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'How I Met Your Mother': The cheerleader effect
People's lives grow and change. It's a fact, sometimes a sad fact, but a fact nonetheless. The folks on How I Met Your Mother found themselves coping with that fact tonight, as tonight they tackled that age old question – baby?
It all began simply enough, with Barney lamenting the fact that there were not hot women in the bar, and that the table of women that seemed hot, only appeared that way because of "the cheerleader effect." For the uninitiated, that's when a group of women are hot, but only as a group, when you look at them individually, the hotness dissipates dramatically.
It was a solid way to open the show, we all love our Barneyisms, but it paled in comparison to what happened next. Once comfortably seated at the table, Barney got a call saying that he was going to be a dad.
Barney wasn't up for the whole kid thing, but Lily and Marshall were all for it, not for Barney, for them. So, while Marshall and Lily were planning a special evening to bring a new life into the world, Barney was praying that he wasn't going to be bringing a new anything anywhere (save maybe a new woman to his apartment, a hotel, her place, an alleyway, you get the idea).
Barney's prayers were, literally, answered, he was not on the hook (currently) for any pregnancies. Marshall's were dashed – he had a big merger meeting, wouldn't be able to get away from the office, and had to call Lily to cancel the baby-making event.
It threw Lily into a tizzy. She seemed ready to go for it when the night was imminent, but as soon as it got put on hold, Lily got nervous. Ted and Robin gave pro and con arguments (Ted pro, as he pretty much is a dad, Robin con, as she is terrified of babies). They both gave some good arguments, and Lily was on the fence, right up until she found the baby sock one of her neighbors left there. Between the sock and the full bottle of wine she had downed, Lily was convinced that she wanted a kid… right then.
Lily bolted from the apartment without Ted and Robin even noticing. By the time those two clowns figured out what was going on, Lily was too far gone for them to track, so rather than putting in any effort, they just went to the bar to argue more about kids (they claimed they were there to see if Lily was, but I didn't buy it). It turned out that Robin was weakening in her anti-child stance (she stole the baby sock from Lily's place) and Ted actually invited Robin to move in (if you remember Ted's birthday party from last season we knew that was coming). As much as I like Ted and Robin, I hope Ted wasn't getting any ideas of having a child with her, it doesn't seem like a good direction for them to head.
As for Lily, despite her inebriated state, she had managed to change into something seductive and make her way to Marshall's office. Marshall returned from a conversation with his boss only to find Lily, drunk and delectable, on his desk. Normally, I think it would have thrilled him, but what with the big merger meeting, he wasn't into it (the people looking into his office from across the street though must have been). It took Marshall a while (and some poor efforts at hiding her during the meeting), but he managed to get her home safe and sound. By the next morning, they were both in agreement that it wasn't the right time for them to be bringing a new child into the world.
And, as all those events were taking place, Barney was starting a new holiday – Not a Father's Day. He even made a website, and I love it when HIMYM makes a website, so naturally I had to pause the show as soon as he mentioned it and check it out (you can buy "World's Greatest NOT a Dad!" mugs… awesome!). I loved the idea, and so did the other guys who Barney managed to recruit into his new fraternity.
The only problem with his new cohorts was that dreaded cheerleader effect. As Robin pointed out, all the guys, save Barney, were losers. Barney's new friends were not dads not by choice, but because they were hideous. Once Barney accepted that and found the baby sock, he also accepted that maybe, just maybe he didn't want to be not a dad. He saw that little baby sock Robin had stolen, grabbed it, and ran off to the karaoke bar to sing "Cat's in the Cradle."
Yeah, the show had me right until that point. It was funny to see Barney nearly in tears about wanting a kid as a single momentary joke, but not nearly as funny as Not a Father's Day, and not someplace I see Barney being long-term.
A quote and a question:
- Marshall, being distressed with Robin ruining his romantic interlude with Lily questioned Robin on her job/housing search. Her response – "Oh, you didn't hear? I'm the lead anchor on CNN and I got a penthouse overlooking Central Park made of gold. Get your head out of your ass Marshall."
- The question of the week – did you buy it? Do you think Barney really wants to be a father, or was that just a thing for this one episode?
The TV and Film Guy's Reviews - we're spawning all over the place.
I buy Barney wanting kids eventually. I think, for Barney, seeing a bunch of Little Barney's, would be a great joy to him. Of course, seeing a little daughter, that might cause some consternation and could be a lot of good comedic fun if they have some way to bring that to reality in some flash forward.
Tony | Nov 10, 2008 11:45:00 PM | #This show totally pulled a fast one on me.
I was sure they were finally laying the foundation for a Ted & Robin reunion, but they had to give Barney his "sock" moment.
Just close the book on Robin and Barney already!!!! I don't even care if Robin & Ted get back together, I just don't want her with Barney.
MC | Nov 10, 2008 11:50:07 PM | #i second that....
barney is barney.... the moment him and robin get together, the show might as well go kill him off!
and honestly, i miss some of those ted/robin moments. i wonder how its guna work out, them living together, cosidering the last time they tried to move in together, they basically broke up two days later! plus, they were really cute..... remember First Time in New York?
awwwwwwwwww!
