Dear CBS Promo People,
So, like everyone I know is totally hyped about the new season of How I Met Your Mother (well, except for CJ, but do people from Chicago count?). The speculation is that the show’s seminal question, exactly how Ted met his wife, will finally be answered this year, so, you know, there’s that. Lily and Marshall are set to … erm … experience some kind of growth … or something.
However, if you’re smart (or in my case, sheep-like), the real promise this season is the Robin/Barney relationship. It’s been building slowly for a while now (all the way back to the first season, if you read the tea leaves the right way), and now we’re expecting to get this great payoff. Robin is so independent and anti-commitment, and Barney is just all … well … Barney.
But, I’ve seen the previews for next season … And I’ve got to say: “Barbin?” Really?
I actually went through some possibilities recently. I mean, if you’re not going to have any fun with it, then I’ve got to say that “Robney” is the cooler option. Its kinda like Romney, which is either good for either a nice call out, or, you know, laughter, depending on which side of the political spectrum you sit. Also, “Barbin” just kinda sounds stupid. Sorta like “bargain” but … not?
Yes, I do have a suggestion. I wouldn’t just bash your work without having an alternative direction for you to go (OK, I totally would, but that’s not the point). Just another name that I would float that you use in your (surprisingly infrequent) commercials during Sunday football. Are you ready?
“Swarlin”
Coolest celebrity name mashup ever. Why? Dude, it references Swarley. THE Swarley. Swarlos … Swarles Barkley … Bob Swarley. You can’t make up your own nickname, but if you’ve got Swarley, how can you not run with it? Combine that with Robin, and you’ve got promo gold, baby.
Sincerely,
Me
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Sep 21, 2009 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
Yours is certainly a better suggestion then what they’ve come up with, but why do we need these names in the first place? Why can we no longer simply say Barney and Robin?
Nice one with “Swarlin'”. I’ve always referred to them as Bro-bin, but I could be persuaded to Swarlin’. ;)
(Bro-bin = B from Barney, added to Robin, and reference to the awesome episode where Robin stands in as Barney’s Bro for the night.)
Totally agree with you about Barbin.. kind of makes me think of a hair pin or bobby pin…
And Aryeh, normally I’d be right there with you asking why there is a need for combining names, but Barney and Robin are just a special kind of “awesomeness” together. It just seems fitting that they have an awesome combined name.
I don’t know … I feel like it’s all the celebrities, who as individuals we don’t care about, who get these names because it’s the “combo” that makes them intriguing. Here, Barney and Robin are so awesome as individuals that they shouldn’t have their individuality marginalized by lumping them together … yes, this is a very serious issue. ;-)
hehe of course it’s a serious issue! ;)
I definitely agree with you that they’re both awesome in their own right, but when they’re together there’s a certain extra quality of…awesomeness… that perhaps needs to be “defined”?
Speaking of which, what’s your opinion of “Barnman and Robin” as a choice?
“Swarkles.”
*POST AUTHOR*
Liked Barnman and Robin …. BUT
‘SWARKLES’ takes the ultimate prize. Well played, Michael, well played….