Amy Poehler NBC Project Name Revealed: Parks and Recreation

NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” is a new comedic tv “mockumentary” that targets Indiana’s Parks and Recreation systems. The video preview for the show has a young, blonde woman in business attire standing in a landfill proclaiming (In a rather valley-girlish fashion)that just as the new President is going to change America, she is going to change this trash heap into a park. She picks up some trash and then a bone. She stops her speech and turns to the side and asks, “Is this a human bone?” Then she starts wretching and runs off the camera. The show’s logo uses the Indiana State Seal rolling around in “Spin City” style. The show is from the producers of “The Office”.

DNR gets a lot of bad press anyway because the general public don’t understand how they work. Right now budgets are tight and the state parks system is pressed hard to be able to keep such public services open. A tv show that is going to make millions at their expense and furthermore is going to further public misunderstanding of Indiana DNR is just what we DON’T need. This show seems to be focusing on county parks more, but to the public there’s no difference between city, county and state. In addition, the show’s logo uses the Indiana state seal… That implies that they’re attacking state parks as well. Also, the state seal should not be used in a comedy tv show’s logo. Would the President’s seal be acceptable for use as a comedic logo? I’d think there would be some legal repercussions from doing that. So did Indiana agree to all this? Is it just about money? Why can’t Hollywood pick on their own state?

Lastly, why use a ditsy, blonde, female with a weak stomach for the main character? Is that the impression the world should have of DNR managers? My wife is a DNR Assistant Property Manager and she is strong, tough, and able to get things done. She is willing to help haul rotting bodies out of the Ohio River and handles the massive piles of paperwork that comes with it. She works hard to provide a good public service and she works hard to earn the respect of her colleagues in a male-oriented government agency. How can she be taken seriously when THIS tv show is the impression that the entire nation, her co-workers included, is going to get of her job?

This show is an abomination to professional women everywhere and it is certainly NOT going to help the state at all. The state parks in Indiana are mosly funded by user fees. That means that when you come in the front gate and pay your $4 per car, you are insuring that this park will be open again next year for you to enjoy. That means that the park depends on visitors to survive. So if the public view is that the parks are run by imbeciles, are they going to keep coming back? Furthermore, why visit a park when it’s so much more fun to watch a fake one on TV? I’m pissed and I think NBC should scrap this show and apologize to the state of Indiana and the hard-working Department of Natural Resources!!

Hollywood is taking money from Indiana’s DNR and is damaging the state’s character while they’re at it. Why do we put up with this???

As a Hoosier I am insulted… As a firm supporter of the Department of Natural Resources I am furious… As the husband of a professional Parks and Recreation Resource Manager I am demanding satisfaction!!!

As a Parks & Recreation professional in the field for more than 30 years I have seen, and yes maybe caused, some hilarious antics in my career. Life is supposed to be fun and we as professionals need to laugh at ourselves and the circumstances that make our jobs fun. We all (those in the field) will see at least a few renditions of situations we have encountered in our service to community. I can’t wait to laugh about it with this new show. By the way, I love the clip that ends with the focus group meeting…been there, done that. What a hoot!