Every so often, the internet makes a wild decision and runs with it. Last week it was the attempt to claim that Parks and Recreation aged poorly. But the internet forgetting nuance in a conversation? One small compliment spiraling into endless arguments from both sides? That’s not news—it’s an unfortunate reality that’s actually really sad when you think about how people consume media.
Thankfully, I seem to follow all the right people because my entire feed has been memes centered on how Parks and Recreation actually aged well, but still, there’s something here worth discussing about time and comedy as a genre. Right now, there’s a belief that characters are always supposed to be good and kind because the world around us is burning and people should know better. Sure, to a degree, people should know better. We have far too many resources to claim ignorance on some matters, but at the end of the day, people are people. We’re flawed. Deeply. And really, if we have nothing left to learn, then what’s the point of anything
What Is the Show’s Overarching Theme? Does It Stick the Landing?
As a comedy, the show often explored crucial topics in a way that was tethered to kindness and empathy. Leslie Knope, for instance, hated the idea of setting up a smear campaign against Bobby Newport when they were running for city council. Sure, April Ludgate was always prickly and mean to people like Ann Perkins, but that was her way of showing love. And this entire argument apparently rises from the idea that the characters are too mean to Jerry, but if you can honestly look inward and say that you’ve never been mean to someone you’re close to, then maybe you’re a different kind of saint, because a lot of people have a specific language when they’re close to each other.
Parks and Recreation was, at its core, a show about positivity and kindness, and it maintains that until its very last episode. It was a show about a found family, and the Pawnee Parks Department weren’t just co-workers. The biggest example I always think about is when Leslie realized that they’d forgotten Jerry’s sweet sixteen, and what did she do? Rallied everyone to throw him a party despite the intense burnout she was experiencing at the time. They all made fun of him on occasion, sure, but Jerry also made fun of himself. None of this was outright bullying, nor did it feature cruelty that was racist, homophobic, or anything hugely offensive. Jerry also had a sensational life outside of work, meaning the show itself cared enough about him as a character to ensure his backstory was fantastic.
Here’s the thing we also tend to forget: comedy is supposed to be crass at times. It’s not supposed to be cruel or disgustingly offensive, but it’s supposed to push buttons. TV and movies are supposed to be a reflection of the real world, and sometimes that means you can hate a character one minute, but they’ll grow on you the next. Character growth matters, both in fiction and in the real world. People deserve the chance to understand why their mistake is wrong, and they deserve the chance to make matters right.
With social media so accessible to so many of us, there’s a misconception that everyone should know everything at all times. But that’s assuming that everyone sees every little thing that happens, in every corner of the internet, which isn’t true when our algorithms can also be so specifically tailored to our interests, jobs, and hobbies.
This belief that characters can’t come back from their mistakes is wild because otherwise, what’s the point of watching anything at all if we aren’t looking for growth of some kind, whether internal, external, big or small? We aren’t talking horrific crimes like murder or assault here, but we’re talking about someone saying something ignorant, understanding why it’s wrong, and properly atoning for it.
Parks and Recreation Is a Product Of Its Time and That Matters
There’s also the detail that every show or movie that releases is a product of its time, and that matters tremendously in how we examine its cultural influence. It’s why I personally always find it so grating when people deconstruct various instances in historical text with today’s modern lens, when there’s no way those characters would’ve had the resources we do.
Parks aired from 2009 to 2015—that’s over a decade now. The amount of things that have changed in the last five years for us is wild to think about, let alone ten years. These aren’t excuses when it comes to treating people with kindness because that’s a universal truth that’s been around for eons, but our means of communication and even our broader understanding of language are hugely different today.
In other words, yes, the show has its flaws; all things do, but that’s because humanity is flawed. We know more today than we did yesterday, and if we change art from the past and lose traces of where our growth comes from, that feels wrong, too. Bottom line is, while there’s a bit of truth to every joke and it can sometimes be extremely daunting to recognize that, at the end of the day, most people mean well. Most people aren’t trying to hurt others, unless their names are Tammy II.
First Featured Image Credit: ©NBC