7 Reasons Why Parks and Recreation Is Better Than The Office
The Office is one of those comedy sitcoms that has some die-hard fans. For many, it’s on-par with FRIENDS as one of those shows you can watch over and over and over again. The premise of The Office is great. It gives us that reality-style quality we love but in a scripted program.
It definitely launched some shows to follow suit, which is what birthed the incredible sitcom Parks and Recreation. In my humble opinion, Parks and Rec is hands-down better than The Office.
Leslie Knope is the epitome of female empowerment
Leslie Knope is probably one of the best characters in TV history. She’s a hardworking woman who stands up for what she believes in despite having to deal with misogynistic, old-fashioned men who haven’t quite yet made it into the 21st century. There is no Leslie Knope equivalent on The Office. Not even close. Instead, there’s Michael Scott, whose character is humorously misogynistic at times, but after a while just becomes cringe-worthy. Leslie Knope is the woman you want to be. You can’t help but feel empowered and optimistic after watching her!
The Parks characters can’t be beat
Maybe it’s just me, but there really isn’t a whole lot of depth or variance to the character of The Office. I get that the whole point is to make them seem like average people, but they’re all the same average people. Parks on the other hand? This cast has some big personality. From Ron’s love for all things woodworking and sax playing to Tom’s desire to be the trendiest man Pawnee has ever seen, and April’s monotone lack of interest in, well, anything to Donna’s love of the finer things in life, this show has some pizzazz. This show’s cast shows a much more realistic array of qualities that more people have. Some may think of it as flashy, but I think it shows just how much these people embrace who they are and let it shine.
Unparalleled character growth
Aside from the Parks characters being well-developed, these characters showed immense growth over time, as happens in real life. Let’s be honest, were Michael Scott, Jim Halpert, or Dwight Schrute really all that different from the first episode to the last? Not really. April Ludgate, on the other hand? Her character really shined through from the first episode to the last, but all the while, she maintained that quirky sense of self that made us love her.
Leslie and Ann are BFF goals
Leslie is already the definition of female empowerment. Showcasing a strong female friendship was icing on the cake and made the show that much more inspiring. So many shows miss the mark when it comes to female friendships. Leslie and Ann showed us just how incredible a female friendship can be. I can’t even think of a friendship on The Office that made me think: “I want that.”
The Office is cringe-y AF
I think the fact that some episodes are cringe-worthy is part of the charm of The Office, but it kind of just made me uncomfortable. I’m already an awkward person so getting second-hand awkward from a TV show just doesn’t do it for me. Some of the things that happen in Parks can get awkward, but not in every episode. What I find happens more often is that you get angry at the ignorance or misogyny that occurs in Pawnee. For me, that served as an inspiration to not let that kind of behavior happen in my own life.
Leslie and Ben >>> Jim and Pam
Leslie and Ben are a much better couple than Jim and Pam. I realize so many people think of Jim and Pam as goals, but are they really? Jim admired Pam from afar (an engaged Pam, mind you) and ended up cheating to start their relationship. Not a good way to begin. Of course, they go through their trials as most central relationships do in a series. It gets boring after a while. Leslie and Ben worked so much better together. They both had similar passions and they fully supported each other in their dreams (can’t really say the same for Jim and Pam).
Parks was a strong series throughout
Parks wasn’t on the air as long as The Office. But we all know that doesn’t mean anything. The Office lost its momentum way before it went off the air. The last few seasons were pretty painful and you really only see it through because nothing is worse than stopping a series when you’ve already invested so much time into it. Parks, on the other hand, carried the show beautifully from season to season. And the way they ended it? Fantastic. Not only did we get a chance to have a season that takes place in the future so we could get an idea of what happened but we also saw even further into their future. I love that in a show. I like to know how these characters end up!
If you’re an Office fan and you haven’t seen Parks, give it a try. You will love it, I promise you. It’s an incredible series full of laughter, love, and inspiration. It will have you wanting to work in Parks and Recreation, as strange as that may sound.
