The hit '90s sitcom Friends continues to win hearts today among newer generations of viewers. The series went on to create history as one of the most popular television shows ever and instantly catapulted its stars into superstardom.
Actors Matt Le Blanc and David Schwimmer played two of the iconic characters, Joey Tribbiani and Ross Geller, respectively. The two had very different personalities but were still very good friends and much of the latter part of the series, ever since Rachel got pregnant, revolved around a potential relationship between Joey and Rachel, and the awkward situation created by Ross's reactions to it. Here are a few reasons Joey came off better than Ross at times and vice versa.
Joey: More Forgiving
Joey was always the good-natured, forgiving friend who was loyal to a fault and never let anything come in the way of friendship.
Joey's mild, forgiving nature was one of the things that countered his otherwise slight dimwittedness. When Chandler developed feelings for Kathy who was going out with Joey at the time, the latter did feel betrayed, and rightly so, but he also forgave him pretty soon. Unlike Ross, who was a bit more complex, Joey wore his heart on his sleeve.
Ross: The Sensible One
The paleontologist with a doctorate degree was decidedly the most academic of the lot. Although a running gag involving the character was how everyone failed to consider him a real doctor, yet undoubtedly Ross was the resident intellectual within this crazy bunch of bachelors.
He was also the more sensible of the friends, the one who usually had some semblance of logic in his thoughts and believed in rationalizing rather than going with the flow.
Joey: Child-Like Innocence
Joey wasn't exactly an intellectual and a lot of the comedy was generated around his inability to catch on to things, as fast as the others did.
However, despite his remarkable ignorance in many basic, obvious matters, and his one-track mind regarding women and sex, he also had a child-like innocence that made him instantly adorable. He would come across as wildly immature in a lot of things, but his natural naivete somehow elevated his shallowness into something oddly charming.
Ross: More Sophisticated
Ross had a smart job and despite his friends making fun of him, it's hard not to acknowledge the romance in his passion.
Popular television uses a stereotypical trope of setting up anyone with an academic bent of mind as nerdy, and hence ridiculous. And Ross Geller was shown as the epitome of the so-called boring nerd. However, the truth was that he worked diligently and had sophisticated interests.
Joey: A Genuine Friend
Joey was one of the most loyal when it came to friendship and his attachment with his friends was one of the things he took seriously. From giving Phoebe her dream kiss when she said she'd never had one, to proposing first to Pheobe and then to Rachel, thinking it his duty to offer some kind of so-called masculine security to a single pregnant woman, Joey had one of the softest hearts amongst the friends.
When Joey finally had a big release with his World War I epic, he was allowed only one extra guest to accompany him to the premiere and, true to his nature, he took Chandler, the one who had supported him both morally and financially through the years as he struggled in his career.
Ross: A Gentleman
Ross was gentle when it came to women; unlike Joey, who was more used to seeing women, albeit unconsciously, as sex objects, Ross treated them with more respect.
Ross was never the typical brash, macho hero who was smooth and suave around women. In fact, he flopped miserably when it came to flirting, and often had to turn to Joey for advice regarding women and sex.
Joey: Ready To Sacrifice For Friendship
Joey fell in love with Rachel when the latter moved in with him after Monica and Chandler started living together. However, he put his friendship with Ross first and was willing to never act on his feelings so as not to make things awkward with Ross and Rachel.
Even later on, when Rachel did reciprocate his feelings, he was well-aware of how his relationship with her could affect Ross, and in what was very uncharacteristic of him, he managed to stop himself from getting physical with Rachel for quite some time, out of respect for Ross.
Ross: A Genuine Lover
Ross was the antithesis of Joey when it came to matters of love. Although Joey dealt with the Rachel fiasco (when he fell for her) quite maturely, he was never someone who could treat women in general as much more than sexual beings.
But Ross did not believe in dating more than one woman at a time. He was also very genuine in his love for Rachel whom he had loved since his early college days, and however many other women he might have been with--he did sleep with Chloe when he very debatably thought he and Rachel were on a break--his feelings for her never really wavered.
Joey: More Evolved
Joey might have been the most ignorant of the friends, but he was also one of the more mature by the end of the series. Interestingly, by the time the series reached its 7th or 8th season, it was Joey who would sometimes make the most intelligent comments, and act more maturely than the rest.
Ross's character was after all the unspoken hero of the series and didn't see such a transformative arc. But Joey grew as a person and became someone who could be trusted to make mature decisions when it came to matters of love and friendship.
Ross: A Better Family Man
Friends never showed Joey in a serious relationship, although the audience did have glimpses of how truly loyal he was towards his friends and the one potential lover, i.e. Rachel.
However, Ross was shown with both his kids, Ben from his first marriage and Emma, from his relationship with Rachel. The older Geller was indeed great with his children and one could easily imagine him as an amazing family man who would willingly sacrifice his own needs or happiness for his family's sake.