Wine and Friends Season 1, Episode 6

In this episode of the Wine and Friends podcast, the host discusses the wine pairing for the Friends episode titled "The One with the Butt." The wine chosen is the Menage a Trois Limelight Pinot Grigio. The host provides tasting notes for the wine and explains the process of making Pinot Grigio. She also discusses the best serving temperature and the types of dishes that pair well with Pinot Grigio. The episode of Friends premiered on October 27th, 1994, and the host shares some interesting facts about that day, including the founding of Philadelphia and the top songs on the charts. Oh, hello, and welcome to Episode 6 of Wine and Friends. I'm your host, Katie, and if you've been here with me since Episode 1, welcome back. If this is your first time here, welcome. I'm so excited to be back here with you guys to dive deep into the world of wine and deep dive into our favorite friends. This podcast is called Wine and Friends because each week we pair a new wine with an episode of the show Friends, and if you have any recommendations of a wine you would like to see paired with an episode of the show, please, please, please, please head on over to the Instagram page at Wine and Friends Pod or the Facebook page at Wine and Friends and leave a comment on this week's wine pairing post with your recommendation of a wine for an upcoming episode. Also, feel free to let me know if you would like that wine paired with a specific episode of the show, and I'll make sure to grab your recommendation and give you a shout out on the show. Okay, guys, let's get to the wine pairing for today's show. The title of today's Friends episode is The One with the Butt. And as we will get to, this refers to Joey and his acting career, so I have paired this episode with the 2021 Menagerie Trois Limelight. I mean, you know, Joe just trying to be a star trying to shine in the limelight. Now, I know we paired our very first episode with the Menagerie Trois Prosecco, but we actually have a second like loose tie to this episode in the name Menagerie Trois, but don't worry, I will definitely bring it up again once we cross that connection in the episode. So before we get into Pinot Grigio, so this is the Menagerie Trois Pinot Grigio Limelight. I forgot to mention that I was so wrapped up in the limelight part of it, but it is a Pinot Grigio. So before we get into Pinot Grigio and what makes this one of my all time favorite wines, I wanted to read the tasting notes from the Menagerie Trois website. And that says, Menagerie Trois Limelight shines a spotlight on refreshing citrus flavors in the most dazzling way. Limelight is a new star with a sexy orange blossom aroma that leads to zesty key lime and mouthwatering Granny Smith apple flavors that make you pucker up in a good way, I hope, which we will actually get to with the puckering up of the butt. Anyway, a touch of honeysuckle sweetness and minerality balance the pronounced citrus notes before the curtains drop with a refreshingly crisp finish. We promise you'll be feeling starstruck after just one sip. Our winemakers wanted to create a dazzling white wine that loves to be the center of attention, so they held a casting call to look for the varietals that would deliver an electrifying performance. They traveled up and down California to Appalachians known to produce grapes with real star quality. From the rolling hills of Yolo County and Clarksburg to the warm inland valley vineyards of Lodi in Fresno County, and all the way out to the cool Russian River, they cast bright Pinot Grigio as the star and fleshed out the ensemble with lusty French Columbard, alluring Muscat, sweet Riesling, and crisp Chenin Blanc. Grapes were cold fermented at 500 degrees Fahrenheit using 100% non-melolactic technique, which is so fucking cool because we touched on the melolactic conversion back in episode three with our three-fingered Jack Chardonnay. And if you remember, melolactic conversion is where they keep that, or actually they try to fully remove the acidity of the wine and turn it into that subtle, buttery Chardonnay. But in this Pinot Grigio, they are absolutely removing the melolactic technique, which will, as we find out, add to the acidity. So this particular Pinot Grigio is 79% Pinot Grigio, 7% French Columbard, 7% Riesling, and 7% white blenders. They also did mention the Chenin Blanc, so I'm pretty sure that's what they were using as the blending right there at the end. So let's dive a little deeper into Pinot Grigio itself. This info came from the ABC Fine Wine and Spirits website, and it says, for those who prefer to stay away from high tannins and enjoy a light-bodied wine, white wine is usually the drink of choice. Pinot Grigio has as rich of a history as it does a flavor palette. While thought to originate in Italy, Pinot Grigio is actually a mutant from a popular French grape known as Pinot Gris. Now, Pinot Gris is actually spelled P-I-N-O-T-G-R-I-S, but I did do some research and found out that the S is silent, so it's not Pinot Gris or Pinot Gris, it's Pinot Gris. And that is derived from the red wine grape Pinot Noir. Its name comes from the grayish-blue hue of the grape translated into Italian when it migrated to the country and has been continuously harvested due to the popularity in its flavor. In the 1300s, it was brought from