Ross applies for a grant, but the professor administering it is Charlie's ex-boyfriend. Phoebe tries to give away her creepy paintings. Joey tries to star in a commercial for Chandler's company.
Tropes:
- Absence of Evidence: Joey knows Chandler didn't watch the tape because Chandler doesn't mention the Ichiban commercial.
- Answer Cut: Chandler asks Joey what he can do to get Joey to forgive him. Cut to him at Central Perk wearing blue lipstick.
- The Bad Guy Wins: The moment he meets Ross, Benjamin tells him to break up with Charlie, and then proceeds to sabotage his interview. In the end, Charlie realizes she still loves him.
- Bilingual Bonus: The product name in Joey's Japandering advert is real Japanese, it means "number one."
- Blatant Lies: When Ross goes with Charlie to foil Benjamin as his office:Benjamin: Like I tried to tell you in the interview, Ross, this grant is not based on your knowledge of pretty useless Trivia.
- Call-Back: Phoebe reveals to the gang that she and Mike got engaged by pretending her left hand hurts because of the engagement ring. Monica played a similar joke after she and Chandler got engaged.
- Derailing Love Interests: Charlie going back to her manipulative ex in front of Ross' eyes causes them to break up.
- Downer Ending: Ross loses Charlie as she goes back to Benjamin.
- Failure Is the Only Option: Ross's grant interview with Benjamin.
- History with Celebrity: Phoebe's Little Black Book of guys she's slept with apparently includes all of Jethro Tull.
- Japandering: Joey's demo tape includes an advert for "Ichiban - lipstick for men" which he insists only ever aired in Japan. The ad involves Joey wearing bright blue lipstick while playing an electric guitar, dancing schoolgirls and a lot of abstract graphics.
- Laser-Guided Karma: During the end credits Rachel scares Joey by making it look like "Gladys" is breaking into his room. Once she's done scaring him Rachel closes his door and turns around to find Monica standing behind her doing the same thing with "Glynnis".
- Revealing Cover-Up: Joey immediately knows Chandler is lying about watching his tape because if he had then he definitely would have made fun of what's on it.
- Spooky Painting: Phoebe's paintings "Gladys" and "Glynnis," which depict a woman coming out of the frame. Rachel and Monica are considerably creeped out by them. Joey likes "Gladys" at first ("It's an original Buffay!") until Rachel spins a tale about it being haunted. The Stinger shows that Rachel and Monica have found good use for both paintings, by using them to prank each other and poor Joey.
- Super Gullible: Joey easily believes Rachel's claim that the painting "Gladys" is haunted and tries to steal legs.
