friends reunion essay

The Friends Mythology Has Come Full Circle

The long-awaited reunion special is an uneasy continuation of the sitcom’s easy fantasies.

This article contains light spoilers for Friends: The Reunion.

The nostalgia will be monetized. Friends: The Reunion premieres today on HBO Max. The long-awaited special is not a reboot—not another sitcom refurbished and resold, old characters living new stories—but instead a splashy gathering of the original show’s cast. It features a dizzying hodgepodge of interviews, cameos, and talking-head testimonials, many of them earnestly telethonic in tone. The reunion turns Friends ’ fictions into a reality show. It celebrates a sitcom, yes. More specifically, however, it celebrates that sitcom’s enduring popularity. Friends , in the years since it premiered, has become ubiquitous. Its reunion special spends nearly two hours frantically arguing that the ubiquity is deserved.

One of the segments is an all-cast interview with the late-night host James Corden. Another finds the cast visiting the show’s old soundstage, which has been reconstructed for the occasion. (“Wow,” David Schwimmer murmurs, wandering the set. “It’s—I mean, this is beautiful. It’s beautiful .”) Another segment finds the actors gathered in the space formerly known as Monica’s living room, playing an updated version of Ross’s famous trivia game . Another finds them doing retrospective table reads of notable scenes: the one with the jellyfish , the one where everyone finds out . There’s also a blooper reel, a fashion show, Lisa Kudrow singing “Smelly Cat,” and many, many tears. The unapologetic maximalism adds up to a special that is both unhurried in length—an hour and 44 minutes—and frenzied in tone.

Read: On Chandler Bing’s job

But the Friends special is not merely a cast reunion. It is also an advertisement for the show’s move to HBO Max. Any good ad will feature testimonials, and much of this one is dedicated to the argument that Friends is a really good sitcom. We get endorsements of the show from celebrities who guest-starred on it (Reese Witherspoon, Tom Selleck) and celebrities who simply love it (David Beckham, Kit Harington, Mindy Kaling, the members of BTS). These cameos have a teasing lack of logic to them (Jon Snow??), and the chaos is illustrative: When you have achieved the hegemony that Friends has achieved, you don’t have to explain yourself. You can include in your celebration a fashion show that finds Justin Bieber dressed as a potato, and rest assured that people will roll with it. There’s an ease that comes with creating an ad for something so many people have already bought.

The special thus treats nostalgia as a kind of absolution. Friends , after all, has not just failed to age well; it showed its failings even when it was young. Its jokes are sometimes homophobic; its plots are occasionally cruel; its cast, and its world, are almost entirely white. The show is popular, and it is, as a separate proposition, beloved. But the affection tends to come with an asterisk. Many other series have similar problems, and use their versions of a reunion or reboot to acknowledge that the world has moved forward around them. The Friends version, instead, goes out of its way to change the subject.

Read: The aughts seem both cooler and sadder in retrospect

One of the most striking segments of the reunion features a series of fans from around the world attesting to Friends as a fact of globalization. Vivian, from Ghana, tells the audience what it meant to her that Monica proposed to Chandler, rather than vice versa. “Watching that episode,” she says, “got me thinking that I can also take charge of my own relationship.” A man in India says that Friends helped him grieve after his father died. Liz, from Mexico, talks about the isolation of being queer, and how Friends helped her feel a little less lonely. The finale to these testimonials is an endorsement from Malala Yousafzai, the education-equality activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, and her best friend, Vee. “You’re Joey with a hint of Phoebe,” Vee tells her friend. Malala grins at this. Later, she adds: “ Friends brought friends together.”

A reason Friends has become so popular with people who were not yet born when it premiered, critics have surmised, is that the show revels in the constraints of physical immediacy. Friends ’ world is hermetic. Its characters interact not over the cool distance of the digital—text, TikTok—but rather in person. They live next door to one another, across the street from one another, down the block from one another. Their lives are shaped by the fatalism of actual proximity.

That intimacy also reflects the sitcom’s achievements: The sitcom, as a form, is a mechanism of constraint. Friends was in some sense in dialogue with The Real World , which premiered two years earlier, in 1992, and also concerned itself with the huddled lives of telegenic young people. But while The Real World exploited conflict, Friends minimized it. The show featured a world devoid of repercussions. Phoebe, acting as a surrogate for her brother and his wife, gave birth to triplets, and the whole thing was rarely mentioned again. Ross married Emily; she was banished in short order from the show’s world—a mere complication to the on-again, off-again romance of Ross and Rachel. Friends was so devoted to its fantasy—youth, love, the giddy possibilities of each—that it sloughed away any hard fact that did not serve its aspirations. The show had no evident politics. Its characters occasionally struggled with money but never doubted their class. Friends offered a world devoid of the world.

The show’s reunion has now continued the tradition. The special is fan service that also attempts to rationalize the fandom itself. It is trying its best to have it both ways—the enforced intimacy of the sitcom and the market imperative of the global franchise. It is a telethon guided by a tautology: Why is Friends so popular? Because Friends is so popular. Nostalgia, the special suggests, is its own value. Ubiquity is its own selling point. How could Friends be wrong, when so many people say it’s right?

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In the wake of Matthew Perry's tragic death, we honour the enduring appeal of this classic comfort watch

Perry's sad death will no doubt prompt many of us to rewatch our favourite episodes yet again – not that Friends has ever, really, seen a dip in popularity. A poll conducted last year by YouTube saw Friends topping the list of the best TV shows of all time, beating Seinfeld, Game of Thrones and The Office to the number one spot. Meanwhile, Friends: The Reunion (a special get-together of the show's stars, hosted by James Corden, which aired in 2021) was watched by an estimated 29 per cent of streaming households in the US on the first day of its release.

Though Friends has endured, it has also engendered a cultural rethink of late. A whole new audience came to the show through Netflix when it landed back in 2017 and found its handling of gay or trans characters jarring, its portrayal of ‘Fat Monica’ harmful or its distinct lack of diversity somewhat baffling. Yet Friends also has an enduring appeal which, despite many of its dated missteps, has managed to get a foothold once again thanks to a whole new generation binging it with much more ease than their millennial counterparts who – like me – recorded it from the TV or saved up to buy the much-coveted VHS tapes.

These tapes were the teddy bears of my teenage years. Friends was what I watched on sick days, sad days, post-break up days. Friends was a comfort blanket , and – if I’m honest – remains so. I often play it in the background if I’m having trouble sleeping, or pop it on during those lazy hungover Sundays. It’s been the calming companion on days when I’ve been anxious. It’s been a, well, friend .

It’s because, at this point, for those of us who grew up with Friends , it’s not so much even a TV show anymore, but a sort of collective memory. We feel as though we lived in Monica and Rachel’s apartment, that we too lounged about drinking coffee at Central Perk, and played table football with Chandler and Joey. It is familiar, safe, warm and welcoming.

That is the true soft power of Friends . Though its central premise broke the standard suburban family sitcom mould at the time, it was never a game-changer in terms of culture, comedy or form. What it was, was a sharply written, brilliantly performed set piece with characters that instantly felt comforting and relatable, who were designed to become friends of ours over the show’s 10-year run. It worked. We cared about everything from Smelly Cat to whether Ross and Rachel were on a break, from Monica’s secret cupboard to Ross’ sandwich.

.css-ah9zk9{margin:0rem;font-size:1.75rem;line-height:1.2;font-family:NewParisTextBook,NewParisTextBook-roboto,NewParisTextBook-local,Georgia,Times,Serif;padding-left:5rem;padding-right:5rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-ah9zk9{padding-left:2.5rem;padding-right:2.5rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-ah9zk9{font-size:2.5rem;line-height:1.2;}}.css-ah9zk9 em,.css-ah9zk9 i{font-style:normal;font-family:NewParisTextItalic,NewParisTextItalic-roboto,NewParisTextItalic-local,Georgia,Times,Serif;}.css-ah9zk9 b,.css-ah9zk9 strong{font-family:inherit;font-weight:bold;} The show is a millennial Neverland...where your friends are always just across the hall

The appeal of Friends only increased over lockdown, when many of us, shying away from the chaos and panic of life in a global pandemic, shrank back into the familiarity of a comfort watch. Psychologically speaking, it’s been proven that re-watching familiar shows or films can be a form of easily tapped-into nostalgia that rewards your brain with a natural high – something of which we've all been in dire need over the past few years.