Burgundy, France to Switzerland and eventually made its way to Italy, where the modern story begins. The worldwide popularity of this varietal has led to countries developing variations of the wine. The grape generally prefers cooler climates and hillsides. The temperature and aging style directly impacts the grape's fruit character, aromatics, and acidity. While 13% of the wine is produced in northern Europe due to their volcanic soil and cool climate, the varietal has had modern success in the USA, most notably in California. Pinot Grigio is a light-bodied white wine. It ranges in color from clear to a pale yellow with a slight greenish hue. Pinot Grigio tends to be on the drier side of the white wine spectrum, which is why I love it, but its characteristics often vary depending on the region in which it is grown. If you are looking for a smooth transition from red wine to white, they suggest a dry Pinot Grigio that introduces the acidic and floral flavors with a similar mouthfeel, my favorite word, to a red wine. It has very high acidity levels and usually highlights flavors like lemon, lime, green apple, and honeysuckle, which we just got from our Ménage à Trois description of this wine, and the traditional flavor palette is refreshingly crisp with delightful notes of clean and vibrant citrus flavors and tends to have more salinity, which is like that salty undertone, than other white wines. When produced in regions like Germany, expect a wine with a medium to full body and a sweet citrus profile. This is because they grow in the steep slopes along the Rhine River, which has soil that imparts complex flavors. Distinctive flavors of honeycrisp apple and lemon are highlighted in German Pinot Grigios when the grape has been harvested to remove some of the acidity. Warmer regions like Australia yield wines with stone fruit notes such as peaches and nectarines, similar to other white wines, like with the Chardonnay, that was very much a stone fruit flavor palette. Pinot Grigio reveals its flavors the most when chilled. Experts recommend Pinot Grigio to be served between 48 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit or 8 to 11 degrees Celsius. The more full-bodied the wine is, the warmer on the spectrum it can go. So if it's not a really light, very crisp, highly acidic wine, if it's more of a deeper bodied, more on the spectrum of a Chardonnay, you can serve it a little warmer. But this particular Pinot Grigio would definitely be best served chilled, which I have had it in the fridge since I bought it yesterday and it is, she is sweating. So they also say it is best to consume this type of Pinot Grigio from a thin glass with a narrow rim due to its high level of acidity. This shape helps highlight all of the parts of the body, including the aroma and the flavors. They also say that Pinot Grigio pairs nicely with lighter dishes. As a general rule, white wines pair well with seafood and chicken, while reds highlight the flavors of heavier and heartier dishes that use red meats. Pinot Grigio is no exception. It goes well with mussels, clams, shrimp, grilled chicken, or fish, and pasta dishes with lighter sauces. Pinot Grigio also makes a wonderful appetizer drink as it complements the characteristics of hors d'oeuvres such as soft cheeses like mozzarella or brie. Now, even though I'm not going to assault your ears by eating while I'm recording this episode, I do have some fresh mozzarella and tomatoes that are going to make a fabulous Caprese salad that I will definitely be pairing with whatever is left in this bottle at the end of the show. So the Menage a Trois Limelight Pinot Grigio retails for around $14.99. It is 13.5 ABV and it is a twist top. So, let's, no pop today, but let's get ourselves a little snap crackle and open this drink. Okay, here we go. No lotion this time, guys. I learned from last time. Ooh, cheers, friends. All right, let's get to the show. The one with the butt, that's right, the butt, is the sixth episode of Friends. It premiered on October 27th, 1994, so I figured since this is the last episode in October, I did want to find some facts specifically about October 27th, but also, let's just round out the rest of the month. Oh, also, also, you guys, before we get to 1994, did you know that Philadelphia was founded on October 27th, 16-fucking-82? Go Philly. Go Birds! I mean, I know not everybody's from Philadelphia, but that was a pretty dope little fact to find out that October 27th was the founding day of the city that I hold close to my heart. So, now, fast forwarding 300-plus years to October 27th of 1994. Boyz II Men were still holding the number one spot for the top song in the USA. You know what that song is. Brandy was number one on the R&B charts, and Selena was number one on the Latin charts. Now, I know that this is not a podcast about music, but I love Brandy and Selena, and Selena's number one song at this point was, Biddy biddy bum bum, which is such a great song, and Selena, rest in peace, taken too early from us. Anyway, so, on October 21st, no, that's not right. On October 27th, 1994, the U.S. Justice Department announced that the prison population topped one million for the first time in U.S. history. The figure, 1,250,000 people in state and federal prisons, did not even include local prisons where an estimated 547,000 prisoners were held, usually