Thomas, Bays ’97 Go All HIMYM On Our Asses

It’s hard enough getting an interview these days with Carter Bays ’97 and Craig Thomas ’97, creators of CBS’s How I Met Your Mother and powerful multibillionaires. For two Argus arts writers, it took the better part of freshman year.

But now Bays and Thomas want to talk. Specifically, they’ve managed to log onto to Wesleyan’s WesConnect alumni news board to spam their upcoming seventh season to point out some past Wes shout-outs (have you noticed? yeah?) and promise more. Here’s a clip of their message to the Wes community:

See, Carter and I based three of the main characters, Ted, Marshall and Lily (played by Josh Radnor, Jason Segel and Alyson Hannigan) on Carter, myself and Rebecca Alson-Milkman (class of ’98) and had them meet at Wesleyan, much like ourselves. Over six seasons, we’ve written in many a reference to our beloved alma mater (Have you caught them, Wesleyan? Really? Okay, pop quiz: name them all. I’m waiting… You know what, I don’t believe you, let’s just move on!)

All the Wesleyan references have been made with love. Among them: Marshall and Ted became best friends for life during a near-fatal frosh year road-trip in the snow; Lily and Marshall fell in love at first sight in a Westco dorm hallway; and Neil Patrick Harris’ character, Barney, had a formidable work nemesis named “Clark Butterfield” from the firm of “Nicholson, Hewitt and West.”

[WesConnect]

“As our series enters its seventh season,” Bays concludes, “we’re reminded of how important Wesleyan has been in our lives, and continues to be.” Awwww, Carter, you shouldn’t have. And after we current Wes kids stalk you for months and then dig up your old Ampersand archives?

Thnx 4 da shout-out!

Read the full message from Bays here.