Monica Geller

Template:Short description Template:Good article Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox character Monica E. Geller<ref name=":9">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":23">Template:Cite web</ref> is a fictional character, one of the six main characters who appears on the American sitcom Friends (1994–2004). Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and portrayed by actress Courteney Cox, Monica appears in all of the show's 236 episodes, from its premiere in 1994, to its finale in 2004. A chef known for her cleanliness, competitiveness and obsessive-compulsive nature, Monica is the younger sister of Ross Geller and best friend of Rachel Green, the latter of whom she invites to live with her after Rachel forsakes her own wedding. The two characters spend several years living together as roommates until Monica begins a romantic relationship with long-time neighbor and friend Chandler Bing, whom she marries. Unable to conceive children on their own, Chandler and Monica eventually adopt twins Erica and Jack and move out of their apartment into a larger house in the suburbs.

The creators' first choice for the role of Monica was comedienne Janeane Garofalo. Cox had been offered the role of Rachel but declined in favor of playing the character's best friend Monica because she was drawn to her strong personality. Meanwhile, the role of Rachel went to actress Jennifer Aniston. Before Friends aired, Monica's characterization was greatly debated among writers in regards to the character sleeping with someone on their first date during the pilot. Kauffman in particular greatly defended Monica, arguing with NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer over whether or not this would make the character too promiscuous. Ultimately, the episode aired unchanged after the studio surveyed the audience, the results of which returned in favor of Monica's existing storyline. The character's struggles with childhood obesity, challenges with romantic relationships and complicated relationship with her mother would eventually become popular staples of the show.

Several months before Friends premiered, NBC had conducted a research report, the results of which determined that Monica was the only character to have been remotely well received by test audiences. When Friends first aired, critics initially perceived Monica – who was immediately established as the show's "mother hen" – and Cox as the series' main character and star, respectively. Critics have been largely receptive towards both Cox and her character; the Los Angeles Times holds Cox's acting responsible for disproving the stigma that attractive women are incapable of delivering comedic performances. Revered as a television icon, Monica Geller famously addressed several topics that were rarely discussed in prime time television at the time, including safe sex, casual sex, and age disparity in relationships and was well known for her classic striking beauty and being a popular fashion icon of the 1990s.

Characterization

A hardworking chef<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":61">Template:Cite web</ref> Monica is introduced in the pilot as one of five close-knit friends who live in New York City, including her older brother Ross (David Schwimmer), neighbors Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Chandler (Matthew Perry), and former roommate Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow).<ref name=":39">Template:Cite web</ref> When her privileged, inexperienced childhood best friend Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), with whom she had long lost contact, suddenly arrives in her neighborhood unannounced as a runaway bride after abandoning her own wedding, Monica allows her to move in with her while she attempts to reorganize her life, and the two reconnect.

Monica's catchphrase is "I know!"

Relationships

Richard Burke

Monica begins dating Dr. Richard Burke (Tom Selleck), an older man who is also one of her father's best friends and 21 years her senior, during the second season.<ref name=":57" /><ref name=":66">Template:Cite web</ref> However, the couple mutually agree to end their relationship after realizing that Richard does not want children,<ref name=":70">Template:Cite web</ref> his own having already grown up (and had children of their own), while Monica aspires to eventually raise a family of her own one day.<ref name=":9" /> Monica and Richard have a hard time moving on from their relationship, and after running into each other a few months later, start a supposedly casual sexual relationship. However, they quickly admit they are still fundamentally incompatible, and part ways again.

In the sixth season finale, Richard returns and professes his love for Monica, and tells her he wants her back, and wants to have children with her. Since Chandler had been pretending to never want marriage in order for his proposal to be a surprise, Monica considers getting back together with Richard. Chandler confronts Richard, and Richard encourages Chandler to go after Monica, and to never let her go.

Chandler Bing

While in England attending Ross' second wedding, to Emily (Helen Baxendale), Monica sleeps with Chandler.<ref name=":40">Template:Cite web</ref> Initially supposed to have been a casual, one-time thing which grew more recurrent, Monica and Chandler eventually develop feelings for each other, but attempt to conceal it from their friends for as long as possible.<ref name=":40" />

Once their relationship is finally out in the open, they often deal with Chandler's relationship issues. He hasn't had much experience with women, and he has commitment issues, both of which cause problems. He is also shown being nervous about Monica's obvious desire to be a mother. Over time however, Chandler grows to be a good partner for Monica. The relationship started with Monica being the more mature (when it comes to relationships) person, but Chandler changes to become the steady person, a great foil for Monica's neuroses.

They eventually move in together and later marry.<ref name=":40" />

After several failed attempts to conceive a child of their own, Monica and Chandler discover that they are both infertile,<ref name=":58">Template:Cite web</ref> and ultimately settle upon adoption as an alternative, deciding to adopt the yet-to-be-born child of expectant single mother Erica (Anna Faris). The couple is very much surprised when Erica gives birth to twins, and name the boy Jack after Monica's father, and the girl Erica after her birth mother.

At the series finale, Chandler, Monica, and the twins leave the New York City apartment for a house in Westchester.

Development

A poster in Monica's apartment, ranked as one of television's most famous sets.<ref name=":51" />

Conception and writing

Television writers David Crane and Marta Kauffman pitched Friends as a show about "that special time in your life when your friends are your family"<ref name=":14">Template:Cite web</ref> to then-NBC president Warren Littlefield shortly after their short-lived sitcom Family Album was canceled by CBS.<ref name=":14" /> Inspired by their own experiences as young adults living in New York City, the writers loosely based the six main characters on some of their own friends and family;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Monica is based on Kauffman herself.<ref name=":14" /> Observing that each main character was written as a "one-note stereotype", Jonathan Bernstein of The Daily Telegraph identified Monica as the group's "uptight fun-killer".<ref name=":46">Template:Cite web</ref> When Friends first aired, the majority of its earliest episodes revolved around Monica,<ref name=":39"/> via whom each character appears to be interconnected; Friends stars the character's brother, her best friend, her former roommate and her two neighbors socializing in Monica's apartment.<ref name=":39" />

