How We Chose a Pineapple | S1E10 "The Pineapple Incident" with co-creator Carter Bays

Josh and Craig are joined by series co-creator Carter Bays to revisit “The Pineapple Incident,” one of How I Met Your Mother’s most beloved early episodes. They share how the idea—originally called “Drunken Fiasco”—was one of the first ever pitched for the show, long before the writers’ room formed. The trio reflect on the power of mystery in storytelling, how the episode helped define the show’s voice, and why they ultimately prefer the pineapple to remain unexplained. Carter does reveal, however, the real-life inspiration for the “vomit-free since ’93” line. With detours into fan tattoos, early network notes, and the joy of letting go creatively, the episode ends with a moving letter from a listener in Australia whose connection to the show helped her navigate grief and believe in love. GET YOUR MERCH! We’ve got HWMYM merch, which is now just a FEW CLICKS AWAY. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE to pre-order your copy of That’s Not How It Happened today. JOSH IS STILL ON TOUR! Tickets are available HERE for the final shows of the EULOGY TOUR. And if you’re a business with big orders to fulfill, Amplifier is there to help growing consumer brands and influencers create a unique experience for their customers during the fulfillment process. Visit AMPLIFIER to learn more, and name-drop How We Made Your Mother for special pricing for your emerging brand's program. CONNECT WITH THE SHOW: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Substack (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig) Instagram HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Donate to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/yourmother Car Gurus: Buy or sell your next car today with CarGurus at ⁠cargurus.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices