Smelly Cat
Friends writers Adam Chase and Betsy Borns wrote the song with musician Chrissie Hynde and Kudrow for the latter's character Phoebe Buffay, and it first appears in the sixth episode of the show's second season, "The One with the Baby on the Bus" (1995).
Kudrow and Hynde's band the Pretenders, credited as Phoebe Buffay and the Hairballs, recorded an updated version entitled "Smelly Cat Medley" for the soundtrack album Friends Again (1999).
"Smelly Cat" has been covered by several artists, including Friends guest stars E. G. Daily, Chris Isaak, and James Michael Tyler, co-star Courteney Cox, and singer Colbie Caillat.
Kudrow also performed "Smelly Cat" with Taylor Swift live during the singer's 1989 World Tour in 2015, with footage of the duet garnering widespread media attention and becoming a viral sensation.
On the American sitcom Friends (1994–2004), actress Lisa Kudrow plays Phoebe Buffay, an eccentric masseuse and amateur singer-songwriter with little musical talent.
[6] Tending to incorporate her personal life into Friends storylines, Borns initially based the song on a malodorous dog she had owned as a child named Gouda (after the cheese),[6][7] at first describing the concept "as an ode to her childhood pet".
[30] An updated version of the song entitled "Smelly Cat Medley" was eventually released on the soundtrack album Friends Again (1999),[31] credited to Phoebe Buffay and the Hairballs.
[44][45] Although intended to be a one-time joke, the writers continued to conceive ways of incorporating the song into the series, creating various storylines that revolve around "Smelly Cat".
[46] I'll Be There for You: The One About Friends author Kelsey Miller confirmed that the composition was used most frequently during the show's second season,[47] with Phoebe singing it at Central Perk regularly.
[61] Phoebe also leads her friends in a sing-along version of "Smelly Cat" at Central Perk,[63] each of whom contribute a solo, except Ross Geller (Schwimmer) because there are no more lines.
[46] However, Sam Ashurst of Digital Spy identified this as a plot hole, since Phoebe had previously confirmed that her father abandons her before she was born, therefore he could not have been present to sing to her.
"[70] Following filming of the Friends series finale "The Last One" in January 2004, a wrap party was hosted for the cast and crew at Los Angeles' Park Plaza Hotel, at which a cocktail named after the song was served.
[44] The Toronto Star's Melody L. Goh hailed "Smelly Cat" as "the best song to ever be played on Friends",[29] while RTÉ declared it one of the series' greatest moments.
"[96] The Honolulu Star-Advertiser's Betty Shimabukuro described "Smelly Cat" as "legendary for its tunelessness and total fusion with the Phoebe personality", and suggested that fans seek solace by singing the song following the show's finale.
[78] Conversely, Wired writer Travis Reilly described the track as "notoriously awful",[97] while The Washington Post journalist Jennifer Frey dismissed the song's several renditions as "painful".
[100] Madison Malone Kircher of Business Insider wrote that "Smelly Cat" predated the Internet as a viral meme by "becoming an oft-quoted and mimicked cultural touchstone for fans of the show.
[48] CinemaBlend contributor Jessica Rawden attributes the song's popularity to several storylines that established "Smelly Cat" as an important aspect of Phoebe's life, ultimately becoming "ingrained into the cultural fiber of Friends".
[104] In September 2009, Kudrow performed "Smelly Cat" live with actress Courteney Cox, who portrayed Monica Geller on Friends, during the Rock A Little, Feed A Lot benefit concert.
joked that "hitting the right notes wasn't really a concern [for the actresses] if they wanted the performance to reflect Lisa's character's dubious musical talents",[105] while Inquisitr's Asher Bayot reviewed the duet as awkward.
[103] In 2014, singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat sang an a capella version of "Smelly Cat" live at a Central Perk-themed pop-up café in Manhattan, New York,[62][107] which had been launched to commemorate the show's 20th anniversary.
[107] Despite praising Caillat's rendition as "awesome" for "fulfill[ing] every Friends fanatic's fantasy", Bustle's Aly Semigran criticized her for performing only half of the song.
[64] At the same pop-up, actor James Michael Tyler, who portrayed Central Perk barista Gunther, performed the first verse of the song with band The Rembrandts, who recorded "I'll Be There for You".
[60][109] In August 2015, Kudrow performed "Smelly Cat" live with singer Taylor Swift at the Staples Center during the final North American legs of her 1989 World Tour.
[50] Kudrow interrupted Swift midway through the duet to offer feedback and remind her to feel the song's lyrics, prompting screams and laughter from the audience.
[112] Yvonne Villarreal of the Los Angeles Times found the rendition superior to "Smelly Cat's" "over-produced music video" from "The One Where Eddie Moves In".
[117] A critic for The New Zealand Herald described the rendition as "a whole new – and slightly surreal – experience to see it performed with pop royalty in front of a huge stadium audience.
"[70] Fan recordings of the performance became very popular on the Internet being heavily circulated on social media,[113] with both Swift and "Smelly Cat" trending on Facebook and Twitter, respectively, the following morning.
[121] To commemorate the show's 25th anniversary in September 2019, a flash mob of 25 women dressed as Phoebe assembled in New York's Union Square and performed "Smelly Cat".
[36] Classic FM ranked "Smelly Cat" Phoebe's best song, with writer Sofia Rizzi calling it "a post-modern work of art" that remains "an anthem for fans of the show today.
[137] Although VH1 ranked "Smelly Cat" the third "Best (Fake) Song Written For TV", author Stacy Lambe critiqued the music video version as "overproduced".