In the pilot, Monica is dumped almost immediately after sleeping with her new date Paul on the night of their first date. Monica is tricked into bed with him after Paul lies to her about his sex life, falsely alleging that he has not slept with anyone in the two years since his wife left him.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At first, NBC executives worried that audiences would react to Monica's role unfavorably, thus they decided to survey the studio audience and ask them whether or not they thought that having Monica sleep with someone on their first date made her character too promiscuous.<ref name=":13">Template:Cite web</ref> Don Ohlmeyer, then-president of NBC's west coast division, was particularly adamant about his stance against Monica's role in the pilot, which he considered "casual sex".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kauffman recalled Ohlmeyer specifically expressing that Monica deserved to be dumped, a statement by which the writer was greatly offended,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> dismissing Ohlmeyer as a misogynist.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ultimately, the results returned in favor of Monica; audiences liked the character nonetheless, and the episode aired unchanged.<ref name=":13"/>

Early in the series, Monica's apartment is established as one of the show's two primary locations.<ref name=":3" /> In the pilot, the apartment number is 5, which was changed to 20 in subsequent episodes after the writers determined that Monica actually lived on a much higher floor.<ref name=":20" /> Season three's "The One Where No One's Ready" takes place entirely in Monica's apartment because the show's budget was not large enough to accommodate additional sets or guest stars at that time.<ref name=":24">Template:Cite web</ref> In the series finale, Phoebe certifies that each character shared Monica's apartment at least one point during their lives.<ref name=":28" />

Relationship with Chandler Bing

Andrew Harrison of The New Republic believes that the writers deliberately broke up any main character who was approaching a borderline life-changing relationship because "The ones the Friends were really meant to be with were, after all, the other Friends".<ref name=":45">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Because Monica and Joey were initially conceived as the show's two most sexual characters, Crane and Kauffman had intended for them to be the show's main couple, before ultimately replacing them with Ross and Rachel.<ref name=":13"/> The idea of Monica and Joey was abandoned once the role of Joey was cast; actor Matt LeBlanc approached his character using much more of a "big brother vibe" in terms of Joey's relationship with Cox's character as opposed to a romantic one, which the writers ultimately preferred.<ref name=":14" /> According to Allison Piwowarski of Bustle, Monica and Joey's relationship would have greatly altered the trajectory of the entire series, having life-changing effects on its characters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, there were incidents on the show referencing a possible intimate relationship between the two, such as Monica's initial attraction to Joey when he moved in and Monica's intent to sleep with Joey in London rather than Chandler. Those events proved only to be humorous, nonetheless.

Summarizing the role of Monica in the series, Martin Gitlin wrote in his book The Greatest Sitcoms of All Time that while her friends "were ... just out to make the most of their social lives", Monica "sought to keep the others in line" while searching for "Mr. Right", who surprisingly turns out to be close friend Chandler.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Several years before Monica and Chandler became romantically involved, Cox once joked in an interview that if her character were to ever have sex with another main character, it would most likely be Chandler.<ref name=":33" /><ref name=":25">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Crane and Kauffman had never intended to pair off Monica and Chandler with each other, and only decided to expand upon the idea of a relationship between the two friends upon realizing that viewers had "fallen in love" with the notion of Monica and Chandler as a couple.<ref name=":29" /> According to Robert Bianco of USA Today, "Their affair came out of the blue and was supposed to quickly return there — but something in the relationship clicked with viewers."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The idea of Monica and Chandler's romantic arc surfaced much earlier in the series from writers Scott Silveri and Shana Goldberg-Meehan, who observed the characters' chemistry in the season two episode "The One Where Ross Finds Out", in which an idle and unemployed Monica is temporarily acting as Chandler's personal trainer.<ref name=":40" /> However, Silveri's suggestion was initially vetoed by the other writers, who felt that it was simply too soon to introduce another main couple to Friends having just recently paired off Ross and Rachel.<ref name=":40" /> Following Ross and Rachel's break up in season three, the writers felt that the timing was just about right to officially introduce Monica and Chandler as a couple, deciding that Friends "can't simply rest on this one [Ross and Rachel] relationship", while believing that Monica and Chandler's would ultimately provide a fun opportunity for the writers to explore brand new storylines.<ref name=":40" />

Silveri and Goldberg-Meehan deliberately intended to keep Monica and Chandler's union "low-key" in order to further differentiate it from Ross and Rachel's, which had been very public.<ref name=":40" /> In order to get an idea how audiences would react to Monica and Chandler hooking up at Ross and Emily's wedding in London, the scene in which a clearly nude Monica suddenly emerges from under the sheets of Chandler's hotel bed was filmed in front of three separate test audiences, each of whom responded very enthusiastically to the surprise, several months before the episode was actually taped.<ref name=":40" /> Despite the warm reception received from the audience, Silveri and Goldberg-Meehan were at first uncertain as to whether or not they should continue expanding upon their relationship even further, and proceeded with caution by having Monica and Chandler initially keep their relationship hidden from their peers.<ref name=":40"/> Protective of their characters, Cox and Perry shared similar hesitations at first, but ultimately grew to accept Monica and Chandler as a couple.<ref name=":40"/> The characters' relationship is eventually revealed to their friends in the episode "The One Where Everybody Finds Out".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While each character very much approves of their union, Monica's parents initially resent their daughter's feelings for Chandler due to an age-old misunderstanding involving Chandler.<ref name=":44" />

