“If you want to bake a pie, that’s great. If you want to have a career, that’s great too. Do both, or neither, it doesn’t matter, just don’t judge what someone else has decided to do,” (Whyte 2015). These words, spoken by Leslie Knope, the main character on Parks and Rec, may seem like a joke but they are wise words regarding gender roles and feminism. The quote was from episode 9 of season 7, “Pie-Mary”, where Leslie chooses not to participate in a misogynistic competition and must face the wrath of the Men’s Rights Activists (MRA). Through a couple of carefully crafted scenes, Parks and Rec prove that “Pie-Mary” is a shining example of how gender roles and feminism should be tackled on television.

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The first major instance tackling gender roles and feminism comes from the first few scenes in the episode. It begins with the discussion of the ‘Pie-Mary’, an event where wives of candidates bake pies in a competition. When asked if she’s participating, Leslie refuses, believing the event to be old-fashioned and misogynistic. This earns her disdain from the media and ‘Pie-Mary’ contestants, with one woman saying “Miss Knope chose to have it all. I chose my family” (Piwowarski 2015). This remark makes it seem as if a woman can’t have it all and a family, which is just plain wrong. Ben Wyatt, Leslie’s husband, even mentions that “the idea that feminism is an attack on family values is absurd” (Piwowarski 2015). This episode refuses to ignore feminism and gender roles, choosing to make it front and center, a sentiment that Allison Piwowarski of Bustle shares. “What I loved about this episode is that they didn't tip-toe around feminism or gender equality. They also didn't hold back in showing the ugliness of those that are against feminism” (Piwowarski 2015). Thus, in the first few scenes, this episode sets in stone how ridiculous certain claims against feminism are, while also proving how outdated gender roles are.

 

Later in the episode, after Ben decides to take Leslie’s place in the competition, MRA activists show up to protest the event. This causes an argument between the activists and Leslie, with one activist asking, “can we have one conversation about feminism where men get to be in charge?” (Goldstein 2015). The following scene is another example of Parks and Rec demonstrating how to perfectly tackle issues like gender equality and feminism. Ben defends his wife, saying “I am tired of everybody constantly telling her that she’s making the wrong choice”, and in a major move, he gives the microphone to her, adding “you can say whatever you want. I couldn’t care less about the political consequences” (Goldstein 2015). Furthermore, when Leslie attacks the reporters for asking her questions about her hair or missing her family, Ben even mentions that he has never been asked this question. In this scene, Parks and Rec showed the reality of gender inequality, and how women who work or are in the public eye are treated differently than their male counterparts. As Alyssa Rosenberg of ThinkProgress writes, “it’s important that the default for telling those kinds of stories about public and national service, or saving the world, or surviving the workday not always be male. As long as male characters are coded as an acceptable representative for all of humanity, but female characters can only represent the experiences of women, and in some cases, a very narrow slice of womanhood, we’re unlikely to get to a place where the depictions of men and women are roughly equal in terms of both number and characterization” (Rosenberg 2012).

 

Episodes like “Pie-Mary” are important for various

reasons. Studies have shown that the media affects 

views on gender and can even affect children’s 

gender role socialization. 

 

In a scholarly article for

Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender,

and Culture, Julia T. Wood explains that the media

misrepresents women in various ways, like

stereotypes and underrepresentation.

Of working women, Wood writes, “occasionally,

women who depart from traditional roles are

portrayed positively, but this is done either by

making their career lives invisible, as with Claire Huxtable or by softening and feminizing working women to make them more consistent with traditional views of femininity” (Wood 1994). Harmful stereotypes like this is a clear reason why episodes like “Pie-Mary” are important going forward. Additionally, Susan D. Witt writes in Childhood Education magazine that children are susceptible to stereotypes they see on TV, and thus, this needs to be rectified. “Traditional gender roles, wherein men are encouraged to be decisive and to show leadership qualities while women are encouraged to be deferential and dependent, do not benefit anyone, particularly women. Traditional gender roles discourage the full range of expression and accomplishment. Children should be allowed to develop a sense of self in a gender-fair environment that encourages everyone to fully feel a part of society” (Witt 2000). Episodes like “Pie-Mary” show kids that gender equality is important, and women do not have to fulfill traditional gender roles.

 

Critics of “Pie-Mary” have trouble believing the message of gender equality and feminism because of one of the leading voices behind it. One critic, Siobhan Denton, says Leslie, a key factor in “Pie-Mary”, is “a feminist when it comes to her own interests, or encouraging other women who resemble her” (Denton 2016). Furthermore, Denton says “when a show is going to be broadcast to such a large audience, and a character’s perceived feminism is so ingrained in character construct, it is damaging and short-sighted to allow this character to espouse the virtues of feminism when she displays so little interaction or understanding of wider intersectional issues” (Denton 2016). While it is true that Leslie is nowhere near the ‘perfect’ idea of a feminist, this doesn’t take away from the strong message behind the episode. The focus of “Pie-Mary” is not just on Leslie, but the experiences that countless women who have careers or are in the public eye face. The purpose of the episode is to bring those experiences and the issues that cause them to a public platform, so we can bring about change. While some TV shows would have shied away from tackling such prominent issues, Parks and Rec’s “Pie-Mary” is the hallmark of how it should be done.

 

In conclusion, Parks and Rec’s episode, “Pie-Mary”, is a shining example of how to tackle the important topics of feminism and gender roles on television. While not an easy feat, these are issues that need to be addressed, and doing so will create a national dialogue that aims to end the stereotypical representation of women. This episode proves that feminism and family values can go hand in hand, while also showing that women are no less because they choose to work. Furthermore, this episode shows that the views of critics of feminism and gender equality are no different from the ‘Pie-Mary itself: old fashioned and antiquated.

 

Works Cited Page

 

Denton, Siobhan. “'Parks and Recreation': Leslie Knope's Problem with Women.” Bitch Flicks, 29 Nov. 2016, www.btchflcks.com/2016/11/parks-and-recreation-leslie-knopes-problem-with-women.html#.W-mBI5NKiM8.

 

Goldstein, Jessica. “Parks and Recreation Recap: Woman of the Year.” Vulture, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2015, www.vulture.com/2015/02/parks-and-recreat-recap-season-7-episode-9.html.

 

Piwowarski, Allison. “Leslie and Ben Address Feminism in the Best Way.” Bustle, Bustle, 10 Feb. 2015, www.bustle.com/articles/63660-leslie-and-ben-address-feminism-on-parks-and-rec-in-the-best-way-and-their-message.

 

Rosenberg, Alyssa. “The Influence of 'Parks and Recreation'.” ThinkProgress, ThinkProgress, 14 Aug. 2012, thinkprogress.org/the-influence-of-parks-and-recreation-26ee2e8e478/.

 

Whyte, Marama. “'Parks and Recreation' Dropped the Mic Regarding Feminism.” Hypable, 11 Feb. 2015, www.hypable.com/parks-and-recreation-pie-mary-feminism/.

 

Witt, Susan D. “Review of Research: The Influence of Television on Childrens Gender Role Socialization.” Childhood Education, vol. 76, no. 5, 2000, pp. 322–324., www2.lewisu.edu/~gazianjo/influence_of_television_on_child.htm.

 

Wood, Julia T. “Gendered Media: The Influence of Media on Views of Gender .”Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender, and Culture, 1994, pp. 233–233., www.nyu.edu/classes/jackson/causes.of.gender.inequality/Readings/Wood - Gendered Media - 94.pdf.