How I Met Your Mother: Why Barney Was Obsessed With Price Is Right

Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) was a big fan of The Price Is Right on How I Met Your Mother, specifically when it came to the game show’s host, Bob Barker. The host was the topic of discussion in several instances on the CBS sitcom that ran from 2005 to 2014. Here’s why Barney was obsessed with The Price Is Right and how it connected to his father.

Barney’s childhood had a major influence on how he turned out as an adult. He was born and raised in Staten Island by his single mother, Loretta Stinson (Frances Conroy). Barney’s mother was never truly honest with him as a kid. She refused to explain why his half-brother, James (Wayne Brady), was black and tended to change the subject when asked about the identity of their fathers. The mystery surrounding Barney’s dad carried on into his adulthood but the truth later came out.

Before Barney unearthed the truth, Loretta led his son to believe that Bob Barker was his father. In reality, she lied so her son would stop asking for his identity. In How I Met Your Mother season 2, Barney managed to get on The Price Is Right as a contestant. The episode, “Showdown,” featured an appearance by Barker since he was still hosting the long-running game show. Barney spent a lot of time practicing for the game show to impress his dad. He then did everything perfectly, calculating amounts to the penny and winning all of the prizes, including the Showcase Showdown. Barney was ready to reveal that Barker was his father on TV but decided against it at the last minute. As much as he wanted a father figure in his life, he knew deep down that Barker wasn’t his real dad.

Barney Eventually Learned The Truth About His Real Father

Behind Barney’s obsession with The Price Is Right on How I Met Your Mother was his actual determination to find his true father and figure out why he was abandoned. In season 6, after James met his biological father, Barney came clean and told his mother that he knew she was lying about Barker. He shared that Loretta effectively stood in as a father figure in the important moments of his life and he was grateful. After Marshall’s father passed away, however, Barney felt ready to face his father.

Barney’s father turned out to be Jerome Whittaker, a man he knew as a kid as “Uncle Jerry.” The character, played by John Lithgow, would spend time with Barney, but after a vandalism incident at the Natural History Museum, Jerome stopped coming around. Barney was upset to find out that Jerome had another family, including another son. After Barney revealed his feelings about his absent father, Jerome tried to make it up with him by building a new relationship. Lithgow appeared in a few more episodes before How I Met Your Mother closed out with season 9 proving that his bond with Barney was growing.

About The Author

Kara Hedash
(1746 Articles Published)

Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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