Sexism on TV

From 2005 until 2014, one television series called How I Met Your Mother aired. Essentially, this is a romantic comedy that depicts how people view women in society. The creators claim that their friendship is what led to the creation of the series. The show is comprised of a number of narratives that describe how the main actor met the mother of his children. So, sexism is the social issue covered in this essay. Evidently, sexism is a type of gender-based prejudice, particularly directed at women. Sexist language serves as a repugnant reminder of how society views women. This paper will explain some scenes from How I Met Your Mother which apply to sexism and detail the various ways through which inequities are displayed.

Scenes that Apply to Sexism in How I Met Your Mother

The series has a character by the name Barney Stinson who plays the role as an unstable womanizer unable to settle down with any woman. Moreover, he does not even respect the women in his life to engage with them in a romantic relationship. Barney is wealthy, intelligent, and loves to put on suits. According to the series, these are the things women want in a man. In the first season, Barney is left by his college for a man in a suit. Hence, he decided to adopt this lifestyle concluding that suits and wealth are what every woman requires (Thompson, 2015). However, Barney does not seem to settle for any girl. Additionally, in season five, Barney introduces a “playbook” containing all the collections and routines he employs to attract women. In episode eight, women are portrayed as too dumb and gullible even to realize they are being used until Barney decides to leave them.

The Various Forms Through Which Inequalities are displayed

In How I Met Your Mother, women are portrayed as only accessible for pleasure with limited consideration of their agency. For instance, there are many female characters who have not been identified by names and literally do not have faces. In addition, he applies the deception to be able to use as many women as he is intended to be charming. As such, girls are supposed to fall for it, thereby indicating their gullibility and how they are easy to manipulate. In the same way, Barney is good with body language and talented in terms of nonverbal cues. He can change his personality and career in order to impress a particular woman; whenever he is acting on another character, most girls do not even realize he is lying. Women do not resist Barney but instead give expressions such as smiling, laughing, holding hands, hugging, and palm revealing to indicate that they are happy (Thompson, 2015). Also, college girls who dress in a particular manner are considered easy, while girl fights in this television program are presented as sexy.

Interpretation of the Non-Verbal Communications and Symbolism

Smiling is a show of innocuousness and submissiveness, while open hands indicate receptiveness. Consequently, holding hands and hugging is a sign that the two people are close in terms of their relationship. Such people can be either friends or romantic lovers. If a person is laughing when in the company of another is an indication that they are enjoying and have a good time (Pease, & McConnell, 2011). Palm revealing indicates that the individual is opened to another to develop a closer relationship. Usually, it happens when a person meets someone important who fits the personality they look for in a partner.

Importance of the Interpretations to Sociological Understanding

The nonverbal cues and expressions in the series are significant as they indicate how women are seen in How I Met Your Mother. From Barney’s perspective, it is evident that a woman is always available and easy to sway into doing the desires of a man. Additionally, this series gives off the message that men are allowed to lie to women and change their personalities in the effort to win them into their lives. In the same way, How I Met Your Mother depicts women as allowing to be used regardless of the consequences such actions have in their lives (Thompson, 2015). These interpretations provide insights on the place of women which has been stipulated by the various cultures in the society. Thus, understanding the different point of view will help develop strategies to counter such perceptions.

Conclusion

In the series How I Met Your Mother women are presented as gullible and easily manipulated through the main character, Barney Stinson. In addition, the program has employed different body languages and dressing styles which impact how a woman is viewed by a man. In the same way, women have been portrayed as having accepted such things to become part of their lifestyles. However, all the scenes show the level of sexism and the offensive manner in which women can be treated by men. Moreover, it is a clear indication of social inequality regarding gender where men are more superior and woman are expected to submit and comply with the desires of men.

References

Fryman, P. (Director). (2005-2014). How I Met Your Mother (Motion Picture).

Pease, A., & McConnell, T. (2011). The Definitive Book of Language. Bhopal, India: Manjul

Publishing House.

Thompson, L. J. (June 01, 2015). Nothing Suits Me like a Suit: Performing Masculinity in

How I Met Your Mother. Critical Studies in Television: an International Journal of

Television Studies, 10, 2, 21-36.