Chandler: I'm in Las Vegas. I'm Liza Minelli

Why Chandler dreaming he's Liza Minelli is funny?

It's end credits and the time for a farewell type of joke in Friends. The gang is sitting in the cafe and Chandler begins to tell his new dream slash story.

Chandler: I'm in Las Vegas. I'm Liza Minelli

Audience laughs. And I am like, yeah? Is all the joke that he is some famous woman called Liza Minelli? Or is there more to it?

Liza Minelli (1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer and choreographer. To say that Liza is a pretty big performance star would be an understatement. A huge star would be way more right. At least by the beginning of Friends tv-show in 1994 she is.

In 1990 Liza became one of just 21 people in the world who has won all four popular awards - Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. EGOT is an acronym for these people, if you want to google the other 20 lucky winners. So Chandler just mentioning Liza Minelli, rings the bell for every American ear in that sitcom audience.

Still, is the joke is just about Chandler comparing himself to a grandiosely famous woman-performer? After reading a bit more on Liza Minelli, I saw one more pattern.

Initially writers meant for Chandler to be even though super slightly, but still on the gay spectrum. Remember one of the first scenes in the first episode Chandler suddenly gives away his thoughts.

Chandler: Sometimes I wish I was a lesbian... (They all stare at him.) Did I say that out loud?

Chandler's Liza Minelli joke is another nod to that direction, that the writers give us. See Liza Minelli had a special persona and a style of performing that has gained her status as a gay icon. And Chandler dreaming of performing in Las Vegas as Liza Minelli definitely felt quite gay to the rest of the friends at that time. Further on we will see many more jokes that come with "is he secretly gay?" theme for which Chandler stands front and center.

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