Sorrow over Death of Actor Matthew Perry Spans Generations

By Ridimerb Diaz-Ramirez | Published November 18, 2023

Fans mourn celebrities’ deaths, like Matthew Perry’s, almost like when they lose a family member. 

Perry, who died at the age of 54, was found unresponsive in a jacuzzi. His cause of death was initially determined to have been drowning, but now further investigation is being done. 

While he had a successful career, Perry battled addiction and recently wrote a memoir about it.

The television show “Friends”, which is about a group of 20-somethings making their way in New York City, originally aired in the 1990s, yet some members of Gen Z are as attached to the series as Generation X and Millennial-era fans are. 

Many students considered Gen Z –the Generation born roughly since 1996 -devoted to Perry and other characters on the TV series. 

Perry’s character on “Friends”, Chandler Bing, was so loved that some argue that he made the show. 

“I was shocked, and I was like sad….” said Safiyyah Hunter, a sophomore majoring in public administration. “Chandler was like the funny one; he made the show.”

Hunter said she built a bond with Perry’s character because he made her laugh. 

Victoria Gomez, a junior majoring in communication studies, said that she too built a connection with Chandler. She said she felt like he was there for her in the way a friend is there for a person. 

“I will always watch friends growing up, and I will always watch reruns,” Gomez said. 

Allison Edgley, Ed.D., a communication professor explained that while she doesn’t have special feelings for celebrities who are closer to her age, she does understand why others go through this range of emotions. 

“I believe that we as a society get attached to characters who we identify with, who make us laugh, and even those who make us cry,” Edgley said. “ People think they know the celebrity and can feel deeply connected to the person through their portrayal of their roles or the other talents they possess.” 

Christopher Lynch, Ph.D., a retired Kean professor who teaches popular culture in the Communication department, said Gen X was the first generation to grow up with both parents working at the same time, and when divorce was also on the rise; society was rapidly changing –a situation that still exists today. Lynch believes the changes caused some type of scarring in Gen X. 

According to Lynch, these factors led to the generations becoming attached to the characters of Friends’ sarcastic type of sitcom because they were able to relate to the dysfunctionality.

Lynch explained that Gen X, Millenials, and Gen Z are all dealing with the same societal trauma, which explains the reason why the show remained popular through the generations and led to other generations also building a bond with the characters. 

“We feel it almost like a personal loss because we come to believe that we know these individuals,” Lynch said, explaining that fans identify with the celebrities.

“When one of them dies suddenly, it’slike we mourn the loss of all this potential that this individual has,” Lynch said. “We are more aware today of our brokenness.”

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