The nostalgia of its premise is also attractive to millennials in particular, for whom the show is more than just a comforter of their youth, but a catnip snapshot of what life would be like if we really could just live with our friends. As we embody that stage in life where pals pair off, have kids, move away, it can be a wrenching signifier of change. The show exists as a sadly unrealistic freeze-frame; a millennial Neverland, where no one really grows old or moves on, where your friends are always just across the hall.

Perry's sad passing will no doubt prod many of us back into binge-watching marathons. Despite headline-making new shows dropping on streaming platforms every month , this cultural juggernaut has proven, time and time again, through generational revisionisms and beyond, that it will always, always be there for you.

'Friends' is available to stream now on Netflix .

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Friends: The Reunion

"Friends (1994)" reunion special hosted by James Corden in which the main cast revisit the sets of the original show, meet with celebrity guests, do table reads and re-enactments of episodes... Read all "Friends (1994)" reunion special hosted by James Corden in which the main cast revisit the sets of the original show, meet with celebrity guests, do table reads and re-enactments of episodes, and share behind-the-scenes footage. "Friends (1994)" reunion special hosted by James Corden in which the main cast revisit the sets of the original show, meet with celebrity guests, do table reads and re-enactments of episodes, and share behind-the-scenes footage.

• Russell Norman
• Ben Winston
• David Crane
• Marta Kauffman
• Jennifer Aniston
• Courteney Cox
• Lisa Kudrow
• 695 User reviews
• 47 Critic reviews
• 8 nominations total

Top cast 32

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Did you know

• Trivia The six Friends never got back together in one room since 2004 except for once at a dinner party at Courteney Cox 's house in October 2019, one month before the reunion was announced.
• Goofs When Courteney Cox is re-enacting the "7" moment during the game, it is easy to see that she actually only holds up six fingers but says the number seven.

James Corden : How much do you stay in touch ?

Lisa Kudrow : Yeah, no, we stay in touch for sure. Maybe not every day.

James Corden : Sure.

Lisa Kudrow : But, you know, we have such a bond from having done this show and forged this very tight relationship that, you know, any time you text or call someone, they're going to pick up. They'll be there.

James Corden : Matthew, who doesn't pick up ?

Matthew Perry : I don't hear from anyone.

• Connections Featured in Jeremy Vine: Episode #4.95 (2021)
• Soundtracks Delicate Written by Rupert Pope and John Robertson Performed by Rupert Pope and John Robertson Courtesy of Extreme Music

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 44 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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The Joys and Surprises of Attending and Organizing Family Reunions

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The Importance of Reunions: High School, Family, and Friends

What can be gained by attending them..

Posted April 13, 2018 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

• Ben is a 43-year-old man who just received an announcement for his 25-year high school reunion. It’s been years since he saw his old classmates and he has mixed feelings about attending.
• Jennie and Pat grew up on the East Coast but moved to Oregon to attend college where they met and married upon graduation. Although they keep in touch with their immediate families, they have not kept up with other relatives. A distant cousin sent them an invitation to attend an extended family reunion weekend in Massachusetts. It sounds interesting, but it may be too difficult to take their four children there.
• Monica, Cynthia, and Candy were best friends growing up. Despite going to different colleges and settling in different states, they have kept up with one another through phone calls, emails, cards, and photos. It’s been a long time since they’ve seen one another in person because all three are married, have children, and are working. They talk about having a reunion, but nothing has happened yet.

All three stories reflect problematic issues related to reunions:

• Ambivalence about attending a reunion
• Difficulties in attending a reunion
• Lack of commitment to organize or implement a reunion

Attending reunions can present psychological, financial, and logistical problems. That is clearly not the intent of reunions; yet, these issues often exist. Why?

High school reunions tend to bring up old memories, some of which may be unpleasant—like seeing the “mean girls” who used to make fun of you or the girl who turned you down when you asked her to the prom.

People may also be reluctant to go to their high school reunion because of feeling embarrassed about their physical appearance or insecurity about their lack of achievements since graduation. The idea that individuals will be compared now to their adolescent self or their grown classmates may carry the risk for regretting how their life turned out.

On the other hand, high school reunions can be eye-opening. We usually develop wisdom and maturity as we age. Encountering our former classmates and recalling old memories, good and bad, may help us gain better insight into who we are now and how we got here.

High school reunions can also be fun. It can be a time to go down “ memory lane.” That is, to reminiscence about people we knew as well as our mutual history in such things as music and historical events. In fact, renewing old friendships and reliving the fun and feelings we had in high school are two of the most common reasons people attend their high school reunions (Lamb & Reeder, 1986).

Family reunions are another type of reunion that can be psychologically and educationally fulfilling:

• They bring together relatives who have never met (e.g., new members of the family, newborns) and demonstrate the extensiveness of one’s sphere of relatives.
• They encourage communication among extended family members after the reunion period.
• They provide educational opportunities for the various generations to learn about the members of their clan and pass on historical information.
• They celebrate the meaning of family by sharing memories and family rituals as well as encouraging a sense of belonging to something greater than your nuclear family.

A third type of reunion is one where long-time friends physically get together and reconnect. Although we live in a multi-mode communication (e.g., emails, Facetime, telephone calls, social media , texts) era, there is no substitute for the physical presence and an extended period to spend together. The opportunity to engage in conversations that are not time-restricted encourage deeper communication. Even mundane activities, like going for a walk or taking a long drive, can stimulate the friends to reminisce or discuss their feelings and thoughts beyond a superficial level.

Reunions with old friends inevitably bring up people and issues of our past. Such friends may recall memories of us, our family members, and other people we knew, as well as events that happened to us. A reunion with friends is different than high school or family reunions. This reunion involves friends who have known us for a long time and have seen us through an entirely different lens than that used by our former classmates or relatives. The perspective of long-time friends can be very enlightening. It may not only reveal information about us and how we have changed, but also similar information about our friends. Discussing and knowing this can lead to greater intimacy and respect for one another.

Reunions of any kind are not always easy to arrange because of the cost and managing the details. In order to increase attendance:

• Keep costs low to accommodate most people’s budget.
• Encourage people to submit ideas and preferences for activities.
• Look for convenient places and times when as many people as possible can attend.
• Devote most of the time to activities that promote connection among the attendees; especially, those that focus on sharing old and making new memories.
• Attend with the plan to not re-hash unpleasant events or topics.
• Seek out people you like and care about.

Generally, reunions can be highly valuable to our well-being. For those who want to learn more about themselves and make stronger connections with others, reunions can be a powerful vehicle for accomplishing this.

Kluin, J. Y., & Lehto, X. Y. (2012). Measuring family reunion travel motivations. Annals of Tourism Research, 39, 820-841. doi:10.1016/j.annals.2011.09.008.

Lamb, D. H., & Reeder, G. D. (1986, June). Reliving golden days. Psychology Today, 22-26, 30.

McCutcheon, L. E., Pope, T. J., Grant, R., & Simplis, K. (2016). Does savoring predict attendance at high school reunions and the tendency to admire celebrities? North American Journal of Psychology, 18, 295-306.

Shoba Sreenivasan, Ph.D., and Linda E. Weinberger, Ph.D. , are psychology professors at the Keck School of Medicine at USC.

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A true story about reunion of friendships, friendships are strong at the beginning, but they are mightier when reconnected again..

