"The Friend" gives a voice to those of us hounded by self-obsessed dog parents
For service workers, the egocentric first-time dog owner in "The Friend" will be all too familiar
By COLEMAN SPILDE
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED MARCH 29, 2025 1:29PM (EDT)
But not every dog owner cares to learn this invaluable lesson. Too many use their pets as an excuse for bad human behavior, like animal accessories that grant a free pass for owners to terrorize service workers while gaining Instagram followers. And while “The Friend” is a decent film — a heartwarming but narratively slight story of the similar ways humans and dogs grieve — it’s even more effective as a cautionary tale for new dog owners. Finally, a movie that isn’t afraid to stick its neck out to reveal there is a very fine line between being a dog owner and a certified a**hole.
... To some, dogs are an accessory or a status symbol, or worse: an Instagram algorithm booster. My years in the animal care industry were a sociological study that gave me a peek at our culture’s real monsters. These people would push you in front of a moving vehicle if it meant they could capture their dog bathed in the perfect lighting for the Instagram account written in their dog’s “voice.” It's just convenient that none of the captions on those photos ever include the dogs saying, “Please, don’t take me to Trader Joe’s at 5:30 p.m.”
... For Iris, Apollo really is a surprise, one that upends her whole life. Most other dog owners — and I say “owners” and not “dog humans” or “dog parents” because I firmly believe coddling people with made-up terminology directly results in the very bad behavior we’re discussing — chose that life.
https://www.salon.com/2025/03/29/the-friend-gives-a-voice-to-those-of-us-hounded-by-self-obsessed-dog-parents/
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