Bianco observed that "On most shows, linking two main characters like Monica and Chandler would have been an act of desperation." However, "On Friends, it was a stroke of genius that made both characters more appealing while providing a needed diversion from the show's central task: Retaining a romantic equilibrium between Ross and Rachel."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":73">Template:Cite web</ref> Monica and Chandler's relationship is the antithesis of Ross and Rachel's because it remained "healthy and strong until the series ended", while the other couple was relentlessly on-and-off.<ref name=":40" /> Encyclopedia of Television author Horace Newcomb believes that Monica's feelings for Chandler are responsible for curing the latter's fear of commitment.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Similarly, Slate writer Ruth Graham observed that "Chandler is painted as a self-loathing loser with women, until he finally snags Monica at the end of Season 4."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Meanwhile, Silveri believes that Friends ultimately ran as long as it did due in part to Monica and Chandler's romance, explaining, "if the center of Friends had remained Ross and Rachel, you would've seen a much shorter shelf life for the show"; Monica and Chandler's arc is believed to have extended the series by approximately three years.<ref name=":40" /> Crane and Kauffman had always intended to give Monica and Chandler a child.<ref name=":56">Template:Cite magazine</ref> When it finally came time for them to write the finale, the idea of the couple adopting newborn twins was conceived at the last minute simply "for fun".<ref name=":56"/> The birth of Monica and Chandler's twins serves as one of the finale's main plots.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They were named Jack and Erica – after Monica's father and their birth mother, respectively.<ref name=":71">Template:Cite web</ref> The twins are born three minutes and forty-six seconds apart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although the surprise addition of Monica and Chandler's twins was generally well received, critics questioned the fact that the babies are brought home from the hospital the same day as their delivery<ref name=":71" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Casting

Monica is portrayed by American actress Courteney Cox.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Crane and Kauffman had written the role of Monica with comedienne Janeane Garofalo in mind,<ref name=":26">Template:Cite web</ref> because they were drawn to her "edgier and snarkier" voice.<ref name=":26"/> However, Garofalo turned down the offer.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Actress Jami Gertz was also offered the role but declined,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while actress Leah Remini auditioned for Monica prior to guest starring as a pregnant single mother in an early episode.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kristin Davis also auditioned, and later guest starred in the episode "The One with Ross's Library Book".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A close competitor for the role of Monica was actress Nancy McKeon;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Littlefield recalled having greatly enjoyed Cox and McKeon's auditions equally, and left the final decision up to Crane and Kauffman.<ref name=":14" /> Ultimately, Cox won the role over McKeon because the creators noticed "something fresh" in her audition;<ref name=":14" /> Kauffman elaborated that Cox ultimately "brought a whole bunch of other colors" to Monica than what they had first envisioned back when they were considering Garofalo for the part.<ref name=":27" />

Before being cast as Monica in Friends, Cox was best known for appearing in singer Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" music video;<ref name=":46" /> within the television industry for her recurring role as Lauren Miller, Alex P. Keaton's girlfriend, on the sitcom Family Ties; and Melissa Robinson in the comedy film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), opposite Jim Carrey.<ref name=":3" /> After guest starring on the sitcom Seinfeld as Meryl,<ref name=":21">Template:Cite book</ref> main character Jerry Seinfeld's girlfriend,<ref name=":15">Template:Cite web</ref> the producers offered Cox the role of Monica's spoiled best friend Rachel because the actress "had this cheery, upbeat energy", which was significantly different from how they had envisioned Monica at the time.<ref name=":13" /> Feeling she was not "quirky" enough to portray Rachel,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Cox lobbied in favor of playing Monica instead because she was drawn to the character's "strong" personality,<ref name=":20">Template:Cite web</ref> but the producers feared that she was not "tough" enough for the role,<ref name=":34">Template:Cite book</ref> which was offered to actress Jennifer Aniston, alongside whom Cox would eventually co-star.<ref name=":34" /> Meanwhile, Aniston ultimately won the role of Rachel.<ref name=":34" /> Each main cast member auditioned for Friends having had some degree of prior sitcom experience.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Before finally being cast in Friends, Cox's burgeoning success as an actress had heavily relied on her physical appearance.<ref name=":30">Template:Cite web</ref> Unlike her previous roles in projects such as Family Ties and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, the Los Angeles Times Steve Weinstein believes that Monica was the first major role in which Cox was cast based on her abilities as a comedic actress as opposed to her beauty.<ref name=":30" /> Cox believes that she owes winning the role to her brief stint as Gabriella Easden on the short-lived sitcom The Trouble with Larry, which she considers to be the first time she played a character who "was the funny one", which in turn earned the actress a recommendation for Friends following its cancellation.<ref name=":30" />

When Friends premiered, Cox was the show's most famous main cast member among a cast of young, relatively unknown actors, and was thus initially perceived by critics and audiences as the show's star,<ref name=":34" /> despite Crane and Kauffman's efforts to promote Friends as an ensemble comedy.<ref name=":14" /> According to actress Lisa Kudrow, who portrays Phoebe, Cox is responsible for suggesting that the entire cast work together as a team.<ref name=":27">Template:Cite magazine</ref> As the most experienced cast member at the time, Cox advised her co-stars to remain open to each other's ideas, notes and suggestions, while giving them permission to tell her "If I could do anything funnier".<ref name=":27" />

Cox was the highest-paid cast member.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Preferring to be treated as equals, the entire cast negotiated for universal salaries, demanding that Warner Bros. accommodate their request of $100,000 per episode in season three, increased from their original inaugural season salary of $22,000 per episode.<ref name=":14" /> At one point, the actors went as far as threatening to boycott their own show should their demands be denied,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> temporarily refusing to renew their expired contracts.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The studio eventually complied, and by season 10 each actor was being paid $1 million per episode,<ref name=":25" /> making Cox and her female co-stars the highest-paid television actresses of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Cox was 29 years old at the time she was cast, making her the show's second oldest main cast member,<ref name=":23" /> and was 39 by the beginning of FriendsTemplate:' final season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, this distinction makes Cox older than her on-screen brother, actor David Schwimmer, who portrays her older brother Ross,<ref name=":24" /> who is one year her senior.<ref name=":62">Template:Cite web</ref> The actress would deliver Monica's lines emphatically.<ref name=":67">Template:Cite web</ref>

Although each character is depicted as an avid coffee drinker, spending much of their free time in a coffee house, Cox herself does not drink coffee, and was only pretending to drink it out of mugs on the show.<ref name=":74">Template:Cite web</ref> Kauffman believes that Cox's own cleanliness closely resembles her character's; at times the actress would clean her co-stars' dressing rooms.<ref name=":30" /> Cox also shares the character's motherly nature.<ref name=":32">Template:Cite news</ref> The actress enjoyed portraying Monica as she was able to "bring more of my own personality to her, and I've never really been able to do that before."<ref name=":30" />

