Friends: Joey's kindness was constantly undervalued because he was ‘the dumb one’

Friends cannot be imagined without Joey Tribbiani. If it were your comfort show, chances are you laughed the loudest at him. He was a struggling actor who loved food over anything else. He could also find joy in almost everything. But his brain sometimes struggled to keep up.

Joey was the group’s lovable fool. He wasn’t getting stuck in any moral dilemmas like Ross or being sarcastic like Chandler. Joey was the guy you called when your heart was broken, or when you needed someone to eat pizza with on the floor. His dim-wittedness made him the center of the joke most of the time. But it was his kindness that rarely got the spotlight it deserved.

Friends often focused on Joey’s lack of intellect. It depended on that for laughs. It was his confusion over air quotes, his reaction to big words, his inability to learn a new language, or keep secrets that made us laugh out loud every time he appeared on the screen.

But somewhere between all of that, Joey was also the most emotionally intelligent member of the group. He never judged Monica and Chandler’s secret relationship. He defended Phoebe without hesitation. He treated Rachel with care, especially when they almost became a thing.

And yet, because he was “the dumb one”, his kindness got dismissed.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinions. Reader discretion is advised.

Friends: Joey was the kindest, and everyone missed him

The thing about Joey is that he was sincere. Friends trained us to expect Joey to say something silly every time he opened his mouth. But there were moments when he showed emotional maturity that were often brushed off.

Let's look back at the times when he comforted Chandler during his break-up, or when he told Rachel he would step back from their relationship because he didn’t want to hurt Ross. That was empathy. That was kindness.

Joey wasn't book smart, but he was emotionally sound.

Ross was out there getting in and out of relationships, and Chandler was terrified of commitment until halfway through the show. Joey was consistent. He was loyal even when it cost him. He was generous even when he had nothing. He gave Chandler the most tear-jerking hug when he found out about the engagement.

But his kindness was treated like a lucky accident in Friends. Like he just stumbled into being good because he didn’t know better. But it could also be that Joey chose to be kind every single time. Maybe he was the group's golden retriever because he wanted to be. That was his decision. Maybe Joey knew that in a world full of sarcasm, competitiveness, and emotional unavailability, the real power was in the ability to be soft and stay that way.

Joey was just the one who never let the world harden him. But the show never gave that softness the credit it deserved.

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