“Why I Love” Wednesday is a regular feature focusing on things that I love and why I love them. It gives me a chance to celebrate some of my favorite things out there, and it covers a broad spectrum.
Why do I love this show? Because it’s hilarious! I’m too brain-dead for a real post this week, so I’m going to post some funny Parks & Rec quotes instead.
First, Ron Swanson, who is very possibly my favorite character. Ron likes meat, hunting and fishing, and women named Tammy.
“Just give me all the bacon and eggs you have. Wait, wait. I’m worried what you just heard was, ‘Give me a lot of bacon and eggs’. What I said was, ‘Give me all the bacon and eggs you have’. Do you understand?”
Then there’s Andy and April, an odd but strangely functional couple. Andy is the goofy, happy-go-lucky lead singer of MouseRat and a former shoeshine boy. April is Ron’s sardonic, apathetic assistant.
April: [to another character, who's thinking of moving in with April and Andy] “We have a couple of house rules, though. You can’t use the front door; you have to climb in through the back window. No personal phone conversations. If you ever speak to me in Spanish, please use the formal ‘ústed.’ And no electricity after 6:00 PM. A couple more rules: if you ever watch a sad movie, you have to wear mascara so we can see whether or not you’ve been crying. There’s no noise allowed on Mondays. And no TV after breakfast. “
Tom Haverford. Ladies man and would-be entrepreneur/mogul. His business ventures include an extremely potent alcohol called Snake Juice and a cologne called Tommy Fresh. Very funny guy.
“‘Zerts are what I call desserts. Tray-trays are entrees. I call sandwiches sammies, sandoozles, or Adam Sandlers. Air conditioners are cool blasterz, with a z. I don’t know where that came from. I call cakes big ol’ cookies. I call noodles long-a** rice. Fried chicken is fri-fri chicky-chick. Chicken parm is chicky chicky parm parm. Chicken cacciatore? Chicky catch. I call eggs pre-birds, or future birds. Root beer is super water. Tortillas are bean blankies. And I call forks…food rakes.”
Chris Traeger is the interim Pawnee City Manager and a health-nut and a perfectionist with an intense and energetic personality.
“I’d like you to get me some more post-its. I’d like them in multiple colors. I’d like green. I’d like yellow. Do not buy orange. I do not want orange. I have plenty of orange.”
Then, last but not least, there’s Leslie Knope, the idealistic, enthusiastic Deputy Parks Director. One of my favorite scenes with her is when she and her best friend Ann are setting up an online dating profile for Leslie.
Leslie: Yellow haired female… likes waffles and news.
Ann: Sexy, well-read blonde… loves the sweeter things in life.
Leslie: Much better.
Ann: Hobbies?
Leslie: Organizing my agenda. Wait, that doesn’t sound fun…jammin’ on my planner!
Ann: Favorite place?
Leslie: Upstairs there’s this mural of wildflowers, and I like to sit on a bench in front of it.
Ann: Really? It could be anywhere in the world: Paris, Hawaii, the Grand Canyon…
Leslie: Nope. Just the bench in front of the mural.
Ann: What about an actual meadow, where wildflowers are?
Leslie: Eww, Ann, I’m scared of bees, mural!
Ann: Okay, what do you think of dogs?
Leslie: Love!
Ann: Cats?
Leslie: Love!
Ann: Fish?
Leslie: Love!
Ann: Turtles?
Leslie: No opinion. They’re condescending.
Ann: Describe your ideal man.
Leslie: He’s dark and mysterious, and he can sing. And he plays the organ.
Ann: I think you just described the Phantom of the Opera.
And that’s why I love Parks and Recreation.
(images and quotes copyright NBCUniversal, used without permission)