We might not see it, but stories make up a huge part of our lifestyles. We might tell stories to kids to let their imaginations run wild or to describe one of our favorite memories to our friends. Storytelling has become a way for us to express ourselves and others, even if we create the stories ourselves.

A while back, I was speaking with a family friend of mine, and he told me this story about how he and a friend of his "reunited." He was super excited and so passionate with the story that he gave so much detail about the event. At that moment, I wanted people to know about this story that showed how friendship really does exist in everyone. So, I sat down and wrote the short story that is included in this article.

I just so happened to find this story again while searching through old files on my computer. When I found this, I knew that I had to share my friend’s story. I hope my friend’s story will inspire you and others to remember that friendships can come in different forms and from people you may not expect.

I had been looking forward to doing this for such a long time. I mean, it’s not a big deal for every one us, but to me, I couldn’t have been more excited. I had known about this day for exactly one month, 14 days, 6 hours, and 24 seconds, and the time had finally come for that day to arrive. I didn’t want anything to damper my spirit because I had to remain focused so that I wouldn’t fall behind like the others.

Driving up to my school might have made me a bit anxious, considering it was pouring rain, the roads were a bit slick, and it was difficult to see out the window at times. As I safely turned into the school, I glanced to my right to make sure my passenger was alright. It was. All the pieces had remained attached to the board, and it had kept its shape the entire drive through the rain. Getting it out of my car was a bit of an issue. I did not have an umbrella, only my coat, and I needed to protect it somehow.

I got looks from my fellow peers as I squeaked through the halls. People could follow my footsteps as they left behind enormous puddles, but at this point, it didn’t matter what they thought. My project was safe, and I could finally relax as I completed my daily checklist.

Wake up and eat a nice breakfast. Check. Take a warm shower. Check. Make sure everything is perfect for my project. Check. Drive to school. Check. Get my project inside in one piece. Check.

I sighed as yanked my locker open and gently placed my project inside. I smiled as I knew my hard work would finally pay off. I had been working on this project ever since it was assigned in my class. With the end of the sophomore year coming, Mrs. Bradley wanted my class to present a final project. We had to choose our topic out of a hat. It was an old-fashioned method, but it was the fairest and most effective. I had gotten animal cells, which were my favorite when we learned about them last year. I knew I had this in the bag once I went home and started researching.

I continued to hear the rain tap on the window as I glanced to see some of my peers pass by with their projects. Some were decent, and some were just atrocious. I could hear one of them say that he made it back in grade school, so it was a cheap way out and the teacher would never find out.

Oh, believe me, she’ll find out. I could see in bold letters on the back of the miniature Sun: “Bill’s 3rd grade Solar System.” Nice going, Bill.

But, I just kept my smile and went back to my locker to grab my essentials for class. The time was 7:25. Morning bell was going to ring in 10 minutes, and I needed to get my project to Mrs. Bradley’s room and then be ready in my homeroom by the end of those minutes. I wasn’t worried. Not at all.

Fridays were usually the day that I looked forward to, but not that day. It was the day of Mrs. Bradley’s Yearly Final Project. I knew about this when I was a freshman. Three years later, and I still did not understand the big hype. Decorating the school halls with ridiculous signs that say “Science is Fun” or some other childlike saying. It’s exhausting. I’ll admit seeing my classmates’ projects interested me. It was intriguing to see what everyone had created. That solar system project that Bill made was not the best one I saw, but not everyone can be creative, I guess.

As I opened my locker, I happened to see Michael out of the corner of my eye. His locker was a bit far from mine, but we saw each other every morning. It’s a shame though because we don’t talk much like we used to. We were such great friends in grade school. We would hang out all the time, and it seemed impossible for us to be separated. All of that changed when high school hit. I joined the football team, and he just kind of sank into the background.

Michael had such a big personality when we were younger, then he got quiet. All he would do was smile, and that’s that. I heard the only time he would talk would be in class. It was like he was in a place that he could be himself. I wanted to try and rekindle our friendship, but it would ruin my place on the team if I became friends with Michael again.

As I grabbed my notebook and folder from the top of my locker, I heard a loud bang. It startled me and few other students as I looked to my left to see Michael, timidly holding his project, surrounded by some of my teammates. I walked over to the group to see what the hell was going on. I joined into the clump to hear what everyone was saying. Michael wasn’t saying anything. I could see his drenched clothes were dripping, and the project was completely dry. Knowing Michael, he wanted to keep his project safe so that it wouldn’t hurt his grade. Typical Mikey.

I didn’t have much time to reflect anymore as I saw one of my teammates slam his hand into Michael’s project. This caught Michael off guard, and I watched as the project tumbled to the wet floor and shattered into pieces. Michael went to quickly pick it up, but my teammates started to slam their feet onto the remaining pieces.

I don’t why I didn’t stop them. I wanted to, but my mind was telling me to stay back and watch. However, my heart was telling me something else.

As my teammates howled with laughter, I noticed that Michael was gone. I searched down the hallway and saw nothing. All I could see was a trail of tiny puddles.

All my hard work, ruined in a matter of seconds. Those football assholes didn’t understand anything. All they knew was how to throw a ball, flirt with the cheerleaders, and then make out with them after a game. They knew nothing about common courtesy or just being a decent human being. I didn’t know what I was going to tell Mrs. Bradley. If I didn’t tell her, I would certainly fail the project and then possibly not pass the class, and if I told her the truth, those football players were going to break a few of my bones.

I couldn’t do anything but cry. Cry and let my tears become a part of the rain. I had forgotten my coat in the school, but I didn’t care anymore. I could see my clothes get heavier as they continued to soak in the thousands of raindrops falling from the sky. I couldn’t go back inside, not after that fiasco. It would be an embarrassment to show my face to my peers as I picked up the broken pieces of my project. It was hopeless.

It was one of those days. The worst day you could imagine.

I suddenly felt only the tears on my face. No rain. No wind. I glanced up to see only black. It was an umbrella, and I noticed a hand, too. I followed it, and it led back to Donovan’s hand. I was shocked to see him out here and not with his buddies. We had not talked in such a long time. I can’t remember how long it had been since we even said "hi" to each other.

He was smiling, and I didn’t know why. He grabbed my hand and put the umbrella into my grasp. He continued to smile as he told me, “Don’t worry. I took care of it.”

At first, I was confused, but I heard the distant creak of a door opening and saw Mrs. Bradley and the principal rushing up to me. Donovan stepped back as they went to each of my sides. The principal said that Donovan told him everything that happened. I was shocked to hear this. Donovan, of all people, ratted his buddies out. It made me feel a bit good inside. The principal and Mrs.Bradley were still talking to me, but I could only look at Donovan. He was still smiling with his hands in his jacket and looking at the ground.

What I did next I didn’t regret. I dropped the umbrella and ran to Donovan and hugged him. I didn’t know what else to do. A simple thank you and a handshake was not enough for me. I wanted him to know that I greatly appreciated what he did for me. And I think he did. I felt his arm go around me and he patted my back.

“Thank you.”

I could feel Donovan smile. “You’re welcome, bud.”

As I am writing this article, my friend, Michael, is still good friends with Donovan. They had just taken a trip together and both seemed to have a great time (I saw the photos...I follow them both on Facebook). I hope my friends' story might be an inspiration to you and others, because it definitely was for me.

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25 beatles lyrics: your go-to guide for every situation, the best lines from the fab four.

