Ross Geller: King Of Nonverbal Communication
When it comes to sit-coms, there needs to be plenty of animations and nonverbal cues to help portray the comedic aspect, and there is no other character better at facial cues than Ross Geller.
Definition
There are all kinds of nonverbal communication. It is a way to communicate without having to say anything. When someone uses their face or body to communicate it helps convey the message they are saying.
In fact you could convey a whole message without even saying a word. According to helpguide.org, “Your nonverbal communication cues — the way you listen, look, move, and react — tell the person you’re communicating with whether or not you care, if you’re being truthful, and how well you’re listening. When your nonverbal signals match up with the words you’re saying, they increase trust, clarity, and rapport. When they don’t, they can generate tension, mistrust, and confusion,” (Boose, Robinson, Segal, Smith, 2020). It is good to be able to read nonverbal cues when talking to people. It can help determine if you can trust your friends.
If you are talking to someone, it is important to send out nonverbal cues so people do not mix up the meaning of what you are saying. i.e. if you are telling the truth about an important issue do not laugh. It sends out a signal that you are not being that serious and you are lying.
Ross Geller
Facial expressions are a big part of nonverbal communication. Your face can determine if you are happy, sad, angry, etc. Ross Geller in “Friends” has three top scenes where he has good nonverbal communication. Coming in at number three is the scene from the dinner party in season 10. In this episode, Ross is uncomfortable because he just discovered Rachel and Joey kissing. He freaks out and throws a dinner party with them and also invites his own girlfriend.
Before anyone arrives he gets drunk on margaritas. At some point, he decides to go off on a tangent with a poem about love. He is moving his hands everywhere, using his face to communicate, and he is standing up showing he wants everyone’s attention.
Coming in at number two is ross discovering Monica and Chandler being together. He gets so angry and yells at them. That is until he realizes they are in love, then he says the exact same thing but due to nonverbal cues you can tell he is not mad anymore.
This shows that the words you say can mean different things, and you need to use nonverbal cues so people know how you really feel about the situation.
Coming in at number one is the scene that Rachel tells Ross that she is pregnant with his baby. This is the best example because he does not say anything at the beginning. He just uses his face to express how shocked he is at what just happened.
He later adds in words. At first, they are short, but then he starts to get frustrated. He raises his voice to show that and also stands up. Ross needs to convey is shock so Rachel understands he never intended for it to happen, and to show that he is genuinely surprised.
Nonverbals are used to convey how someone feels. It is important in everyday life to keep out of trouble and to keep everyone on the same page. Never forget to use your facial cues to express how you feel.
Smith, M., Segal, J., Robinson, L., & Boose, G. (2020). Nonverbal Communication and Body Language. Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/nonverbal-communication.htm