In the past two or three years I’ve shifted from watching movies to TV shows. I’m a college student, I work two jobs, and as much as I would love to regularly have two or three hours of free time to sit down and watch a full-length film, I just don’t. Thanks to Netflix, I do have a surplus of rad tv shoes at my command. I started and finished Parks and Rec in an embarrassing amount of time, so we won’t get into specifics here. I fell in love with the show and Leslie Knope. Just ask my boyfriend—last weekend after a late sangria-saturated night we started watching a few episodes from season three. The nostalgia overwhelmed me and apparently I started sobbing and howling that I wanted Leslie Knope to be my mom. I mean like a second mom obviously, because my real mom’s pretty rad.
Shortly after I finished "Parks and Rec" I needed to fill this new void in my life. I started watching "30 Rock," and, maybe because it was so close behind "Parks and Rec," maybe it was because Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are linked in my mind, but I couldn’t stop comparing the two shows. Here are a few reasons why.
The dynamics of the casts are similar. Both "Parks and Rec" and "30 Rock" have kick ass women as their protagonists and bosses that are wholly conservative “men’s men.” "30 Rock's" Liz Lemon is magnificently bossy and regularly in distress about her eating habits, love life, and adopted children Tracy Morgan and Jenna Maroney—the stars of her live TV show. We all have some Lemon in us. She’s entirely relatable and makes us feel better about the part of ourselves that’s full of regrets and self-hate. "Parks and Rec's" Leslie also has a regular sweet tooth, but she almost never makes the same self-depreciating comments that Liz does. Leslie is down for JJ’s waffles at any time of day or night and wears her addiction proud. Her complete acceptance of and love of her decisions and self is perhaps the most endearing thing about her. Yes, she seems a little nuts at times, but she has an unwavering faith in herself, her beloved town Pawnee, and her friends. We might not all feel like we have as much Leslie Knope in us, but she gives us hope that people like her do exist, and that maybe each day we can grow a little stronger and someday have as much faith and passion as Leslie.
"30 Rock's" Jack Donaghy quickly grows to respect Lemon and they become close friends, despite Jack’s belief that Liz could never be a true business-women, as “that’s not a word.” He often seems rather distant, but is regularly available to mentor Liz in the dramas she regularly vents to him about in his large somewhere-near-the-top office. "Parks and Rec's" Ron Swanson is similarly distant and reserved, but his workspace is much closer to the rest of the cast. Physically and psychologically, there’s less of a divide between Ron and the rest of the Parks and Rec Department. Despite his active working against the department making any parks and recreation happen, Ron is somehow closer to Leslie and the rest of the cast. Early on we learn that Leslie and Ron have known each other for quite some time. Despite their vastly different political views, Ron clearly supports Leslie in all of her endeavors. This is perhaps most charming about Ron—other than his goofy, heartwarming belly giggle—he seems hard, but he’s so very dedicated to those he lets himself love.
There are a few other striking similarities between the shows. "Parks and Rec's" Jerry Gergich is the scapegoat of the group. He’s an easy target—friendly, sweet, and too easy to take advantage of. "30 Rock's" Lutz is similarly the butt of the office jokes. We feel less bad about making fun of Jerry though. He has a lovely family—a stunningly attractive wife that loves him and sings with Jerry when he plays Christmas songs on the piano, and three beautiful daughters. The office maybe messed his name up a few times, but hey, he seems to be doing alright. "30 Rock" is less merciful to Lutz—we’ve never seen him with a girlfriend, and questioning his sexuality is a common joke among other writers.
And, finally, the "Parks and Rec" family feels so close to heart. It feels like these people really are in a small Midwest town’s government building planning the Harvest Festival and trying to fill in a pit and build a park behind Anne Perkins’ house. "30 Rock" takes place in an MSNBC building in downtown New York. Perhaps my love of "Parks and Rec" is really just my Midwestern roots coming through. I hope you find the time to watch these awesome shows, but not as fast as I did. That can’t be healthy for anyone. And even if (when) you too fall in love with Leslie Knope, she can’t be your mom because I already called her.