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make

The End- Abbey Road, 1969

The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you

Dear Prudence- The White Album, 1968

Love is old, love is new, love is all, love is you

Because- Abbey Road, 1969

There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be

All You Need Is Love, 1967

Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend

We Can Work It Out- Rubber Soul, 1965

He say, "I know you, you know me", One thing I can tell you is you got to be free

Come Together- Abbey Road, 1969

Oh please, say to me, You'll let me be your man. And please say to me, You'll let me hold your hand

I Wanna Hold Your Hand- Meet The Beatles!, 1964

It was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play. They've been going in and out of style, but they're guaranteed to raise a smile

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band-1967

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see

Strawberry Fields Forever- Magical Mystery Tour, 1967

Can you hear me? When it rains and shine, it's just a state of mind

Rain- Paperback Writer "B" side, 1966

Little darling, it's been long cold lonely winter. Little darling, it feels like years since it' s been here. Here comes the sun, Here comes the sun, and I say it's alright

Here Comes The Sun- Abbey Road, 1969

We danced through the night and we held each other tight, and before too long I fell in love with her. Now, I'll never dance with another when I saw her standing there

Saw Her Standing There- Please Please Me, 1963

I love you, I love you, I love you, that's all I want to say

Michelle- Rubber Soul, 1965

You say you want a revolution. Well you know, we all want to change the world

Revolution- The Beatles, 1968

All the lonely people, where do they all come from. All the lonely people, where do they all belong

Eleanor Rigby- Revolver, 1966

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

With A Little Help From My Friends- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967

Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better

Hey Jude, 1968

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they're here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday

Yesterday- Help!, 1965

And when the brokenhearted people, living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be.

Let It Be- Let It Be, 1970

And anytime you feel the pain, Hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulders

I'll give you all i got to give if you say you'll love me too. i may not have a lot to give but what i got i'll give to you. i don't care too much for money. money can't buy me love.

Can't Buy Me Love- A Hard Day's Night, 1964

All you need is love, love is all you need

All You Need Is Love- Magical Mystery Tour, 1967

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly. all your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise.

Blackbird- The White Album, 1968

Though I know I'll never lose affection, for people and things that went before. I know I'll often stop and think about them. In my life, I love you more

In My Life- Rubber Soul, 1965

While these are my 25 favorites, there are quite literally 1000s that could have been included. The Beatles' body of work is massive and there is something for everyone. If you have been living under a rock and haven't discovered the Fab Four, you have to get musically educated. Stream them on Spotify, find them on iTunes or even buy a CD or record (Yes, those still exist!). I would suggest starting with 1, which is a collection of most of their #1 songs, or the 1968 White Album. Give them chance and you'll never look back.

14 Invisible Activities: Unleash Your Inner Ghost!

Obviously the best superpower..

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

1. "Haunt" your friends.

Follow them into their house and cause a ruckus.

2. Sneak into movie theaters.

Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health , says science

Considering that the monthly cost of subscribing to a media-streaming service like Netflix is oft...

Free movies...what else to I have to say?

3. Sneak into the pantry and grab a snack without judgment.

Late night snacks all you want? Duh.

4. Reenact "Hollow Man" and play Kevin Bacon.

America's favorite son? And feel what it's like to be in a MTV Movie Award nominated film? Sign me up.

5. Wear a mask and pretend to be a floating head.

Just another way to spook your friends in case you wanted to.

6. Hold objects so they'll "float."

"Oh no! A floating jar of peanut butter."

7. Win every game of hide-and-seek.

Just stand out in the open and you'll win.

8. Eat some food as people will watch it disappear.

Even everyday activities can be funny.

9. Go around pantsing your friends.

Even pranks can be done; not everything can be good.

10. Not have perfect attendance.

You'll say here, but they won't see you...

11. Avoid anyone you don't want to see.

Whether it's an ex or someone you hate, just use your invisibility to slip out of the situation.

12. Avoid responsibilities.

Chores? Invisible. People asking about social life? Invisible. Family being rude? Boom, invisible.

13. Be an expert on ding-dong-ditch.

Never get caught and have the adrenaline rush? I'm down.

14. Brag about being invisible.

Be the envy of the town.

But don't, I repeat, don't go in a locker room. Don't be a pervert with your power. No one likes a Peeping Tom.

Good luck, folks.

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned..

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

1. The importance of traditions.

Sometimes traditions seem like a silly thing, but the fact of it is that it's part of who you are. You grew up this way and, more than likely, so did your parents. It is something that is part of your family history and that is more important than anything.

2. How to be thankful for family and friends.

No matter how many times they get on your nerves or make you mad, they are the ones who will always be there and you should never take that for granted.

3. How to give back.

When tragedy strikes in a small town, everyone feels obligated to help out because, whether directly or indirectly, it affects you too. It is easy in a bigger city to be able to disconnect from certain problems. But in a small town those problems affect everyone.

4. What the word "community" really means.

Along the same lines as #3, everyone is always ready and willing to lend a helping hand when you need one in a small town and to me that is the true meaning of community. It's working together to build a better atmosphere, being there to raise each other up, build each other up, and pick each other up when someone is in need. A small town community is full of endless support whether it be after a tragedy or at a hometown sports game. Everyone shows up to show their support.

5. That it isn't about the destination, but the journey.

People say this to others all the time, but it takes on a whole new meaning in a small town. It is true that life is about the journey, but when you're from a small town, you know it's about the journey because the journey probably takes longer than you spend at the destination. Everything is so far away that it is totally normal to spend a couple hours in the car on your way to some form of entertainment. And most of the time, you're gonna have as many, if not more, memories and laughs on the journey than at the destination.

6. The consequences of making bad choices.

Word travels fast in a small town, so don't think you're gonna get away with anything. In fact, your parents probably know what you did before you even have a chance to get home and tell them. And forget about being scared of what your teacher, principle, or other authority figure is going to do, you're more afraid of what your parents are gonna do when you get home.

7. To trust people, until you have a reason not to.

Everyone deserves a chance. Most people don't have ill-intentions and you can't live your life guarding against every one else just because a few people in your life have betrayed your trust.

8. To be welcoming and accepting of everyone.

While small towns are not always extremely diverse, they do contain people with a lot of different stories, struggle, and backgrounds. In a small town, it is pretty hard to exclude anyone because of who they are or what they come from because there aren't many people to choose from. A small town teaches you that just because someone isn't the same as you, doesn't mean you can't be great friends.

9. How to be my own, individual person.

In a small town, you learn that it's okay to be who you are and do your own thing. You learn that confidence isn't how beautiful you are or how much money you have, it's who you are on the inside.

10. How to work for what I want.

Nothing comes easy in life. They always say "gardens don't grow overnight" and if you're from a small town you know this both figuratively and literally. You certainly know gardens don't grow overnight because you've worked in a garden or two. But you also know that to get to the place you want to be in life it takes work and effort. It doesn't just happen because you want it to.

11. How to be great at giving directions.

If you're from a small town, you know that you will probably only meet a handful of people in your life who ACTUALLY know where your town is. And forget about the people who accidentally enter into your town because of google maps. You've gotten really good at giving them directions right back to the interstate.

12. How to be humble .

My small town has definitely taught me how to be humble. It isn't always about you, and anyone who grows up in a small town knows that. Everyone gets their moment in the spotlight, and since there's so few of us, we're probably best friends with everyone so we are as excited when they get their moment of fame as we are when we get ours.

13. To be well-rounded.

Going to a small town high school definitely made me well-rounded. There isn't enough kids in the school to fill up all the clubs and sports teams individually so be ready to be a part of them all.

14. How to be great at conflict resolution.

In a small town, good luck holding a grudge. In a bigger city you can just avoid a person you don't like or who you've had problems with. But not in a small town. You better resolve the issue fast because you're bound to see them at least 5 times a week.

15. The beauty of getting outside and exploring.

One of my favorite things about growing up in a rural area was being able to go outside and go exploring and not have to worry about being in danger. There is nothing more exciting then finding a new place somewhere in town or in the woods and just spending time there enjoying the natural beauty around you.

16. To be prepared for anything.

You never know what may happen. If you get a flat tire, you better know how to change it yourself because you never know if you will be able to get ahold of someone else to come fix it. Mechanics might be too busy , or more than likely you won't even have enough cell service to call one.