for short periods. Sad face to this, because it hasn't gotten any better, and until the privatized prison industrial complex is brought the fuck down, this isn't gonna get any better. Another sad face, and moving on, because this is a light-hearted show, but I really just felt like that was important to mention that, I mean, yeah, 1994, and that was so long ago, guys, and there was a million people in prison at that time, and I think now it's probably doubled, if not almost tripled that, but anyway. On October 29th, Pink Floyd finished their final concert tour with a show at Earl's Court in London, England. On October 31st, the single Creep by TLC released. I also really fucking love that song, and that whole album, and this became their first U.S. number one single and Billboard Song of the Year in the following year, 1995. October 31st also, at the age of 14, Venus Williams, obviously American tennis star, made her debut by winning 6-3 and 6-4 over the former NCAA champion, world's number 58, Sean Stafford, and this took place in the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California. Now, I'm not really into tennis, but I do know Venus and Serena Williams, and this is when she got her start with a win, so crush it, girl. And finally, the American jam band Phish performed the Beatles' White Album as a musical costume during a show at the Glen Falls Civic Center in Glen Falls, New York, which I'm not a big Phish, I'm not a Phish person, like I'm not a Phish fan, but that was probably pretty cool, because it was like Halloween, so if they're doing the Beatles' White Album as Phish as a musical costume show, like that would have been, I bet that was pretty dope. But, back to our friends in New York City. The summary of our episode tells us that Monica's obsessiveness is put to the test after Rachel cleans the apartment, Joey lands a film role as Al Pacino's butt double, and Chandler enjoys a relationship with all the fun, but none of the responsibility. So, you can kind of see where this is going. So, our cold open is a shot of the city that pans into a shot of a theater with the title Freud on the posters outside, and based on some of the fun facts I learned about this episode, it appears that this is actually Cherry Lane Theater. This is located on Commerce Street in New York City near Washington Square, and before I started recording this episode, I googled it, and Cherry Lane Theater is, in fact, still open and putting on productions, which I think is just so fucking awesome. And, another fun fact, this is the first episode where the opening scene does not take place in Central Perk, so we're starting to, like, branch out, you know? We're getting new opening scenes, we're doing new things, and we're getting to see different, like, different settings for our opening scene. So, we cut from that opening scene, which is just, like, a shot of the theater with those posters out front, and we cut, and we're with the five friends, minus Joey, all sitting in what appears to be the audience of this theater. Rachel's got her play program opened, and she says, oh, look, look, there's Joey's picture, this is so exciting, to which Chandler replies, you can always spot someone who's never seen one of his plays before. Notice, no fear, no sense of impending doom, and Phoebe says that the exclamation point in the title scares her, it's not just Freud, it's Freud. So, Ross shushes everyone as the lights dim, and we hear him say, magic is about to happen. So, we pan across the audience, and we see Joey clearly playing the role of Freud in this play. He is sitting in a chair next to a woman, obviously his patient, who is laying on a couch. Now, I've really just gotta take a second here and say that all the times I've been to therapists, and there's been quite a few different therapists in at least three different states, I have never laid on the couch to talk to them. Has anyone out there actually done that? Or is this just some like wild TV trope that has stuck with us forever and ever, and that actually doesn't make any sense, like who would lay on the couch? Anyway, so, the lights come up, Joey starts talking to his patient, and I can only do this scene a small semblance of justice by attempting to reenact verbatim. So, here we go. Joey slash Freud says, well, Eva, we've done some excellent work here, and I would have to say, your problem is quite clear. All you want is a dinkle, but you envy the shvang, a thing through which you can tinkle, or play with, or simply let hang. So, Joey sings this insanely awful song, which I just did for you as well, while also dancing equally as horrendously, and as soon as he belts out that last line, we cut to the theme song. And I, guys, I am so sorry, but really not sorry for breaking your ears with my rendition of the dinkle song, but I have seen this episode so many times, and I know that song way too well to not sing it in this episode of my podcast. Please don't send me any hate mail, I'm really sorry, I won't do it again. So, when we come back from the theme song, we see all the actors from the production taking a bow, and the crowd is cheering and clapping, the five friends are clapping politely, but it definitely looks like they are not having a great time. They all audibly groan, Rachel says she feels violated, Monica asks if anyone else felt like they