The one where 25 Phoebes from 'Friends' run around NYC singing 'Smelly Cat'

For the 25th anniversary of the show, an animal welfare organization makes one of main characters its spokespeople

Published On
Sep 20, 2019

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One of the most memorable scenes in “Friends” is when the zany, guitar-playing Phoebe Buffay sings her original song “Smelly Cat” to a cringing audience at Central Perk. For many, the song solidified Phoebe as their show favorite.

On September 20, in celebration of the hit sitcom’s 25th anniversary, Warner Bros. and AT&T partnered with Best Friends Animal Society to tour 25 look-a-like Phoebes across popular spots in Manhattan to busk for cat adoption. The Phoebes, dressed in the character’s brown fringed jacket, wearing pigtails and carrying guitar cases, shuffled around to sites like where the “Friends” apartment is located in the show, Grand Central and Rockefeller Center. At every location, they sang “Smelly Cat” as they promoted cat adoption and encouraged people to go online at bestfriends.org/Friends25 to donate to the animal welfare organization, dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in shelters. The Phoebes then took selfies with fans and told them to share on social with the hashtag #Friends25.

One of the locations where the Phoebes performed was right outside the AT&T flagship store in Times Square. Inside, the carrier showcased the door from Monica Geller’s apartment and the famous orange couch used in the opening of “Friends,” where the characters danced with umbrellas under a spraying fountain. Visitors can take “sofa selfies” and pretend they are one of the gang.