Discover the deleted Friends scene featuring Chandler Bing’s infamous airport joke, and why it was deemed too controversial to air.

Imagine a world where pure shock value meets the humor of Friends! A deleted scene with Matthew Perry delivering a joke so ridiculous it’s nearly legendary was discovered by the writers in their pursuit of pushing the envelope. In one outrageous remark that had both fans and critics in stitches, Perry’s Chandler Bing went from endearing to downright embarrassing.

Matthew Perry l Credits: Wikimedia Commons
This episode demonstrates how even the most cherished sitcom can dive into the utterly unusual, blending humor with moments of breathtaking daring.

Deleted Friends Scene Revealed: Chandler Bing’s Inappropriate 9/11 Airport Joke Resurfaces

Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing in FRIENDS | Warner Bros. Television
A deleted scene from the popular comedy sitcom Friends has resurfaced. In it, Chandler Bing (played by Matthew Perry) makes a rude joke about bombs at an airport. This scene was filmed just a few weeks after the tragic 9/11 attacks.

Chandler appears to be standing close to a sign that says, ‘ATTENTION: Federal Law Prohibits Any Joking Regarding Aircraft Hijacking Or Bombing,’ in the scene. He continues to joke around with a security guard in spite of the obvious warning, saying (via Unilad):

You don’t have to worry about me ma’am, I take my bombs very seriously.

Given the tragedy, the joke—which was meant to be humorous—is now viewed as extremely inappropriate and disrespectful. Despite the fact that Friends’ producers meant the sequence as a joke, they quickly understood how insulting it was and, as a result, excluded it from the air.

Instead of broadcasting the segment that they filmed, they edit the segment and reshoot the bit with a different, less controversial storyline. The intended deleted scene was, nevertheless, shaken off the public domain until it re-emerged in 2004 in a DVD collection; it was not until 2007 that the scene was again available on the internet.

Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing in FRIENDS | Warner Bros. Television
Although the producers’ decision to cut out the unpleasant moment has won plaudits from many viewers, the deleted video has reignited discussions about whether humor is appropriate after tragedy. Some people suggested that the joke was wrong and showed gruesome inconsiderateness to the people who died in the 9/11 tragedy. As to others, they think it was simply the attempt at providing dark humor that was misconstrued.

Regardless of what you want to make out from the Friends deleted scene, it underlines that it is always necessary to be careful and polite, even when it is completely amusing. The fact that the scene was cut showed how serious the show was about quality—and how knowledgeable it was about how to use humor after a big tragedy.

Friends Creators Confessed: Matthew Perry’s Addiction Struggles Almost Cut His Time in the Show

Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc in FRIENDS | Warner Bros. Television
A sad new detail about Matthew Perry’s fight with addiction while he was on the popular TV show Friends has come to light. Marta Kauffman and David Crane, who created the show, talked about how they felt when they learnt about Perry’s problems and how that affected the show.

In a recent interview with The Times U.K, Kauffman revealed she had the most contact with him of all six Friends stars. Perry kept giving great performances even though he was having problems, thanks to the support of his co-stars and the show’s writers.

The news of Perry’s addiction tells us how harmful drug abuse can be, even for famous people. It also highlights what an artist has to go through to manage his mental and physical health.