Lee Strobel claims FRIENDS is influenced by Satan, slams sitcom’s allegedly "ugly s*xual ethic" on Tucker Carlson show

Christian author Lee Strobel recently appeared on The Tucker Carlson Show and cited an unlikely cultural reference as an example of contemporary evil: the sitcom FRIENDS, a popular fixture in the 1990s. The discussion, which began with the nature of the demonic, soon shifted to a critique of Hollywood, where Strobel made sweeping claims about the messages embedded in the show.

Strobel opened the segment by stating that the most pressing issue in today's culture is the denial of a demonic realm. When asked by host Tucker Carlson how to identify evidence of this influence, Strobel stated that a clever Satan would not possess individuals but would instead strategically target creative influences.

He proposed that the intelligent approach would be to influence Hollywood to make entertaining movies and television shows that normalize immoral messages. It was in this particular context that Strobel referenced the NBC sitcom FRIENDS. He contended that while it was "wonderful," "funny," and wildly successful, the sitcom had a "very ugly s*xual ethic."

"I'm thinking of a wonderful, funny TV show like FRIENDS...but underlying that is a very ugly s*xual ethic that normalizes multiple s*xual partners and that sort of thing. The kind of thing that Satan would love to inculcate into American culture," Strobel said.

Lee Strobel argued that portraying casual relationships and multiple s*xual partners as normal is a vehicle for a satanic agenda aimed at the moral degradation of culture. He added that comedy is a powerful factor in this because laughter lowers the audience's psychological defenses, making viewers more receptive to its underlying propositions.

"If Monica can do that on FRIENDS, I can certainly have s*x on the first date with this guy I meet," he said.

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Lee Strobel tells Tucker Carlson FRIENDS normalizes immorality

As Tucker Carlson interjected with the comment that he was "the only American who never saw it [FRIENDS]," he engaged with the premise by suggesting a worldly measure for evaluating evil. He asked whether the pain and disarray exhibited in many Hollywood lives, citing wrecked relationships, estranged children, and drug issues, would be a valid metric.

"Are the people doing it at peace and joyful, happy? Are they tormented? And I know a lot of people in Hollywood, a lot of people I like actually. Um, not too many happy people. Some really tormented people for real. String of wrecked relationships, kids who hate them, trans kids, drug problems, like there's so much of that," Tucker Carlson remarked.

Lee Strobel concurred, describing it as a "logical" outcome. He said that if evil was working through someone, it would be positively detrimental to them as well.

"It does destroy you," Strobel told Carlson, equating the alleged spiritual influence to the personal pain and suffering witnessed in the entertainment industry. He further concluded that wandering from the way of God is indeed detrimental to a person's life.

By calling out FRIENDS, a sitcom still beloved and streamed by millions, Lee Strobel and Tucker Carlson highlighted a critique of how cultural norms are shaped and the hidden forces they believe may be behind them.