Buckle up, Parks & Rec followers, as a result of this one goes to really feel private.
This week, Parks & Recreation celebrates 15 years since its premiere. It is a monumental anniversary, particularly for a present that’s nonetheless beloved by followers around the globe.
For fifteen years, Leslie Knope has been excessive on the record of one of the best characters of all time. With a coronary heart of gold, ambition for days, and an unmatched love for her neighborhood, Leslie captured our affections from the very first episode.
The Leslie Knope of 2009 was a passionate and tenacious go-getter who fiercely cherished her pals, her neighbors, and her job. After we watch the present again, we nonetheless see her ardour and tenacity.
However did she and her fellow Parks workers have flaws that we neglected as a result of fifteen years in the past, we did not know any higher? How nicely does the present maintain up at present when considered by a contemporary lens?
Look, Leslie will all the time have a particular place in our hearts. But when we discover out that the characters we have lengthy emulated is probably not as good as we thought, we would have a duty to unpack that.
For starters, Leslie begins the primary season off with a reasonably robust dose of slut-shaming. Parks and Recreation Season 1 Episode 3 introduces a recurring character, Shauna Mallway-Tweep. Nevertheless you’re feeling about Shauna, put that apart and stick with me right here.
Leslie offers along with her apparent jealousy about Shauna relationship Mark Brendanowicz by repeatedly making feedback about Shauna.
I do not imply to complain, however I believe Shauna is being a little bit unprofessional. She received right here quarter-hour late. She’s sporting the identical gown she wore yesterday.
Leslie
Granted, that is early on within the sequence, and characters do develop. However sadly this is not the one instance of Leslie being lower than a “woman’s woman.”
Leslie’s therapy of Ann Perkins all through the sequence is different. Positive, she typically calls her candy nicknames (we’re a fan of “rainbow infused area unicorn”).
However what concerning the instances when she steamrolls Ann over her relationship historical past or her skilled objectives?
Ann and Leslie get into an enormous battle in Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 13 that was all the time laborious to look at, however someway it is worse now.
Ann talks about how pissed off she is with Leslie, and for good purpose. Even when we ignore the way in which she pushed Ann right into a job she wasn’t certain about, the way in which she spoke to Ann throughout that battle was extremely impolite.
It is not simply the way in which she treats different girls. A few of Leslie’s scenes with characters of shade on Parks and Rec are laborious to look again at now.
Keep in mind when she pushed Tom Haverford to inform her the place he was truly from after he mentioned he was born in South Carolina?
That is only one unlucky instance of racism from Leslie. She frequently remarks on how Ann is “ethnically ambiguous,” making an enormous deal out of Ann’s race even when it clearly makes her uncomfortable.
Apart from the racism and internalized misogyny, Leslie is simply typically unkind quite a lot of the time.
We get that there is a working gag the place everybody makes enjoyable of Jerry, but it surely’s truthfully fairly unfunny. What was it concerning the 2010s that made it so cool to be merciless to folks?
It is harking back to the way in which Michael Scott treats Toby on The Workplace. What precisely is the punchline?
Absolutely there are higher methods to be humorous and unite a gaggle of individuals that do not contain being merciless to somebody.
It feels vital to notice that Leslie wasn’t some type of monster. She was typically beneficiant and loving and supportive to the folks round her.
Truthfully, when Leslie was at her finest, she was unbelievable. She was a tremendous spouse to Ben — considerate and open-minded.
Ignoring the time she broke Ron Swanson‘s coronary heart by standing him up (we’re nonetheless not over that), she was sometimes an exquisite good friend to him.
She mentored April and hung out and sources serving to her obtain her goals. She additionally gave Andy alternatives he won’t have had with out her taking an opportunity on him.
As a neighborhood chief, she was sensible, passionate, and in tune with what her constituents wanted. It took years, however she lastly received that park constructed, did not she?
She was by no means good. It is laborious wanting again critically on characters we have cherished for thus lengthy as a result of it virtually appears like a betrayal.
However with a purpose to continue to grow, we’ve to ensure we’re not ignoring evident points for the sake of preserving who we thought a personality was.
If there’s something we have realized, it is that we won’t give passes for problematic habits simply because we like somebody.
Misogyny and racism can by no means be excused. Leslie was, in fact, a sophisticated character. She was broadly considered one of many finest sitcom bosses on tv.
After we look again at characters from our TV previous like Leslie, we do it in hopes of recognizing the problematic tropes we let slide earlier than.
In doing so, we are able to be taught and develop and discover methods to have interaction with content material that does not punch down.
Does that imply we won’t get pleasure from a binge of Parks & Rec on Peacock after we’re in want of a consolation present? Undoubtedly not. It simply means we do not fake it was good to keep away from confronting social points that have to be addressed.
So, what say you, fanatics? Tell us within the feedback should you assume we had been too harsh (or not harsh sufficient) on our outdated good friend Leslie.
Haley Whitmire White is a workers author for TV Fanatic. You’ll be able to comply with her on X.
