The conversation around diversity has been intensifying lately, making everyone think about its importance in all areas of life. One recent topic of discussion? The iconic 90s sitcom Friends.
Quinta Brunson, known for her role in Abbott Elementary, recently pointed out Friends for its lack of diversity. While hosting Saturday Night Live, Brunson used her monologue to highlight the absence of Black characters in the beloved show.
Brunson contrasted the diversity on Abbott Elementary, which features the lives of teachers in a predominantly Black, state-funded elementary school in Philadelphia, with the noticeable lack of diversity on Friends. The difference was strikingly evident.
With her well-known wit, she joked: “I wanted to be on SNL back in the day, but the audition process seemed long – so instead, I just created my own TV show, made sure it became really popular, won a bunch of Emmys, and then got asked to host. So much easier, so much easier.”
While the audience chuckled, the underlying point was clear. Brunson continued, “It’s a network sitcom like, say, Friends. Except, instead of being about a group of friends, it’s about a group of teachers. Instead of New York, it’s in Philadelphia, and instead of not having Black people, it does.”
Her playful commentary sparked serious reflection, even from Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman. Kauffman has publicly expressed embarrassment over the show’s lack of diversity and pledged $4 million to support African and African-American studies at a university.
“I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” Kauffman admitted. “Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. It’s painful looking at yourself in the mirror. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know better 25 years ago.”
She added, “It took me a long time to begin to understand how I internalized systemic racism. I’ve been working really hard to become an ally, an anti-racist. And this seemed to me to be a way that I could participate in the conversation from a white woman’s perspective.”
The discussion around diversity is far from over, but it’s clear that the conversation has advanced—even for a cherished sitcom like Friends.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Kids with Maria Shriver ‘Don’t Love’ His Illegitimate Son Who’s ‘Snubbed’ by Them, Claims Source
During his appearance on the red carpet with his kids, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed the distance that existed between his lovechild and Maria Shriver’s kids.
The link between the actor’s kids was apparently clarified.
Arnold frequently discussed the treatment of Joseph, the son he had with his former domestic, who looked much like him.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 75, appeared on the red carpet in May 2023 with his kids by his side. With the former’s husband, Chris Pratt, beside her, his daughters Katherine, 33, and Christina, 31, encircled their father.
The family attended Arnold’s new show, “FUBAR,” premiere in support of him. The odd thing was that Joseph “Joe” Baena, 25, his illegitimate son who looks like him and came out to support his father, was pictured on the red carpet by himself.
Arnold was devoted to each of his five children. Christina and Katherine were two of the four children he had during his marriage to Maria Shriver. Joe was their half-sibling at the same time because of his relationship with Mildred Baena, their previous housekeeper.
Based on the pictures, it appeared that the actor’s older kids had no interest in spending time with his love child. Like his well-known father, Joe is a bodybuilder, and he posted a photo of himself by himself from the Netflix premiere.
Arnold was devoted to each of his five children. Christina and Katherine were two of the four children he had during his marriage to Maria Shriver. Joe was their half-sibling at the same time because of his relationship with Mildred Baena, their previous housekeeper.
Based on the pictures, it appeared that the actor’s older kids had no interest in spending time with his love child. Like his well-known father, Joe is a bodybuilder, and he posted a photo of himself by himself from the Netflix premiere.
The person encouraged Joe to use the snub as leverage, speculating that it might be the result of “racial hostility.” The follower took issue with Joe’s siblings attending the same premiere, posing for a group shot, and ignoring him completely.
While some thought it was unfortunate to witness the split, others were happy that Arnold loved his kids just as much. But because Joe was following in the actor’s footsteps professionally, one fan thought the star liked him a “little more,” while another said:
Arnold’s real legacy is Joe, and his affluent, slothful children are obviously bitter. Joe, keep on trucking.
Someone else said that they began following Joe on Instagram in order to offer him the assistance that his “snobby siblings choose not to” give. The fan believed that because he worked hard in his training, avoided using his father’s last name, got a job, and supported and looked up to Arnold, he was a great role model for others.
The person thought Joe was a model son. Another disciple said that the young man was wonderful and that Katharine, who identified as a “Christian,” ought not to have treated him in such a manner since it was not “Christlike,” adding:
“She is a shame.”
Joe, according to an Instagram user, was the perfect young replica of his father and was “so loved.” The person told Arnold’s son to keep his chin up and ask God to bless him because they could see how jealous people might be.
One admirer said that Joe was a wonderful man and that it was a “shame” that his siblings had treated him badly because of things outside of his control. The celebrity’s son neither removed nor replied to any of the comments.
In “FUBAR,” where he played an almost-retired CIA agent, Monica Barbaro played Arnold’s daughter. Joe said on the red carpet that he thought it was “cute” to watch his father acting like a parent and that he enjoyed it.
