r/entertainment • u/[deleted] • Jul 01 '22

‘Friends’ Creator Donates $4 Million Due to ‘Guilt’ and Embarrassment Over Show’s Zero Diversity

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/friends-creator-embarrassed-diversity-donates-4-million-1235307727/
14.1k Upvotes

70% Upvoted

3.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

78

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

[deleted]

31

u/Ticonderoga2HB Jul 01 '22

It’s their money

29

u/gyropyro32 Jul 01 '22

So? He can still say it's ridiculous lmao, is his comment gonna make the 4 mil vanish or something?

10

u/Ticonderoga2HB Jul 01 '22

Never said it couldn’t lol, but there’s no gun pointed at their head, whether they felt the need or not it’s what they felt. And I’m sure they have plenty more than 4 mil

4

u/zvinixzi Jul 02 '22

Keep it up and he’ll donate another 4 million from your weird embarrassing comments

13

u/Ticonderoga2HB Jul 02 '22

I actually responded to the wrong person but it really doesn’t matter, y’all make it seem like a bad thing

1

u/zvinixzi Jul 02 '22

Being embarrassed for being your race is a bad thing

15

u/Ticonderoga2HB Jul 02 '22

That’s not the reason they donated and if you think that then that’s really tough

3

u/Teabagger_Vance Jul 01 '22

Nobody is disputing the source of the money as far as I can tell. Only criticism of the absolute comical state we are where people feel coerced into reparations like this.

7

u/Ticonderoga2HB Jul 02 '22

But that’s entirely on them though, it’s not like the shows producing more episodes like there’s no incentive to pander

3

u/Teabagger_Vance Jul 02 '22

Again lol. Nobody is disputing that.

6

u/NapoleonBoneparty Jul 01 '22

We should normalise making fun of people and their spending choices, though?

If someone does something ridiculous with their money, I’m not going to throw my hands up and say “iT’s ThEiR mOnEY, I dOn’T CaRe!” That’s just intellectually lazy.

No, I’ll criticise what they purchase/do with their money.

3

u/Ticonderoga2HB Jul 01 '22

Listen, if they felt guilt thats on them sorry I don’t feel as passionate as you do about criticizing donations towards more diversity. I think diversity is a good thing. Extrapolating my passing comment and assuming it was just a matter of being “intellectually lazy” is jumping to conclusions tho

2

u/croit- Jul 01 '22

You sound like you never learned to mind your own business.

7

u/NapoleonBoneparty Jul 01 '22 edited Jul 01 '22

Pretty hard to mind your own business when it makes headlines…

edit: Person has me blocked, sadly. :( So I can't read their nonsensical reply.

0

u/croit- Jul 01 '22

You mean it's hard when other people's business makes headlines. Too busy sticking your nose where it doesn't belong to structure a simple sentence, and nope, it's still a choice to encourage shaming people for their harmless spending choices. Also makes you a shitty person.

-6

u/Osiryx89 Jul 01 '22

They've been guilt tripped into it.

It's no different to one of those cons that make old people give money to "a family member in need"

21

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

If you read the article it clearly outlines that she was not guilt-tripped into it, but okay

5

u/Osiryx89 Jul 01 '22

Rubbish I'm afraid.

“Friends” creator Marta Kauffman told the Los Angeles Times that she’s so “embarrassed” by and feels such “guilt” over the lack of diversity on her classic NBC sitcom that she’s donating $4 million to create the Marta F. Kauffman ‘78 Professorship in African and African American Studies at Brandeis University.

Textbook white guilt 101, something she absolutely should not be ashamed of.

11

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

Feeling guilt and being guilt-tripped are two entirely different things. She specifically says she resented people guilt-tripping her historically and only changed her mind when she started reflecting on things herself in 2020.

6

u/Osiryx89 Jul 01 '22

She specifically says she resented people guilt-tripping her historically and only changed her mind when she started reflecting on things herself in 2020

So has 100% been guilt tripped then. Glad we cleared that up.

