To me, Joe comes off as bit of an asshole. I looked at this as it was just a mask he had to wear. Deep down he just wanted to get the people that meant the most to him under one roof so they could have a smoking good time. Still, I would absolutely be friends with him. After all, I based him on a close friend of mine.
What advice would I give him? Don’t try so hard at making sure everybody is having a good time. And don’t be afraid of the fact that the people in your life are going to change.