Ah, St. Valentine’s Day. The possibilities for writers are endless. Which slant should I take concerning this week’s article? The bitter misanthrope who blasts the artificial sentiment and commercialism? The nuevo-romantic who tries pathetically to ape the poets he studied in college? The warmly contented individual who looks at the world with optimism and satisfaction? [...]

I’m hesitant to even approach this week’s episode of How I Met Your Mother. Normally, I praise a well-executed episode, point out flaws and inconsistencies, or deride a lackluster attempt. But in the end, I’m still supportive of the series as a whole. This week’s episode, however, has so many flagrant offenses, so many pointless [...]

From the very first scene of tonight’s episode, we learn there two of the most important rules regarding Sheldon Cooper. One, he should not be let out in public unsupervised, and two, he should not be allowed to dress himself. Decked out in a blue shirt, a yellow striped tie and a green-checked suit, Sheldon [...]

Over the past few months, I’ve heralded The Big Bang Theory for boldly exploring new territories without actually jumping the shark. And yet, despite my happiness for this development, tonight the show pulled a complete 180-degree turn, making all the changes for naught. Tonight’s episode seemed eerily reminiscent of the first season: Penny was dating [...]

Punchy is back. Punchy is Ted’s old friend whom he hasn’t seen in years. Ted called Punchy on a dare to prove they were still friends. Ted is now slated to be the best man at Punchy’s wedding. I tell you all of this because I am an idiot for not telling you before. I [...]

There’s nothing quite like a perfectly implemented guest star. It can rekindle interest in a fledging franchise or breathe new life into an already strong TV show. How I Met Your Mother has had mixed results with their guest stars. Bob Barker, Danica McKellar and Tim Gunn are among the best. Britney Spears and Jennifer [...]

I have a very strong affection for movies. I wouldn’t classify myself as an addict (although my father would argue different), just a healthy, dedicated patron to cinema and the world surrounding it. As such, it warms the cockles of my heart anytime those around me express their love of movies, even if they’re fictional [...]

I’m going to be honest: I dislike Zoey. Her purpose is clear; she was created to be antagonistic, to personify the nagging doubts of Ted and his architectural pursuits, but she just isn’t an identifiable character. There is no real motivation for any of her actions, and no real rationale for her hatred. How I [...]

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a basic tenant of social sciences and psychology, devoted to categorizing an individual’s needs in relation to each other. At the bottom are the essentials; food, sleep, homeostasis, etc. Moving up, we find requirements like security, safety, family, and intimacy. The fourth tier of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs concerns self-esteem: [...]

Batten down the hatches and steer clear of all opinionated college students, this week’s episode of How I Met Your Mother deals with the lofty topic of gender roles. A specific branch of social sciences, humanities and literary analysis, gender roles are the accepted social and behavioral norms in culture beyond mere biology. In this [...]