HIMYM: You know, if I were his kids sitting on the couch, I'd have gone completely insane by now listening to my dad ramble on about his sexual escapades without ever getting into how he actually met my mother.

I've always assumed (or possibly fanwanked?) that what we see acted out is more, and in much more detail, than he's telling the kids. I seem to vaguely recall some sort of handwavium in the particularly skeevy threesome episode that might support my wank, but I can't actually remember what it was.

And it occurs to me now that we're probably seeing not only more than he's telling, but more than he remembers--he says very clearly that he didn't meet their mom that night, but I can't imagine any other reason for the random collision and apology than that it's her. Which seems oddly nifty; I like the idea that the huge meta-narrative has been telling us not just the details of the stories that he's censoring for the kids, but the details he doesn't even remember.

JZ, I've gotten the same impressions.

I have to say, I'm unexpectedly liking this new Miss Guided show now that I've caught a couple episodes by accident. I love Judy Greer, and for some reason her character reminds me of the protagonist in all those old "Mary Jane just laughed" jokes.

and for some reason her character reminds me of the protagonist in all those old "Mary Jane just laughed" jokes.

What jokes now?

Miss Guided was a little too something for me. Too cringe-making and not funny enough to make up for that, I guess. I've recorded the two eps on last night so I'm going to give it another chance though.

There's an old tradition of ironic and horrifying jokes featuring an oblivious little girl named Mary Jane. For example:

Mary Jane was playing on the swings one day, swinging higher and higher. Her mother came out and said, "Mary Jane, don't you swing too high, the boys will see your underwear."
Mary Jane laughed and laughed; she knew she wasn't wearing any underwear.

Mary Jane pushed her brother into the pool. Her mother said, "You know your brother can't swim!"
Mary Jane laughed and laughed; she knew there wasn't any water in that pool.

Aside from the obvious panty-less parallel with the first joke, Judy Greer's character has that same quality of being chipper and breezing right on as something horrible or humiliating occurs.

Huh. Yes, I can kind of see that. (I've only seen the episode with Ashton Kutcher -as I missed the first ep and didn't realize that they were running two last night.)

I don't think I've ever heard those jokes! (Or possibly the senility is setting in.)

But, yes, that does seem to be the character's attitude.

Hey, those are semicolon jokes!

[link]

The "Mr. Show" duo of Bob Odenkirk and David Cross are returning to HBO with "David's Situation," a new comedy pilot starring Cross.