How I Met Your Mother: 10 Unforgettable Running Jokes

2. Robin Sparkles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY_bhVSGKEg First appeared in: 'Slap Bet' Robin first hinted at a mysterious secret from her past in season two, prompting a high-stakes bet between Marshall and Barney in the process (more on that later). Even the most ardent How I Met Your Mother fans would have struggled to predict just what that entailed at the time; of all the possibilities, a career as '90s teen pop star Robin Sparkles was a far cry from the Robin who would later spend her evenings breaking noses at the Hoser Hut. Upon its discovery, this really was the joke that kept on giving. First, there was her breakout hit 'Let's Go To the Mall', which introduced us to a robot sidekick and an inexplicably catchy chorus. Then came the forlorn follow-up 'Sandcastles In the Sand', which boasted truly inspired lyrics like €œyou're good at pull-ups and have radical hair / I hate my dad, he's so unfair.€ On top of her questionable grunge transformation as €œRobin Daggers€ and the cheesy Canadian TV show 'Space Teens', this entry also had a part to play in more serious aspects of the plot, kick-starting Barney and Robin's relationship after a night spent mercilessly mocking her music videos. Mostly, though, this gag will be remembered for representing How I Met Your Mother at its most surreal.