The hairstyle coincided with a period of time during which the sitcom was averaging 25 million viewers per episode, exposing itself to millions of viewers per week. McMillan agreed that the style "goes down in history as 'the Rachel' because people saw Jen on their TV every week and they were obsessed with her, and with Friends".
The hairstyle became iconic due to its association with the sitcom "Friends" and its popularity during a period of significant viewership for the show.