That was the eighth episode of Friends’ fifth season. It was called “The One With All the Thanksgivings” or “The One With the Thanksgiving Flashbacks.” It aired on November 19, 1998. In it, the gang reminisce about past Thanksgivings after Ross is miserable about his divorce and eviction. Chandler talks about how his parents split up, Phoebe talks about losing an arm while nursing soldiers in a past life, Joey talks about the time he got a turkey stuck on his head, Monica talks about a time Chandler lied to her, and Rachel tells Chandler a secret about Monica that could ruin their relationship.
Who could forget the hilarious Thanksgiving episode from Friends where Joey gets his head stuck inside a raw turkey? This scene has become one of the most iconic and memorable moments from the entire 10 season run of the hit sitcom.
In the Season 5 episode ‘The One With All The Thanksgivings’, the Friends gang get together to celebrate Thanksgiving as they do every year. As usual, wacky antics ensue But none more hilarious than Joey’s turkey fiasco
The scene starts innocently enough Joey enters the apartment, greets everyone and asks what smells so good. Monica says she’s cooking Thanksgiving dinner Joey’s eyes light up when he spots the plump raw turkey sitting on the counter.
Ever the food lover, Joey picks up the turkey and jokingly acts as if he’s going to eat it. We all know Joey has an insatiable appetite and isn’t shy about cramming food into his mouth. But this turkey is raw after all.
In classic Joey fashion, he proceeds to stick his entire head inside the turkey carcass Why? No one really knows. Perhaps he was checking to see if the turkey would fit over his head? Or maybe he just wanted to show off his goofy sense of humor
At first, the rest of the gang find Joey’s turkey head hilarious. They snap photos and crack jokes at Joey’s expense. But soon Joey realizes he’s made a big mistake. He can’t get the turkey off his head!
Panic sets in as Joey starts running around the apartment yelling “It’s stuck! It’s stuck!” The harder he tries to pull the turkey off, the more lodged on his head it becomes.
The turkey starts to restrict Joey’s breathing. He’s literally being suffocated by poultry. Not exactly the way Joey Tribbiani imagined he would go out.
Chandler, Ross and Monica try all sorts of zany solutions to free Joey from the killer turkey. They use cooking oil, dish soap and attempt to carefully saw it off his neck. But nothing works!
Finally, in desperation, Monica resorts to pulling the turkey off Joey’s head herself. She braces herself against the counter for leverage. The rest of the gang grab Joey and with one massive tug, the turkey pops off.
Joey collapses on the floor, gasping for breath. He’s bruised, battered but ultimately relieved to be free of the turkey’s death grip. It’s easily one of the most hilarious and ridiculous predicaments any character has endured on Friends.
Audiences loved seeing the normally suave Joey Tribbiani taken down by a turkey of all things. The cranberry sauce exploding everywhere as he runs around was the icing on the cake. It provided the perfectblend of physical comedy and Thanksgiving nostalgia.
Over 25 years later, Joey’s turkey head debacle remains a standout scene among fans. It’s right up there with Ross’ “PIVOT!” couch moment and Monica’s head-shaking, Geller-cup routine.
People still can’t help but burst out laughing whenever Joey dons the turkey head. The sheer absurdity combined with Matt LeBlanc’s comic timing is comedic gold.
For many fans, Joey wearing a turkey like a hat has become synonymous with Thanksgiving itself. No holiday episode marathon is complete without reliving this classic moment.
Even those who have never watched a single episode of Friends are familiar with the turkey head scene. It’s transcended the show through endless pop culture references, memes and reaction gifs.
Several reasons explain why this silly slapstick moment has endured over the years. Firstly, a grown man getting his head stuck in a turkey is just inherently funny. The turkey also serves as the perfect oversized prop for physical comedy.
Seeing poised character Joey Tribbiani in such a compromising predicament also adds to the hilarity. Here’s a guy who thinks he’s God’s gift to women, yet he lets his appetite get him into such an absurd mess.
The scene is also relatable in its simplicity. Most people have experienced getting into a tricky situation that seems impossible to get out of. Just not usually involving poultry.
But perhaps the biggest factor is Matt LeBlanc’s incredible comedic skills. His turkey-muffled voice, frantic flailing and sheer look of panic brought the scene to life in an unforgettable way.
LeBlanc’s commitment to the bit is obvious. He gives it his all, throwing his entire body into the physical comedy without restraint. That dedication to the humor is why the scene still holds up today.
While all the Friends have their iconic moments, LeBlanc in particular shines when given these types of physical comedy gags to work with. He has a natural talent for slapstick that turn even the most absurd scenarios into side-splitting hilarity.
Joey and his turkey head debacle has rightfully earned its place as not only one of the best Thanksgiving episodes but one of the most legendary comedic scenes in sitcom history. 25 years later, it remains the ultimate example of LeBlanc’s comedic brilliance.
So this Thanksgiving when you’re gathered with family around the TV after stuffing your bellaces with turkey, take time to appreciate the enduring joys of Joey’s turkey head. A timeless benchmark of everything funny about Friends that will undoubtedly live on for years to come. Gobble gobble!
