Chandler Bing
Encyclopedia
Chandler Muriel Bing is a fictional character
on the popular U.S.
television sitcom Friends
, portrayed by Matthew Perry
.
ancestry. Chandler was Ross Geller
's roommate at college. Chandler met Ross's sister, Monica Geller
, and her friend, Rachel Green
, while celebrating Thanksgiving
with the Geller family during his first year at college. On a tip from Monica, Chandler later moved to Apartment #19 in Greenwich Village
, Manhattan
, across the hall from Monica and her roommate Phoebe Buffay
.
Throughout most of the series, Chandler was an executive specializing in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration. He fell asleep at a meeting and accidentally agreed to become the processing manager and head of the company's office in Tulsa. Not happy about being away from Monica and the rest of his friends, he quit and soon after became a junior copywriter at an advertising agency.
Chandler's first line of the show is "All right, Joey, be nice. So, does he have a hump? A hump and a hairpiece?", referring to Monica's new date. Chandler's last line is answering Rachel's offer to have coffee: "Sure. Where?", making a joke since obviously they will be going to Central Perk, the place where they have been going every day for 10 years. This is also the last line of the series.
. He will make comments such as, "Oh Moses!" when he's shocked, and he talks about priests. In season 3 Joey says he looked like Satan. However he is likely not Catholic as in the first season he refers to Joey as his "Catholic Friend". In Season 4 when Phoebe is writing a holiday song Chandler mentions to her that he is not Jewish after the Line, "Happy Hanukkah
, Chandler and Monica". It is probable he is not religious at all.
as his parents announced that they were getting divorced at Thanksgiving dinner when he was nine, so his father could run off with the houseboy. Therefore, Chandler refuses to celebrate Thanksgiving in the traditional way. He has a "tradition" of retelling the story of his parents' announcement for divorce every Thanksgiving. Joey goes even as far to say, "It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without Chandler bumming us out." During Season 5 ("The One With All The Thanksgivings"), it is revealed that Monica, while trying to get back at Chandler for calling her fat one year, accidentally dropped a knife on Chandler's foot and chopped off part of his pinky toe, the portion containing the nail. During Season 8, Monica cooks a separate chicken for him on Thanksgiving.
in London
. They had been friends for some time and met when Chandler and Ross were at college together. Chandler had dropped hints about his interest in Monica during Season 1, then increased his efforts in Season 3, although Monica thought he was joking.
At Ross and Emily's wedding in London, Monica and Chandler slept together and began dating (a few years later, Monica reveals that she had actually gone to Chandler's room looking for Joey). Monica and Chandler try keeping their relationship secret, not wanting the others to make a big deal out of it, but they all eventually find out. Because Chandler and Monica don't tell them, Rachel and Phoebe try getting them to admit their relationship. Correspondingly, Monica and Chandler try getting them to admit that they knew, and a silent battle broke out (with Joey as the go-between). This ended with Phoebe and Chandler together with the false intent to sleep together, but Chandler finally cracked and admitted his love for Monica.
The two move in together at the beginning of Season 6, Chandler proposes by the end of the season, and they get married at the end of Season 7. Their wedding is officiated by Joey, who becomes ordained over the Internet
. In the final episode, Monica and Chandler (who are unable to conceive) watch as their adopted twins
, Erica and Jack, are born, though they had expected only a single child. Chandler also has problems with Monica's ex-boyfriend Richard (portrayed by Tom Selleck
), whom he and Joey had briefly idolized before Chandler and Monica started dating, mostly because of Richard's moustache and macho appearance. The biggest problem with Richard occurs when Chandler wants to propose to Monica
, and Richard confesses his true love for her. Richard eventually lets Chandler marry her, realizing he missed his chance.
Monica also sometimes gets on Chandler's nerves because of her bossiness, neatness, and overly competitive nature. This forces Chandler into several situations, such as Monica being unable to throw a game of tennis against Chandler's boss and Chandler's having to hide the fact that he is incredibly good at ping-pong to keep Monica from entering them into doubles-tournaments. During Season 8 episode "The One with Monica's Secret Closet", Chandler says that he married Monica despite the fact she was overly organized.
In the alternate reality
episode of "The One that Could Have Been", Monica is still fat and Chandler does not show much interest in her. However, when Monica's current boyfriend gets called out to work during dinner, they sleep together and Chandler falls in love with her, so the two end up together anyway.
) gives birth to them. Everyone, except the doctor (who was more surprised that they didn't know), is shocked as Erica has not realized she was expecting twins. Erica said, that at an antenatal appointment, the doctor had said "both heartbeats sound strong" and assumed he meant hers and the baby's. Chandler and Monica are a little shocked and discuss having the other baby adopted by someone else, but soon decide to adopt both when Monica says that they could not split them up. Jack is named after his adoptive grandfather and Erica after her biological mother. They are shown in Apartment 20, with the rest of the group before leaving for their new home.
. Chandler and Joey's apartment is an important focal point for the series as one of the few meeting areas of the gang. The two form a close and enduring friendship, and get into many humorous situations. Their adventures include: losing Ross's infant son (Ben) on a bus
; Chandler's dismay at Joey building an "entertainment unit" which is so big it partially covers both of their bedroom doors; buying a chick and a duck (affectionately named "The Chick and The Duck"); and replacing their dining table with a foosball table. A famous running gag suggests they are like an old married couple when they argue, with Chandler usually assuming the wife's role. Although in one of the episodes where Joey's new roommate Janine is present, Joey takes the more woman-like role of their argument with comments such as "Why would you say that? It's just mean!" and "It's not what you said; it was the way you said it", due to Janine's feminine qualities rubbing off on Joey.
