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The cast of the series “Parks and Recreation”, which our authors are reminded of by real life in the USA. © IMAGO/YAY Images
Democracy in the USA does not always look picture-perfect, but sometimes it looks like it appears in a television parody, our columnist finds.
Do you know the US series “Parks and Recreation”? If not, you have some catching up to do! From 2009 to 2015, the comedy show followed the chaotic team of a parks department in the Indiana provinces in a way that was as satirical as it was loving. It’s not about big politics like “The West Wing” or “Veep”, but – this much can be revealed – big names like John McCain, Michelle Obama and Joe Biden made guest appearances.
There are only ten weeks (and one day) left until the presidential election. If time doesn’t pass quickly enough for you: you would have finished the seven seasons of the series as a companion program by then with 1.76 episodes per day. How did I get to that point? Recently, here in the USA (in Texas instead of Indiana), I had to think about the series twice.
First on the agenda was a visit to a campaign office (report from Saturday), full of signs and shirts in party colors. The main character of the series, the tireless Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), also throws herself into and stumbles through election campaigns. So far, so harmless. Then I found myself in a citizens’ forum of the “Texas Parks and Wildlife” authority. In the series, helicopter parents, gun nuts, religious fanatics, tinfoil hat wearers and corrupt politicians shout at each other at such meetings – just as you imagine the USA to be.
The reality in Texas is more distinguished: the environmental committee is headed by oil billionaires (plural!), an agricultural machinery and car magnate, a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball club and an entrepreneur after whom a prison is named – honorable gentlemen appointed by Republican governors. They listened patiently to all the contributions of the audience until one of the billionaires commented in a lordly manner: “That’s how democracy works. People have different opinions. That’s what keeps the world going and makes America great.” Amen.
Then an episode of escapism with “Parks and Recreation”!
