So, I was watching a Friends re-run the other day. (Yes, Friends! Go ahead and hate, I don’t care. #FriendsForever! #Stillmakesmesmile) It was the episode where Rachel flies to London to try to stop Ross’ wedding and I couldn’t help but notice Rachel was wearing track pants to the wedding. Now, I understand that when you are on a mission like Rachel was (and you just happen to look like Jennifer Aniston) you might not have time to change… but still… track pants to a wedding? And not one comment about it from Monica, Chandler or Joey? Who usually notice and remark on everything?

I, naturally, picked up my phone and googled “Rachel wears track pants to Ross’ wedding”. I was curious. Surely Friends fanatics had previously picked up on this. Fans notice everything. It’s their job as… well, fans.

After I was rudely corrected by Google and told that I was now searching for “Rachel wears sweatpants to Ross’ wedding” (fair enough, it is an American show) I was oddly elated to see it had come up in a forum discussion (in between fans arguing over other episode details and random Friends quotes and reminiscing). Satisfied, I logged off of my phone and settled in to watch the rest of the episode but not before thinking “wow, not only have I seen this show over and over again but I have just spent time researching it for no apparent reason.”

If this is a gateway behaviour to Fanatic Fandom Syndrome (Shhhh! It’s a thing!) then please… sign me up to Friends Anonymous and make it stop. Stat! #justonemoreepisodeiswear

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