just wanted to peel the skin off their body to have something else to do. To which I gotta say, just how horrible was this play? I mean, Joey, I mean, Freud, his song was definitely hilarious and also weird, but I can't imagine what else made it so awful that the friends would rather peel off their own beautiful skin off their bodies. So, after Monica's comment, the girls start to get up to leave, and Chandler sees a woman who is sitting in the audience. He quietly says, Ross, 10 o'clock, to which Ross replies, is it? It feels like 2, and I'm like, damn, like did they just really not have a good time at all? Was it that horrible? But Chandler corrects him and says, no, 10. Ross still isn't getting it, and finally Chandler sighs and says, there's a beautiful woman at 8, 9, 10 o'clock. And we have some back and forth here about this beautiful woman, who, by the way, is the actress Sophia Milos. She is best known for her role on CSI Miami, but she also has had roles on The Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mad About You, and ER. And I know you guys have seen this episode, but she is stunning. I mean, like, you see her and you're just like, wow, she's so beautiful. So, there is some back and forth amongst the friends here, and Monica tells Chandler that he should go talk to her. She's alone, to which he asks everyone, could she be more out of my league? There you go with that little Chandler inflection again. But Ross backs him up by saying he could never get a woman like that in a million years. And then Pheebs, always finding our silver lining, says, oh, but you always see these really beautiful women with these really nothing guys. You could be one of those guys. Okay, now also, this is very, very true. I think the whole concept of being in or out of someone's quote-unquote league is such bullshit. But of course, I still felt like it absolutely applied when I used to, because as we know, I don't do this anymore, swipe on the dating apps. You know, you would see a guy who was like a 10 or like a 9, right? And I think that I like float around pretty solidly in like a 6 to 7. But when you're on the dating apps, you're like, well, if I swipe, I swipe. And if they don't swipe and we don't connect, then it is what it is. But your immediate thought is like, this person is out of my league. Who the fuck came up with these like leagues and who belongs in or out of them? I really like, I really wouldn't hate it if the concept of leagues never existed, if you were just like, but oh my god, guys, we should like bring Freud into this because it's definitely something about psychology where it's like, who do you think is like in or out of your league? And how do we get to like determine that? But anyway, for Chandler, it does seem like this little reminder from Phoebe has given him the courage he needs to go talk to this woman. So he walks over to her and the conversation is just so awkward. But he does end up telling her his name, like, hi, I'm Chandler. And then saying, would you like to go out with me sometime? Okay, thank you. Good night. And then before she even gets a chance to answer, he starts to walk away. But she, as he's walking away, calls him by name back, like Chandler. And then he walks back over to her. And we cut scenes to Joey coming out from backstage. Monica Ross, Rachel and Phoebe are all trying to be so supportive of him saying things like, I didn't know you could dance and you were in a play. And Joey asks them what they thought. And then they all pause just a split second too long before replying with the exact same comments they had just made. I didn't know you could dance. You were in a play. And Joey absolutely picks up on this. And he tells them, guys, it wasn't that bad. And as he's explaining why it wasn't that bad. Chandler comes running over to the group telling them she said yes, she said yes. He tells everyone her name is Aurora. And she's Italian. And she pronounces my name Chandler, which he says he likes better. Chandler. So everyone is congratulating him. When Chandler remembers that an usher gave something to him to give to Joey. He hands something to Joey. And Joey tells the group that it's a card from a talent agency. And then he says, maybe they want to sign me to which Phoebe replies, based on this play. Based on this play. Like girl, if you know that you said it wrong the first time, it's okay to fix it and say it right the second time. So we cross cut out from the theater scene into Central Perk with four of the friends sitting around drinking coffee and talking. It appears that Rachel is working. And Chandler walks in a few seconds after the beginning of the scene. And he says hey to the gang. He actually says, hello, children, or hey, kids, or something like that. And then he sits down. And when no one asks him, he says, well, I can't believe I've been here almost seven seconds and you haven't asked me how my date went. Everyone obliges. And we find out here that the date was unbelievable. He starts telling his story and we fade into their actual date. In real time. It appears that Chandler is absolutely smitten with Aurora. He finds her interesting, exotic, obviously stunningly beautiful. He tells everyone that they talked till two and it was the most perfect evening, more or less. We cross cut back to the real time date. And Aurora is telling