Fans Talk: Joey Tribbiani

Not sure what Joey’s doing resurfacing on every fan’s radar today. Although, it also makes total sense that he’s never left their radar.

Combing through what the fans deem to be the “best of” Joey Tribbiani from F.R.I.E.N.D.S, I think I’ve stockpiled a few nostalgic remember-when’s.

Like, remember when Joey stole all of Chandler’s clothing and wore every single piece all at once? Commando? Chandler learned fast never to steal his best friend’s underwear again.

“I’ll tell ‘ya, it’s hot with all this stuff on. I better not do any, I dunno, lunges.”

-- Joey to Chandler

Or however many personas Joey’s taken over the seasons: PlayStation “punk”, greaser, just plain hiring his own stand-in. (They were a little more Jersey than Manhattan, I think. Too much black.)

Of course, the fans didn’t forget the trademark “How you doin’?” Even if stand-in Carl couldn’t get the line (or the pizza), Joey laid out the catchphrase with finesse: to Rachel, to models, to the nudist neighbor across the street. Fun fact, Joey knows improvisational sign language.

Joey: “I look a woman up and down, and I say, ‘Hey…how you doin’?’”
Phoebe: “Oh please.”

-- Joey, showing Phoebe the power of the “doin’.”

But my favorite Joey moment has to be the Game Show Moment. You know the one: Joey shows up as a contestant on Pyramid (or the equivalent of), and can’t guess anything down to coffee creamer (“paper, snow, a ghost!”).

“The plan…it’s not a shmoo-print…”

-- Joey, trying to hint the word “blueprint.”

But if the game show doesn’t go to show, it’s that everyone loves Joey despite everything that makes him Joey. He leaves the show (the game show and the F.R.I.E.N.D.S show) with a special place in our hearts.