The two start off on the wrong foot when Chandler is looking for a roommate when Joey said that he "was cool with the gay thing" (Joey thinking that Chandler was gay). Joey comes to fill the slot, only Chandler had already chosen a roommate – a fashion photographer with a porn-star sister. But after Mr Heckles (the grumpy old man who lives in the apartment below Monica and Rachel) tells the photographer that he is Chandler's new roommate, the photographer leaves disappointed and never moves in. This forces Chandler to give the keys to Joey and they find out they had a lot in common, including sports and beer. Joey also introduces Chandler to watching the women of Baywatch
(especially Yasmine Bleeth
and Nicole Eggert
).
Chandler often supports Joey throughout the show, paying the rent, paying for Joey's headshots, and buying most of the food. Joey tries in one episode to repay Chandler by allowing him the only ticket to the première of his new movie. Unfortunately, Chandler falls asleep during the movie. Later in the same episode, Joey comes in Chandler's apartment saying that he will pay Chandler back every penny he owes him. However, seeing that Chandler had covered so many expenses for him, he dismisses it saying "So what, you fell asleep during my première."
However, in the alternate reality of "The One that Could Have Been" these roles are reversed as Chandler struggles with finances while Joey rakes in the money. At one point in this episode, Joey helps out Chandler by allowing Chandler to be his assistant.
). She is a regular feature in his life, even though he spent most of the time trying to break up with her. In Season 1 he dated her and then broke up with her multiple times.
During the Season 2 finale, Chandler spends most of his time on his computer chatting with an unnamed woman on an internet chat room. She reveals that her husband is having an affair. When they decide to meet up, it is revealed that the woman is Janice. They passionately kiss and their relationship continues into Season 3. Joey admits to hating Janice at the beginning of Season 3 but decides to try to get along with her since Chandler is really starting to fall for her this time. In the episode "The One With The Race Car Bed" Joey sees Janice kissing her ex-husband. Joey tells Chandler, who confronts Janice about it. Janice tells Chandler she doesn't know what to do. Chandler, after talking with Joey, decides to back off because he doesn't want to be the reason that a family does not get back together.
Yet, they reunite later in the series and Chandler wants to break up with her but once again doesn't know how, so he figures the best way to to tell her is to lie and say he is moving to Yemen. Janice tells Chandler she wants to see him off at the airport so he actually has to buy an expensive ticket, board a plane and fly to Yemen. This is the last time they date because Chandler starts dating Monica soon after. However, Janice makes further appearances in the sitcom. She briefly dates Ross in a later episode, and in the seventh season, Janice plans on attending Chandler and Monica's wedding. In order to prevent this, Chandler pretends he still loves her and they should pick up where they left off. Janice, not wanting to ruin Chandler and Monica's marriage, decides to leave, although she asks him to call her when his marriage breaks up. He uses the same excuse in Season 10 when purchasing a house and realizing that Janice was attempting to buy the house next door.
Her character is best known for her famous line "Oh... My... God!" in her very nasal voice, that the friends imitate. She appears in every season of Friends except Season 6, although her voice is heard on a mixed tape she had made for Chandler years before.
?", to which Chandler incredulously replies, "No..." The other friends go on to admit that they have no idea what he really does for a living. Monica admits several times that she doesn't pay attention when he talks about his work, but finally learns what he does when he quits in Season 9, to which Chandler looks at Monica and asks: "I quit and you learn what I do?" although he does mention his job title in "The One with the Cooking Class," a job which inspired Chandler's oft-referenced office slang word "WENUS" (Weekly Estimated Net Usage Statistics), as well as the "ANUS" (Annual Net Usage Statistics). Because of this job, Chandler, with Ross, is the most financially well-off among the six friends for the most part of the series. He reveals in one episode to have a considerably large (the exact number is unknown) sum of money which he has saved up for six years. He is also shown to hold a position of authority in his company. This may explain his hesitation to quit.
However, Chandler was unable to simply quit his job as it was his nature to avoid ending anything forcefully, be it his job, a relationship, or even his membership with a gym
. Chandler tried to quit his job in Season 1, but was lured back by a huge raise on top of the yearly bonus structure. During one of the presumed many meetings that Chandler endures, he falls asleep. After waking, he realizes that his boss has selected him to head up the new corporate division in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On Christmas Day, Chandler quits his job in Tulsa so that he can fly home to New York to be with Monica. Monica helps Chandler secure a job in advertising. Much to Chandler's dismay, the job is as an intern. He soon secures a full-time job in the business.
In an alternate reality storyline during the show ("The One that Could Have Been"), Chandler did have the guts to quit his job and works as a freelance writer, specializing in comics
.
and sardonic attitude, which provides a defense mechanism. His most famous phrase is the rhetorical question
"Could I be any more...?" and is used on the show as a source of humor many times, primarily mocking from the other friends (indeed, the other friends actually make fun of the line more often than Chandler says it).
Some of the humor used by Chandler includes him describing Rachel's attempts to stop him smoking by throwing away every cigarette
he puts into his mouth as "the least fun game ever", quoting A.A. Milne as having said "Get out of my chair, dillhole!" in an attempt to persuade Joey to vacate the chair he had been sitting in, and his insistence that his surname (Bing) is Gaelic
for "thy turkey's done". His humorous conversations with Phoebe
ranged from why Donald Duck
wears a towel
when getting out of the shower
, to why there isn't a superhero
called "Goldman" (inspired by Spider-Man
). When he and Ross are trying to pick up women, he would be referred to as 'The Funny One'.
Throughout the show, Chandler claims he started using humor as a defense mechanism when his parents broke up which causes Monica to remark "So if your parents hadn't got divorced you'd be able to answer a question like a normal person?" referring to his constant joke making. He also tends to make jokes when he is nervous. In fact, when Phoebe dates a psychologist named Roger, he states that Chandler's behavior is textbook of someone who does. His co-workers are so used to his sarcastic jokes that any serious comment he makes is thought to be another joke. At one point, the friends challenge him to not make fun of them for an entire week as his New Year's Resolution; this proves difficult when, among other things, Ross
starts dating a woman named Elizabeth Hornswoggle. He eventually breaks his resolution by sarcastically saying, "And, Ross, Hornswoggle? What, are you dating a character from Fraggle Rock
?"
In Season 9, Chandler became jealous of Monica's new colleague, Jeffrey, because she claims that he is 'the funniest guy' she has ever met. He tells Joey about the situation, and Joey agrees that Chandler has a right to be upset: "Bein' funny's your thing!" In an early episode, Joey's father, visiting the neighborhood, suggests "Chandler, say something funny!" to defuse a tense moment, implying Chandler's sense of humor is well-known to Joey's family. However, Chandler's humor is sometimes seen as annoying throughout the show. The friend who tends to find Chandler's jokes most annoying is Rachel. In "The One Where Joey Dates Rachel", Joey asks Rachel who she would want to punch out of all of her friends. Rachel refuses to answer, until Joey says "Chandler?" Rachel replies "Yeah, but I don't know why." In "The One with Phoebe's Wedding", Rachel has to choose who will be Mike's last groom's man. Ross tries to convince Rachel that if she picks Chandler, he will make jokes the whole way down the aisle. Rachel realizes that fact, and tells Ross that he is the lesser of two evils (although Chandler is still involved with the wedding when he is assigned the position of Phoebe's 'father' to give her away when Joey - the original candidate - ends up performing the ceremony). Chandler is also made fun of for his name many times in the series.
When Chandler is going for a job interview which he is nervous about, he is told by Phoebe that he does not make a good first impression as he makes too many jokes. He asks for her help in preparation for the interview, and Phoebe tests him by saying, "Instead of talking about what you don't do, let's talk about what you do do." When Chandler avoids joking about it, Phoebe responds by saying "Nice side step on the doo doo thing" and Chandler replies, "Hardest thing I've ever done in my life." Later, at the actual interview, the boss mentions "duties" (which, with his accent sounds like "doodies") and makes several innocuous references to excretion, which Chandler nervously sidesteps. After the interview, he explains to the boss that it "was hard to sidestep that doo doo thing" much to the boss's confusion. Chandler explains to him that "duties" are "poo" which offends the boss, thus ruining the first impression.
in accordance with a common stereotype of popular culture that gay men are behaviourally and emotionally 'effeminate'. His friends and colleagues describe him as having a certain "quality" that make people think he could be gay. He also often has long "gay" hugs with Joey. At one point, he enters a room full of the friends and declared, "Well, don't we look nice all dressed up? ... It's stuff like that, isn't it?". In the Season 4 episode "The One Where Chandler Crosses the Line", Chandler invites Kathy to sit in the canoe with him, and asks her whether she would rather sit in the bow or the stern of the boat. Kathy replies saying she does not have a preference and asks Chandler which he prefers, to which he replies, "I like it in the stern... (long pause) ...of the boat!". In another episode, when Phoebe is wondering whether to propose to Mike, Chandler says, "If I were a guy... did I just say if I were a guy?'" The show's creators were actually considering making him gay at the beginning of the series, but ultimately decided not to. The creators had Chandler reveal that he is, in fact, straight in the eighth episode of the first season, in "The One Where Nana Dies Twice", when a colleague of his offers to arrange a date with a man for him, thinking he is homosexual. He tells his friends about this, but he soon realizes that they also thought he was gay when they initially met him. However, when telling a gay colleague of his that he is not gay, the colleague replies, "I know," and tells him that all gays have some kind of "radar"
.
After Chandler plays a prank on Ross by posting on their college website that Ross had sex with dinosaurs, Ross creates a page for Chandler and puts on it that Chandler is "as gay as the day is long" with digitally edited images of Chandler and a policeman. Many of the alumni congratulate Chandler on revealing this fact. As a retort, Chandler posts on Ross's page that he has died. Another instance which insinuates Chandler's homosexuality is when Ross exposed Chandler's kiss with a man to Monica. Ross states "Now, Chandler isn't the type of guy who goes to bars and makes out with girls," which causes Monica to scream, "You kissed a guy?!" to which Chandler replies, "In my defense, it was very dark, and he was a very pretty guy!"
