Female Role Of Women In Amy Poehler's Parks And Recreation

“Look out boys. I’m in your club now.” These words were spoken by actress Amy Poehler’s notoriously strong female character, Leslie Knope, on the television series, Parks and Recreation. The series follows the lives of a group of local government officials who work for the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana. The series, though comical, includes real-life situations about political scandals, and at times, it focuses on issues that women in leadership positions may encounter. Ready to tackle these issues is the Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope, who proves throughout the entire series to be an honest and open-minded public servant. This is not to say that Leslie’s job is always rewarding, as the citizens of

The character of Milton Bromwell is a particularly atrocious old man, as his degradation of females in government is a running theme throughout most of the show. In an earlier episode where we are first introduced to Milton’s character, Leslie had gathered him and the three other men who formally held the job as Director for Parks and Rec. She informs Milton that one day she aspires to be the first female Director of the Parks and Recreation Department. Quickly shooting her down, Milton informs her that women are meant for domestic roles and not leadership roles. Leslie was dumbfounded and promptly ended the interview. Before she can exit the interview, Milton gets one final jab as he states, “You should stay away from leadership roles, for your own

I do not believe that this is the case because, despite her numerous set-backs, Leslie always bounces back, and the finale of the series is no exception. While Leslie loves the town she lives in, she begins to wonder if it’s where she belongs. Being recalled from office and being constantly undermined by the male council members, Leslie seems to be doubting her political career. It’s not until she speaks with a notorious female political consultant that she realizes that she has enough talent and name recognition to go above City Council and effect change at a higher level. Leslie follows the advice and obtains a job as the National Parks Director in Indianapolis. She used her political savvy and the advice from her mentor to further herself to the next stage of her