Parks and Rec: The Search for Balance Between Comedy and Cultural Issues

Parks and Recreation is a show that is widely known for its comedic relief and distinct characters. This show was originally created as a spinoff of the show The Office, but this idea was quickly dropped. The creation of this stand-alone show has proven time and again that the dynamic relationships between characters and the comedic approach to social issues surpass' stereotypes, encourages gender quality, individuality, and teaches a positive outlook on hard work. The show is centered around a team of parks and rec members who are detected (for the most part) to their jobs. Each character is very diverse from one another, but their differences only make their relationships stronger. 

The main character, Leslie Knope, is a devoted civil servant who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She is the driving force behind this show and the glue that holds everyone together. Leslie brought this persistent style and her obsessive work ethic to everything from throwing an epic Harvest Festival, fighting a government shutdown and advocating for the Pawnee Sanitation Department to start hiring women. If there was a consistent theme to her biggest fights, though, it was that government has an obligation to stand up for the right of citizens to govern their communities when corporations try to hold them hostage.

April Ludgate-Dwyer works as the office assistant. She has a dark humor and a child-like presence to her. She is of Puerto Rican heritage but the show and the writers never wrote her as a fiery Latina. She was a quiet introvert who stayed true to herself. The fact that she had Latin heritage and spoke Spanish did not put her into a box of what her personality could be. April is married to a character named Andy Dwyer who is basically a puppy who vomits sunshine. The reason Andy and April work so well together is that Andy allows April to be herself and vice versa. Andy is silly and sporadic but ultimately gets the job, the wife, the family, and friends that he wants because he followed his passions, and had some help along the way.

Ron Swanson is a red meat eating, deer hunting, sax-playing libertarian in a very liberal show. He is the yin to Leslie Knope’s yang. Upon first being introduced to this type of character, there is a stereotype that immediately comes to mind. They love government, are against feminism and want to promote their specific political party. All of these stereotypes and more are shattered with the development of this character. He is a quiet but fearsome force in the show, bringing heart, courage, and respect for his character. The relationship between Ron and Leslie is a complex one. The two had very opposing views on government but this didn’t stand in the way of them having one of the most meaning relationships on the show. Leslie and Ron offered viewers a chance to see what a poignant discussion would be in between opposing political stances in an ideal world. 

            I think the most important and most apparent stereotype that this show broke was that all TV Indians have an accent, are nerdy or are bad with women. Tom Haverford is of Indian descent but grew up in South Carolina. He is obsessed with all things hip-hop, fashion, and elite culture. He is goofy and loveable and loves his lavish lifestyle and chasing after women. The journey that his character goes through to gain maturity is a winding and hilly road but ultimately Tom succeeds with only a couple failures along the way.  

The writers and producers of this show did a really excellent job at allowing the actors to let their personalities shine through their written characters. “Parks and Recreation” didn’t have to wait for the rest of media to catch up to play with the representations of gay people or people of color. It just went ahead and created its own weird, wonderful and radically equal vision of what the world can be like.