Much of Chandler's sexual ambiguity stems from his childhood, as do other personality traits such as smoking and resorting to humor. The oldest is his middle name, Muriel, revealed in "The One with Rachel's Date". On Thanksgiving
when Chandler was nine, his father announced that he was gay and that he intended to divorce
his wife, because he would "rather sleep with the house-boy than [her]." The house-boy says, "More turkey, Mr Chandler?" in a very feminine voice just after this announcement. Charles Bing later moved to Las Vegas
where he opened up an all-male burlesque
called 'Viva Las Gaygas', featuring such musical numbers as "It's Raining Men
", where he became a drag queen
named Helena Handbasket (played by Kathleen Turner
). While seeing the show in Las Vegas, Chandler tells Monica that when he was growing up, he "played the one on the far left," referring to the line of men on the stage. As a result, Chandler hates Thanksgiving and refuses to eat traditional Thanksgiving food. Chandler also highlights this as the point where he began to use humor as a defense mechanism and started smoking (despite his young age).
Further amusement emerges when listening to a self-help hypnosis tape designed to prevent him from smoking. Unfortunately the tape was designed for females and Chandler comes under the suggestion of being a 'strong confident woman'. This manifests itself in Chandler applying ChapStick
like a woman applying lipstick and blotting with a tissue, and emerging from the shower with a towel around his chest and a turban on his head. He also tells Rachel that she is wearing a "stunning blouse". Eventually Joey overhears the tape and tampers with it, recording a message within it suggesting that Chandler should make him "...a cheese sandwich every day..." and buy him "...hundreds of dollars' worth of pants".
Another instance of Chandler seeming gay is in an episode in the ninth season. Joey (who is unable to stand the pain of eyebrow waxing) asks Chandler to help fix his eyebrows having only been able to withstand the pain of one eyebrow waxing. Chandler decides to help Joey, but only if he doesn't tell anyone that he is an expert at fixing eyebrows, having fixed his Dad's and his Dad's friends eyebrows instead of doing regular chores. When Chandler is done, Joey says that he is extremely good at fixing eyebrows. After an awkward silence, Joey asks Chandler to curl his eyelashes and Chandler excitedly says "Yeah!".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the popular U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television sitcom Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, portrayed by Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry is Canadian-American television and film actor.Matthew Perry or Matt Perry may also refer to:*Matthew C. Perry , American naval officer who forcibly opened Japan to trade with the West...
.
Background
Chandler Muriel Bing was born on April 8, 1968, the son of an erotic novelist mother and a cross-dressing Las Vegas star and is of ScottishScottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
ancestry. Chandler was Ross Geller
Ross Geller
Ross Eustace Geller, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television series Friends, portrayed by David Schwimmer. The character is noted for his geeky, lovable demeanor.- Origin :...
's roommate at college. Chandler met Ross's sister, Monica Geller
Monica Geller
Monica E. Geller Bing is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Courteney Cox. Monica is known as the "Mother Hen" of the group and her Greenwich Village apartment was one of the group's main gathering places. She was also known for her obsessive personality...
, and her friend, Rachel Green
Rachel Green
Rachel Karen Green is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Jennifer Aniston. Aniston received an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe for her performances.-Background:...
, while celebrating Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
with the Geller family during his first year at college. On a tip from Monica, Chandler later moved to Apartment #19 in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, across the hall from Monica and her roommate Phoebe Buffay
Phoebe Buffay
Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan is a fictional character on the U.S. television sitcom Friends , portrayed by Lisa Kudrow...
.
Throughout most of the series, Chandler was an executive specializing in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration. He fell asleep at a meeting and accidentally agreed to become the processing manager and head of the company's office in Tulsa. Not happy about being away from Monica and the rest of his friends, he quit and soon after became a junior copywriter at an advertising agency.
Chandler's first line of the show is "All right, Joey, be nice. So, does he have a hump? A hump and a hairpiece?", referring to Monica's new date. Chandler's last line is answering Rachel's offer to have coffee: "Sure. Where?", making a joke since obviously they will be going to Central Perk, the place where they have been going every day for 10 years. This is also the last line of the series.
Religion
It is never clearly stated what religion Chandler is. Most facts, however, point towards ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. He will make comments such as, "Oh Moses!" when he's shocked, and he talks about priests. In season 3 Joey says he looked like Satan. However he is likely not Catholic as in the first season he refers to Joey as his "Catholic Friend". In Season 4 when Phoebe is writing a holiday song Chandler mentions to her that he is not Jewish after the Line, "Happy Hanukkah
Hanukkah
Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
, Chandler and Monica". It is probable he is not religious at all.
Thanksgiving
Numerous times throughout the series, Chandler mentions that he hates ThanksgivingThanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
as his parents announced that they were getting divorced at Thanksgiving dinner when he was nine, so his father could run off with the houseboy. Therefore, Chandler refuses to celebrate Thanksgiving in the traditional way. He has a "tradition" of retelling the story of his parents' announcement for divorce every Thanksgiving. Joey goes even as far to say, "It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without Chandler bumming us out." During Season 5 ("The One With All The Thanksgivings"), it is revealed that Monica, while trying to get back at Chandler for calling her fat one year, accidentally dropped a knife on Chandler's foot and chopped off part of his pinky toe, the portion containing the nail. During Season 8, Monica cooks a separate chicken for him on Thanksgiving.
