I've been watching a lot of "Friends" lately (after finishing "The Office" for the fifth time) and I've come to realize that Phoebe Buffay isn't just the kooky oddball she's set up to be. She's actually the most normal and healthily functioning adult of the "Friends".
#1. She maintained a steady job the entire series.
Throughout the show we see all of the friends run into trouble in their careers, except for Phoebe. Let's look at the gang's professional job history: Ross is forced to take a sabbatical after he's believed to be mentally unstable, Monica is fired from her earlier job as a chef, Chandler blindly quits his job, and Joey is almost never actually employed. Yet, by the end of the series, not only has Phoebe maintained her job, but she even promoted herself to an upscale massage company.
#2. She has the best standards for her relationships.
Each of the partners in her serious relationships were gentleman and showed a maturity in Phoebe the rest of the group lacks: she chooses her relationships based on compatibility. We see much more often with Phoebe that she values intelligence, kindness, and authenticity.
#3. She fills uses her time wisely.
She has a hobby and has developed skills through her music, while her friends sit around and gossiping and whining. She spends her free time furthering herself in her art and putting herself and her thoughts out for people to hear her voice, no matter how off-key she is.
#4. She stands behind her values.
While many of the gang have a tendency to mask their true selves in order to please their employers, peers, and people they think are better than them, Phoebe stays true to her beliefs and her own personality. She shows great character in her honesty, loyalty, and capable independence.
#5. She maintains a positive outlook on life.
We've seen many times how Phoebe has had it rough. Her family relations are devastating and complicated, she suffered a horrible childhood, and even her own friends consider her and outsider to their group, yet she sees life for more than the trouble it gives her. The other members of the gang fall into emotional pits of despair over trivial matters like old rumors from high school, broken college dating pacts, so on and so forth, but ultimately, Phoebe never lets her hardships get in the way of her happiness.
These are but a few of the many ways Phoebe Buffay absolutely owns being an adult and proves herself to be a healthy role model in a painful world. Have any thoughts to add? Let me know in the comments!
