Strong Female Character: Leslie Knope of Parks and Recreation
Written by GeekGirlCon Copywriter Henry Behrens.
I’ll admit, I haven’t watched the last season of Parks and Recreation yet. I keep putting it off because the longer the episodes stay unwatched, the better I can convince myself that it isn’t over yet. Because Parks & Rec not only has (not had! We’re not in past tense yet!) the best ensemble cast TV has seen in years, but it also boasts the best lady role model I’ve ever seen in primetime.
When Parks & Rec first debuted in 2009, it seemed almost rote to compare it to the other workplace mockumentary airing at the time: The Office. But where Steve Carrell’s Michael Scott is incompetent, irritating and whiny, Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope is determined, friendly, caring, devoted, feminist, and strong—and I want to be just like her when I grow up.
Leslie’s friendships and devotion to those she cares about is one of the strongest themes in the show, and perhaps one of the most relatable. I may not call my best friend a “beautiful tropical fish” or a “brilliant, powerful musk-ox,” but that doesn’t mean the positive relationship between Leslie and Ann Perkins isn’t touching and real. In a world where female friendships are more often cast as back-stabbing and unhealthy, it’s refreshing and lovely to see two women who support each other through anything. While men might regularly come between the ladies on Gossip Girl, for example, Leslie and Ann have proven the strength of their friendship; in the first season of Parks & Rec Leslie couldn’t stop crushing on her co-worker Mark, but in the second season when Mark turned out to have feelings for Ann, Leslie not only stepped aside but gave Ann her blessing. Ann and Mark’s relationship may have floundered, but her and Leslie’s friendship’s roots were deeper and stronger, letting them move past the boy troubles without much worry.
Just a few examples of Leslie’s constant outpouring of support for Ann, even when Ann’s not sure where it’s coming from or why. Find more fantastic examples here. [Image source.]
Celebrate with brunch, embroidered pillows, and a dozen of your closest friends. [Image source.]
Leslie’s passion for small government and her belief in her town is a constant. She fought for everything from gay marriage (for penguins, sure, but still!) to safe sex (specifically for seniors, who need sex education just as much as anyone else!). These forays may have sometimes been unplanned, but Leslie’s continued fervor for her work and willingness to fight for her values is something to aspire to.
In her work at the parks department and in her private life, Leslie is very aware of both the image she projects and how she can use that to her benefit. In the season two episode “Hunting Trip,” when out with a group of friends and colleagues, Leslie’s boss Ron Swanson gets accidentally shot. Because of happenstance and hijinks, Leslie ends up having to take the blame and confesses to the crime, citing a plentitude of women’s troubles as the reason:
“I got that tunnel vision that girls get. I let my emotions get the best of me. I cared too much, I guess. I was thinking with my lady parts. I was walking and it felt icky. I thought there was gonna be chocolate. I don’t even remember! I’m wearing a new bra, and it closes in the front, so it popped open and it threw me off. All I wanna do is have babies! I’m just going through a thing right now. I guess when my life is incomplete, I wanna just shoot someone. This would not happen if I had a penis! Bitches be crazy. I’m good at tolerating pain; I’m bad at math, and … I’m stupid.”
These rambling excuses, although painfully transparent to anyone with half a brain, appease the sexist park ranger investigating the issue. Leslie’s actually one of the best shots in the group, but if the ranger’s going to make assumptions about her, then Leslie’s going to use those to her and her friends’ advantage.
And that’s their problem. [Image source]
If I can go cross-canon for a moment, Leslie Knope is the ideal Hufflepuff: loyal above all else, to herself, to her values, and to her friends. I know Hufflepuffs get the short end of the stick in a lot of Harry Potter fandom (and in the canon, but that’s another post), but Leslie helps redeem the house. As the lead in an award-winning, top-ranked, primetime TV show, she’s a strong, real woman for girls both little and big to look up to. She’s even helped me accept my own inherent Hufflepuff nature, no matter how much I used to cling to my Ravenclaw identity.
What’s that? You brought me homemade soup while I’m in the hospital with a horrible case of the flu? Nah, I prefer these dry waffles. Because that’s just how Leslie Knope do. [Image source.]