Physical appearance
Chandler's physical appearance goes fairly unnoticed by the friends, to the point, when in one Season 7 episode in which he announces he has glasses, all of the friends dismiss it believing him to have always worn them and how Ross believed he was left-handed, to which he replies in grief, "Does anybody know me?!". It is also revealed in Season 2 that Chandler has a third nipple, which he later has removed.Monica Geller
At the end of Season 4, Chandler begins a secret relationship with Monica GellerMonica Geller
Monica E. Geller Bing is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Courteney Cox. Monica is known as the "Mother Hen" of the group and her Greenwich Village apartment was one of the group's main gathering places. She was also known for her obsessive personality...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. They had been friends for some time and met when Chandler and Ross were at college together. Chandler had dropped hints about his interest in Monica during Season 1, then increased his efforts in Season 3, although Monica thought he was joking.
At Ross and Emily's wedding in London, Monica and Chandler slept together and began dating (a few years later, Monica reveals that she had actually gone to Chandler's room looking for Joey). Monica and Chandler try keeping their relationship secret, not wanting the others to make a big deal out of it, but they all eventually find out. Because Chandler and Monica don't tell them, Rachel and Phoebe try getting them to admit their relationship. Correspondingly, Monica and Chandler try getting them to admit that they knew, and a silent battle broke out (with Joey as the go-between). This ended with Phoebe and Chandler together with the false intent to sleep together, but Chandler finally cracked and admitted his love for Monica.
The two move in together at the beginning of Season 6, Chandler proposes by the end of the season, and they get married at the end of Season 7. Their wedding is officiated by Joey, who becomes ordained over the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. In the final episode, Monica and Chandler (who are unable to conceive) watch as their adopted twins
TWINS
Two Wide-Angle Imaging Neutral-Atom Spectrometers are a pair of NASA instruments aboard two United States National Reconnaissance Office satellites in Molniya orbits. TWINS was designed to provide stereo images of the Earth's ring current. The first instrument, TWINS-1, was launched aboard USA-184...
, Erica and Jack, are born, though they had expected only a single child. Chandler also has problems with Monica's ex-boyfriend Richard (portrayed by Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
), whom he and Joey had briefly idolized before Chandler and Monica started dating, mostly because of Richard's moustache and macho appearance. The biggest problem with Richard occurs when Chandler wants to propose to Monica
Monica Geller
Monica E. Geller Bing is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Courteney Cox. Monica is known as the "Mother Hen" of the group and her Greenwich Village apartment was one of the group's main gathering places. She was also known for her obsessive personality...
, and Richard confesses his true love for her. Richard eventually lets Chandler marry her, realizing he missed his chance.
Monica also sometimes gets on Chandler's nerves because of her bossiness, neatness, and overly competitive nature. This forces Chandler into several situations, such as Monica being unable to throw a game of tennis against Chandler's boss and Chandler's having to hide the fact that he is incredibly good at ping-pong to keep Monica from entering them into doubles-tournaments. During Season 8 episode "The One with Monica's Secret Closet", Chandler says that he married Monica despite the fact she was overly organized.
In the alternate reality
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
episode of "The One that Could Have Been", Monica is still fat and Chandler does not show much interest in her. However, when Monica's current boyfriend gets called out to work during dinner, they sleep together and Chandler falls in love with her, so the two end up together anyway.
Jack and Erica Bing
Twins Jack and Erica appear in the final episode, on May 6, 2004, when biological mother Erica (Anna FarisAnna Faris
Anna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...
) gives birth to them. Everyone, except the doctor (who was more surprised that they didn't know), is shocked as Erica has not realized she was expecting twins. Erica said, that at an antenatal appointment, the doctor had said "both heartbeats sound strong" and assumed he meant hers and the baby's. Chandler and Monica are a little shocked and discuss having the other baby adopted by someone else, but soon decide to adopt both when Monica says that they could not split them up. Jack is named after his adoptive grandfather and Erica after her biological mother. They are shown in Apartment 20, with the rest of the group before leaving for their new home.
Ross Geller
Ross and Chandler have been best friends since college where they were roommates. They made pacts of girls they shouldn't sleep with, were in a band together, and Chandler went to Ross's house for Thanksgiving. Ross and Chandler frequently go out to play racquet ball and basketball. They also get bullied together and stand up to the bullies, who steal Chandler's hat. In "The One with the Football", Ross picks Chandler as his first player, despite Rachel being his girlfriend at the time. Ross sometimes describes Chandler as his best friend and Chandler vice versa. Chandler was the first person to know about Ross's secret love for Rachel.Joey Tribbiani
Up until Chandler moves in with Monica, he shares an apartment with his joint best friend Joey TribbianiJoey Tribbiani
Joseph Francis "Joey" Tribbiani, Jr. is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends and the title character in the spin-off, Joey , portrayed by Matt LeBlanc....
. Chandler and Joey's apartment is an important focal point for the series as one of the few meeting areas of the gang. The two form a close and enduring friendship, and get into many humorous situations. Their adventures include: losing Ross's infant son (Ben) on a bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
; Chandler's dismay at Joey building an "entertainment unit" which is so big it partially covers both of their bedroom doors; buying a chick and a duck (affectionately named "The Chick and The Duck"); and replacing their dining table with a foosball table. A famous running gag suggests they are like an old married couple when they argue, with Chandler usually assuming the wife's role. Although in one of the episodes where Joey's new roommate Janine is present, Joey takes the more woman-like role of their argument with comments such as "Why would you say that? It's just mean!" and "It's not what you said; it was the way you said it", due to Janine's feminine qualities rubbing off on Joey.
