In contrast to recent claims from Friends creator Marta Kauffman, actress Lisa Kudrow is defending the popular sitcom, explaining that the creators “have no business” writing from the point of view of people of color.
Asked in a recent interview about her view on the beloved show’s diversity, Kudrow said, “Well, I feel like it was a show created by two people who went to Brandeis and wrote about their lives after college. And for shows especially, when it’s going to be a comedy that’s character-driven, you write what you know.”
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“They have no business writing stories about the experiences of being a person of color. I think at that time, the big problem that I was seeing was, ‘Where’s the apprenticeship?'” she added.
When asked about politics, she told the Daily Beast: “I don’t like talking politics a lot because no good can come of it.”
“But I also think it’s important to understand that there’s maybe half the country that feels a certain way, and there’s a lot of our country that does watch them — and what they say makes sense to them,” she continued. “And then there’s the other half that’s listening to the other side. There’s no virtue in politics, is what I’m saying. But you’ve gotta pay attention.”
Earlier this summer, Kauffman pledged to donate $4 million to her fund an endowed chair position in the African and African American Studies Department at her alma mater, Brandeis University, to make up for the sitcom’s lack of diverse representation.
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“I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” she explained. “Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. It’s painful looking at yourself in the mirror. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know better 25 years ago.”
“This professorship is so meaningful to both our African and African American Studies Department and to the university,” Brandeis University President Ron Liebowitz said of the gift. “It is the first endowed professorship in the program, which means it will ensure the study of African and African American culture, history, and politics for generations of Brandeis students — something more critical than ever. We are so grateful to Marta for her generosity and vision.”
