AThe wedding invitations are piled up on the table, only the names are missing. Emily asks her fiancé whether he has decided to invite his uncle Nathan over or not. Ross muses, “Nobody likes him.” Then he adds, “And he’s so stingy he wouldn’t fly to London in a million years.” The New York couple plan to get married in the bride’s hometown across the Atlantic – and so, at least in the cult series “Friends”, the problem solves itself elegantly: the unloved uncle receives an invitation, the family peace is preserved, but the relative is still not there.
What is good for a gag in the US sitcom presents many couples with a major challenge: do you really have to invite everyone? The whole hunchbacked relatives, including the abusive Uncle Dieter? And what about the cousin’s annoying fiancé who always brags about his earnings? Or, with all love, the cheeky daughter of your best friend? In view of these questions, fleeing abroad may be tempting, but only an option for a few.