Chandler another wild story. She says, the line, all of a sudden we realize we're in Yemen. Which, side note, is absolutely hilarious given Chandler's upcoming relationship with Yemen. But that's for another episode. Wink, wink. When Chandler asks her who the we is, she tells him that would be me and Rick. And we flash back to the gang when Joey asks, who's Rick? Apparently Chandler had the same idea because he asks her the same question in our little replay of their actual date. Within a few seconds and a couple of questions from Chandler, we find out that our lovely Aurora is in an open marriage. Oh, the scandal. Chandler asks Aurora how she thinks her husband would feel about her sitting there with him. To which she replies, I imagine he'd be okay with you because really, he's okay with Ethan. Oh, scandalous scandal. And this is our call back to the wine we're drinking with this episode. Even though this technically isn't a menage a trois, it is still three men and I support this. So I gotta tell you guys, I really love Aurora's character and the way that she handles herself and her sexuality in this scene. Chandler asks her what type of relationship she imagines them having since she already has a husband and a boyfriend. And she tells him she supposes mainly sexual. And I fully support that. I also really love that what the show is doing here is giving a woman power over her own sexuality, not diminishing her in any way with like slut shaming or whatever, because she is fully aware and awakened to that part of who she is. And non monogamous relationships have such a tainted stigma and they have for the longest time. And it wasn't until I was actually writing the notes for this episode that I really took the time to appreciate what they are doing with her storyline. I mean, it is not some sleazy guy. And I love Joey, but Joey would fit this persona perfectly like just looking to get laid wherever and by whomever he can. Instead, it is a strong, independent, beautiful, evolved woman who's being honest about her relationships and what she is needing, wanting and expecting. So it also seems like against the judgment of his friends, especially Monica, Chandler thinks that he could be into a situationship like this. He tells them that he gets all the good stuff, all the fun, all the talking, all the sex, and none of the responsibility. He goes so far as to say that this is every guy's fantasy. Phoebe disagrees and asks Ross if this is his fantasy, to which Ross replies, No, of course not. Yeah, yeah, it is. And then I mean, like, okay, so of course, every like, says that to be like, yeah, that would be my dream, like, just like to sleep with a girl and never have to worry about any of the drama afterwards. But Ross starts to explain to our friends that monogamy can be a tricky concept, anthropologically speaking, and immediately after those words leave his lips, all four of the friends pretend to fall instantly asleep, where they're snoring and they're like, dead to the world. Ross gets all grumpy, as he does when his friends are making fun of this side of his personality. Monica tells him they're kidding and go go on tell us and they all egg him on to keep talking. He finally says, all right. And as he starts to say, there is a theory put forth by Richard Leakey, they all pretend to fall asleep again. And we fade out of the scene. So the next scene is everyone but Rachel walking into the girl's apartment. As they walk in, Rachel who is in the apartment shouts, to which Chandler replies, are we greeting each other this way now? Because I like that. I mean, I like that too. In this scene, we find out that while Monica was away from the apartment, Rachel decided to clean. She asks everyone what they think, as they all wander around the apartment, and everyone is giving her all the compliments on her hard work. Until Monica sees that while Rachel was cleaning, she moved the green ottoman. How dare she? And Monica literally can not handle this. As she's talking to Rachel about why she moved the green ottoman within seconds, she's moved it back to its original spot. Phoebe says, I can't believe you tried to move the green ottoman. And Chandler follows that up with thank God you didn't try to fan out the magazines. I mean, she'll scratch your eyes right out. So I just want to pause for a second here. I do love to play devil's advocate or try to see where both people are coming from in a low key confrontational situation. And it's pretty clear here that Rachel thought she was doing something helpful and sweet by cleaning the apartment and then moving the green ottoman. Because as she told Monica, she thought it looked better where she put it. And not only that, but it was an extra seat around the coffee table, which makes perfect sense. But I can also see where Monica is coming from because even though Rachel is her roommate, this technically is Monica's apartment since her grandmother was the one who lived there prior to Monica moving in. And since Monica is a classic type A personality, it totally tracks here that something as inconsequential as moving a small piece of furniture would literally drive her crazy to the point that she can't even let it go. She's just got to move it back to where it where she thinks it belongs. So back to our scene. Right after Chandler's comment, Monica starts trying