Once Ben And Leslie: Unrealistic Expectations Of Women

Television has been a part of the American culture for quite some time. While a fair amount of parents told their children “too much TV will turn your brain to mush” it exposed children to new ideas and concepts that they couldn’t comprehend at the time. In the TV shows I watched as a child, the male and female characters were treated equally and when the girls were told “you can’t do that because you're a girl,” they proved them wrong every time. But as I grew up the content of the shows matured with me and introduced battles more difficult than kicking a ball. These issues consisted of how gender roles create unrealistic expectations of women that result in stereotypes that are commonly inaccurate even though it’s what people assume is the

They come to terms that only one of them can run and they decide on Ben, meaning that Leslie has to fulfill the image of a candidate's wife. During Ben’s first press conferences Leslie silently remains to the side with a fake smile plastered on her face. She is then criticized by the press for not entering the Pie-Mary contest, which is further explained as “a Southern Indiana tradition where congressional candidates’ wives face off in a pie-baking contest” (Parks and Recreation, Pie-Mary, 2:51- 2:56). Although she tries to conform to the standards of Indiana civilians nothing meets their expectations. Ben recognizes that in the result of the efforts Leslie is putting in to be a ‘good’ wife she suffering; therefore he takes her place in the Pie Mary contest, which results in a male activist group who believes Ben has been oppressed by Leslie and her success (3:14-3:16). The episode concludes with a joint speech by the couple at another press conference where they shut down those who criticized Leslie for being a terrible mother because she was trying to be a supportive wife. In their speech, it is emphasized that the female gender roles in Indiana are outdated and unfair. Ben breaks the stereotype of a political candidate by pointing out that “No one asks [him] ‘where are your kids’ or ‘who’s taking care of them’”