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Fri 2 Aug, 2013 09:24 pm
This is part of a sitcom, Friends.
Chandler and Monica, who have been hiding that they dated, are having
a pleasant conversation in bed. Chandler says, Pheobe, one of their closest friends, was hitting on him.
Doubtful, Monica responds that it's impossible for Pheobe to like him, adding
"I think you misunderstood her. She thinks you are charming in a sexless kind of way."
Disappointed, Chandler says,
"Oh, I can't hear that enough."
And the audience laughs. I begin to wonder.
What could he mean by that?
The guy loves jokes, and I know it must be sort of a jest too.
What he said probably is something sarcastic and funny, I guess.
What exactly does that mean?
Could you please comment on that?
@SMickey,
Good news. You are correct.
It's an example of irony and sarcasm. Ross is being told that he's being viewed as sexless from a woman that he finds attractive. Upon hearing this, he offers an explanation that clearly is the opposite of how he really feels. He really means that if he never heard that again he'd be more pleased.
@SMickey,
"I can't hear that enough." should mean he likes hearing it; he would like to hear it more often. Exactly why a man would want to hear that he is charming in a sexless kind of way is sort of a mystery.
@Ragman,
Sarcasm. I should have guessed.
@SMickey,
One of the most annoying aspects of US sitcoms to UK audiences is the liklihood of "canned laughter" which "overdoes the joke". In the case of Friends this certainly occurs part of the time. It is possible that this is an example.
@fresco,
fresco wrote:
annoying ... Friends...
A selectively edited quote, I know, but this particular UK raised person has never understood why anyone would (or how anyone could) watch an episode of 'Friends', let alone laugh at any of it. I could charitably assume that some things just don't travel from Leftpondia to Rightpondia. Some things do, or at least we rate/have rated these in our house: Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, Homeland, Dexter, True Blood, American Horror Story, Nurse Jackie (yes!) and of course the incomparable Breaking Bad. I model my management style at work on Gustavo Fring's.
@Ragman,
Ragman wrote:Ross is being told that he's being viewed as sexless from a woman that he finds attractive.
It's not him that she views as "sexless", it's his charm. She likes him in a (pronouncedly) non-sexual way.
@Ragman,
It wasn't Ross, it was Chandler!
@SMickey,
Quote:Doubtful, Monica responds that it's impossible for Pheobe to like him, adding
"I think you misunderstood her. She thinks you are charming in a sexless kind of way."
Disappointed, Chandler says,
"Oh, I can't hear that enough."
And the audience laughs. I begin to wonder.
What could he mean by that?
Chandler is being sarcastic, by pretending that the part I've put in bold was a compliment that he wants to hear often.
Sort of like, "Gee that's a nice compliment to hear - I could never get tired of hearing such a reassuring idea".
@JTT,
I see. So Chandler said just the opposit of what he really wanted to hear.
Thank you.
He really means: I don't like to hear that again!
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