Top 10 Reasons You’re Stuck in the “Friend Zone”
Top 10 Reasons You're Stuck in the "Friend Zone"
We love characters who are stuck in the "friend zone" because they remind us how difficult love can be — and that's what makes love worth chasing. Our top ten list of movie and TV characters who are stuck in the "friend zone" has it all: spies, light-sabers, pregnancy, cartoons, and, of course, Molly Ringwald.
This season on PUSH GIRLS, Angela, Tiphany, Mia, Auti, and Chelsie take love to the next level as they explore the ups and downs of new flames, and put their personal relationships to the test. Getting what you want out of life isn't easy, especially in a wheelchair. Check out the all-new season of Sundance Channel's PUSH GIRLS — Mondays at 10pm.
And now, on with the list!
10. You're related, or a scoundrel. (Star Wars - Han, Luke and Leia)
"So, what do you think? You think a princess and a guy like me...?" "...No."
The light-sabers and beeping robots hide the fact that the original STAR WARS trilogy is a classic "friend zone" situation. Han lusts for Leia, Leia lusts for Luke, Luke lusts for Leia, Leia sort of lusts for Han... complicated! It's made more complicated by the fact that Luke and Leia are brother and sister, which is a real no-no, and which is the ultimate sign that you're better off staying in the "friend zone". Meanwhile, Han is a little too much of a "scoundrel" for our initially uptight princess.
Getting what you want out of life isn't easy, especially in a wheelchair. Check out the all-new season of Sundance Channel's Push Girls — Mondays at 10pm.9. You're trying too hard to be cool. (Juno - Juno and Paulie)
"I think I'm in love with you." "...You mean as friends?"
Paulie is living proof that you can be trapped in the "friend zone" even after you knock someone up. While Juno goes about the business of pulling her life back together, Paulie is stuck mooning from the sidelines. But he finally manages to work up his gumption to get out of "the zone" -- right before Juno goes into labor.
Getting what you want out of life isn't easy, especially in a wheelchair. Check out the all-new season of Sundance Channel's Push Girls — Mondays at 10pm.8. You're not convinced you're meant for each other. (When Harry Met Sally... - Harry and Sally)
"I am not your consolation prize, Harry."
A film that is basically a full-length exploration of the "friend zone", When Harry Met Sally follows twenty years in the life of a non-couple. Harry and Sally instantly can't stand each other, which of course is movie shorthand for "they're desperately secretly in love with each other." It just takes Harry and Sally two decades to figure that out, fall in love, and get married. As a bonus, we learn along the way that Sally is really good at fake orgasms, which should come in handy if the marriage ever starts to fall apart; ahem.
Getting what you want out of life isn't easy, especially in a wheelchair. Check out the all-new season of Sundance Channel's Push Girls — Mondays at 10pm.7. You're attracted to your son. (Back to the Future - Marty, George and Lorraine)
"Are you trying to tell me that my mother has got the hots for me?" "...Precisely!" "...Whoa, this is heavy."
Much like STAR WARS, BACK TO THE FUTURE is a sci-fi film that dips its toes cautiously into some incest-themed waters. When Marty McFly is transported back to the year 1955, he's tasked with the job of making sure that his mom and dad fall in love with each other. Slight problem: his mom falls for him instead. George McFly needs to get with Lorraine, but Lorraine is in love with Marty -- and everyone is stuck in a bizarro version of the "friend zone" -- until at the end, things work out for the best, with no incest, thank goodness.
Getting what you want out of life isn't easy, especially in a wheelchair. Check out the all-new season of Sundance Channel's Push Girls — Mondays at 10pm.6. You're being too nice. (The Office - Jim and Pam)
"I was just, um... I'm in love with you." "...What?" "I'm really sorry if that's weird for you to hear, but I needed you to hear it."
Hard to say if The Office still counts as a "friend zone"-based show, since the series went on long after the romantic turmoil of Jim and Pam. But for the first few seasons, at least, The Office was a highly trenchant look at the pitfalls of the "friend zone", as slacker office drone Jim yearned after an engaged receptionist who had no clue of his true feelings. Eventually, Pam managed to figure out what was going on, but until then, Jim was a desperate mix of helpless smirks and yearning glances shot at the camera. Oh, the heartache!
