The same logic was used in The Office and it’s absolutely sound. The joke isn’t that it’s okay to be a homophobe. It’s that the character is homophobic.

While this may not be pulled off well in F.R.I.E.N.D.S, The Office has mastered the art of toeing the offensive line. Why is Michael Scott one of the most beloved characters in recent television despite being the homophobic, mildly sexist, oaf that he is? The answer lies in the question.

Michael Scott is portrayed as an oaf. He is not self aware. Nor is he the most refined of blokes. He speaks his mind and that always backfires. Whenever he makes a statement which is homophobic, the cue for the audience to laugh is not the homophobic thing he said itself. It is actually the reaction of those around him.

Whenever Michael is the center of the scene, it is safe to say that the people around him are the more normal people in the frame. In a way, we can relate to the people around him. Jim’s side glance is us reacting to Michael doing or saying something stupid. We are not laughing WITH Michael at that moment. We are laughing AT Michael.

We are not laughing because of a homophobic joke is funny. We are laughing at the fact that this character has such a lack of self awareness that he doesn’t know any better.

In comedy, we have a very important concept which differentiates between a good comedian and a bad comedian. It’s punching up and down.

FRIENDS punches down and at no point does any character in the show address it. Nobody tells Chandler to stop being transphobic or reacts in any way which shows that they acknowledge he is being transphobic.

The Offices punches up because it is making fun of those people who punch down.

This is also why The Office will be remembered kindly by history and F.R.I.E.N.D.S will not be given that same honour.