17. That you don't always have to do it alone.

It's okay to ask for help. One thing I realized when I moved away from my town for college, was how much my town has taught me that I could ask for help is I needed it. I got into a couple situations outside of my town where I couldn't find anyone to help me and found myself thinking, if I was in my town there would be tons of people ready to help me. And even though I couldn't find anyone to help, you better believe I wasn't afraid to ask.

18. How to be creative.

When you're at least an hour away from normal forms of entertainment such as movie theaters and malls, you learn to get real creative in entertaining yourself. Whether it be a night looking at the stars in the bed of a pickup truck or having a movie marathon in a blanket fort at home, you know how to make your own good time.

19. To brush off gossip.

It's all about knowing the person you are and not letting others influence your opinion of yourself. In small towns, there is plenty of gossip. But as long as you know who you really are, it will always blow over.

Grateful Beyond Words: A Letter to My Inspiration

I have never been so thankful to know you..

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

You have taught me that you don't always have to strong. You are allowed to break down as long as you pick yourself back up and keep moving forward. When life had you at your worst moments, you allowed your friends to be there for you and to help you. You let them in and they helped pick you up. Even in your darkest hour you showed so much strength. I know that you don't believe in yourself as much as you should but you are unbelievably strong and capable of anything you set your mind to.

Your passion to make a difference in the world is unbelievable. You put your heart and soul into your endeavors and surpass any personal goal you could have set. Watching you do what you love and watching you make a difference in the lives of others is an incredible experience. The way your face lights up when you finally realize what you have accomplished is breathtaking and I hope that one day I can have just as much passion you have.

SEE MORE: A Letter To My Best Friend On Her Birthday

The love you have for your family is outstanding. Watching you interact with loved ones just makes me smile . You are so comfortable and you are yourself. I see the way you smile when you are around family and I wish I could see you smile like this everyday. You love with all your heart and this quality is something I wished I possessed.

You inspire me to be the best version of myself. I look up to you. I feel that more people should strive to have the strength and passion that you exemplify in everyday life.You may be stubborn at points but when you really need help you let others in, which shows strength in itself. I have never been more proud to know someone and to call someone my role model. You have taught me so many things and I want to thank you. Thank you for inspiring me in life. Thank you for making me want to be a better person.

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life..

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Don't freak out

This is a rule you should continue to follow no matter what you do in life, but is especially helpful in this situation.

Email the professor

Around this time, professors are getting flooded with requests from students wanting to get into full classes. This doesn't mean you shouldn't burden them with your email; it means they are expecting interested students to email them. Send a short, concise message telling them that you are interested in the class and ask if there would be any chance for you to get in.

Attend the first class

Often, the advice professors will give you when they reply to your email is to attend the first class. The first class isn't the most important class in terms of what will be taught. However, attending the first class means you are serious about taking the course and aren't going to give up on it.

Keep attending class

Every student is in the same position as you are. They registered for more classes than they want to take and are "shopping." For the first couple of weeks, you can drop or add classes as you please, which means that classes that were once full will have spaces. If you keep attending class and keep up with assignments, odds are that you will have priority. Professors give preference to people who need the class for a major and then from higher to lower class year (senior to freshman).

Have a backup plan

For two weeks, or until I find out whether I get into my waitlisted class, I will be attending more than the usual number of classes. This is so that if I don't get into my waitlisted class, I won't have a credit shortage and I won't have to fall back in my backup class. Chances are that enough people will drop the class, especially if it is very difficult like computer science, and you will have a chance. In popular classes like art and psychology, odds are you probably won't get in, so prepare for that.

Remember that everything works out at the end

Life is full of surprises. So what if you didn't get into the class you wanted? Your life obviously has something else in store for you. It's your job to make sure you make the best out of what you have.

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'Friends' reunion director defends Matthew Perry after 'unkind' comments about actor's slurred speech

• "Friends" reunion director Ben Winston defended Matthew Perry against "unkind" comments.  
• Following the reunion episode, fans raised concerns about Perry's speech, which sounded slurred.
• Perry has spoken candidly about his struggles with substance abuse in the past. 

Ben Winston, the "Friends" reunion director, has defended Matthew Perry against what he described as "unkind" comments about the actor.

Following the premiere of the special reunion episode last week, fans of the sitcom began to raise concerns about Perry's health noting that his speech appeared to be slurred throughout the reunion and during promotional videos.

When asked by The Hollywood Reporter if Perry was healthy, Winston said: "Yes, he was great. People can sometimes just be unkind. I wish they weren't. I loved working with him. He's a brilliantly funny man and I thought he had some great one-liners in the show.

"I felt just happy and lucky to be in his presence and directing him on something like this."

Insider has reached out to representatives for Perry for comment.

It was later reported by various publications that Perry's slurred speech was the result of emergency dental surgery. A source close to the 51-year-old told The Sun newspaper that the procedure took place hours before the reunion episode was recorded. 

Related stories

"Matthew turned up to the reunion [in April] and members of his team said that he had an emergency tooth procedure that day," the source told The Sun."That was said to impact his wellbeing and also how he was feeling. [Matthew] had been in pain from what we understand, which caused the slurred speech."

Kevin Bright, an executive producer on "Friends," also defended the actor in a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter following the reunion episode. 

He said: "What people say is what people say. I don't have any[thing] to say about that, except it was great to see him. And I think he's very funny on the show. I think he's OK. He seems stronger and better since the last time I saw him, and excited about going forward."

Perry has spoken candidly about his struggles with substance abuse in past. In 2013 during an interview with People , he said: "I had a big problem with alcohol and pills and I couldn't stop. Eventually, things got so bad that I couldn't hide it, and then everybody knew."

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Inside Taylor Swift's iconic $17M Rhode Island vacation home

Taylor swift and travis kelce spotted enjoying romantic reunion at her $17m rhode island mansion.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are enjoying one of the last weekends of summer together.

The “Cruel Summer” singer and her NFL boyfriend were pictured on the balcony of her $17 million Rhode Island beach house on Saturday.

In photos obtained by Page Six, Swift and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, both 34, can be seen having fun with friends and family, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes and one of his two children, at the 11,000-square-foot estate she purchased in 2013.

Kelce’s sister-in-law, Kylie Kelce, and niece were also spotted on the mansion’s balcony, according to additional photos obtained by the Daily Mail .

Travis’ brother, Jason Kelce, and Patrick’s wife, Brittany Mahomes, were also present, according to the Daily Mail. Though, they were not seen in photos.

With Swift recently wrapping the European leg of her Eras Tour and Travis’ NFL season quickly approaching, the couple appears to be taking advantage of the brief time off they have together .

“He has a long weekend break. [The Chiefs] were off yesterday, today and tomorrow, but he won’t be staying long. [He and Patrick] have to be back tomorrow night for a Monday morning meeting with the team,” a source close to the NFL tells Page Six exclusively.

Brittany’s presence comes at an interesting time — just hours before these photos surfaced, she faced backlash for “liking” a post of Donald Trump’s on Instagram .

Swift, of course, has not yet publicly backed either Kamala Harris or Trump ahead of November’s election, but she previously endorsed President Joe Biden in 2020.

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Following Brittany’s “like,” fans of the singer started speculating that the incident might cause some tension in their friendship. However, her attendance at Swift’s Rhode Island mansion seems to suggest that won’t be the case.

This fun-filled get together comes a little over one year after Swift and Travis started dating. The last time they were seen together was in Germany, following her Eras Tour show on July 18. He wrapped his arm around her waist as they exited the venue together.

Since then, they’ve been pretty busy. She was performing across Europe and he was training with the Chiefs . She’s now off until early October, while the Chiefs’ opening game against the Baltimore Ravens will take place on Sept. 5.

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Oasis reunion: It felt like it might never happen - now, finally, the Gallagher brothers are back

After weeks of speculation, the announcement has been made: Liam and Noel Gallagher, bringing Oasis back together for live shows, after 15 years of sibling feuding. Here's why the reunion is such a big deal - and what it means to fans.

