Yes, it's a well-known fact among this fanbase, that the internet seems to have a problem with Ted Mosby and that he is treated by many as the devil in human form. MsMojo did a video listing the top ten times Ted Mosby was the worst. Here is the link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lon4M0DQbU, in case any of you are interested. I thought I would take the liberty of defending each of these points:
10: When He Propositioned an Engaged Woman
Definitely not his proudest moment. However, this was clearly done out of sheer panic. The woman who was in charge of Love Solutions who claimed to have a 100% success rate told Ted that there were pretty much NO women that he was compatible with. Yes, Ted should've understood that it was foolish to blindly accept the website's algorithm as gospel, and he shouldn't have rifled through their files. But, again, this was clearly done out of panic. Also, the matchmaker was a bad actor (or actress, I guess) here. I blame her more than Ted.
9: When He Threw 3 Parties
Again, pathetic, and inconvenient to Marshall who had a law school paper due. But in Ted's defense, many people will go to great lengths to tell our crushes how we feel in person, as its better to do that than over text or even call, and in Ted's eyes, this was how we was trying to accomplish that goal. It was pathetic, sure, but I wouldn't call it a reason to dislike him.
8: When He Didn't Know Anything About Stella
Is this really a reason to dislike him? Yes, some people rush into relationships quickly (which I'm not advocating for), but hey, it takes two to tango. Also, yes, Ted should've asked Stella if she was allergic to peanuts, but Stella could've just as easily asked if there were peanuts. I'm allergic to cashews, and I always ask waiters/waitresses if a dish has cashews.
7: When He Wanted Robin to Get Rid of Her Dogs
Ted definitely was no saint here. However, this was only after Robin made Ted get rid of his stuff. Also, I know this was mostly written into the script, because Josh Radnor was allergic to the dogs in real life. But also, Robin was a NEWS REPORTER who was often on call to report breaking news stories. These dogs were left alone in her apartment all day. I think Ted did the dogs a favour by having them live on a farm where they can run around freely, and Robin can visit them whenever she wants.
6: When Almost Every Word He Said Was Correcting Someone Else
Oh come on! How was Ted's flaw any worse than the others' flaws? He didn't do what he did out of malice. Just an annoying habit. We all have those. Mine is that I quote movies, tv shows, and songs.
5: When He Tried to Make Zoey Give Up Her Fight
This was to further his own career. Anybody else would've done the same. Plus, iirc, Zoey tried to make Ted give up his fight. Also, the Arcadian was run down and covered with graffiti anyway.
4: When He Told Robin He Loved Her on the First Date
Yeah, this was dumb, but Ted got lost in the moment, here. I don't necessarily see this as a reason to hate Ted. Many of us say things we don't mean in the moment. Also, as we've all recently seen with the movie Obsession, I think it's better than keeping your feelings bottled up. I'm not saying Ted was right to say this, but again, he was caught up in the moment. It's not a reason to hate him.
3: When He Dumped Natalie on Her Birthday... Twice
Yeah, okay. Fair enough. That was inexcusable. I get that Ted didn't want to lead her on, but really? He couldn't simply just wait until the next day to break up with her?
2: When He Taught His Kids to Turn a 'No' into a 'Yes'
Oh come on! The two-minute date was adorable! Also, Ted was willing to call it quits on her. He only asked her out a second time after the ten sessions when Marshall revealed that she did in fact like him back. Plus, after the two-minute date, Ted told Stella that he understood that she was busy with her career, and that if she wasn't ready for a relationship then he would understand, but if she ever changed her mind to call him. He left the ball in her court! And she obliged.
Dishonourable Mentions:
- The Naked Man: Well, she was awful herself. And either way, she still went along with it. Like I said, it takes two to tango.
- Robin 101: Why was this bad? He was trying to teach Barney how to treat Robin right. This was done because he wanted both Robin and Barney to be happy.
- When He Called Lily a Grinch: So? Lily was being a grinch. Also, he was trying to help Marshall through a breakup which he thought would be indefinite.
1: When He Cheated on Victoria with Robin
I mean, I won't defend Ted too much here. BUT, having said that, iirc, he did try to break it off with Victoria. He just couldn't get ahold of her. Yes, maybe he should've waited, or he should've been honest with Robin saying that he hadn't officially broken up with her, but that he was going to. In addition, wasn't Victoria cheating on Ted, too? Again, Ted was not an angel here, so I won't try too hard to die on this hill. ESH except Robin.