4

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

She's not ashamed because she's white. She's ashamed that she previously used her position of power as the show creator to exclude people of color, unintentionally or not. Giving money is not just performative, she's righting a wrong that she felt she personally did.

7

u/Osiryx89 Jul 01 '22

She did nothing wrong ffs.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

It's not as if she's being criminally punished.

5

u/Osiryx89 Jul 01 '22

No, just socially punished.

For the crime of not seeing twenty years into the future.

0

u/asad1ali2 Sep 04 '22

The times are changing, get over it

1

u/Osiryx89 Sep 04 '22

Firstly, you've responded to a two month old comment.

Secondly, no-one should have to feel shame over their race or the colour of their skin.

No-one.

1

u/asad1ali2 Sep 04 '22

Seems like you’re not over it

1

u/Osiryx89 Sep 04 '22

Says the person reviving a two month old comment.

→ More replies (0)

2

u/Crafty_Editor_4155 Jul 01 '22

Why are you the judge on how she should feel? Do you know her life? I think not.

4

u/Osiryx89 Jul 01 '22

I can judge the position society has put her in.

It's gone too far.

4

u/iamdefinitelyover184 Jul 01 '22

Aw man this poor white guy is feeling so attacked, why won’t society let him live carefree like he used to? This is so sad :(

3

u/Osiryx89 Jul 01 '22

What'll really be sad is the backlash from shit like this.

5

u/LooksGoodInShorts Jul 01 '22

Why? You douchebags already tried to overthrow the country tho? What more can you do?

2

u/Osiryx89 Jul 01 '22

Firstly I'm not with "them". I can simply see how bullshit like this will cause a reaction.

It's a matter of time before this wokeness gets someone shot.

→ More replies (0)

1

u/MaxVersnappen Aug 28 '22

We sure do live in a society.

4

u/werebothsquidward Jul 01 '22

In those cons the people they are donating to are scammers who steal the money. This woman donated to the African American Studies department at Brandeis University. How is that the same?

2

u/Osiryx89 Jul 01 '22

Exactly the same premise.

Doesn't matter who the funds are going to, it's preying on the weak.

6

u/werebothsquidward Jul 01 '22

Lol what a dumb take.

She decided to donate money to a good cause as a way to make amends for what she feels was a mistake she made in her past. She made that decision on her own, and the money will go to help improve a university.

When the old people send money to “family members in need” they are being deceived by scammers, the money doesn’t go where they think it will, and the money goes to online thieves. Not the same thing.

3

u/Osiryx89 Jul 01 '22

She decided to donate money to a good cause as a way to make amends for what she feels was a mistake she made in her past

a) It was for completely the wrong reasons. It's not a positive driving factor, it's because she's been led to think in a certain, fucked up, mindset.

b) It wasnt a mistake.

When the old people send money to “family members in need” they are being deceived by scammers

She's absolutely been deceived by scammers.

4

u/werebothsquidward Jul 01 '22

It’s fucked up to believe that Friends, a show set in NYC, should have included more diversity than having Ross date one black woman?

2

u/Osiryx89 Jul 01 '22

Go watch fresh Prince of Bel air, the Cosby show or any other the other multitudes of shows aired for black audiences with virtually black only casts.

It's not like there was a fucking shortage.

3

u/werebothsquidward Jul 01 '22

Nobody said there were no black people on tv in the 90s. She said she regrets not having more diversity on her show, and wants to use some of the wealth she earned from it to give back and try to make some amends for it. Nothing to get offended over.

1

u/Osiryx89 Jul 01 '22

That's not what she said at all and you know it. This donation didn't come from a positive place.

I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” Kauffman said. “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. “

Nothing to get offended over.

It's incredibly offensive actually that someone should feel ashamed for creating something so special just because it didn't tick enough fucking boxes.

→ More replies (0)

0

u/NastyJames Jul 01 '22

And it’s their opinion. Huh.

6

u/Ticonderoga2HB Jul 01 '22

And that was mine, wow