Culture and entertainment reporter @gemmapeplow

Tuesday 27 August 2024 16:11, UK

Listening to Noel Gallagher over the years, for a long time it didn't feel like this was part of the masterplan.

He has spoken several times of the difficult decision he made to quit Oasis in 2009. The band was his life and the choice not made lightly, but ending things then was the best thing for everyone, he told Sky Arts a few years ago. The fact they didn't continue was a big part of the reason they are now "up there with all the greats".

The older Gallagher brother was well aware the years apart - the brothers' often funny but frustrating feud, the unanswered question of whether they would ever bury the hatchet and the hope that maybe, one day, it might just happen - all amplified their legend.

Rumours have come and gone over the years, propelled in no small part by messages from Liam Gallagher on social media. He often teased, but never made any secret of wanting to bring Oasis back. The sticking point seemed to be Noel .

But in 2022, Liam played gigs at Knebworth - the site of Oasis's most famous, history-making gigs. Earlier this year, he got in early to mark the anniversary of their debut album Definitely Maybe with his own solo tour , no sign of the man who wrote the songs.

Noel created the music, Liam brings it snarlingly, viscerally alive. Him doing these shows alone felt like it could be a death knell for a reunion. When asked about Liam by a fan during one of his shows with his current band, the High Flying Birds, only a few weeks ago, Noel reportedly said his younger brother should be "thankful for my genius" and told the crowd: "Just remember who wrote all the f***ing songs."

'They hadn't spoken in goodness knows how long'

Even the new artwork for Definitely Maybe (pictured above), released for the 30th anniversary this week, shows a reworking of that famous album cover - shot at guitarist Bonehead's house in Manchester - this time with the band members absent from the room. With no Liam on the floorboards, no Noel staring up at the spinning globe, it felt like a statement: Oasis really have left the building.

Designer Brian Cannon, who worked on the artwork for all of Oasis's early music and now runs the Microdot memorabilia stores, says he was as surprised as anyone by the reunion announcement.

"A lot of people say to me, it's all a big marketing ploy," he says, of the brothers' fall-out. "No, it isn't, they genuinely hadn't spoken to each other for goodness knows how long. And Noel's got a very successful solo career that he's very content with and doing very well. I didn't see this coming, I really didn't."

Photographer Michael Spencer Jones, who captured the images for all the Oasis albums and singles in the band's heyday, says the sibling rivalry was always there. "It's such a major part of the potion that was Oasis."

Read more: Cool Britannia: Life in the UK in the '90s A timeline of Britpop's most successful band

But there have been whispers for months now, reports from industry insiders saying it was only a matter of time . In January 2023, Noel announced his separation from his now ex-wife Sara MacDonald, who did not get on with Liam, leading to speculation he might become more open to making amends.

More recently, following reports of shows booked for Wembley, fans have once again pointed to teases from Liam on social media - "I never did like that word FORMER" he posted on Sunday morning - and a recent interview given by Noel in which he spoke in complimentary terms about his little brother's voice: "When I'd sing a song it would sound good. When he'd sing it, it would sound great."

Neither of these things made a reunion a certainty. While Noel may not have liked his brother at times , he never underestimated the shared power their bristling sibling rivalry brought to Oasis. "I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without him, he wouldn't have got anywhere without me," he told journalists at an awards ceremony in 2019 .

'The stars have aligned' - but statement gives little away

Oasis in their heyday were like no other live band. The shows were electrifying, the energy raw, in an era of optimism and fun in the 1990s that the Gallagher brothers defined. In later years, Noel may not have been a fan of the Cool Britannia tag, but that's exactly what it was.

So now, will this reunion just be about the gigs? Will there be new music? Could the Gallagher brothers even be friends again?

The reunion statement gives little away. "The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised." Further details say there was "no great revelatory moment", but rather "the gradual realisation that the time is right" - but the Gallaghers have not really addressed the fact they haven't been on speaking terms for years. We want to know who reached out first? How did they finally come to an agreement? And what did their mum, Peggy, say about her sons finally getting their acts together?

Whatever has happened behind the scenes, the frost has definitely thawed. In 2020, Liam said Oasis had been offered £100m to reform - a claim quickly denied by Noel, who suggested the remark was a publicity move to promote a single. The deal they have signed now will undoubtedly be worth megabucks. But even before the announcement was made, Liam was quick to put anyone suggesting this was only about the money in their place.

"Your attitude stinks," was his reply to anyone questioning the motives. Positivity received a different response. "Your attitude is BIBLICAL."

You only have to look at the crowds at Liam's solo shows - full of teenagers, as well as those of us who were there the first time round in the 1990s - to see how the music has filtered through generations. The singer has said several times he would like younger fans to see the full Oasis live experience.

Read more: 'Everyone was out of control in the '90s' The 'unsolvable conundrum' of Oasis's biggest album

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Now, they just have to deliver.

"There's two schools of thoughts on this and at one time I would have fallen into the latter," says Cannon. "One being: great, yes, fantastic. The second: no, leave it be, let it lie, it's gone, you might tarnish the past.

"But. We're living through strange times in this country at the minute, globally as well. There's a lot of division, recent events have been quite shocking. [A reunion] will undoubtedly bring a lot of happiness to a lot of people and I'm all in favour of a lot of people being happy. So, yeah, it's got to be a good thing."

"There should be an album, I think," says Spencer Jones. "It would be great if there was more music to come."

Next year marks the 30th anniversary of their second album, (What's The Story) Morning Glory? Both Noel and Liam will be well aware of the expectation, how much these shows mean to fans. Get them wrong, and there's the potential for the legacy, the memories, to be spoiled.

Get them right, and Oasis live forever all over again.

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• Liam Gallagher
• Noel Gallagher

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Jennifer Aniston recalls how ‘creepy’ the ‘Friends’ reunion felt: ‘So much has changed’

For fans, HBO Max's " Friends " reunion was the delightful culmination of many years wishing to see the Central Perk crew — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox , Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer — back together again on the screen.

While the gang was looking forward to reuniting on the special , what they didn't realize was how powerful the reminiscing was going to be, as Jennifer Aniston recalled in a recent Variety interview .

The actor went into the reunion thinking it was going to be light and fun, not anticipating the emotions to hit as hard as they did.

"I don’t know we expected for it to sucker punch us as hard as it did in the emotional gut," Aniston said. "We just had the idea this is going to be so fun — we’re going back to the sets exactly the way they were. And literally, every single nook on a shelf was the same. It was so creepy."

"Friends" was about six, well, friends who lived and loved together in New York City in impossibly large apartments, congregating often at the Central Perk coffee shop. It was a huge hit on NBC and spawned catch phrases like "Pivot!" and styles such as Aniston's " The Rachel" haircut .

The cast was known for being particularly close, but after their 10-year run wrapped in 2004, there was some  reluctance to revisit the good old days , and so they moved on with their careers. Aniston herself dealt with a  very public divorce from Brad Pitt  in 2005.

Aniston mentioned that revisiting the iconic series 17 years later was an intense experience, because so much had changed since that final episode aired.

"(It was) time travel," she continued in Variety. "We were different. We were so little. Our lives were ahead of us. And so much has changed ... And then it was like, 'This is really a lot heavier than I thought.'"

Heavier, but made easier with friends. Aniston, 53, remains close with her former castmates.

"Every time we all get together, it’s just like no time has passed," she says. "We basically grew up together, and taught each other a lot ... And thank God we had each other, because we really couldn’t talk about it outside. It was before social media, so we still had some sanity."

