The issue with Parks and Recreation.
Parks and Rec is a funny, warm-hearted show. I genuinely like it’s writing and characters. With the humongous, ironic exception of Leslie Knope. She’s like Michael Scott from “The Office”; clueless, profoundly selfish, manipulative and controlling of her “friends”. Yes, she normally apologizes for her behavior by the end of an episode, but she never learns from her mistakes, and her antics are always fueled by shocking selfishness on her part.
The difference between her and Michael Scott? We’re supposed to root for Leslie. Sure, we wanted Michael to be happy in the end, but most of the time his actions were deplorable and he was meant to be an antagonist of sorts. With Leslie, we’re supposed to somehow like her, and support her even when she does terrible things and manipulates and hurts people in almost every episode. It’s bothersome and prevents me from loving the show as much as I wish I did.
I will continue watching it, of course, it’s other characters are universally fantastic and make the show more than worth the time, but she will always be the thing that drags the show down for me.
leslie knope is nothing like michael scott
this is the best post on the internet. a true study in irony. leslie knope is the most selfish character on tv!!!!! remember when she put on the freddy spaghetti concert, not because she didn’t want to let down the town, but because she loves children’s tunes and wanted a concert just for her. or when she orchestrated the harvest festival to save the town’s budget to look good on paper. or how she puts together galentine’s day every year, with tons of personalized gifts, because she’s just that selfish.
i do feel really sorry for her friends, though. ugh, can you imagine having to deal with such a kind, enthusiastic, good-hearted friend? i mean, how gross is it that they decided to rally as a campaign staff for leslie without her knowledge after her original political team left her? or basically being forced to put an impromptu wedding as a heartfelt demanded gesture despite it being a complete surprise to leslie.
yeah, who would want to root for someone who is utterly guided by her own ethics, always wants to to do the best job possible, and genuinely cares about the future and well-being of those around her.
you know who i am really rooting for? councilman jamm. now there’s an honest, do-good guy.
one of my favorite things about Chris Traeger is that he uses “literally” in a way that wouldn’t actually be correct for most people but he really does mean it
Calculating Leslie Knope’s Approximate Waffle Consumption
How many JJ’s waffles does Leslie actually eat?
Data:
J.J.: Sure, anything for my favorite customer.
Leslie: I bet you say that to all the girls.
J.J.: Oh no, no. Actually you are my favorite. You’ve spent over a thousand dollars last year on waffles alone.-From Season 3, Episode 2, “Flu Season”
Considerations:
I checked at 3 local diners to determine average price for one belgian waffle, a la carte. Average price for a belgian waffle in San Francisco: $6.25. Ran this through a calculator that corrects for cost of living in various cities. Estimated cost for a similar waffle at a similar establishment in Indiana: $4.37.
I did not factor in price of toppings (such as whipped cream) or other accompaniments, as JJ specified this was for for waffles ALONE.
I decided that “over a thousand dollars” meant between $1,000 and $1,500.
I did not include waffles eaten elsewhere, made from home, or bought for her at JJ’s by other people (such as adorable co-workers in the hospital).
Conclusion:
Leslie bought between 228 and 343 waffles from JJ’s last year. That’s 4 to 7 waffles per week.
But optimism doesn’t mean naïveté or lack of intelligence. Leslie comes from this feeling that one person can make a difference — so let’s go! Charge! And we wanted to write a show about how hard that is, how hard it is to move just the smallest amount, how bureaucratic red tape and people’s malaise get in the way of someone wanting to, let’s say, build a park in their small town. - Amy Poehler