Starpulse.com observed that "As Monica, Cox never quite enjoyed the sort of watercooler storylines that co-star ... Jennifer Aniston had with David Schwimmer as the on-again, off-again Rachel and Ross."<ref name=":35">Template:Cite web</ref> At one point, Cox had begun to regret her decision to accept the role of Monica over Rachel due to the character's lack of strong storylines; she eventually relented once Monica and Chandler became romantically involved, thus her character's storylines gradually began to improve.<ref name=":34" />

Cox married actor David Arquette in 1999 while the show was on hiatus between seasons five and six, hence the actress legally changed her full name to Courteney Cox Arquette.<ref name=":28">Template:Cite web</ref> The opening credits of the season six premiere "The One After Vegas" features an inside joke in which Cox's new surname "Arquette" is attached to the surnames of each cast and crew member.<ref name=":28" /> The episode is dedicated to Cox and Arquette, reading, "For Courteney and David, who did get married."<ref name=":20" /> Before marrying Cox, Arquette had guest starred in an episode of Friends as Phoebe's love interest.<ref name=":25" /> During season 10, Cox got pregnant with her and Arquette's child.<ref name=":59">Template:Cite web</ref> At that same time, her character and on-screen husband were going through the process of adopting a child.<ref name=":59"/> Like Monica and Chandler, Cox and Arquette had also struggled with conceiving in real life.<ref name=":58"/><ref name=":74" /> Although Kudrow's real-life pregnancy had successfully been written into the show,<ref name=":29">Template:Cite web</ref> the same could not have been done for Cox because Friends had already long-established that Monica is incapable of having children.<ref name=":42">Template:Cite web</ref> Therefore, the crew attempted to conceal Cox's pregnancy using a combination of baggy, loose-fitting costumes and props instead.<ref name=":20" /> However, at times the actress' growing belly was still detectable by viewers in spite of the crew's best efforts.<ref name=":42" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Characterization and themes

Codependency and neuroticism

At the beginning of season one, Monica is 25 years old.<ref name=":10">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rita Loiacono of SheKnows Media believes Monica was the show's most fully realized character from the beginning of the series because her "quirks were developed to a tee."<ref name=":9" /> Like several strong female sitcom characters popular throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Monica possesses a natural maternal instinct, constantly "vocalising a desire for motherhood."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> As the group's "unofficial den mother",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Monica fulfills the role of their mother hen,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and is thus often perceived as the most level-headed member of the sextet, with Ken Parish Perkins of the Chicago Tribune identifying Monica as the show's most grounded character.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> Jill O'Rourke of Crushable described her as "the glue that held the group together."<ref name=":67" /><ref name=":48">Template:Cite web</ref> Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly believes that Monica serves as "the solid center in a circle of wacky pals" due to her "sunny" personality, combined with the fact that she maintains a steady job while appearing to possess the most common sense.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Furthermore, Tucker identified Monica as the show's "straight woman".<ref name=":2" /> Writing for The New York Times, John J. O'Connor believes that Monica exhibits "the strongest ties to reality" as the sitcom's most realistically portrayed character.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bustle's James Tison agreed that Monica is the show's most relatable character.<ref name=":67" /> Referring to Monica as one-half of the series' "head friends", the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Robert Bianco described the character as sensible, explaining that she and brother Ross represent "the relatively stable centers around which the other friends rotate."<ref name=":8">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> Describing her as "ultra-competent", Natural Living TodayTemplate:'s Emily Nussbaum likened Monica to the fairy tale character Snow White, on whose homemaking skills the five other main characters heavily rely, similar to the relationship between Snow White and the seven dwarfs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Although Monica began Friends as the show's straight person, the writers eventually made her funnier by incorporating aspects of Cox's own personality into the character, in addition to writing wittier material for her.<ref name=":22">Template:Cite book</ref>

Identified by Ayn Bernos of Thought Catalog as "the epitome of a ... control freak",<ref name=":65">Template:Cite web</ref> Refinery29's Kelsey Miller summarized Monica's personality as funny, uptight, loving, and competitive.<ref name=":17">Template:Cite web</ref> A very organized character with a signature Type A personality<ref name=":48" /> who enjoys being in charge,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Monica is known for being a "neat freak" obsessed with cleanliness –<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> especially when it comes to maintaining the impeccable condition of her apartment –<ref name=":36">Template:Cite web</ref> neurotic,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> extremely obsessive-compulsive, and competitive in nature,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":6">Template:Cite book</ref> personality traits that are exaggerated for humor and comic relief;<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":63">Template:Cite web</ref> the writers did not begin to take full comedic advantage of Monica's neuroses until the show's first Thanksgiving episode.<ref name=":63" /> The character is also the loudest of her friends.<ref name=":67" /> In her book Writing With Emotion, Tension, and Conflict: Techniques for Crafting an Expressive and Compelling Novel, author Cheryl St. John wrote that Monica exhibits qualities commonly associated with perfectionism and bossiness.<ref name=":6" /> James Tison of Bustle wrote that Monica's cleanliness and bossiness often relinquishes her to being "the lame one" among her friends, although "she proved that sometimes rules and responsibility were important".<ref name=":67" /> However, the Los Angeles TimesTemplate:' Steve Weinstein observed that Monica's actions often tend to contradict her "Miss Perfect" image and reputation, explaining that the character frequently "makes a fool of herself" in addition to being "so compulsively neat that just her facial expressions of discomfort at one of her friends' messing things up in her apartment is enough to provoke genuine chuckles."<ref name=":30" /> Her obsessive-compulsive traits are protayed in a 'fun and quirky way'. However, and despite popular belief, these traits do not fall within the framework of obsessive-compulsive disorder.<ref name=":123">Template:Cite web</ref>