Randee Dawn (she/her) is an entertainment journalist and author based in Brooklyn. In addition to writing for TODAY.com, Variety and The Los Angeles Times, her debut novel, Tune in Tomorrow , about a reality TV show run by mythic creatures, published in 2022. She's also the co-author of The Law & Order: SVU Unofficial Companion . When not interviewing the stars or dabbling in speculative fiction, she dreams of the next place she can travel to, or cuddles her Westie. More at RandeeDawn.com .

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Worthington high school buddies still united by rock 'n' roll after 50 years

Many people attend high school reunions to find out what old friends are currently doing. For local musician Rob Lamp , it was a chance to revisit what he and his friends did in the past.

Lamp, who graduated from Worthington High School in 1974, hadn’t jammed with buddies Pete Seeds and Jon Paoletti for half a century, when another friend, Gary Coats, suggested he get a band together for their 50th high school reunion.

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“The unique thing in high school is you have people who are jocks or into music or who do plays, but the bottom line is everybody knew when the local band was playing and where,” said Coats, a member of the class of 1974 reunion planning committee.

“So, I asked Rob if he wanted to play knowing so many different cliques were listening.”

It was an offer Lamp couldn’t refuse. “This band came together based on those who were available,” he said. “The guitar player was in my band in seventh grade.”

When all was said and done, Lamp had assembled a lineup featuring himself on drums/vocals, Seeds on guitar/vocals, Paoletti on bass, Stefan Farrenkopf on keyboards/vocals and Donna Mogavero on lead vocals/guitar.

“Donna is a real godsend,” Lamp said of Mogavero, a Worthington Class of 1976 grad. “We knew we needed vocal help, so we reached out and she said yeah. She really gave the whole band its identity.”

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Christening themselves 1974, they debuted at Nocterra Brewing Co . in Powell in front of about 200 friends and fans, including high school classmates. They also performed at a formal class event at the Jessing Center.

“Both were well received. There was a wide variety of people attending and many knew Rob’s band (from high school),” Coats said.

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1974’s repertoire includes Elton John, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Stevie Wonder. They also revamped The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” to open with, “It was 50 years ago today,” instead of the original “20 years ago” lyric.

“Most high schools have a bunch of old people who played in a band,” Lamp said. “You just dust ‘em off and see if they can still rock and roll."

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The Gallagher brothers are reviving Oasis. Here's a look at their decades-long feud

Rachel Treisman

Liam (right) and Noel Gallagher, pictured in London in February 1999, were members of the beloved band Oasis from 1991 until it broke up in 2009. PA Images via Getty Images hide caption

Fifteen years after Oasis imploded, the dueling brothers at the heart of the beloved British band have confirmed fans' far-fetched dreams of a reunion tour.

On Monday, Noel and Liam Gallagher — the band’s main songwriter and singer, respectively — each tweeted out an 11-second video with the date and time of Aug. 27 at 8 a.m., flickering in the Oasis font. The Oasis Instagram account shared it, too.

The posts came a day after Britain’s Sunday Times reported that anonymous industry insiders were “adamant” that the two would reunite for a series of high-profile concerts next summer, including a headlining slot at the Glastonbury Festival and what would be a record 10-night run at Wembley Stadium.

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“See you down the front,” Liam then replied in a thread about the article on the social platform X.

He also posted a cryptic tweet of his own: “I never did like that word FORMER.”

Oasis, which started as a five-person band out of Manchester in 1991, is credited with reviving the genre of Britpop music, fueled in part by its rivalry with the London-based band Blur .

The group rose to fame with its 1994 album, Definitely Maybe , and cemented its legacy with such hits as “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and “Champagne Supernova.” As of three decades later, Oasis had sold 75 million records worldwide.

The Gallaghers, the only constant members of the band's ever-changing lineup, became known for their splashy antics onstage and across the tabloid pages — as well as their own deepening rivalry.

Liam Gallagher Has A Lot To Be Happy About

Years of insults, incidents and infighting culminated on Aug. 28, 2009, when the band broke up minutes before they were set to take the stage at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris.

“People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer,” Noel wrote in a statement at the time. He would later recount a backstage argument in which his younger brother grabbed his guitar and started “wielding it like an axe.”

The Gallaghers went their separate ways, but continued their careers in music: Liam and other Oasis members kept the band going under the name Beady Eye, while Noel formed his own band, High Flying Birds.

The two have performed their old hits separately over the years, though never with each other.

And they’ve publicly floated the prospect of a reunion more than once, including in 2015 and 2018. But such a reconciliation had yet to materialize — and the two continued taking very public swipes at each other on social media.

Eagle-eyed hopefuls, however, had spotted hints that detente could be on the horizon.

While performing at the Reading Festival on Sunday, Liam dedicated the Oasis song “Half The World Away” to his brother and “Cigarettes & Alcohol” to haters of the band. As his set ended, the onstage screens flashed that same Aug. 27 announcement video.

The Gallagher brothers are reuniting for an Oasis tour 15 years after breaking up

On Tuesday morning, almost exactly 15 years to the day after Oasis broke up, the brothers confirmed they will indeed be getting back together .

They shared identical videos advertising " Oasis live '25 ," a series of concerts across the United Kingdom and Ireland next July and August, with tickets going on sale this weekend. The year 2025, notably, will mark 30 years since the release of their second album, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory.

"The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned," the brothers also tweeted. "The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised."

The hints and ensuing announcement have caused quite a stir on social media, where scores of the group’s fans have been posting about the cultural significance — and personal finance implications — of an Oasis reunion tour.

And many have joked that those looking to buy tickets should aim for the first night only , lest the famously fight-prone brothers break up the band once again. It wouldn't be the first time.

A brief timeline of the Gallagher feud, from fisticuffs to legal battles

Singer Liam Gallagher (left) and his brother Noel Gallagher, of the band Oasis, perform on stage in San Francisco in 1997. After the band split, they pursued separate musical careers and continued to trade public insults. Dave Hogan/Getty Images hide caption

Noel and Liam’s tumultuous relationship goes back decades, blazing a trail of barbs and bad blood that is nearly impossible to detail in full (though outlets like Pitchfork , Rolling Stone and Radio X have bravely attempted).

Here are some of the highlights, or low points:

• April 1994: Shortly before their commercial breakthrough, the brothers sit for an interview with NME’s John Harris and spend the entire time bickering — over the meaning of rock and roll, a drunken incident on a ferry several months earlier and how much they hated each other, among other things. A year later, they release the audio as a single called “ Wibbling Rivalry ” (subtitle: “fourteen minutes of verbal mayhem”).
• September 1994: During a concert in Los Angeles, Liam hits Noel over the head with a tambourine and slings insults at both the band and the American audience. Noel storms off and briefly quits the band, but rejoins later that tour and uses the incident as inspiration for the track “Talk Tonight.”
• Spring 1995: While recording (What’s The Story) Morning Glory , Liam brings a group of visitors to the studio while Noel is trying to work. Noel, trying to get them to leave, ends up hitting Liam on the head with a cricket bat. Years later, the rescued cricket bat was sold at auction with a certificate of authenticity.
• August 1996: Liam pulls out of their MTV Unplugged taping at the last minute, blaming a sore throat, then proceeds to spend the entire performance heckling his brother from the crowd and drinking champagne. Later that month, Liam also pulls out of a U.S. tour just before it starts — he ends up joining a few days in, but the tour is canceled after two weeks.
• May 2000: During a night of drinking in Barcelona, Liam questions the paternity of Noel’s daughter, prompting Noel to leave the band once again. He doesn't return for the rest of the European tour.
• December 2002: After experiencing issues with his voice and walking offstage early at several shows throughout the fall, Liam wraps up the year by kicking a German police officer in the chest, sparking a brawl at a Munich bar and losing several teeth in the process. “I haven’t spoken to him directly,” Noel said at the time. “Why should we talk after what’s gone on?”
• October 2005: Noel says in an interview that his brother is “frightened to death” of him: “I can read him and I can f****** play him like a slightly disused arcade game. I can make him make decisions that he thinks are his but really they’re mine.”
• 2009:  Noel tells  Q  magazine at one point that Liam is “the angriest man you'll ever meet. He's like a man with a fork in a world of soup.” (Dishing it back 10 years later, Liam posted a video of himself in 2019 eating soup with a fork .)
• August 2009: Oasis abruptly cancels its set at the V Festival in England, with Liam blaming a case of laryngitis. Years later, Noel claims his brother was actually hungover, which prompted Liam to sue him for libel (he eventually dropped the suit). That month, Noel quits the band for real. He told NPR about it in 2012 : “We were backstage waiting to go onstage to 30,000 people in Paris. The tour manager came in and said, 'Five minutes!' We broke up within that five minutes. I'm not proud of that, but all things come to an end."

