The Hilarious Character Break That Made It Into An Episode Of Friends

Keeping it together in sitcoms sometimes appears like an endurance test. There's a whole host of footage among the gold-tier laugh fests over the years where cast members have slipped up on camera and tried desperately to keep themselves in check, only to fail miserably. One particular group of repeat offenders is our favorite New York-based twenty-somethings from "Friends." Plenty of occasions didn't survive the editing room and get into the final cut. However, there are other times when the giggles just got far too strong to hold in.

One standout moment where stifled laughter is clearly shown occurs in the 15th episode of the show's seventh season, "The One with Joey's New Brain." The scene features a gag which is hilarious on its own merit. What's even more amusing is how a member of the cast clearly makes a considerable effort not to crack up on camera, which ironically causes it to be more noticeable.

In "The One With Joey's New Brain," as a wedding gift to Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry), Ross (David Schwimmer) attempts to learn "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang on the bagpipes, with the full intention of playing it at their wedding. In the closing of the episode, Ross finally reveals the result of his hard work, and while it is an assault on the ears for some, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is in her element during the recital (via YouTube).

With Phoebe making a sound similar to a bottle-nosed dolphin, the two have a horrific duet with everyone else looking on in disbelief. Pay close attention, though, and you can clearly see Jennifer Aniston as Rachel, fighting to hold the laughter in. She even goes as far as to cover her mouth during Phoebe's highest notes. It's a popular moment among fans just to watch Ross bash away at the bagpipes, but seeing Aniston trying her best to keep it together makes the scene a certified side-splitter, which earns the award for "wee-bit o' celebration" for that alone.