As creator and writer, Kauffman confirmed that Monica's extremely organized personality is based on her own, explaining, "I have a lot of Monica in me, in terms of everything having to be a certain way."<ref name=":14" /> Writing about the development of Monica's personality in USA Today, Robert Bianco observed that the character gradually evolves from "the caring, nurturing mother figure ... into a slightly off-the-beam benevolent monarch."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By the show's final season, Monica's personality has been "exacerbated for comedy" to the point of which she becomes borderline "cartoonish".<ref name=":47">Template:Cite web</ref>

Family and childhood; career and love life

Monica has a complicated relationship with her parents Jack (Elliott Gould) and Judy Geller (Christina Pickles),<ref name=":10" /> particularly with her "hypercritical" mother.<ref name=":53">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Entertainment Weekly called the character's relationship with her parents "esteem-sucking".<ref name=":10" /> Judy constantly criticizes her daughter's appearance, career and love life,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while acting much kinder towards Ross, whom she favors.<ref name=":53" /> Chelsea Mize of Bustle observed that Monica and Ross' "wacky quirks become all the more understandable after ... seeing them with their parents."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 author Vincent Terrance believes that Monica's competitive nature originates from having grown up constantly competing with Ross.<ref name=":11">Template:Cite book</ref> Kriti Tulsiani of IBNLive described Monica and Ross' relationship as "A blend of love and sibling jealousy with an urge to irritate each other to the deepest core of existence", with Ross often making fun of his sister's weight and Monica teasing him about his several failed marriages in return.<ref name=":62" /> In terms of ethnicity, Crane confirmed that both Monica and Ross are half-Jewish, with their father being Jewish and their mother being of non-Jewish European ancestry.<ref name=":16">Template:Cite book</ref> However, Television's Changing Image of American Jews categorized Monica as a "masked" Jew, explaining that "the smart, funny, and insecure Ross seems more Jewish" than Monica, who the author dismissed as "china-doll like" in appearance and demeanor.<ref name=":16" /> In his book Encyclopedia of American Jewish History, Volume 1, author Stephen Harlan Norwood agrees that, unlike the show's male Jews, Monica's Jewish "markers" have been virtually removed.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Actress Christina Pickles portrays Monica's hypercritical mother, Judy Geller.

Although Monica and Rachel have remained best friends since high school, they are very much opposites.<ref name=":38">Template:Cite web</ref> While both characters share similar economic backgrounds, they grew up on "different ends of the high school social order", with Rachel being a popular cheerleader and Monica "deal[ing] with body and control issues due to being an overweight child and teen."<ref name=":38" /> Sabienna Bowman of This Was TV observed that "Monica's struggles ultimately left her more confident than Rachel, as well as more prepared for adulthood."<ref name=":38" /> Among her defining qualities,<ref name=":38" /> Monica has had a passion for cooking ever since childhood, stemming from when she received her first Easy-Bake Oven.<ref name=":11" /> A chef, the character has had several cooking-related jobs throughout the series,<ref name=":11" /> having worked at five different restaurants,<ref name=":72">Template:Cite web</ref> a trend that nearly coincides with her constant rotation of boyfriends in an ongoing search for the "perfect match".<ref name=":37">Template:Cite web</ref> Michael Hogan of The Guardian believes that the character's "competitive, perfectionist, obsessive-compulsive nature made her ideally suited to a career as a chef."<ref name=":72" /> However, in an episode where Monica goes through great lengths to impress her neighbors with her candy-making skills, it is revealed that Monica might have pursued cooking to get people to like her. In addition, her love of cooking and food is also responsible for her having been extremely overweight as a child, throughout high school and college.<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":18">Template:Cite web</ref> The running gag of an overweight Monica is often used as a recurring backstory for the character throughout the series,<ref name=":41">Template:Cite web</ref> first explored in the second-season episode "The One With the Prom Video" via flashback.<ref name=":44">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":12">Template:Cite book</ref> One of the character's childhood nicknames was "Big Fat Goalie" when she played field hockey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While overweight, Monica is depicted as having very low self-esteem, binge eating often, and constantly seeking attention.<ref name=":18" /> While in college, Monica is embarrassed into losing weight permanently after overhearing her then-crush Chandler make fun of her appearance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Media and the Rhetoric of Body Perfection: Cosmetic Surgery, Weight Loss and Beauty in Popular Culture author Dr. Deborah Harris-Moore believes that Monica's tendency to come off as a control freak originates from her childhood struggles with weight gain, explaining that the character ate excessively in order "to cope with her emotions".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Possessing a very strong will, the character tends to exhibit outstanding perseverance when it comes to what she expects out of her relationships, jobs, and life in general, oftentimes refusing to settle for anything less than what satisfies her.<ref name=":9" /> Early in the series, Monica develops a reputation for experiencing bad luck and encountering rather unfortunate circumstances when it comes to dating, romantic relationships, and her love life. Nick at Nite joked that the character "likes to keep things tidy in her home and love life, although the latter is a bit more difficult."<ref name=":61" /> This motif is frequently explored as a source of comic relief;<ref name=":4" /> the character's friends would often "pick apart" her new dates and boyfriends.<ref name=":10" /> In his review of the series, David Hiltbrand of People referred to the character as "an unlucky-in-love codependent",<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref> while the Chicago TribuneTemplate:'s Ken Parish Perkins observed that Monica "often misfires when shooting for Mr. Right."<ref name=":4" /> According to Mike D'Avria of Splitsider, Monica "never shied away from jumping into the sac with both random guys and people she worked with" – among them a high school senior, an old high school crush, and an alcoholic – prior to dating Chandler, and of the show's six main characters maintains the highest total of serious relationships.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cox described Monica as goofy, angry, and sarcastic, while referring to her as the show's most sexually active character despite her "goody two shoes" image.<ref name=":30" />

Out of Friends' female characters, Monica's style took the longest to establish.<ref name=":49" /> InStyle wrote that Monica's combination of short, wavy hair and dark lipstick evoked "a '90s take on '40s style."<ref name=":54">Template:Cite web</ref> Ashley Hoffman of Styleite believes that her character initially "dressed like a tourist trying to look like a New Yorker", frequently sporting jeans, overalls, and cargo shorts.<ref name=":50">Template:Cite web</ref> With a wardrobe comprising dresses and pants equally, Monica's fashion sense, much like Rachel and Phoebe's, "was a little bit normcore, a little bit corporate-casual."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Elle's Mahalia Chang observed that Monica did not follow trends of the time as much as Rachel, preferring to boast mom jeans, "boxy" sweaters, sneakers and flannels.<ref name=BestDressedElle/>