The two start off on the wrong foot when Chandler is looking for a roommate when Joey said that he "was cool with the gay thing" (Joey thinking that Chandler was gay). Joey comes to fill the slot, only Chandler had already chosen a roommate – a fashion photographer with a porn-star sister. But after Mr Heckles (the grumpy old man who lives in the apartment below Monica and Rachel) tells the photographer that he is Chandler's new roommate, the photographer leaves disappointed and never moves in. This forces Chandler to give the keys to Joey and they find out they had a lot in common, including sports and beer. Joey also introduces Chandler to watching the women of Baywatch
Baywatch
Baywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...
(especially Yasmine Bleeth
Yasmine Bleeth
Yasmine Amanda Bleeth is an American actress. Her television roles include Caroline Holden in the long-running series Baywatch.-Early life and career:...
and Nicole Eggert
Nicole Eggert
Nicole Elizabeth Eggert is an American actress. Notable roles include Jamie Powell in the television series Charles in Charge and Summer Quinn in the TV Series Baywatch. She was most recently a contestant on the VH1 reality show Celebrity Fit Club.-Early life:Eggert was born in Glendale,...
).
Chandler often supports Joey throughout the show, paying the rent, paying for Joey's headshots, and buying most of the food. Joey tries in one episode to repay Chandler by allowing him the only ticket to the première of his new movie. Unfortunately, Chandler falls asleep during the movie. Later in the same episode, Joey comes in Chandler's apartment saying that he will pay Chandler back every penny he owes him. However, seeing that Chandler had covered so many expenses for him, he dismisses it saying "So what, you fell asleep during my première."
However, in the alternate reality of "The One that Could Have Been" these roles are reversed as Chandler struggles with finances while Joey rakes in the money. At one point in this episode, Joey helps out Chandler by allowing Chandler to be his assistant.
Janice Litman Goralnick (née Hosenstein)
Before his relationship with Monica, Chandler has an on-and-off relationship with Janice Hosenstein (Maggie WheelerMaggie Wheeler
Maggie Wheeler is an American actress, best known for her role as Janice on the TV show Friends.-Personal life:Wheeler was born Margaret Emily Jakobson in Manhattan...
). She is a regular feature in his life, even though he spent most of the time trying to break up with her. In Season 1 he dated her and then broke up with her multiple times.
During the Season 2 finale, Chandler spends most of his time on his computer chatting with an unnamed woman on an internet chat room. She reveals that her husband is having an affair. When they decide to meet up, it is revealed that the woman is Janice. They passionately kiss and their relationship continues into Season 3. Joey admits to hating Janice at the beginning of Season 3 but decides to try to get along with her since Chandler is really starting to fall for her this time. In the episode "The One With The Race Car Bed" Joey sees Janice kissing her ex-husband. Joey tells Chandler, who confronts Janice about it. Janice tells Chandler she doesn't know what to do. Chandler, after talking with Joey, decides to back off because he doesn't want to be the reason that a family does not get back together.
Yet, they reunite later in the series and Chandler wants to break up with her but once again doesn't know how, so he figures the best way to to tell her is to lie and say he is moving to Yemen. Janice tells Chandler she wants to see him off at the airport so he actually has to buy an expensive ticket, board a plane and fly to Yemen. This is the last time they date because Chandler starts dating Monica soon after. However, Janice makes further appearances in the sitcom. She briefly dates Ross in a later episode, and in the seventh season, Janice plans on attending Chandler and Monica's wedding. In order to prevent this, Chandler pretends he still loves her and they should pick up where they left off. Janice, not wanting to ruin Chandler and Monica's marriage, decides to leave, although she asks him to call her when his marriage breaks up. He uses the same excuse in Season 10 when purchasing a house and realizing that Janice was attempting to buy the house next door.
Her character is best known for her famous line "Oh... My... God!" in her very nasal voice, that the friends imitate. She appears in every season of Friends except Season 6, although her voice is heard on a mixed tape she had made for Chandler years before.
Career
Chandler works as an IT procurement manager with the specialization "Statistical analysis and data reconfiguration," a job which he thoroughly loathes. It remains a running joke through most of the seasons that no one is exactly sure of what he does. His friends, in a trivia game, could not guess his job in one instance, with Rachel calling him a "transponster". Joey once says "Jeez, Chandler, you call yourself an accountantAccountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
?", to which Chandler incredulously replies, "No..." The other friends go on to admit that they have no idea what he really does for a living. Monica admits several times that she doesn't pay attention when he talks about his work, but finally learns what he does when he quits in Season 9, to which Chandler looks at Monica and asks: "I quit and you learn what I do?" although he does mention his job title in "The One with the Cooking Class," a job which inspired Chandler's oft-referenced office slang word "WENUS" (Weekly Estimated Net Usage Statistics), as well as the "ANUS" (Annual Net Usage Statistics). Because of this job, Chandler, with Ross, is the most financially well-off among the six friends for the most part of the series. He reveals in one episode to have a considerably large (the exact number is unknown) sum of money which he has saved up for six years. He is also shown to hold a position of authority in his company. This may explain his hesitation to quit.