to convince the group that she is not that bad. But Phoebe immediately says, Yeah, you are Monica. Like no love lost with Phoebe. Her brutal honesty is so great. She even goes so far as to remind Monica that when she lived with her, she was a little like psycho killer knife silence. Ross adds that when they were kids, Monica was the only kid who had a raggedy Ann doll that wasn't raggedy. Monica tries to fight back by saying, Okay, so I'm responsible. I'm organized. But hey, I can be a kook. Ross, Rachel and Chandler all give Monica what ifs like not paying the phone bill when it comes, then they send you a notice and you have to pay it after that. Rachel going shopping and buying the laundry detergent without the easy pour spout. And then Chandler saying, someone leaves the coffee. I'll leave the glass on the coffee table. There's no coaster. It's cold drink. It's a hot day. Little beads of condensation are inching their way closer and closer to the surface of the wood. And at this moment, Monica loses her coop and shouts, Stop it. And then has a moment of self realization. She says, It's true. She asks, Who am I? To which Ross replies, Monica, your mom. She gasps in shock. And Phoebe once again goes, as this is happening, Joey comes into the apartment on the phone, and he seems really excited. He finishes his conversation, hangs up the phone and says, that was my agent. My agent has just gotten me a job in the new Al Pacino movie. The rest of the gang starts freaking out with excitement. Monica asks him, what's the part? But he ignores her and continues talking about how stoked he is that it's fucking Al Pacino. He's the reason became an actor. Phoebe asks again. Seriously, what's the part? He also ignores her and continues quoting Al Pacino lines. Ross asks him a third time. Seriously, Joey, what's the part? He looks embarrassed, mumbles something as he turns away from the group. And Rachel says you're flammable. What? Then Joey turns back around to the friends and says, I'm his butt devil. Okay. He begins to describe what that actually means. As the friends try desperately not to laugh. Joey obviously notices their reactions and says, Come on, guys, this is a real movie and Al Pacino's in it. That's big. And one by one, the friends give him compliments that equally poke fun at his role. Chandler says, you know, you've been doing plays for all these years, and it's finally time for you. You finally been able to crack your way into show business. Then Ross asked Joe if he's going to invite them to the big opening. And as all the friends are laughing, we fade out. When we come back in, we are in the girl's apartment and Monica hears knocking on the door. She opens and it's Joey asking her if she's got moisturizer that he can borrow because today's the big day. She tells him to go into the bathroom and use whatever he wants. Just don't ever tell her what he did in there. Right after Joey goes into the bathroom, Chandler comes in with the phone asking for Joey because it's his mom. Monica tells him he's in the bathroom, but I don't think you want to go in there. Chandler replies, Oh, come on, we're roommates. As he walks towards the bathroom, and in the next split second, Chandler opens the bathroom door without knocking, walks in, comes running back out screaming, Oh, my eyes, my eyes, which another friend also screams much later down the road. If you know, you know. And if you don't, we'll get there in season five. My eyes, my eyes. So Monica is laughing telling Chandler I warned you. Rachel comes out of her room clearly having been woken up by Chandler and his screaming. So it would appear that Chandler is here to grab breakfast foods from the girl's fridge. He tells them he wants to make Aurora breakfast, but he's only got 20 minutes until she leaves to go see Ethan. The girls ask him if this bothers him. If he's got any resentment, and he tells them, believe me, it's worth it. Because every second he's with Aurora is like the key moments you have in a relationship that you'll remember for the rest of your life. And as he's leaving the apartment, it seems like Monica is still trying to hold on to that dream of being a kook because she tells him the old Monica would remind you to scrub that Teflon pan with a plastic brush. But I'm not going to do that. Even though she literally did just do that. So we end the scene as Monica closes the door. And our next scene opens with Joey in a robe on a movie set. We see a shower behind him, cameras and crew all around him. The director asks everybody ready. And the man playing the director is none other than James Burroughs, one of the show's actual directors, which is so fucking cool. So anyway, Joey tries to thank the man, the director, for the opportunity to be in this scene, but he just says, lose the robe. So Joey does seem nervous, but he drops the robe and the director says, Okay, everybody, I would like to get this in one take, please. The shower starts. The director says, Action. And Joey starts showering. He's making a weird grimace-y face. And we hear the director say, Cut. He then says, Hey, Buckeye, what the hell are you doing? And Joey says, I'm showering. To which the director replies, No, that was clenching. Like earlier when we were talking about the puckering of the lips for the wine, the puckering of the butt. Joey tries to explain