They are well aware of their treatment of Jerry & they leave it untouched to remind us that even all the well- meaning folks out there have an ugly side. We are all of these characters & display all their traits in some way, at some point. They aren't perfect, neither are we. It shows EXACTLY how human nature may look one way but still has a dark side.
i agree with this completely! i had to stop watching halfway through because all the jerry jokes made me realize how little schur and co. learned despite how much the public perception of this show changed.
I agree that their treatment of Jerry is ridiculous and doesn't make any sense with their characters, but I do think that's the point of it. I've always understood the joke to be that these are nice people and he's a nice, if clumsy man, and they all view him as horrible. I am too empathetic of a person to find this funny, but lots of people do, on Parks and Rec and on other shows as well (Toby on The Office, Jerry on Rick and Morty, Meg on Family Guy). I don't think it's that "this is never treated by the show as cruel behaviour." I think it is meant to be cruel, and that's the darkest joke on the show - that even in the show's rosy reality, these sweet, reasonable characters bully and old man. To me, it's the least funny joke in the show, but also, seeing its absurd cruelty contrast with the world of Parks and Rec makes it the most darkly funny.
I remember binging through P&R quickly and loving it, but afterwards I never felt the need to rewatch it and with time my feelings became more and more lukewarm. I think it's a show that works best when you aren't thinking about it at all and just taking the jokes as they come, which is probably because it doesn't have much to say beyond People Good (except the ones who aren't).
Similar to what someone else commented, I don't think the show is at all unaware of how ironic the treatment of Jerry is. I think it's the point, as stated before, that it's really about how despite how earnestly good the characters portend to be, there's some glaring holes in their worldview. And really; are the characters really framed as that "good"? From what I remember of P&R, there's a great deal of a juxtaposition of a seemingly idyllic setting w/ really cynical people. Arguably outside of Leslie, there were always plenty of issues/problematic characters. I think part of the show's disposition was being a more sunny presented/trappings but with characters that were repeatedly pretty tone deaf/oblivious--it's how and why the Jerry running joke "works".
I think you’ve missed the point on the Jerry jokes. The show is filled with positive people who are overall good beings. They are also oblivious to how mean they are to Jerry. That’s the point: you can be a good person who also a) screws up occasionally and b) is oblivious to it.
It’s a more rational taken on purity tests and cancel culture...
It feels deeply out of character. Of course, in real life, people won't act a certain way all the time, and that's true of TV characters as well. However, there should at least be some kind of reason behind it, and since there is no real reason for other characters to bully Jerry, especially to the extent that they do, it's out of nowhere and cruel. It cheapens everyone's characterizations outside of these scenes. Leslie is a nice, generous person, who goes way too far in her generosity and devotion to her friends... except when it comes to this one specific person. Yeah, that's obviously the joke, but it's a shallow, poorly thought out joke that has no reason to be there and actively undermines the rest of the show because of the degree to which it's taken.
Also, why shouldn't they be aware of it? It's extremely obvious how heartless their bullying can be, especially when it involves the man being threatened with literal death. Sure, everyone makes mistakes, but the goal isn't to be complacent in them forever, it's to acknowledge them and do better in the future. The conceit of this show isn't like with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, where you want to watch characters do horrible things and laugh at it, it's supposed to be a warm show about good people doing their best in the world. These people are supposed to have emotional depth and be overall good people. OK, that's the joke. But the behavior is focused on and much too frequent to be a throwaway joke. It's there every time, and as such, a part of everyone's characters.
Why, of all things, does this bullying not matter and get completely ignored? It makes the rest of their character development and depth feel cheap. It makes them feel both crueler and less like real people.
Lighten up Francis! Your waaaaay over thinking Parks and Rec. It's just a show not reality.
They are well aware of their treatment of Jerry & they leave it untouched to remind us that even all the well- meaning folks out there have an ugly side. We are all of these characters & display all their traits in some way, at some point. They aren't perfect, neither are we. It shows EXACTLY how human nature may look one way but still has a dark side.
That man has the largest penis I have ever seen.
i agree with this completely! i had to stop watching halfway through because all the jerry jokes made me realize how little schur and co. learned despite how much the public perception of this show changed.
I agree that their treatment of Jerry is ridiculous and doesn't make any sense with their characters, but I do think that's the point of it. I've always understood the joke to be that these are nice people and he's a nice, if clumsy man, and they all view him as horrible. I am too empathetic of a person to find this funny, but lots of people do, on Parks and Rec and on other shows as well (Toby on The Office, Jerry on Rick and Morty, Meg on Family Guy). I don't think it's that "this is never treated by the show as cruel behaviour." I think it is meant to be cruel, and that's the darkest joke on the show - that even in the show's rosy reality, these sweet, reasonable characters bully and old man. To me, it's the least funny joke in the show, but also, seeing its absurd cruelty contrast with the world of Parks and Rec makes it the most darkly funny.
I remember binging through P&R quickly and loving it, but afterwards I never felt the need to rewatch it and with time my feelings became more and more lukewarm. I think it's a show that works best when you aren't thinking about it at all and just taking the jokes as they come, which is probably because it doesn't have much to say beyond People Good (except the ones who aren't).
I love P&R and was stoked for the reunion...well, I watched until the 2nd commercial break and that was all I could stomach; it was SSSSO AWFUL!!!!
Similar to what someone else commented, I don't think the show is at all unaware of how ironic the treatment of Jerry is. I think it's the point, as stated before, that it's really about how despite how earnestly good the characters portend to be, there's some glaring holes in their worldview. And really; are the characters really framed as that "good"? From what I remember of P&R, there's a great deal of a juxtaposition of a seemingly idyllic setting w/ really cynical people. Arguably outside of Leslie, there were always plenty of issues/problematic characters. I think part of the show's disposition was being a more sunny presented/trappings but with characters that were repeatedly pretty tone deaf/oblivious--it's how and why the Jerry running joke "works".
I think you’ve missed the point on the Jerry jokes. The show is filled with positive people who are overall good beings. They are also oblivious to how mean they are to Jerry. That’s the point: you can be a good person who also a) screws up occasionally and b) is oblivious to it.
It’s a more rational taken on purity tests and cancel culture...
That's kind of stupid though for many reasons.
It feels deeply out of character. Of course, in real life, people won't act a certain way all the time, and that's true of TV characters as well. However, there should at least be some kind of reason behind it, and since there is no real reason for other characters to bully Jerry, especially to the extent that they do, it's out of nowhere and cruel. It cheapens everyone's characterizations outside of these scenes. Leslie is a nice, generous person, who goes way too far in her generosity and devotion to her friends... except when it comes to this one specific person. Yeah, that's obviously the joke, but it's a shallow, poorly thought out joke that has no reason to be there and actively undermines the rest of the show because of the degree to which it's taken.
Also, why shouldn't they be aware of it? It's extremely obvious how heartless their bullying can be, especially when it involves the man being threatened with literal death. Sure, everyone makes mistakes, but the goal isn't to be complacent in them forever, it's to acknowledge them and do better in the future. The conceit of this show isn't like with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, where you want to watch characters do horrible things and laugh at it, it's supposed to be a warm show about good people doing their best in the world. These people are supposed to have emotional depth and be overall good people. OK, that's the joke. But the behavior is focused on and much too frequent to be a throwaway joke. It's there every time, and as such, a part of everyone's characters.
Why, of all things, does this bullying not matter and get completely ignored? It makes the rest of their character development and depth feel cheap. It makes them feel both crueler and less like real people.