How Joey and Barney Changed the Idea of the Funny Womanizer

TV sitcoms have often included a “funny womanizer” character—someone who flirts a lot, dates around, and doesn’t take relationships seriously. These characters often serve as comedic relief while reflecting society’s views on masculinity and relationships. Two of the most famous examples are Joey Tribbiani from Friends (1994-2004) and Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014). While both characters fit the stereotype of the charming playboy, they were portrayed in different ways that reflect how humor and gender norms changed over time. Joey was a simple and lovable flirt, while Barney took womanizing to an extreme, becoming more manipulative. This essay compares Joey and Barney in three ways: their personalities and masculinity, how they treated women, and their impact on culture and psychology. Over time, Joey stayed harmless, but Barney’s character was later criticized as TV and society became more aware of toxic masculinity.
A. Personality & How They Show Masculinity

Joey Tribbiani: Joey is a kind and friendly guy who loves flirting but isn’t very smart. His catchphrase, “How you doin’?”, became famous as his simple way of picking up women. Even though he dated a lot, he was never shown as mean or manipulative.¹ He truly cared about his friends and, at times, even showed vulnerability. His character reflects how masculinity was portrayed in 1990s sitcoms—confident, goofy, and non-threatening.²

Barney Stinson: Barney, on the other hand, was much more calculated. He used rules, tricks, and manipulation to get women to sleep with him. He had books like The Playbook and The Bro Code that outlined strategies to fool women into dating him.³ At first, his behavior was played for laughs, but as the show went on, it became clear that Barney’s character was deeply lonely and used womanizing to cover up his insecurities.⁴ This showed a shift in how TV portrayed masculinity in the 2000s, moving from lighthearted to more self-aware.
B. How They Treated Women & Relationships

Joey’s Relationships: Joey dated a lot of women but was always respectful. His relationships were casual, but he didn’t trick or lie to anyone. When he did fall in love, like with Rachel in later seasons, he was genuine.⁵ His approach to women was playful, not harmful.

Barney’s Relationships: Barney took a different approach. He often created fake identities and elaborate stories to trick women into dating him. His Playbook had step-by-step guides for deceiving women. This led to debates about whether the show was making fun of pick-up artist culture or encouraging it.⁶ However, as the show progressed, Barney faced consequences for his behavior, especially in his relationship with Robin, where he struggled with real commitment.⁷ His character development reflected a shift in how society viewed toxic dating habits.C. Cultural & Psychological Impact

Impact of Joey Tribbiani: Joey’s character was mostly seen as harmless. He was fun, likable, and didn’t influence real-world dating culture much. People saw him as a lovable flirt rather than a role model for relationships.⁸

Impact of Barney Stinson: Barney, however, had a much bigger cultural impact. His manipulative dating tactics became popular among some men in real life, especially within the pick-up artist community. Some viewers misunderstood the show’s satire and saw Barney as someone to admire.⁹ However, as How I Met Your Mother went on, Barney’s character became more complex, showing that his lifestyle was empty and unfulfilling. This reflected changing views on consent, manipulation, and dating expectations.¹⁰
How This Affected Society

What It Taught Viewers: Joey and Barney shaped ideas about masculinity and dating. Joey made flirting seem fun and innocent, while Barney, for some, made pick-up culture seem cool.¹¹

Psychological Effects: Joey’s character likely gave men confidence to be more relaxed in dating, while Barney’s tactics may have encouraged some to try manipulative dating strategies.¹²

Changing Attitudes: Over time, TV started questioning the glorification of womanizers. By the end of How I Met Your Mother, Barney’s behavior was no longer celebrated but shown as flawed, reflecting changing gender norms.¹³
Sitcoms have continued to evolve, and more recent shows tend to portray male characters with greater emotional depth and accountability. Today, womanizing characters like Joey and Barney are less common, replaced by more self-aware portrayals of men who navigate relationships in more realistic and respectful ways.

Bibliography:

¹ Baczyk, Anna. “Linguistic Analysis of Friends: The Case of Joey Tribbiani.” Master’s thesis, University of the Balearic Islands, 2019. https://dspace.uib.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11201/153974/Baczyk_Anna.153974pdf.pdf

² VanDerWerff, Emily. “I Get By With A Little Help From My Bros: An Analysis of the Male Homosocial Relationship on How I Met Your Mother.” Inquiries Journal 9, no. 1 (2017): 1-8. https://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/356/i-get-by-with-a-little-help-from-my-bros

³ Matterhorn, Lorenzo von, ed. How I Met Your Mother and Philosophy: Being and Awesomeness. Chicago: Open Court Publishing, 2012.

⁴ Kukles, Yulia. “Anatomy of a Hit: Friends and Its Sitcom Legacies.” Media and Society 12, no. 2 (2018): 42-57. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327563824_Anatomy_of_a_Hit_Friends_and_Its_Sitcom_Legacies

⁵ Soh, Rachelle. “Masculinity in How I Met Your Mother.” Gender Studies Review 15, no. 3 (2020): 67-84. https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/6/79599/files/2020/11/Masculinity-in-HIMYM.pdf