Critical reception

Four months before its premiere, Friends failed NBC's confidential research report, which cited the unlikeability of its six main characters as a possible factor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although the report acknowledged Monica as the only character with whom test audiences identified somewhat positively,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> NBC admitted that reception towards the character was "well below desirable levels for a lead" nonetheless.<ref name=":45" /> In retrospect, The New Republic's Andrew Harrison believes that although Monica and her friends "were superficial, self-absorbed and at first difficult to like ... in their solipsism and neurosis they reflected and sent up the world emerging around them ... far more accurately than any conventional gooey-hearted family sitcom", ultimately "creat[ing] a coffee-scented cocoon that millions wanted to enter".<ref name=":45" /> Reviews gradually improved;<ref name=":34" /> an early critical evaluation of Friends, which had pegged Cox as the show's star, read, "As Monica, [Cox] came across as charming, attractive, confident, and motivated – the leader of the group".<ref name=":34" /> While men found the actress attractive, women appreciated her sense of humor.<ref name=":34" />

When Friends premiered in September 1994, critics initially perceived Monica as the show's main character; Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker attributes this to the fact that Cox was the show's most famous cast member at the time.<ref name=":2" /> The actress has garnered largely positive reviews for her performance, with Tucker concluding that Cox "plays straight woman ... with alluring modesty".<ref name=":2" /> Tony Scott of Variety commended the entire cast for "appear[ing] resourceful and display[ing] sharp sitcom skills ... especially Cox",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while The Baltimore Sun's David Zurawik described her acting as "terrific".<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> John Kiesewetter of The Cincinnati Enquirer praised Cox's ability to "deliver both verbal and physical comedy".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Contactmusic.com's Sophie Miskiw commended Cox for portraying Monica with "endearing neurosis".<ref name=":31">Template:Cite web</ref> As a character, Lifetime described Monica as "neurotic yet lovable".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bustle's Emma Lord wrote, "I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to be Monica Geller", describing her as a "smart" and "savvy" character.<ref name="Lord">Template:Cite web</ref> Despite admitting that Monica is "probably not our favourite character", TalkTalk conceded that she is "wonderfully neurotic",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while Nick at Nite reviewed her as "just as lovable as she is neurotic", despite her overbearing personality.<ref name=":61" /> Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times was receptive towards the entire cast, especially Cox and her character, who he described as "strong" and "likable and funny".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also writing for the Los Angeles Times, Glenn Whipp lauded Cox's tenure on Friends, enthusing that the actress successfully "took a character loaded with obsessive-compulsive quirks and a goofy, overly competitive nature and fashioned a flesh-and-blood woman".<ref name=":7" /> Describing the actress' comic timing as "impeccable", Whipp went on to write that Cox "brought out Monica's insecurities in a way that turned self-deprecation into an art form".<ref name=":7" /> Jenna Mullins of E! dubbed Cox "a fantastic comedic actress".<ref name=":69">Template:Cite web</ref> Alec Harvey of The Birmingham News described Monica as a "very, very funny" character.<ref name=":43">Template:Cite web</ref> Kayla Upadhyaya of The Michigan Daily appreciated the fact that "Cox brought moments of sincerity and severity to Monica".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, The Washington Post panned Cox's performance as "degrading",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while Mike Ryan of ScreenCrush dismissed Monica as a "fairly normal, but boring" character.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1999, Cox was nominated for an American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although continuously praised for her performance, Cox never received an Emmy Award nomination for her role on Friends during its entire run, although each of her five co-stars did.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Both female castmates Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston remain the show's only main cast members to have won the award, whose multiple nominations Cox especially "had a hard time not taking ... personally", admitting to having been "hurt" by the snub.<ref name=":68">Template:Cite web</ref> A number of media outlets cite Cox among several successful television actors whom they believe deserve but are yet to win an Emmy Award.<ref name=":68" /><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' failure to acknowledge Cox prompted Jenna Mullins of E! to ask "if Hollywood has something against honoring a fantastic comedic actress like Cox."<ref name=":69" /> In 2014, SheKnows Media published an article explaining five reasons author Rita Loiacono believes Monica is "the best character on Friends", citing her cleanliness, bluntness and role as "the heart of the group", among others.<ref name=":9" /> Loiacono enthused that Monica "didn't just have one defining aspect; she had many, and they were all equally hilarious. Not to mention, her ambition and vulnerability resulted in some of the show's most touching and heartbreaking moments".<ref name=":9" /> Additionally, Loiacono dismissed the fact that Cox has never received an Emmy Award nomination for her performance as Monica as "downright criminal".<ref name=":9" /> In 2015, HitFix wrote a similar article entitled "5 Reasons Monica Geller is the Best Friends Friend", published in tandem with Cox's 51 birthday.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> An article in The Birmingham News cited "The One Where it All Began", "The One With Two Parts: Part 2", "The One with the Prom Video", "The One with Chandler in a Box", "The One with the Embryos", "The One with All the Thanksgivings", "The One Where Everybody Finds Out", "The One On the Last Night", "The One with the Proposal", "The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding" and "The Last One" among Monica's best episodes; Cox herself acknowledged "The One with the Embryos" as her personal favorite.<ref name=":43"/> Meanwhile, BDCwire ranked "The One with the Routine", "The One with the Cheap Wedding Dress", "The One with Monica's Boots", "The One with the Jellyfish" and "The One Where Monica Sings" among the character's best.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Despite consistently warm reception towards Cox and her character, some aspects of Monica's characterization have been criticized. The second season episode "The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies" sparked controversy due to one of its storylines revolving around Monica and Rachel arguing over which roommate will win the last remaining condom in their apartment in order to have sex with their respective boyfriends, Richard and Ross.<ref name=":14" /> In her book Narratives, Health, and Healing: Communication Theory, Research, and Practice, author Lynn M. Harter defended the storyline, arguing that it promotes safe sex.<ref name=":55">Template:Cite book</ref> Rachel eventually wins the condom in a game of rock, paper, scissors, forcing Monica to abstain for the night.<ref name=":55" /> Monica's overweight alter-ego "Fat Monica" has often been accused of being an offensive stereotype of overweight women exploited for laughs.<ref name=":18" /> While identifying a formerly overweight character as "a standard TV trope", the New Statesman's Bim Adewunmi wrote that Fat Monica "always struck a weird note" with the writer despite the show's efforts "to pinpoint a solid and satisfying back-story for the character".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Megan Kirby of xoJane questioned the negative effect the show's fat jokes would have on its overweight viewers, writing, "What does this mean for the girls like me who never become thin? Are we relegated to side roles and stereotypes in our own lives? Of course, this isn't true. But I think it sometimes, dark and secret: The fat girl doesn't get to be the protagonist."<ref name=":41" /> Emma Tarver of Feminspire reflected that Fat Monica "made me think as a child that I was unworthy of love, was going to be mocked relentlessly by my friends and family for my weight, and should never bother flirting because I would just disgust every man I looked at."<ref name=":18" /> Contrarily, Kelsey Miller of Refinery29 received Fat Monica positively as "proof I could overcome my disgusting plumpness and be seen as lovable, too".<ref name=":17" /> In spite of these complaints, Fat Monica proved so popular among audiences that the writers would resurrect the character for a total of four flashback episodes, each of which aired featuring Cox dressed as Fat Monica and eating a doughnut while dancing after the show had finished taping much to the amusement of the studio audience.<ref name=":17" /><ref name=":12" /> Although she only appears physically in four, Fat Monica is referenced in approximately half of the show's episodes,<ref name=":17" /> and has since proven popular enough to be adapted into an internet meme.<ref name=":17" />

