I never saw an episode of “Friends,” but that is probably because I am from the television era that began with black-and-white pictures and television screens so small you had to draw a chair up to the box to see a flickering image. Back then, celebrity was a byproduct of talent and accomplishment. I did have breakfast once with another “Friends” cast member, David Schwimmer, who was in town to promote a film. The female servers swarmed our table.

One of the stars on “Friends,” Matthew Perry, 54, died last week in a hot tub in Los Angeles. No cause of death has been announced, pending toxicology reports. Perry reportedly had a long history of addiction to alcohol and opioids.

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Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ new book “America’s Expiration Date: The Fall of Empires and Superpowers and the Future of the United States” (HarperCollins/Zondervan).

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