except, instead of being about a group of friends, it’s about a group of teachers. Instead of New York, it’s in Philadelphia, and instead of not having Black people, it does.”
Her playful commentary sparked serious reflection, even from Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman. Kauffman has publicly expressed embarrassment over the show’s lack of diversity and pledged $4 million to support African and African-American studies at a university.
“I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” Kauffman admitted. “Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. It’s painful looking at yourself in the mirror. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know better 25 years ago.”
She added, “It took me a long time to begin to understand how I internalized systemic racism. I’ve been working really hard to become an ally, an anti-racist. And this seemed to me to be a way that I could participate in the conversation from a white woman’s perspective.”
The discussion around diversity is far from over, but it’s clear that the conversation has advanced—even for a cherished sitcom like Friends.
Diddy’s mother shared a statement with Local 10 News.
ARCHIVO – Sean Combs llega a la gala previa a los Grammy y saludo a los conos de la industria en el Hotel Beverly Hilton el sbado 25 de enero de 2020 en Beverly Hills, California. (Foto Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP, archivo) (Mark Von Holden, 2020 Invision)
Diddy’s mother, Janice Smalls Combs, spoke to Local 10 News on Sunday about her son’s recent issues. She acknowledged that her 54-year-old son might have lied about the domestic violence seen in a video but said this doesn’t mean he is guilty of the sexual assault accusations against him.
In a statement shared by Fort Lauderdale attorney Natalie G. Figgers, Diddy’s mother said, “My son is not the monster they have painted him to be.”
Meanwhile, a Houston attorney announced on Tuesday that he is representing 120 people who have accused Diddy of sexual misconduct.
The music executive is also awaiting trial for sex trafficking at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Read the complete statement:
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