Getting what you want out of life isn't easy, especially in a wheelchair. Check out the all-new season of Sundance Channel's Push Girls — Mondays at 10pm.5. You have 2 eyes instead of 1. (Futurama - Fry and Leela)
'Tis better to have loved and lost, n'est ce pas?"
Delivery boy Fry longs hopelessly for one-eyed mutant Leela. And unlike a lot of other characters on our list, Fry always made it clear that he had a thing for Leela; she just also made it equally clear that she can't stand him. And even when Fry finally manages to pull things together, and get Leela to fall for him for thirty seconds -- well, that's when the series immediately got cancelled. Then it came back. Then it got cancelled again. Futurama may well keep on being renewed and cancelled into eternity, but Fry's desperate love for Leela, well; that has no cancellation date.
Getting what you want out of life isn't easy, especially in a wheelchair. Check out the all-new season of Sundance Channel's Push Girls — Mondays at 10pm.4. You're Milhouse. (The Simpsons - Lisa and Milhouse)
"I like you, Milhouse, but not in that way. You're more like a big sister." "...Why does everyone keep SAYING that?!!!"
Milhouse is forever a bridesmaid, never a bride, so to speak. Milhouse has a passionate crush on brainiac Lisa Simpson, but he's too much of a nerd even for the bookishly-inclined Lisa. "...Everything's coming up Milhouse!" he shouted once, in a brief moment of misguided hope for his love. But no; it isn't. Nothing is ever coming up Milhouse. But keep on trying, dude. Your perseverance is an inspiration to us all.
Getting what you want out of life isn't easy, especially in a wheelchair. Check out the all-new season of Sundance Channel's Push Girls — Mondays at 10pm.3. You're way too invested in discovering extra-terrestrial life. (The X-Files - Mulder and Scully)
"The truth is out there."
The truth was out there; the truth that Mulder and Scully were better off as friends. Sure, they loved each other, but an actual relationship would have mucked up their working relationship, plus Mulder was always too busy being obsessed with his conspiracy theories to express his true feelings. Hey, chasing little green men is a full-time job.
Getting what you want out of life isn't easy, especially in a wheelchair. Check out the all-new season of Sundance Channel's Push Girls — Mondays at 10pm.2. You're in love with a secret agent. (The James Bond series - Ms. Moneypenny and James Bond)
"Oh, James."
Poor Moneypenny, stuck in her office, trapped listening to James Bond's double-entendres, when she really wants to be out in the world with him, locking lips and having adventures. For fifty years, Ms. Moneypenny has yearned and lusted after James Bond. SKYFALL, the most recent entry in the series, finally gave Moneypenny a chance to shoot a gun and make some steamy love with Bond, James Bond. But then the movie just tossed her back into the office at the end. Back to the daily grind. Back to forbidden love. Si-iiigh.
Getting what you want out of life isn't easy, especially in a wheelchair. Check out the all-new season of Sundance Channel's Push Girls — Mondays at 10pm.1. You're in high school. It's supposed to be heart-breaking. (Pretty in Pink - Duckie and Andie)
"Well here's... here's the point, Andie. I'm not particularly concerned with whether or not you like me, because I live to like you and... and I can't like you anymore. So... so when you're feeling real low and... and dirty, don't look to me to pump you back up 'cause... 'cause... 'cause maybe for the first time in your life I WON'T BE THERE!"
John Hughes more or less invented the concept of the "friend zone" when Jon Cryer was cast in the seminal role as "Duckie" in PRETTY IN PINK. Duckie does everything for his true-love Andie (Molly Ringwald) -- he humiliates himself, he lip-syncs "Try a Little Tenderness", he even escorts her to the prom -- and he still doesn't get the girl. Oh well. But here's a fun fact; the original ending of PRETTY IN PINK had Andie falling for Duckie -- but test audiences rebelled, and the studio switched things so that Molly Ringwald ended up with Andrew McCarthy instead. Which is another crushing blow for Duckie; or just evidence that he and Andie really weren't meant to be. After all, love affairs can come and go -- but friendship is eternal.
Getting what you want out of life isn't easy, especially in a wheelchair. Check out the all-new season of Sundance Channel's Push Girls — Mondays at 10pm.
