Masculinity is a complex concept that is often portrayed in various ways in popular media. The hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother was able to grasp this concept, utilize different variations of true “masculinity” through its male characters, and can bring it to screens funnily and frivolously. The show balances the reinforcement of traditional gender roles while also undermining them, providing a nuanced and multi-faceted view of masculinity.
Throughout “The Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1) we are introduced to the characters of How I Met Your Mother. It starts with Ted telling his kids the story of how he met their mother. During this episode, the focus is on Ted and his search for true love. The show uses humor and lightheartedness to ease into masculinity. In the next episode, “The Playbook” (Season 5, Episode 8) we are introduced to Berry’s so-called “Playbook”. The playbook is a collection of Barney’s most effective pick-up lines and tactics. The episode is coming on the heels of Barney and Robin. Rather than cope with
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Just like comedy required the audience to react, masculinities do not exist in a vacuum. The humor of the show also guarantees that the masculinities represented are not taken seriously, and that is important for the masses watching the show to consider” (177). The show's ability to display masculinity in many different versions can reinforce, but also undermine one’s pre-determined notion of what masculinity means to themselves. Masculinity isn’t a topic that is well known to be a very certain concrete topic that has no variation from person to person. Given the variation in ideas based around masculinity, How I Met Your Mother can both in reinforcement and undermine masculinity while presented in a fun-loving