Apparently, they haven’t quite gotten the concept that it's all simply drama and fantasy, and that every word and nuance, down to the gestures, props, and facial expressions is specifically designed to elicit an emotional reaction, and subliminally present a specific message meant to influence them in a particular direction.
They really seem to believe that we are all just characters in some sappy drama (melodrama??) where Carrie or Monica prevail over Mr. Big or Ross at the end of the episodes’s alloted time.
The real world is far too emotionally overwhelming and scary for them to contemplate, so in order to remain functional, they have retreat into a fantasy world where everybody is happy in the end. Small wonder they absolutely freak out (to the point of situational-paralysis) when they don't get that happy ending they were sure was right around the corner.
Good point...I noticed in the article that everything had to be cast against a fictional TV show character.
It’s one of the reasons I quit watching Friends after about 3 or 4 episodes. Watching people who are supposed to be adults go through their lives seemingly unable to reason their way out of simple issues just wasn’t funny. For the most part the characters are boring and immature.
As a result, I don’t really watch much TV anymore.