[ SECRET POST #1847 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #1847 ⌋


Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: pages, secrets from Secret Submission Post #.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 1 - too big ], [ 0 - repeats ]
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Not OP

Yes, the character is a womanizer, and I think the casting was intentional. The fact that NPH's sexual orientation is well known makes it more of a joke that he's playing this awful, lecherous womanizer. A wonderful, feminist straight man could play the role, but the obvious contrast between actor and character is what makes it funnier/more palatable to some.

[countess-k.livejournal.com]

Oh I see now. It makes total sense. This is then the opposite of Charlie Sheen in 21/2 Men where the actor actually made me not want to watch the show because I found nothing interesting about him playing his asshole self.

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, but also the two characters/shows are very different types of womanizing. In HIMYM the rest of the cast discourages Barney and actively dislike his womanizing ways. In Men it's played as something to aspire to - something his brother and nephew look up to.

Also, while Barney is definitely a womanizer, he's nowhere near the sexist ass that Charlie is on Men. That is one of the most misogynistic sexist shows I've ever seen.

[intrigueing.livejournal.com]

Before I watched How I Met Your Mother, the terrible stupid pandering CBS promos I had seen all made me think he was supposed to be some legitimately looked-up-to James Bond-esque guy. Then when I actually watched the show, I was totally surprised by the fact that actually all the characters think his womanizing is disgusting and the show portrays him as utterly ridiculous and pathetic and insecure, and only impressive because of the sheer lengths he will take his insanity to. Charlie is basically the opposite in both the characters' and writers' treatment of him: they're all impressed with him solely because he sleeps with lots of women. Nothing more.

[yogurtpo3.livejournal.com]

He was cast before it was made public that he was gay. He only publicly came out in Season 2 of the show. Having said that, casting NPH did change the character into a straight male horn dog (ala Jack Black is what they were initially going for) into a character where you can see layers of vulnerability beneath all that.

[yogurtpo3.livejournal.com]

Whoops.. I mean "from... into"..

[valenciapilgrim.livejournal.com]

He wasn't out when the show started, was he? I'm not a huge expert on this topic or anything, I'm just stating it the way I remember it happening.

I still find a lot of what his character says to be revolting, but I do love him at the same time. I chock this up to two things: One, NPH's acting skills and general all-around awesomeness. Not the fact that he is a gay man (i will admit that softens the blow a TAD bit), but just that he is adorable and wonderful awesomesauce. The other thing that i think makes Barney easier to take is that I think that we are supposed to see the character as doing what he does out of emotionally painful childhood experiences (not to sound too melodramatic here), and recognize that he has HUGE gaps in self-awareness, which is where a lot of the comedy comes from. One of my favorite quotes from him is where he says "When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead." And his friends just look at him like 'You have no idea what being a human being is like, do you?'

Anyway, I always enjoy bad-boy type characters that I really probably wouldn't want to spend 10 minutes around in real life (Damon on Vampire Diaries, Sawyer in lost, Dean on Supernatural,ect). Plus they ALWAYS get the best lines.

[valenciapilgrim.livejournal.com]

Ooh and Jayne from Firefly too, love him!

[(Anonymous)]

Totally agree. A big reason why Barney is endearing in a twisted way is because he seems to just not be able to understand how human beings feel and act, and is actually convinced that his version of "awesomeness" is actually awesome, that his desires and opinions are actually legitimate, etc. So instead of actively disliking him you just shake your head and wonder how the hell he isn't dead or in jail yet. If he didn't seem like such a space alien he wouldn't be as likable.

Also, his schemes are so over-the-top and ballsy you can't help but be impressed in a Lex Luthor- or David Xanatos-ish kind of way, even if you think the actual goals of his schemes are despicable. Like Ted said: "I don't know whether to be thoroughly disgusted or really impressed".