that the character is upset in this scene and his butt would be angry here. But the director tells Joey, I think his butt would like to get this shot before lunch. So they start shooting again. We hear, Action. And a second later, and a second later, Cut. The poor Joey. I mean, he's just having a hard time letting his butt be just a butt. He tries to tell the director he was going for quiet desperation. But as we end the scene, we can see that the director is not happy. So our next scene begins in Chandler's room and he is in bed with Aurora. They're cuddling and being all cute, but she realizes that she's late. She goes to sit up, but Chandler tells her, No, don't go. She starts to say, Okay, and lay back down with him. But then she sits straight back up and says, Oh, no, I have to go. She tells Chandler she's sorry, but he'll be waiting for me. Chandler thought she meant Rick. He says, I thought you talked to Rick. But we find out here that it isn't Rick who will be waiting. Chandler seems upset that it's Ethan. He gets to spend the whole day with you. But she tells him, No, it's not Ethan. It's Andrew. It looks like Andrew is a new person Aurora has met and begun to date. Chandler is definitely upset by this. He asks if she's saying that she is not completely fulfilled by Rick, Ethan, and myself, obviously being Chandler. And then the inevitable conversation happens. She tells him it's not that she's not fulfilled. And Chandler tells her that most women would kill for three guys like us. She asks what he wants. And he says, you. He then asks her to give up the other guys and just be with him. She asks him a very valid question. She says, Why can't we just have what we have now? Why can't we just talk and laugh and make love without feeling obligated to one another? Up until tonight, I thought that's what you wanted, too. Chandler replies by being completely open and vulnerable. He tells her that a part of him does want that. But it's like he's two guys. One is saying, shut up. This is great. And the other guy is saying this is too hard. Get out. She asks him which of those two guys will he listen to? And in the sweetest, most adorable Chandler moment, he tells her, it's the second guy. Which is so sweet, because I mean, obviously, we knew that he just really liked Aurora and was just trying to be what he wanted her to be so she could be with him. But she tells him to let her know if he changes his mind and goes to kiss him quickly goodbye. But he puts his hands on her face and really kisses her. And when they separate, he apologizes to her saying, I'm sorry, the first guy runs the lips. So she walks out and he flops down on his bed looking just so sad and we cross cut. We are back in the girl's apartment with the friends minus Joe. And Chandler has clearly just told them what happened with Aurora. Ross says, look at it this way. You dumped her, right? I mean, this woman was unbelievably sexy and beautiful, intelligent, unattainable. Tell me why you did this again. But before he has a chance to answer, Joey walks in, and everyone says, hey, movie star. Monica says, hey, wait a minute. Are you the guy who plays the butt in the new Al Pacino movie? Joey just flops down on the couch with such a sad unhappy face and says, nope. He tells everyone that he got fired because he quote unquote, acted too much with it. He's obviously upset because he told everybody and now they're going to go to the theater expecting to see him. But Rachel assures him, honey, that no one will be able to tell. But he counters back with my mom will. And poor Joey. Joey is really fucking bummed about this whole getting fired thing. He tells the friends that he's been doing crappy plays for six years. He finally got his shot and he blows it. And the gang is trying, trying really so hard to cheer him up, telling him that this wasn't his shot. Did it feel like this was your shot? And Phoebe tells him she doesn't think that this was his shot. She doesn't even think you get one shot. And she really believes big things are going to happen for him. And he's got to keep thinking about the day that some kid is going to run up to his friends and go, I got the part. I got the part. I'm going to be Joey Tribbiani's ass. And Joey tells her that is so nice. They hug Chandler and Ross look at each other and hug. And then Monica stands up and tells everyone she's going to bed. Rachel asks her if she's going to leave her shoes out here. Monica looks like she's about to walk over to the shoes, but she stops herself and just says, uh-huh. Rachel reiterates, really? Just casually strewn about in that reckless, haphazard manner. And Monica tells her it doesn't matter. I'll get them tomorrow or not, whenever, as she walks into her room. And Ross tells the rest of the guys, she is a kook. And we end scene. In this week's tag scene, we see Monica laying in bed as the credits roll. She is fully awake and thinking about those shoes she left in the living room. And we hear her talking to herself in her head. And the conversation goes like this, if it bothers you that much, just go out and get the shoes. No, don't do this. This is stupid. I don't have to prove anything. I'm going to go out and get them. But then everyone will know unless I go get them, then wake up really early and go put them back. Oh, I need help. And then she rolls over to her