The famous person’s son revealed that his father instilled in him the value of consistently practicing and putting in “the reps.” In 2023, Joe was scheduled to star with Morgan Freeman in the action movie “Gunner.”
What kind of relationship does Joe have with the children that Arnold and Shriver had?
A source claims that Joe wasn’t loved by Arnold’s children with Shriver. The young man who had a run on “Dancing with the Stars” was a lovely kid, and the actor always treated him equally with his other kids, so the insider thought it was unfortunate.
But it’s said that Joe was chastised by Arnold’s other children for their father’s extramarital affair. Witnesses claim that after the Los Angeles premiere of “FUBAR,” Shriver’s unmarried child stayed behind at the after-party while her children returned home.
The insider revealed how close the “Terminator” actor was to Joe and how he’d taken him to a number of functions. The insider believed that although the “snubbing” wasn’t fair, it made sense because he was the result of something that shouldn’t have happened.
The celebrity’s other children, according to a different insider, handled the affair with dignity and respect. But according to a family employee, Patrick, 29, and Christopher, 25, were closer to Joe than Katherine and Christina, who had no relationship with him.
Eight years later, according to a source, everyone was still figuring out how to get over the nightmare, even though they had done a good job creating a new normal. It was revealed by another person that the family was attempting to build a private relationship with Joe prior to going public.
It was said that Joe longed for a relationship with his half-siblings. Katherine posted pictures of herself with her three siblings on Instagram on April 10, 2023, National Siblings Day, expressing her love for them.
She was swiftly criticized by her followers for shunning Joe, even though he made the extra effort to like and follow their social media posts. The person said that, with the exception of Joe’s photos, Arnold’s kids enjoyed his photos.
Joe grew up with his brothers and visited their Pacific Palisades residence from 1986 to 2003, so the supposed snub was peculiar. Someone who was acquainted with Katharine believed that since their father had concealed who he was for many years, there was no justification for her to be friends with her half-brother.
Katherine’s family was devastated, humiliated, and ruined by the affair, so the source couldn’t hold it against her for refusing to accept the “living reminder” of it. Without Joe, Shriver’s kids also observed significant occasions.
Without Joe, Patrick’s parents and siblings got together to celebrate his birthday in September 2021. The previous year, on his birthday, Christopher was joined by Arnold, Shriver, and several of his siblings—all but his half-brother—at home.
Patrick posted an Instagram photo of his father’s birthday in August 2020, however it did not include his son who was born out of wedlock. Arnold supposedly liked Joe so much that he wanted to involve him in one of his businesses, despite the fact that he wasn’t shown in family photos.
How Does Joe, Arnold’s Son, Get Treated?
Joe has developed a close bond with the actor since learning that Arnold is his father. The celebrity kept Joe’s father identity a secret for fifteen years until 2011, when Mildred said her son’s father was Rogelio Baena, her ex-husband.
When Joe began to resemble Arnold, Shriver became concerned and questioned Mildred, who sobbed as she revealed the truth. After the actress persuaded the housekeeper to delay her resignation, the couple’s 25-year marriage came to an end when she confronted Arnold during their counseling sessions.
Arnold acknowledged in 2015 that the entire ordeal had been difficult for him, his kids, and his family. But it had occurred, and now they had to work it out, which meant he had to mentor Joe.
Joe posted workout-related photos and videos on Instagram on a regular basis. According to a family source, the young man trained with the star at Gold’s Gym in Los Angeles because he looked up to him and aspired to be just like him.
It is said that Arnold desired to involve his son in his sports competition, The Arnold Classic Worldwide. Although a different source refuted Joe’s plans to join his father’s company, the celebrity was thrilled that all of his kids shared his interests, which included physical fitness.
The famous person funded his son’s education at Pepperdine University and proudly displayed him upon receiving his business degree in April 2019. When the celebrity declared his love for Joe, Joe responded by expressing his own love for his father.
But his father, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was pleased and proud of him and his dancing, Joseph “Joe” Baena.
The father-son team made an appearance at a restaurant honoring Arnold’s birthday in July 2021. Joe was born on October 2, 1997, and until he turned seven or eight years old and began to resemble his father, his paternity remained concealed.
In 2012, Arnold disclosed that he became aware the boy was his offspring as he began to bear similarities to him. Joe revealed in 2022 how close they had grown, laughing and talking about anything, even though it had taken some time.
The star’s son referred to him as the best training partner when the two started going to the gym together and he started to mimic some of his father’s well-known muscle poses on Instagram. Arnold happily posted three pictures of them together on Twitter when he turned 24 in 2021.
In addition to bodybuilding and real estate sales, Joe was an actor, and his debut film, “Bully High,” will be released in 2021. Joe claimed that his father wouldn’t participate in “Dancing With the Stars” unless Daniella Karagach was also his dance partner.
But his father was pleased with him and his dancing. He declared his admiration for Arnold, calling him the smartest and most ideal man he could come up with, and stated it was incredible to be compared to him.
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