Jennifer Aniston Reflects On The State Of Comedy: 'Everybody Needs Humor!'

Jennifer Aniston is reflecting on the evolution of comedy: the good, the bad, and the outdated aspects of the genre.

Aniston, 54, has been a fixture in pop culture for nearly three decades; her film career spans across genres; she's starred in the many-a-romantic comedy and rose to fame via a role of a lifetime: Rachel Green from a little sitcom called "Friends."

The "Just Go With It" star has been around the block long enough to witness the change and evolution in Hollywood.

Cultural evolution at large has undoubtedly had an impact on the material viewers choose to consume and invest their time. With countless entertainment choices available at our fingertips, thanks to excellent streaming services, writers and comedians have to make an impression. Sometimes, the images ced from revisiting said entertainment aren't as hilarious as they once were.

Ahead of "Murder Mystery 2,"- Aniston's Netflix buddy comedy series she stars in alongside Adam Sandler-, Aniston spoke to AFP about the current state of comedy. She also examined "Friends" and its present place in pop culture nearly 20 years since its finale.

Aniston noted, "Comedy has evolved, movies have evolved," before sharing her thoughts on the collective's current stance on 'acceptable' material.

"Now it's a little tricky because you have to be very careful, which makes it hard for comedians," she adds. "The beauty of comedy is that we make fun of ourselves and life."

She also believes a critical element of the genre's purpose is no longer welcome in today's famous culture landscape: a guide to the absurdities that come with being human.

"You could joke about a bigot and have a laugh," she says about far-gone comedy culture. "And it was about educating people about how ridiculous people were, and now we're not allowed to do that," Aniston notes.

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"Friends," the beloved series about five best friends navigating their twenties in 90's New York City, continues to attract new viewers and a new fanbase 29 years after its premiere.

While "Friends" remains a universally loved series, not every bit of material continues to charm audiences.

Aniston alludes to the show's writers needing to think twice about certain jokes.

"There were things that were never intentional," she said, of those "Friends" jokes that the current generation of viewers may not find kosher. "and others... well, we should've thought it through- but I don't think there's a sensitivity like there is now."

The "Picture Perfect" star also noted the importance of comedy in our current cultural climate.

"Everybody needs funny! The world needs humor! We can't take ourselves too seriously," she said. "Especially in the United States. Everyone is far too divided."

Speaking of division, one central question continues to divide "Friends" fans more than 20 years after it was initially posed: Were Ross and Rachel really on a break?

David Schwimmer, who played Rachel Green's on-and-off man Ross Gellar, sat with Jimmy Fallon ahead of the 2021 "Friends" cast reunion for HBO MAX and shared his standpoint.

"It's not even a question," he told Fallon. "They were on a break!" (via Vanity Fair).

Aniston, however, has a different viewpoint, much like Ross and Rachel did.

"For the record," she wrote in a 2021 Instagram post, "We were SO not on a break! [eye roll emoji]. At the time, Aniston was promoting a new line of "Friends" merchandise; the proceeds went to a global non-profit geared toward collective healthcare. Americares was working to aid COVID-19 relief efforts.