The brothers kept slinging insults years after the breakup

The Gallaghers kept fighting long after they were no longer bandmates, insulting each other in awards speeches, interviews and social media posts (including the infamous 2016 “potato” tweet , which became a yearslong bit of its own).

There were occasional public calls for reconciliation interspersed throughout the drama, giving fans brief glimmers of hope.

Liam hinted at a truce in 2017 but called it off a month later. In 2018, he tweeted at his brother suggesting a reunion, but after no reply wrote, “I’ll take that as a NO then.” During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Noel released a previously hidden song recorded in 1995, to Liam’s apparent displeasure.

But by 2023, both brothers seemed to be taking the idea of a reunion more seriously.

Notably, that same year, Blur — their Britpop archrival, which had been on hiatus since 2015 — reunited to release an album and perform at a number of summer festivals. The Ballad of Darren was critically acclaimed, with outlets from the BBC to Mojo to NPR including it on their best-of-the-year lists. The group closed out its triumphant 2023 by announcing another hiatus .

Music Interviews

Noel gallagher: flying high after oasis.

“If Oasis hadn’t had reached their potential, and there was something left to do, it would be different, but I just don’t see what the point would be,” Noel said in a January 2023 interview . “It would be make a load of money, I’ve got a load of money. To do some monumental [venue] I’ve already done them."

But he left the door open to the possibility, adding: “Now, that’s not saying, in 10 years' time, it won’t appeal to me..."

Two months later, Liam responded to a fan’s tweet asking if there was any chance Oasis might get back together.

“It’s happening,” he wrote .

And now it's official.

Correction Aug. 27, 2024

This story has been updated to reflect that it was Noel who called Liam "a man with a fork in a world of soup."

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Here's everyone who is still together from Love Is Blind: U.K. — and who broke up

It's time to find out where everyone stands a year after three couples said "I do."

Sydney Bucksbaum is a writer at Entertainment Weekly covering all things pop culture – but TV is her one true love. She currently lives in Los Angeles but grew up in Chicago so please don't make fun of her accent when it slips out.

Warning: This article contains spoilers from the Love Is Blind: U.K. reunion.

The most shocking part about Love Is Blind: U.K. is perhaps how not shocking the end result was in the finale, as three couples said "I do" while the other three did not get married. To anyone watching Netflix's British spinoff of the popular American dating experiment, it was quite obvious who would ultimately get their happily-ever-after.

But the reunion episode (now streaming) delivered quite a few gut-punch reveals, with the biggest being how the seemingly most "perfect" married couple of the bunch is no longer together a year after filming ended.

Read on to find out the relationship status of every couple and a few of the remaining "pod squad" singles.

Sabrina and Steven

Say it ain't so, but the season's idyllic couple is no more. Sabrina and Steven had a fairly smooth journey to the altar, with no love triangles or big fights causing any drama. Their only bump in the road seemed to be the question of where they would settle down together, but they got married and were happy regardless.

That small issue turned out to be insurmountable, however, as the reunion revealed that they are now separated. In fact, Sabrina said Steven hadn't seen her in eight months, so their split happened quite quickly. Sabrina had traveled to stay with Steven in London seven times after their wedding, while Steven admitted he only traveled to Sabrina's home in Belfast twice. Steven's lack of communication while they weren't together caused too many problems. The exes started fighting at the reunion but were interrupted by the hosts, so things are clearly not in a good place today.

Catherine and Freddie

One of the season's most dramatic couples did not get married in the finale, and they're not together today. No surprise there. But in a shocking twist, Freddie and Catherine are actually in a good place now as friends, and wish each other the best moving forward. They amicably agreed that their lifestyles were too different, and Catherine even apologized to Freddie for being "snappy" with him and thanked him for teaching her a lot during the experience.

Maria and Tom

In another unsurprising update, Maria and Tom are not together now after Tom left Maria at the altar. But unlike Catherine and Freddie, there are no friendly vibes here. Maria says there's still "tension" between her and Tom today, while Tom apologized for how he treated her throughout filming now that he's seen the episodes. He said the show shone a light on his "flaws" and he knows he has a lot of work to do.

Tash and Tom

Just because Tom isn't with Maria doesn't mean he went back to his pod connection with Tash. She says her feelings for Tom are in the "past tense," and he only reached out to her a week ago to make sure they were "cool" before the reunion.

Nicole and Benaiah

The second couple to get married in the finale is still together today. They're living together and have plans to travel for a few months. When footage shown at the reunion revealed how crazy about Nicole Benaiah was from the very first date, he apologized to his now-wife for not being more clear about his feelings for her in the pods, since that was what led to her originally picking Sam.

Sam and ... Catherine? Anyone?

Meanwhile, Nicole's ex-fiancé Sam is seemingly not with anyone from the pods, even though online fan theories linked him to Catherine (he even sat next to her on the couch during the reunion, but didn't even acknowledge her, so there's no sparks there). He also apologized to Nicole after Demi yelled at him about how he disrespected her at the pod squad mixer.

Demi and Ollie

Speaking of Demi, she and Ollie did not stay together after Demi left him at the altar. She moved back in with her parents to work on herself because she "didn't recognize" who she became during filming, and now she's "Demi 2.0." But she revealed that Ollie isn't the right guy for her, so they're not a couple.

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Ollie and Sharlotte

But Ollie found a new connection from the pod squad ... and it's someone who caught his eye during the pod squad mixer. Sharlotte and Ollie are together now, and Demi gave the couple her stamp of approval.

Jasmine and Bobby

The third couple who got married in the finale is still together. Jasmine and Bobby are happily married, and they moved in together in London immediately after their wedding. They revealed at the reunion that they're hoping to start a family soon — and Jasmine's mom couldn't be happier.

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‘Shoot Me Up With a Big One’: The Pain of Matthew Perry’s Last Days

Court papers show that Mr. Perry, the “Friends” star who had long struggled with addiction, was increasingly taking ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, in the days before he died.

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By Julia Jacobs and Matt Stevens

On the day Matthew Perry died , his live-in personal assistant gave him his first ketamine shot of the morning at around 8:30 a.m. About four hours later, while Mr. Perry watched a movie at his home in Los Angeles, the assistant gave him another injection.

It was only about 40 minutes later that Mr. Perry wanted another shot, the assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, recalled in a plea agreement that he signed.

“Shoot me up with a big one,” Mr. Perry told Mr. Iwamasa, according to the agreement, and asked him to prepare his hot tub.

So Mr. Iwamasa filled a syringe with ketamine, gave his boss a third shot and left the house to run some errands, according to court papers. When he returned, he found Mr. Perry face down in the water, dead.

Mr. Iwamasa was one of five people who the authorities in California said this week had been charged with a conspiracy to distribute ketamine , a powerful anesthetic, to Mr. Perry. The defendants also included two doctors, a woman accused of being a dealer and an acquaintance who pleaded guilty to acting as a middleman.

Mr. Perry, a beloved figure who rose to fame playing Chandler Bing on the sitcom “Friends,” had long struggled with addiction. Court papers filed in the case shed light on the desperate weeks leading up to Mr. Perry’s death on Oct. 28 at the age of 54.

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