Since Alyson Hannigan who plays Lili is preggers in real life you can be sure that Marshall and Lili will be having a baby in the very near future unless thy plan on sticking the tiny fashion conscious Lili behind giant handbags and strategically placed furniture for the rest of the season.
Why can't Robin just not want kids without the writers turning her into some cliche? There are plenty of women who don't want kids and are perfectly happy about it, now they're turning Robin into a sock happy sap.
Solly | Nov 11, 2008 2:11:57 AM | #The cheerleader effect is bullshit... I have seen groups where only a few of the girls are hot, but never have I seen one where none of them are hot yet the group is. Other than that, pretty great episode. Barney doesn't want a kid yet, we all have our moments of weakness.
AC | Nov 11, 2008 4:45:29 AM | #"Why can't Robin just not want kids without the writers turning her into some cliche? There are plenty of women who don't want kids and are perfectly happy about it, now they're turning Robin into a sock happy sap."
Because TV characters aren't made to represent the largest cross-section of America possible, they're made to represent one person. That's it. Just the one. I'm sure there are many women out there just like Robin. If every character was made to represent the majority of America, TV would be boring as hell.
yanksrule | Nov 11, 2008 5:55:58 AM | #If you remember the episode where Barney found out his brother was in a monogamous relationship, the thing that changed his mind was the fact that there was going to be a baby and he would be an uncle. So we have already seen Barney have a weakness for babies before. Now, I agree that it was just for this episode to be funny, I wouldn't be surprised if some where down the line we find out Barney settled down and had a bunch of kids.
Nathaniel | Nov 11, 2008 7:09:57 AM | #I think Barney has always wanted kids.. remember when his brother was telling him about his marriage and adoption and he goes "There's gonna be a baby?" and he goes all big eyed. Barney's a squish fest at times, and I think that this is just a brief flicker of something that we won't see again until maybe closer to the end of the series. They aren't going to give Barney the 'baby fever.'
Francesca | Nov 11, 2008 8:23:33 AM | #I don't want Robin and Ted to go back together. I think that would be a huge flaw, as both characters would be going backwards. I guess, to an extent, it might make storyline sense for Robin, as she's in the middle of things, but I think it does a disservice to put the characters back together as a couple. Both of them always felt like best friends than a couple to me.
Tony | Nov 11, 2008 9:24:22 AM | #That was one potent little baby sock to have such an effect on Marshall, Lily, Robin AND Barney...Ted may have been immune to its charms because, as pointed out, he already has many Dad traits. But though Barney did fall under the sock's spell, I don't think he's anywhere near ready to go out and procreate - that will happen way down the road I think. I thought drunk Lily was adorable, and one of the funniest things was when the Chinese client asked if everyone else could see the naked lady who was on display from his vantage point on video - I also loved how Marshall appeared as both one of the ugly cheerleaders (but he and Lily didn't think she was that bad looking) and then again as one of the ugly geeks who were joining Barney's "Not a Dad" club.
And how funny was it when Robin was trying to discourage Lily from birthing a baby with a head as large as Marshall's - I cracked up!
I don't see Ted and Robin getting back together despite the close proximity they'll share when she moves in (but it's only TEMPORARY, right??? sure...). I think they will be able to be just friends and roommies.
Very funny episode and great website!
Ginni | Nov 11, 2008 10:27:36 AM | #I don't think that they're going to hide Allyson's pregnancy. Judging from the time that she announced she was expecting, the real life child should be arriving right around the time for the season finale, just like a lot of others shows have done when they had this situation.
As for Barney, I don't think he'd be a bad dad; after all, he buddied up to his new nephew very quickly when James adopted. I actually think it would be great to see a flash forward of Barney freaking out that his kids would be lecherous little versions of him, and it would be all his fault.
I wonder if Barney's own daddy issues may have played a part in his getting so emotional.
Sally | Nov 11, 2008 1:26:23 PM | #You got it wrong.
Barney wasn't singing about wanting a kid, he was singing about his own Dad not being there for him "when you coming home? say I don't know when"
But yeah, it'll never happen on the show, but I definitely see Barney being the marriage and baby type. It's established that he already loves babies (When his brother got married and adopted).
TJV | Nov 11, 2008 2:04:08 PM | #I also hope they don't put Ted and Robin back together. I agree with the poster who said it is going backwards. We know she's not the mother since future Ted ahs talked about Aunt Robin several times - so what's the point.
Agree that I thought this sow was better than to make Robin such a cliche. There are indeed many women who do not want to have kids - but don't hate them either. You can choose a career without being a freak. And yes - most shows write so narrowly - but I thought this one was better than that.
MJ | Nov 12, 2008 6:07:37 AM | #And how about amking this holiday Not a Parent Day ??
DJ | Nov 12, 2008 6:08:34 AM | #I loved that Marshall was an ugly cheerleader and even uglier bald loser......very funny!
Kathie | Nov 12, 2008 6:41:54 AM | #I may be the only one, but I would like to see Robin and Barney together in the very far future, like the finale episode. A person doesn't stay the same over time, and so Barney needs to change too. Both Barney and Robin have issues and so they would be perfect together.
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