Plot[]
Ross’s claim that his divorce and eviction are making this Thanksgiving the worst he’s ever had makes the other people talk about bad holidays they’ve had in the past. Chandler reminds everyone of the Thanksgiving where his parents told him they were getting a divorce. Next, Phoebe talks about a worse one from a past life in which she lost an arm. But Ross doesn’t let her story count because the stories can only be about real lives. Phoebe cuts Rachel off by telling a story about the Thanksgiving when Joey got a turkey stuck on his head. Rachel says she knows Monica’s worst Thanksgiving. Chandler was supposed to be scared of the turkey, so Phoebe and then Monica when she gets home try to pull it out. This results in Chandler being scared when he returns. Monica then tells the group what she thinks is her worst Thanksgiving. In 1987, Rachel, who has a big nose, comes over because she is mad that Chip Matthews broke up with her for Nancy Branson. Ross brings Chandler home from college for Thanksgiving. Ross has an Afro and a mustache, while Chandler has hair styled like a “flock of seagulls.” Monica is fat, and Rachel tells her that she’s done dating high school boys and wants to date men now. Hearing this, Ross tells Chandler that he is thinking about asking Rachel to go on a date. He then tells Chandler his plan. Ross, however, offers to let him stay at his house, and Chandler says he doesn’t want to be around his fat sister. Monica overhears this and thinks Chandler is being rude. Disgusted that he actually meant that, Monica stops overeating.
Back in the present, Chandler apologies to Monica for insulting her. Rachel reveals that story is not the story she was referring to. More flashbacks take place in 1988. When Ross and Chandler (this time dressed as Miami Vice cast members) get to dinner, Monica has lost weight, and Chandler finds her attractive. Monica tells Rachel that she wants to make Chandler feel bad for calling her fat, so Rachel suggests that they trick Chandler into taking off his clothes. Rachel told Monica to act like everything around her turns her on, so Monica tries to get Chandler to like her by rubbing different things, like a knife, against herself. She accidentally drops the knife and severs his toe, due to the fact Chandlers shoes are very weak. He is rushed to the hospital to have it put back on, but Monica mixed up the digit with a small piece of carrot in all the chaos. Present day: Chandler gets mad when he finds out he lost his toe because he called Monica fat, and he storms off in a rage. By putting a turkey on her head, Monica asks him to forgive her. She then puts on a fez hat and big glasses and dances for him, accidentally telling her he loves her for the first time in their relationship. And the turkey on Monicas head freaks Joey out. A tag scene shows Phoebe remembering another life when she was in a field hospital during World War I in 1915 and lost her arm again.
Trivia[]
- The camera moves up and someone’s shadow moves across the ceiling when Monica drops the knife that cuts Chandler’s toe.
- The TV remote is lying on the table at an angle in the first scene when Phoebe is trying to turn on the TV. It’s lying straight when the shot changes, then at an angle again. Then it was straight again, then back at an angle.
- Some shots show a big empty space next to Phoebe in front of Rachel’s room. This is clearly there to make room for the cameras when they need to take pictures from that angle.
- If Monica throws the knife into the air by accident, it doesn’t have a point as it flies through the air, but when it gets close to Chandler’s toe, it does.
- Monica puts the fez on top of the turkey and the glasses over its arms at the end of the episode where she is dancing with the turkey on her head. The fez gets stuck in place and tilted back when the camera angle changes, and the glasses end up under the arms.
- The opening scene is immediately after Thanksgiving dinner is over. At the end of the episode, Monica has another thawed but uncooked turkey that she can put on her head, but no one says why. “Maybe it was meant for a later dinner with her parents, like the huge turkey on Joey’s head. ).
- The doctor’s gloves keep going away and coming back when Chandler is in the hospital.
- It’s clear that Monica doesn’t like the three-dimensional portrait of Gladys in “The One With Ross Grant.” However, Monica’s apartment has the portrait of Gladys. Having the picture hung at Monica’s house also makes it seem like she should have known who Gladys was in the Season 10 episode where she asks who she is. It’s also possible that she didn’t know the painting was called Gladys. Additionally, Gladys is red in this episode but blue in the next one.
- Chandler has a bug in his head right after he tells Monica he loves her.
- The glass bowl in front of Monica moves a few inches to the right during the 1988 kitchen scene, but Rachel never touches it. This happens between the first scene where Monica scrapes carrots and the scene where Rachel leaves the kitchen.
- Even though a lot of time has passed, the clock stays at 5:08 from the time Monica walks into the kitchen until Chandler comes in.
- A feather slowly falls behind Chandler as he says, “Nothing. I said you were so great and then I just stopped talking.”
- Joshua Preston, who plays Young Chandler, has brown eyes, but Matthew Perry had or has blue eyes.
Joey Gets His Head Stuck in a Turkey | Friends
FAQ
In what episode of Friends does Joey have a turkey on his head?
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“The One with All the Thanksgivings”
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Friends episode
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Episode no.
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Season 5 Episode 8
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Directed by
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Kevin S. Bright
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Written by
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Gregory S. Malins
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Who has the turkey on their head in Friends?
How did they do the turkey scene in Friends?
Why does Joey have a turkey stuck on his head?
The turkey stuck on Joey’s head is a reference to Act 4 in “Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean”, a 1992 episode of Mr. Bean. Ross and Chandler’s costumes in 1988 were inspired by Miami Vice, which was popular at the time. The music used in Chandler’s accident was “The Murder” from Alfred Hitchcock ‘s Psycho.
Did Joey get Monica’s turkey stuck on his head?
Friends – Joey got Monica’s turkey stuck on his head! If playback doesn’t begin shortly, try restarting your device. Videos you watch may be added to the TV’s watch history and influence TV recommendations. To avoid this, cancel and sign in to YouTube on your computer.
Why did Phoebe and Monica pull the turkey off Joey’s head?
Unsuccessful at pulling the turkey off Joey’s head, which he had put on to scare Chandler, Phoebe enlists help from Monica, who needs to bring the turkey to feed a dinner party at her parents’ house. Phoebe and Monica continue to pull at the turkey off of Joey’s head until Chandler arrives and is scared by Joey.