How I Met Your Father is Redefining the Sitcom
This post contains spoilers for seasons one and two of How I Met Your Father. Proceed with caution.
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In a recent interview this year, Jennifer Aniston commented on how there is a whole generation of people who find Friends offensive. Looking back on Friends, there’s a lot to cringe about. Aniston seemed to lament the 1990s, saying, "You could joke about a bigot and have a laugh." But we all know that comedy must be handled with basic human decency.
It's not unreasonable to expect a comedian not to be racist, transphobic, or offensive. For many of us growing up in the 90s, we didn’t blink twice at what we now cringe at in sitcoms; most of us laughed at them.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, we were light years away from shows like How I Met Your Father (HIMYF). Watching sitcoms from those eras now, it seems wild that we weren’t reflecting the real world earlier. It is important to acknowledge that progress has been made in terms of diversity representation in media, but there is still a long way to go. It is crucial for creators and producers to continue pushing for more inclusive storytelling and casting.
If you’re like me, I was skeptical when I heard a How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) reboot was in the works. I ranted about the lack of originality in TV these days and had every intention of not even bothering to watch it.
But one day I found myself scouring Hulu looking for an escape from being a 40-something mom dealing with her day-to-day life. That's when I stumbled upon the reboot and decided to give it a chance. I am so glad I did because I was hooked.
“In this reboot, male characters are allowed to be emotional and develop close friendships without veering off into the sexist, toxic masculine tropes that were common in the 90s.”
Being blind, I have to watch shows and movies with audio descriptions. One thing I noticed was the diversity of the cast. Of the six key cast members, which include Hilary Duff, Francia Raisa, Christopher Lowell, Suraj Sharma, Tien Tran, and Tom Ainsley, three are non-white, and Tran, who is a lesbian, plays Ellen, who is gay.
Many of the supporting cast and extras represent a broad swath of people. It’s a departure from Friends and the OG, HIMYM, where even the extras in the background were white, which wasn't an accurate portrayal of New York City.
The casting of HIMYF is spot-on. The power of casting choices in a successful sitcom cannot be underestimated. The show's creators understood that the chemistry and dynamic between the actors were crucial to the show's success. Each actor brings their unique energy to the screen, embodying the multidimensional characters they play.
The friendship between Sophia (Duff) and Valentina (Raisa) is particularly captivating as they navigate the ups and downs of their personal and professional lives. The audience can't help but root for their bond and feel invested in their individual journeys.
Additionally, the show's decision to cast Kim Cattrall as the show's narrator is a stroke of genius. Her alluring voice adds a layer of intrigue and mystery to the show, drawing viewers in and keeping them engaged.
The casting choices in HIMYF demonstrate the importance of having the right actors to bring a story to life. Their performances have the ability to elevate a show from average to exceptional, which is exactly what is happening in HIMYF.
HIMYF is redefining the sitcom. It’s a reflection of how the world looks. It needs to go further, for sure. But compared to what we’ve seen up to this point, it’s much more realistic. But HIMYF is also funny without punching down. We even get to see a transformation, or at least the beginning of one, for Neil Patrick Harris's (NPH) character, Barney.
In HIMYM, Barney is the bad boy with a heart of gold. As the “loveable” guy who sexually harasses women, his antics are laughed at and accepted, and he gets a pass because he's a good pal. Perhaps the thinking was that since NPH is gay, it would be totally hilarious to make his character a raging womanizer, but alas, it’s cringy.
In the first half of season two of HIMYF, though, Sophie (Duff) has an encounter with Barney when she rear-ends him. Barney is now in a program to stop harassing women, which includes wearing a device that shocks him when he says something offensive.
For me, the show is acknowledging that maybe Barney wasn’t the ideal character. In the wake of #MeToo, it’s difficult to watch Barney, and it seems HIMYF is attempting to resolve this.
In this reboot, male characters are allowed to be emotional and develop close friendships without veering off into the sexist, toxic masculine tropes that were common in the 90s. Sid (Sharma) and Jesse (Lowell) illustrate this male bond. Sid is always concerned about Jesse’s emotional well-being, especially since he was spurned by his ex, Meredith (Leighton Meester), in an infamous video gone viral.
In season two, after Jesse gets back together with Meredith, he and Sid have a falling out. While Jesse and Meredith are on a local tour, Sid decides to show up to their show, knowing his friendship means more to him than an argument. While they don’t have an actual conversation, they bro at each other and share a heartfelt hug. No jokes about this being gay; no comments about this sensitivity being weird. It’s two men who love each other, and sharing their feelings and being affectionate is normalized.
HIMYF is demonstrating that a sitcom can be funny without making fun of it. It’s embracing a variety of identities and normalizing behavior for a whole new generation of viewers. It turns out that 30-somethings living in the city can be diverse, break molds, and be wickedly hilarious at the same time. Who would have thought?
How I Met Your Father returns on May 23rd on Hulu.
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