She's loud, obnoxious, and has the world's most annoying laugh. She's made to be the butt of countless jokes. But despite her flaws, I have an important, controversial announcement: Janice is the best character on Friends. Don't believe me? Well, here are four reasons Janice is the real hero of Friends.
Don't get me wrong, the six main friends of the classic '90s series are ultimate friend goals in so many ways. From Chandler’s impeccable sense of humor to Rachel’s enviable style, there’s so much to love about the main six besties and I would gladly spend an afternoon in Central Perk with any one of them. But, if I had to pick one person from the extended Friends universe as my very best friend, it would, for sure be Janice.
Throughout her time in all 10 seasons of Friends as Chandler's on-again/off-again girlfriend, audiences meet Janice as a comedic foil to the main cast of characters, who constantly talk about how annoying they find her. But what's really so bad about her? So her voice is a little nasal, and so she doesn't always pick up on every social cue? The truth is, the audience only learns to hate Janice because the characters tell us we're supposed to. If you look closely, you realize Janice is warm, witty, and has an unshakeable sense of who she is as a person, which are all traits I'd love to have in a friend. Read on for four more reasons why Janice is way more than just an annoying supporting character.
A lot of the things that the six main friends find annoying about Janice can really just be chalked up to her unwavering confidence. Janice walks into a room and owns every bit of her identity, from her drawn-out catchphrase of "Oh. My. Gawd." to her tell-it-like-is attitude. Remember the time she didn't even blink when Chandler broke up with her because she knew he knew deep down in his soul that he'd be back? That's the kind of tremendous confidence I want to channel every single day.
OK, now I'm not saying she has good style, but I am saying it's amazing. Janice has the kind of bold, brash style that can catch anyone's eye. You want to stand out? You take your fashion tips from Janice. Recently, Fran Drescher's character from The Nanny has been getting a lot of attention for her '90s style, but I'd argue that Janice deserves just as much adoration as a similarly wild style icon.
Whenever there's an issue (and there are a lot for Janice, since all the other characters are so miffed by her) Janice jumps at the chance to fix it. When she finds out that Chandler's best friend Joey hates her, Janice doesn't shy away from him, or change herself, or even lash out at him. No, Janice take a mature approach and puts together a "Joey and Janice Day of Fun" so the two can bond and resolve their issues. Sure, it doesn't really work at all, but she puts the thought and effort into fixing conflict in healthy ways!
One thing that anyone can say about Janice, whether you love her or hate her, is that the woman is full of passion. She practically jumps out of the screen every time she appears, and she's constantly showing Chandler and all his friends how much she loves them. Even when she's met with less than warm responses, Janice puts on a smile and lets her memorable laugh echo. She isn't afraid to share her gifts with the world, whether they're metaphorical like her zest for life or literal like her Valentine's Day Rocky & Bullwinkle socks. With passion like that, anybody would be lucky to call Janice a friend.