Legacy

Impact and commendations

According to Elle, the combined popularity of Monica and Cox established them both as television icons during the 1990s.<ref name=":33">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":54" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, baby name books commonly associate the name "Monica" with the character.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> As the role in which Cox "found fame",<ref name=":36" /> Monica remains the actress' most iconic performance to-date,<ref name=":21" /> as well as the role for which she is best known.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Us Weekly believes that Cox "made television history during her 10 year stint playing Monica".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Meanwhile, Steve Weinstein of the Los Angeles Times credits Cox's comedic performance with helping dispel stereotypes that "Pretty women aren't supposed to be funny".<ref name=":30" /> In 1995, one year after Friends premiered, Cox appeared on the cover of People's "50 Most Beautiful People" issue.<ref name=":15" /> According to Alabama Biographical Dictionary author Jan Onofrio, Monica helped "put [Cox] in the television spotlight and provided offers for more desirable roles."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Daily News deemed Cox "one of the more successful 'Friends' since the show ended" thanks to her consistent television and film roles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By both starring in and producing the sitcom Cougar Town, which has been reviewed as her "best gig since ... Friends",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Cox became the series' first main cast member to achieve long-term television success post-Friends.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

According to a Hollywood Reporter poll, industry professionals – actors, writers and directors – voted Monica the 47th best fictional female character.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> ChaCha collectively ranked Phoebe, Rachel and Monica the 11th, 12th and 13th best female television characters of all time.<ref name=":52">Template:Cite web</ref> Maria Tallarico of Cosmopolitan observed that a number of Monica's storylines, including one in which she unintentionally has sex with a high school senior, "probably wouldn't fly on TV today".<ref name=":66" /> Writing for Mic.com, Samantha Allen believes that Monica helped "set the standard for how sitcoms could and would talk about sex" by both engaging in casual sex and dating a much older man.<ref name=":57">Template:Cite web</ref> According to Dustin Levy of The Diamondback, Monica inspired "any ensemble cast in a sitcom with a female character who is bossy or neurotic", citing ScrubsTemplate:' Elliot Reid and Happy EndingsTemplate:' Jane Kerkovich-Williams as examples of Monica's influence.<ref name=":47" /> Additionally, Levy identified Claire Dunphy from the sitcom Modern Family as Monica's modern-day successor, explaining that the character "acts like Monica plus children".<ref name=":47" /> In spring 2015, TV Guide published an article entitled "22 Spring Cleaning Tips From Monica Geller" in tribute to the character's cleanliness.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In her article "5 Signs You're A Real-Life Monica Geller", Ayn Bernos of Thought Catalog identified the character's personality as the reason "all perfectionist fans of this iconic TV show have asked themselves this question at least once in their life: 'Oh my god, am I a Monica Geller?!'"<ref name=":65" /> Emma Lord of Bustle expounded in her article "13 Signs You Are The Monica Of Your Friend Group" "that isn't to say life is easy for the Real Life Monicas of the world. First, there's all the name calling: 'neat freak' and 'sore loser', to name a few. Second, all of your elaborate, carefully-laid plans inevitably go haywire when people around you don't respect the obvious beauty and rightness of them."<ref name="Lord"/> According to Patricia Murphy of the Irish Independent, Monica "is most definitely one of the most famous fictional telly chefs", expounding, "her OCD combined with her continuous strive for perfection making her a thoroughly enjoyable watch."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Guardian ranked Monica fifth on the newspaper's list of "The 10 best fictional chefs",<ref name=":72" /> while People ranked the character eighth, with author Grace Gavilanes writing, "She's the best kind of chef – neurotic in the most entertaining/productive way, and always cleans up the mess in her kitchen."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Monica's apartment.jpg

One of the show's main locations, Monica's apartment currently ranks among television's most famous sets.<ref name=":51" />

