Softball Stereotype How I Met Your Mother
This weekend I watched Intervention, the fourth episode of the fourth season of How I Met Your Mother and immediately noticed two stereotypes.
To begin, the show is about a group of four Americans and one Canadian. The Canadian, Robin, is portrayed as an aggressive, beer-drinking hockey fan who loves Tim Horton’s and men who can throw a punch. In this episode, Robin gets very drunk and acts extremely “Canadian”, speaking with a heavy accent and reenacting Vancouver Canucks moments in a hockey uniform. I believe this stereotype is entertaining for Canadians, who can laugh at the stereotype of Canadian women because we know that it is very rare to find a person acting like that. On the other hand, this stereotype is dangerously persuasive to Americans who have never been to Canada because it falsely educates them on Canadian values.
Furthermore, a member of the gang, Barney falls into the big shot stereotype of successful men in America. He is rich player who always wears suites. The episode begins with Barney in old man makeup telling a good lucking woman that 'young Barney Stinson' cannot solve global warming unless she sleeps with him. He then comes back a moment later and kisses her. This portrayal of a man suggests to boys in America that if they want to be successful, they must date lots of good looking (and not necessarily smart) woman by any means necessary. Barney’s suave attitude and obsession with suites also teaches young boys to always take your appearance and reputation very seriously. Do I feel a generation of American Psychos developing?
Send your tale, along with your relationship questions and problems to cheryllavin@aol.com or Cheryl Lavin, 435 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611. Stronghold for mac download free. Delphi ds150 torrent. Please include day and evening phone numbers. This weekend I watched Intervention, the fourth episode of the fourth season of How I Met Your Mother and immediately noticed two stereotypes. To begin, the show is.
As a young Canadian female, I do not feel affected by the stereotypes portrayed in this episode. I laughed at the ignorant perception the American writers have of Canadians, and Barney’s narcissistic traits.However, I can imagine how this television program can educate Americans. After analyzing the stereotypes in this episode, I realized that media is simply entertaining when people are educated and aware of the stereotypes being broadcasted. On the other hand, media is teaching when it is showing viewers a perspective of a subject that viewers are not educated or confident about.
To learn more about Media Stereotyping check out these resources:
and
Thus far in lecture we have discussed entertainment, gender socialization and body image. To demonstrate my understanding and negotiation with the topics, I will attempt to connect the materials to an example of popular entertainment. Recently, I started watching the show How I Met Your Mother. The acting is poor, but the comedy is quality. I find it relevant to GNDS 125 as it presents several instances of challenging and propagating gender stereotypes. It is a prime example of a relevant form of entertainment which presents the lives of men and women and examines relationships in-depth. The show at times challenges or propagates gender norms, thus providing a clear demonstration of the media’s role in gender socialization. In order to best describe this, and thus the link to the course, I will deconstruct and challenge the characteristics of each of the five main characters individually.
Barney Stinson provides a lot of comedy while he is on his constant quest for women to sleep with. He fits into modern body image culture, presumably in a similar manner that other people do, due to glamourized images of beauty in the media. He is obsessed with wearing suits and always looking polished, and feels inadequate when he is not formally dressed. One of his “manly” attributes is the fact that he is wealth-driven, and thus constantly seeks power and relevance in his workplace. His hyper-sexuality is also a source of entertainment for the audience. His sexuality most likely stems from his “mommy issues,” and from a desire to share his perceived sexual attributes with the women of New York City. Several episodes make note of the fact that the number of women he has slept with is well over 200. With this character profile in mind, it is interesting to note how his sexual exploits are deemed to be comedic, whereas a woman who admittedly had slept with over 200 people would be shamed.
One would assume that the character of the adult who has no desire for marriage or children could only be played by a man. This is how Robin Scherbatsky fits in. She expresses that she does not want to be a mother or get married, which is usually a trait that is unnatural for women, nevermind existent in pop culture. She is career-driven, and is constantly in debate over her career and finding love. Overall, these appear to be ‘masculine’ approaches to commitment and a family. Her debate of career or love is comparable to the modern woman’s struggle with balancing work life and home life. She is engaged to be married at several points of the show, so she does eventually fit the mould to a certain extent.
Softball Stereotype How I Met Your Motherboard
Marshall Eriksen also challenges and perpetuates gender socialization. Despite his husky appearance, he is not afraid to show his emotions, which is a source of comedy. His masculine role materializes as his role as the breadwinner. While his wife is a kindergarten teacher with an expensive shopping habit, he gives up his dream of becoming an environmental lawyer in order take a job with a higher income to support her and his future children.
Marshall’s wife, Lily Aldrin, has a shopping addiction, a common stereotype associated with women. She also takes on the role of the protector, being a kindergarten teacher. Interestingly, she is, however, sexually empowered, as her and Marshall have a healthy sex life that revolves around mutual enjoyment. She also makes several suggestions towards a sexual attraction to Robin, which is quite progressive.
The final main character is Ted Mosby. He is seen as the hopeless romantic, with wimpy emotions, which Barney takes upon himself to try to rectify. He is on a constant quest for “the one,” and his approach to dating is similar to that of the stereotypical approach that a woman takes, such as the desire to commit, have children and get married.
Softball Stereotype How I Met Your Mother Images
As I have described, it is possible to be critical of the show’s characters to describe the ways in which gender socialization plays a role in entertainment. I have watched the characters grow, as the times have changed (it spans from 2005-2012), during which much progress has been made socially. Hopefully comedy can continue to challenge gender norms, as it is a method of entertainment that is provocative and engaging.