side. And that, my friends, is Friends season one, episode six. So before we get to the theme of this week's episode, I was thinking that this past week about another fun little mini segment I could add to the show. And that is going to be my favorite line from each episode. So for season one, episode six, I'm going to have to go with my girl Phoebe's last line in the episode. You just got to keep thinking about that day some kid is going to run up to his friends and say, I got the part. I got the part. I'm going to be Joey Tribbiani's ass. And I love Phoebe always giving her friends that sweet and silly positive reinforcement. So for the theme of this week's episode, I think it's going to have to be learning to love who you are for just that. Not trying to be something different or a version of yourself that other people may want. And the main ways we see this happening are with Chandler trying to be Chandler trying to be a version of himself that just doesn't work for him in his relationship with Aurora and Monica trying to be the kook instead of the organized type A personality that she really is. So I did a little bit of a deep dive into the characteristics of type A, because we always hear that phrase like, oh, she's a type A all the time. So I was really interested to find out what denotes that personality type. And Wikipedia describes the type A individuals as outgoing, ambitious, rigidly organized, highly status conscious, impatient, anxious, proactive, and concerned with time management. And I feel like there is a drop of Monica in every little bit of that description. I mean, honestly, I have a lot of the same characteristics as a type A, but I wouldn't consider myself myself like a staunch type A. So just for shits and giggles, let's go through the characteristics of type B. Type B individuals are noted to live at lower stress levels, they typically work steadily and may enjoy achievement, although they have a greater tendency to disregard physical or mental stress when they do not achieve. So it's like they're, you know, they're trying and they'll do what they do. But if they don't get there, it doesn't wreck them like it would a type A. When faced with competition, they may focus less on winning or losing than their type A counterparts, and more on enjoying the game regardless of the outcome. Type B individuals are also more likely to have a poorer sense of time, like being late and shit, like I get that. The type B personality is also more tolerant than a type A personality. And I find this shit to be so fucking fascinating. I mean, I think that I walk the line pretty evenly between the A and the B. But I wonder where you guys find yourselves falling between the two. So definitely let me know, because I would love to know. I also googled like type C and type B, and that was a whole other can of worms that I cannot get into. I mean, there's like a type everything in the fucking alphabet, and we don't really have time to get to that. Anyway, back to the reason that you got into all of this. I really love Monica for trying to be a bit lighter hearted and less stringent to please her friends and prove to them that she is a kook. But at the end of the day, she realized that she is who she is. Type A personality. And there absolutely is nothing wrong with that. And my love Chandler, trying something new in his relationship with Aurora, because he wanted to show her that he cared enough about her to be open to meeting her where she was. But what I really love about his storyline is that even though he truly cared for this woman, even in the very short amount of time that he knew her, he wouldn't allow himself to compromise what he wanted or needed in a relationship. Like she she is open, not like ethical, non monogamy. And he was like, you know what, I'll try that. But really, I just want to be with one person, which I loved. So in short, I think my takeaway is that it is totally fine and even healthy to try new things, take on new personas, and allow yourself to see what it would be like if you were a different person. However, if the changes you are making or trying to make feel contradictory to who you are at your very core, regardless of who likes you, who hates you, couldn't understand you, doesn't give a fuck less about you, you have to be true to you at the end of the day. Because being our most authentic selves is the most important thing. You have to love yourself for who you truly are, and never settle for less. And I know that I fucking love you guys for who you are. So thank you so much for joining me for season one, episode six of Friends. I can't wait to meet you back here again for episode seven. Let's drink wine and watch Friends together. And remember, I'll be there for you. Because you're there for me too. Love you guys so much. Have a great week. Bye. Wine and Friends is an independent podcast written and produced by me, Katie Rowey. If you enjoyed this show, please share it with your friends. It also really helps me like, rate, subscribe, and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. And follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. You can also follow the show on Instagram at WineAndFriendsPod, or on Facebook at WineAndFriends. If you would like to reach out to me, please feel free to email me at WineAndFriendsPod at gmail.com. Cheers, Friends!