Parks and Recreation

Until now, I've done a damn fine job of keeping my blogs free of any specific media debaucheries that I so desperately wanted to indulge in, instead pushing myself to find interest in the broader aspects of life (that being toilets, vulgarity, music and poop, namely). However, there is one current product of network television that can not possibly justify not having an entry on my blog any longer. Ladies and gentlemen, Parks and Recreation.

I'm not a huge fan of most of what's on TV these days. Big Bang Theory is drivel to me, How I Met Your Mother is kind of funny but fails to keep me watching, The Office turned into a caricature of itself and Community got cancelled. The one show that I consistently find myself engaged in, unable to miss another episode of, is Parks and Rec. The show gets so many things right that are totally missing from modern television, and I absolutely adore tuning in every week.

ron fuggin swanson

The thing that really separates Parks and Recreation from other shows is the character development. It's phenomenal. No, you don't think that'd be important in a comedy (or at least no writers do anymore) but when you watch the show often enough, it pays freaking massive comic dividends. The writing on the show is so strong and focused that absolutely every character on the show has notable depth, different eccentricities, certain qualities that make you love them that make you legitimately care about each one of them. Perhaps in a dyslexic interpretation of the Always Sunny in Philadelphia model, every single character is horrifyingly likable. Not only does this make the show more engaging, but it makes it a lot funnier to the acquainted viewer. There is no bigger payoff than developing Ron Swanson as a no-nonsense Tea Party badass only to reveal he loves riddles; when he giggled in support of this notion during this year's Valentines Day episode I absolutely lost it.

Perhaps similarly to this blog entry, esoteric content sometimes struggles to hit the mark for everyone. I've had trouble watching this show with people with very similar senses of humor to mine, but whom had largely been unexposed to Parks and Rec in the past very much for this reason. But to that I say, fine! It gets by in the ratings because once you start watching it, you don't stop, and if it's not broke don't fix it. Please. 30 Rock already delivers your 30 minute high-quality punchline avalanche, let me have my beautiful town of Pawnee to follow like a slightly more time-budgeted middle-aged unemployed lady and her soaps.