However, Chandler was unable to simply quit his job as it was his nature to avoid ending anything forcefully, be it his job, a relationship, or even his membership with a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
. Chandler tried to quit his job in Season 1, but was lured back by a huge raise on top of the yearly bonus structure. During one of the presumed many meetings that Chandler endures, he falls asleep. After waking, he realizes that his boss has selected him to head up the new corporate division in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On Christmas Day, Chandler quits his job in Tulsa so that he can fly home to New York to be with Monica. Monica helps Chandler secure a job in advertising. Much to Chandler's dismay, the job is as an intern. He soon secures a full-time job in the business.
In an alternate reality storyline during the show ("The One that Could Have Been"), Chandler did have the guts to quit his job and works as a freelance writer, specializing in comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
.
Humor
The character of Chandler is noted for his wise-cracksWit
Wit is a form of intellectual humour, and a wit is someone skilled in making witty remarks. Forms of wit include the quip and repartee.-Forms of wit:...
and sardonic attitude, which provides a defense mechanism. His most famous phrase is the rhetorical question
Rhetorical question
A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effect without the expectation of a reply. Rhetorical questions encourage the listener to think about what the answer to the question must be. When a speaker states, "How much longer must our people...
"Could I be any more...?" and is used on the show as a source of humor many times, primarily mocking from the other friends (indeed, the other friends actually make fun of the line more often than Chandler says it).
Some of the humor used by Chandler includes him describing Rachel's attempts to stop him smoking by throwing away every cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
he puts into his mouth as "the least fun game ever", quoting A.A. Milne as having said "Get out of my chair, dillhole!" in an attempt to persuade Joey to vacate the chair he had been sitting in, and his insistence that his surname (Bing) is Gaelic
Goidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
for "thy turkey's done". His humorous conversations with Phoebe
Phoebe Buffay
Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan is a fictional character on the U.S. television sitcom Friends , portrayed by Lisa Kudrow...
ranged from why Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
wears a towel
Towel
A towel is a piece of absorbent fabric or paper used for drying or wiping. It draws moisture through direct contact, often using a blotting or a rubbing motion. Common household textile towels are made from cotton, rayon, bamboo, nonwoven fibers or a few other materials.-Types of towels:* A bath...
when getting out of the shower
Shower
A shower is an area in which one bathes underneath a spray of water.- History :...
, to why there isn't a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
called "Goldman" (inspired by Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
). When he and Ross are trying to pick up women, he would be referred to as 'The Funny One'.
Throughout the show, Chandler claims he started using humor as a defense mechanism when his parents broke up which causes Monica to remark "So if your parents hadn't got divorced you'd be able to answer a question like a normal person?" referring to his constant joke making. He also tends to make jokes when he is nervous. In fact, when Phoebe dates a psychologist named Roger, he states that Chandler's behavior is textbook of someone who does. His co-workers are so used to his sarcastic jokes that any serious comment he makes is thought to be another joke. At one point, the friends challenge him to not make fun of them for an entire week as his New Year's Resolution; this proves difficult when, among other things, Ross
Ross Geller
Ross Eustace Geller, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television series Friends, portrayed by David Schwimmer. The character is noted for his geeky, lovable demeanor.- Origin :...
starts dating a woman named Elizabeth Hornswoggle. He eventually breaks his resolution by sarcastically saying, "And, Ross, Hornswoggle? What, are you dating a character from Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock is a children's live action puppet television program series created by Jim Henson. The central characters were a set of "Muppet" creatures called Fraggles. The show ran from January 10, 1983, to March 30, 1987, on CBC Television in Canada, ITV in the UK, HBO in the United States,...
?"
In Season 9, Chandler became jealous of Monica's new colleague, Jeffrey, because she claims that he is 'the funniest guy' she has ever met. He tells Joey about the situation, and Joey agrees that Chandler has a right to be upset: "Bein' funny's your thing!" In an early episode, Joey's father, visiting the neighborhood, suggests "Chandler, say something funny!" to defuse a tense moment, implying Chandler's sense of humor is well-known to Joey's family. However, Chandler's humor is sometimes seen as annoying throughout the show. The friend who tends to find Chandler's jokes most annoying is Rachel. In "The One Where Joey Dates Rachel", Joey asks Rachel who she would want to punch out of all of her friends. Rachel refuses to answer, until Joey says "Chandler?" Rachel replies "Yeah, but I don't know why." In "The One with Phoebe's Wedding", Rachel has to choose who will be Mike's last groom's man. Ross tries to convince Rachel that if she picks Chandler, he will make jokes the whole way down the aisle. Rachel realizes that fact, and tells Ross that he is the lesser of two evils (although Chandler is still involved with the wedding when he is assigned the position of Phoebe's 'father' to give her away when Joey - the original candidate - ends up performing the ceremony). Chandler is also made fun of for his name many times in the series.
When Chandler is going for a job interview which he is nervous about, he is told by Phoebe that he does not make a good first impression as he makes too many jokes. He asks for her help in preparation for the interview, and Phoebe tests him by saying, "Instead of talking about what you don't do, let's talk about what you do do." When Chandler avoids joking about it, Phoebe responds by saying "Nice side step on the doo doo thing" and Chandler replies, "Hardest thing I've ever done in my life." Later, at the actual interview, the boss mentions "duties" (which, with his accent sounds like "doodies") and makes several innocuous references to excretion, which Chandler nervously sidesteps. After the interview, he explains to the boss that it "was hard to sidestep that doo doo thing" much to the boss's confusion. Chandler explains to him that "duties" are "poo" which offends the boss, thus ruining the first impression.
