Leslie Knope wears many hats inParks and Recreation. In addition to leading the Parks Department of Pawnee, she is a mentor, leader, and devout friend. While she is a fictional character, she is an inspiration to people everywhere. Regardless of a person’s path in life, Leslie encourages everyone to be their own inspiration, care more than is socially acceptable, and center friends and waffles, or waffles and friends, before work — always. One of Leslie’s best friends is Ann, whom she compliments most extravagantly. Even people in Pawnee who are not in Leslie’s inner circle are still celebrated, like her mail person, who has their own anniversary of friendship with Leslie. Everyone deserves a supportive and loving friend like Leslie in real life.
Parks and Recreationdives into the muddy swamp that is American politics. Leslie faces misogyny at every turn, even when she’s doing something for the good of Pawnee. Yet she never falters or fails to come back to her friends for support. On top of Leslie leading the Pawnee Goddesses, a supportive troupe of young girls, Leslie also leads an annual brunch with her gal pals. Every February 13th, Leslie gathers with her mother and other women she cherishes tocelebrate Galentine’s Day. This fictional day of celebrating women’s friendships and relationships has sparked real-life celebrations of women from fans ofPark and Recreation.
Why It Started
Women-centric shows have undoubtedly moved television forward. Whether it was the antics of Lucy and Ethel onI Love Lucyor the monumental trans-centered dramaPose, women and non-binary people being centered are empowering. Even though research, like the study conducted byStatistics Canada, reports that women work harder than men, it’s important to recognize and celebrate one another. These recognitions and celebrations strengthen our bonds, somethingParks and Recreationmakes a point of doing. In the latter half of Season 2, Leslie holds an annual brunch on February 13 for her gal pals that she refers to as Galentine’s Day. The brunch isan empowering appreciationfor Leslie and her friends to gather, share wisdom, and celebrate one another. By celebrating her friends and showering them with gifts she hand-makes, the holiday reminds viewers that feminism isn’t just the fight for equity and equality but that we need to pause and reflect on all we accomplish.
Related:Parks and Recreation: Why ‘The Trial of Leslie Knope’ Is a Perfect Episode
How the Tradition Evolved on the Show
Galentine’s Day is celebrated annually by Leslie and her friends, but it is given three episodes throughout the series. The first celebration focuses on the brunch Leslie throws for her friends, with her mother as the center of the empowering holiday. Marlene Knope (Pamela Reed) loved her late husband dearly, but before she met her husband, she had a whirlwind romance with a young man in the summer. As she retells the story of her summer love, Leslie and her boyfriend, Justin (Justin Theroux) reunite the summer lovebirds for Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, the reunion is a dud and ends in a breakup for Leslie.
During the second Galentine’s Day episode in Season 4, Leslie hopes to set her best friend, Ann, up with her great love. Except Leslie is pulled in different directions and April (played by Aubrey Plaza) comes through for Ann by setting her up with Tom.
Related:Parks and Recreation: The Funniest Episodes, Ranked
In the final Galentine’s Day episode, during Season 6, Leslie feels the need to find her new best friend in Pawnee since Ann moved away. The episode begins with a disaster of a brunch with Leslie attempting to trick her friends into a competition, causing the brunch to be canceled. After a talk with Ann (played by Rashida Jones), Leslie calls for a make-up luncheon to apologize and celebrate each woman at the table. Each episode of Galentine’s Day reflects Leslie’s growth and struggle with being an ally. But even at her worst moment, she quickly amends and changes her behavior towards each friend.
Real-World Impact of Galentine’s Day
The way Galentine’s Day is showcased onParks and Recreationexemplifies the real impact of the fight for equity in the real world. While the three peeks into the empowerment holiday reflect Leslie’s growth and faults, the centering of women on the show reflects real-world feminism. AsHypableexplains,Parks and Recreationis a guidebook for how feminism can look for everyone, regardless of their identifying factors. For instance, Ann, who is portrayed by a biracial woman, experiences the most growth on the show by being in and out of relationships with men. Her need for a romantic relationship doesn’t stall her in any way, but instead empowers her to speak up for herself and be a better friend.
Oftentimes, Black women and women of color on TV are given the overarching “slut” title while experiencing little to no self-awareness other than ‘they are who they are’. Harmful, and racist, narratives such as this harm women in the real world.Parks and Recreationplaces Black women and women of color in empowering positions without tokenizing them or giving them an overarching narrative for loving love or having men bow in your presence like men do with Donna. The fictional holiday, despite its appearance in three episodes, is celebrated by fans to this day. Even the cast ofParks and Recreationcelebrates the holiday, as discussed byIGN.
