“It took me a long time to begin to understand how I internalized systemic racism,” Kauffman told Brandeis. Kauffman ’78 Professorship in African and African American Studies “will support a distinguished scholar with a concentration in the study of the peoples and cultures of Africa and the African diaspora” and “assist the department to recruit more expert scholars and teachers, map long-term academic and research priorities and provide new opportunities for students to engage in interdisciplinary scholarship,” the Waltham, Massachusetts-based university announced. Recently, Kauffman has admitted that she can think of “a hundred” things she would do “differently” with the show now. In an attempt to redeem herself, Kauffman pledged $4 million to her alma mater, Brandeis University, to fund an endowed chair in the school’s African and African American studies department, one of the oldest in the country. “I knew then I needed to course-correct,” she explained. “Friends” only introduced two recurring characters of color, both of whom were brought on as short-lived love interests for Ross.Īlong with millions of other Americans, the 2020 murder of George Floyd pushed Kauffman to reckon with the country’s racist past and her own part in perpetuating systems of racism. Throughout the 10-year run of the show, the sitcom continued to whitewash New York City and rarely featured a character of color. Co-creator Marta Kauffman donated $4 million to her alma mater, Brandeis University, and its African and African American studies department. The popular show, which ran from 1994 to 2004, features a group of six white, heterosexual best friends living in Greenwich Village, a famously gay neighborhood, in New York, a historically diverse city. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know better 25 years ago,” the television writer said. It’s painful looking at yourself in the mirror. “Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. “I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” Kauffman said in a Zoom interview. Kauffman, 65, initially struggled to grasp the “difficult and frustrating” criticisms of her television series, choosing to believe the successful show was being singled out, she told the Los Angeles Times.īut nearly two decades after the show wrapped, Kauffman has begun to see the error of her ways. “Friends” has long been criticized for its lack of diversity, but co-creator Marta Kauffman is finally ready to admit her failure - with a $4 million apology. Katy Perry thrown ‘under the bus’ by ‘American Idol,’ wants to quit: report Rosie O’Donnell talks ‘toxic’ daytime talk shows - including her own Woman ducks for cover from drive-by shooting during TV interview on crime Join the conversation.ĭeena ElGenaidi's writing has been featured in Nylon, MTV News, Insider, The AV Club, and more.Albany threatens to spike $700M in tax breaks if film, TV production companies replace humans with AI People are talking about Friends in our forums. Marta Kauffman's BBC interview is set to air in full on July 11.Īll seasons of Friends are currently streaming on HBO Max. But I didn't know them and I have since learned." Kauffman added, "If I knew then what I know now, there are certain things I would have changed. That was a very valid, extremely difficult criticism which still… I get emotional about." I was unaware of that, which makes me feel stupid. "I was clearly part of systemic racism in our business. "I'll never make that mistake again," she continued. And over the course of the last few years I've gotten to the point where I can say unfortunately yes, I am guilty of that." ![]() "The biggest one being that we did not have enough representation of Black people. " Friends has been criticized in a number of ways," she said. Kauffman also reiterated her regret about Friends' lack of diversity, a sentiment that recently led her to make a $4 million donation to Brandeis University's African and African American Studies department. I fired a guy on the spot for making a joke about a trans cameraperson. "It's very important to me that where we are is a safe place, a tolerant place, where there's no yelling. "I like very much to create an environment where we have a happy set and a happy crew," said Kauffman. Kauffman told the BBC that in the years since Friends aired, her approach has changed, and she's now more cognizant of issues like race and gender identity. "Pronouns were not yet something that I understood, so we didn't refer to that character as 'she.' That was a mistake." ![]() "We kept referring to as 'Chandler's father,' even though Chandler's father was trans," Kauffman said, according to the Huffington Post UK. In an upcoming interview on the BBC's The Conversation, Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman reveals she regrets the show's treatment of trans character Helena Handbasket (Kathleen Turner), who played one of Chandler's (Matthew Perry) parents.
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