USA Today's Robert Bianco credits Monica and Chandler's relationship and their wedding in the episode "The One With Monica and Chandler's Wedding" with saving Friends. Prior to the episode, the show had "appeared to be in serious danger of out-staying its welcome." Although admitting that the overall episode "is not one of Friends' best", Bianco explained that "The wedding changed all that, and in remarkable fashion."<ref name=":731">Template:Cite web</ref> While BuzzFeed ranked Monica and Chandler the 23rd best television couple,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> E! placed the couple second on its ranking of the greatest Friends couples, with author Sydney Bucksbaum writing, "It's hard to imagine a time when Monica and Chandler weren't together, but it took them four seasons to actually get together. From then on, it was clear that they were meant to be."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tim Gerstenberger of TV Overmind echoed this sentiment by ranking Chandler Monica's best boyfriend, awarding him an 'A' grade. Gerstenberger penned, "I would not be able to face myself every day if I did not rank Chandler the best of Monica's boyfriends from Friends. The two ended up getting married, which just goes to show that some one night stands are meant to last."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Monica and Ross' relationship was also influential.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to Kriti Tulsiani of IBNLive, the characters "provide a perfect exception to the myth that one cannot find a best friend in their sibling particularly when they are of opposite sex ... they have broken all the conventional boundaries of a brother-sister relationship."<ref name=":62" /> PopSugar ranked Monica and Ross fifth on the website's list of "The 9 Best Sibling Relationships From '90s TV"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Immediately established as one of the show's primary settings,<ref name=":3" /> Monica's large Greenwich Village apartment has since become one of the most famous and iconic television sets in history.<ref name=":51">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name=":64">Template:Cite web</ref> Steffani Cameron of BuildDirect wrote that Monica's "apartment was unlike anything else on TV. It was full of color, clutter, and personality. It was a space cobbled together of kitsch and class, and it was just magic", citing its windows, color and openness among her favourite things about the apartment.<ref name=":64" /> Harper's Bazaar magazine ranked it among the "12 Best Apartments on TV".<ref name=":51" /> Chloe Daley of Refinery29 joked that the apartment serves as both "a lesson in how to decorate with purple" and "a lesson in how not to".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Based on its total number of bedrooms, open kitchen concept, large living space and balcony, real estate agent Sydney Blumstein estimates that the apartment would be worth approximately Template:USD2.3 million in 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In terms of its size and affordability, the apartment has frequently been the subject of scrutiny; critics constantly question how Monica, a chef, and Rachel, a waitress, were able to afford such a luxurious home based on their relatively low incomes,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> often dismissing the show's explanation that this is due to an illegal sublet courtesy of Monica's grandmother who moved to Florida.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Hollywood.com's Abbey Stone ranked it television's 10th "most ridiculous" apartment,<ref name=":0" /> while The Village Voice placed it at number four in a similar article.<ref name=":1" />

Wardrobe and fashion

FriendsTemplate:' female characters had a profound influence on women's fashion during the 1990s,<ref name=":49">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":52" /> becoming fashion icons in addition and household names,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in addition to inspiring a generation of women.<ref name=":49" /> According to Desiree Tolentino of Verge Campus, "Rachel and Monica were THE fashion icons back in the day", writing, "Monica Geller's vivacious style and sex appeal inspires every girl to care just a little bit more about what they wear".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> TheTalko contributor Taylor Hodgkins agreed that both Rachel "and Monica ... became cultural icons ... due to the fact the characters became fashion icons ... For those of us who thought of ourselves to be fashion mavens, we loved to tune into Friends to see what Monica and Rachel had in their closets week after week."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Describing Monica's wardrobe as "classic and elegant", Stylist observed that the character's first season bob cut was imitated by several woman,<ref name=":49" /> although its popularity paled in comparison to that of Aniston's iconic "Rachel" haircut, the widespread success of which Cox was jealous.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, Cosmopolitan identified Monica's hairstyle as "Iconic in its own right", including in its list of "20 iconic Friends hairstyles".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Monica also became well known for accessorizing sweaters using scarves;<ref name=":49" /> on Cox's 51st birthday in 2015, Cosmopolitan published an article celebrating her character's best sweaters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> BuzzFeed ranked Monica's wedding dress seventh on the website's list of the "28 TV Show Wedding Dresses You'll Always Envy",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while Brides ranked it the ninth greatest wedding dress in television history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Us Weekly included it on their list of "Celebrity Wedding Dresses: TV & Movies".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lauren Bravo of Grazia wrote that although "It's hard for us to process some of Monica's early outfits ... there's a lot of great stuff to be pilfered from Monica's pleasingly preppy wardrobe", despite its heavy tailoring.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph cited several of Monica's outfits and hairstyles among the newspaper's list of "Friends best fashion moments".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In recent years, fans' appreciation for Monica's wardrobe has grown following the series' availability on Netflix, with The Guardian journalist Jess Cartner-Morley observing that audiences "were all too busy admiring Rachel's hair and Chandler's jokes first time around to notice Monica Geller's love of mom jeans and hair barrettes. But the world has finally caught up with the poster girl for 90s normcore", to the point at which it rivals Rachel's.<ref name=":75">Template:Cite web</ref> Crowning her the "unlikely style icon" of summer 2019, Cartner-Morley observed the characters' influence on the outfits of several celebrities, namely Bella Hadid and Harry Styles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":75" /> The writer also coined this revival "The Monaissance" due to the character "unexpectedly [finding] a breakout role as a style icon", and citing the character parting her hair to the side using a barrette, ribbed vests, high-waisted mom jeans, pale denim straight-fit jeans and white trainers among fashion trends that have been adopted by modern-day viewers.<ref name=":75" /> The newspaper credits Monica's popularity to audience's revived interest in cooking shows.<ref name=":75" /> While comparing Styles' fashion choices to Monica's wardrobe, Ben Boskovich of Esquire named the character the "most stylish" of Friends' main characters and "a menswear icon ahead of her time".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2019, Business Insider compiled a list of Monica's 16 most iconic outfits, with author Paige Bennett writing "As a professional chef, Monica had to adhere to a strict dress code at work but when the apron came off, Monica donned a sleek yet down-to-earth wardrobe that can still be appreciated today."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Elle named Monica "The Best-Dressed Character On 'Friends'" in what Mahalia Chang called a controversial, "potentially-unpopular opinion" as most fans give this designation to Rachel.<ref name=BestDressedElle>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• List of Friends and Joey characters