Gay innuendo
Chandler often finds himself in difficult situations or making statements that make him sound gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
in accordance with a common stereotype of popular culture that gay men are behaviourally and emotionally 'effeminate'. His friends and colleagues describe him as having a certain "quality" that make people think he could be gay. He also often has long "gay" hugs with Joey. At one point, he enters a room full of the friends and declared, "Well, don't we look nice all dressed up? ... It's stuff like that, isn't it?". In the Season 4 episode "The One Where Chandler Crosses the Line", Chandler invites Kathy to sit in the canoe with him, and asks her whether she would rather sit in the bow or the stern of the boat. Kathy replies saying she does not have a preference and asks Chandler which he prefers, to which he replies, "I like it in the stern... (long pause) ...of the boat!". In another episode, when Phoebe is wondering whether to propose to Mike, Chandler says, "If I were a guy... did I just say if I were a guy?'" The show's creators were actually considering making him gay at the beginning of the series, but ultimately decided not to. The creators had Chandler reveal that he is, in fact, straight in the eighth episode of the first season, in "The One Where Nana Dies Twice", when a colleague of his offers to arrange a date with a man for him, thinking he is homosexual. He tells his friends about this, but he soon realizes that they also thought he was gay when they initially met him. However, when telling a gay colleague of his that he is not gay, the colleague replies, "I know," and tells him that all gays have some kind of "radar"
Gaydar
Gaydar is a colloquialism referring to the intuitive ability of a person to assess others' sexual orientations as homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual. Gaydar relies almost exclusively on non-verbal clues and LGBT stereotypes...
.
After Chandler plays a prank on Ross by posting on their college website that Ross had sex with dinosaurs, Ross creates a page for Chandler and puts on it that Chandler is "as gay as the day is long" with digitally edited images of Chandler and a policeman. Many of the alumni congratulate Chandler on revealing this fact. As a retort, Chandler posts on Ross's page that he has died. Another instance which insinuates Chandler's homosexuality is when Ross exposed Chandler's kiss with a man to Monica. Ross states "Now, Chandler isn't the type of guy who goes to bars and makes out with girls," which causes Monica to scream, "You kissed a guy?!" to which Chandler replies, "In my defense, it was very dark, and he was a very pretty guy!"
Much of Chandler's sexual ambiguity stems from his childhood, as do other personality traits such as smoking and resorting to humor. The oldest is his middle name, Muriel, revealed in "The One with Rachel's Date". On Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
when Chandler was nine, his father announced that he was gay and that he intended to divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
his wife, because he would "rather sleep with the house-boy than [her]." The house-boy says, "More turkey, Mr Chandler?" in a very feminine voice just after this announcement. Charles Bing later moved to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
where he opened up an all-male burlesque
American burlesque
American Burlesque is a genre of variety show. Derived from elements of Victorian burlesque, music hall and minstrel shows, burlesque shows in America became popular in the 1860s and evolved to feature ribald comedy and female striptease...
called 'Viva Las Gaygas', featuring such musical numbers as "It's Raining Men
It's Raining Men
"It's Raining Men" is a song written by Paul Jabara and Paul Shaffer in 1979 originally for Dave Balfour's album Stars , and originally recorded by The Weather Girls in 1982...
", where he became a drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
named Helena Handbasket (played by Kathleen Turner
Kathleen Turner
Mary Kathleen Turner is an American actress. She came to fame during the 1980s, after roles in the Hollywood films Body Heat, Peggy Sue Got Married, Romancing the Stone, The War of the Roses, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Prizzi's Honor...
). While seeing the show in Las Vegas, Chandler tells Monica that when he was growing up, he "played the one on the far left," referring to the line of men on the stage. As a result, Chandler hates Thanksgiving and refuses to eat traditional Thanksgiving food. Chandler also highlights this as the point where he began to use humor as a defense mechanism and started smoking (despite his young age).
Further amusement emerges when listening to a self-help hypnosis tape designed to prevent him from smoking. Unfortunately the tape was designed for females and Chandler comes under the suggestion of being a 'strong confident woman'. This manifests itself in Chandler applying ChapStick
ChapStick
ChapStick is a brand name for lip balm manufactured by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and used in Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Colombia, Italy, Chile, Pakistan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Argentina, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is intended to help treat and prevent chapped...
like a woman applying lipstick and blotting with a tissue, and emerging from the shower with a towel around his chest and a turban on his head. He also tells Rachel that she is wearing a "stunning blouse". Eventually Joey overhears the tape and tampers with it, recording a message within it suggesting that Chandler should make him "...a cheese sandwich every day..." and buy him "...hundreds of dollars' worth of pants".
Another instance of Chandler seeming gay is in an episode in the ninth season. Joey (who is unable to stand the pain of eyebrow waxing) asks Chandler to help fix his eyebrows having only been able to withstand the pain of one eyebrow waxing. Chandler decides to help Joey, but only if he doesn't tell anyone that he is an expert at fixing eyebrows, having fixed his Dad's and his Dad's friends eyebrows instead of doing regular chores. When Chandler is done, Joey says that he is extremely good at fixing eyebrows. After an awkward silence, Joey asks Chandler to curl his eyelashes and Chandler excitedly says "Yeah!".
External links
- Character biography at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...