5 Discrepancies In Parks & Recreation

Because even the best shows aren't perfect. (SPOILERS)

1. Jerry's Name

img3.wikia.nocookie.net / Via parksandrecreation.wikia.com

Jerry is... well... Jerry. The clumsy, doofy, family-man with an inexplicably attractive family and an incredibly large penis heart.

But what is Jerry's real name anyway? In the season 4 episode 'The Trial of Leslie Knope', it is revealed that the name 'Jerry' arose when a previous Parks Department Director mispronounced his legal name 'Garry', and, not wanting to correct his superior, Jerry/Garry has answered to 'Jerry' ever since.

However, in the season 3 episode 'Time Capsule', April reads an embarrassing story about Jerry/Garry from his mother's diaries, which Jerry/Garry hopes to submit as his contribution to the eponymous capsule. Through reading from the journals, it appears that Jerry/Garry's mother referred to her son as 'Gerald' when he was a child.

So which is it? Jerry or Garry?

These are the questions that keep me up at night.

2. Leslie's illicit browser history

images3.wikia.nocookie.net / Via parksandrecreation.wikia.com

Leslie, the ever chirpy super-bureaucrat at the heart of the Pawnee Parks Department, is notably squeaky-clean and disgusted by sleaze, political or otherwise (we're looking at you, Councilman Dexhart).

As such, her distaste for strip clubs is almost a forgone conclusion. In episode 11 of the 2nd season, 'Tom's Divorce', she says "I'm a feminist. I would never go to a strip club", right before she enters one for the sake of her unhappily-divorced employee Tom. How noble.

But that's not the problem, people. In the 11th episode of season 4, 'The Comeback Kid', Leslie inadvertently let's slip her pervy online ways after Ann tells her she got ideas for her campaign manager outfit from the internet. Leslie promptly replies, "See, there's more things to look at on the internet besides naked guys Ann."

A strip-club-opposing so-called 'feminist' who privately views online pornography? For shame, Leslie Knope. For shame.

3. Ron's house

upload.wikimedia.org!RonSwanson.jpg / Via upload.wikimedia.org!RonSwanson.jpg

Ron Swanson is the enigmatic and deadpan Director of the Parks Department. A staunch libertarian, Ron values nothing more than private property, and he keeps his property very private indeed.

In the 6th episode of season 3, entitled 'Indianapolis', Leslie tells Chris that Ron refuses to tell anyone where he lives, not even her. However, this contradicts what Ron himself says in the season 2 premiere 'Pawnee Zoo' when he explains, in front of Leslie, Tom and Jerry/Garry, that the only reason he knows the location of the Pawnee gay bar 'The Bulge' is because it's behind his house.

Wow. For a man so ardently secretive about the whereabouts of his home, he's awfully quick to reveal it when his heterosexuality is in question. Tut tut.

4. Ann's medical expertise

i1203.photobucket.com / Via tvasylum.com

In episode 15 of season 2, entitled 'Sweetums', the town is debating the prospect of selling in the city's parks a range of 'healthy' snack-bars made by the eponymous candy manufacturers. Unfortunately, (and somewhat inevitably), said snack-bars turn out not to be very healthy at all.

This is all explained by Ann, the nurse/beautiful tropical fish that Leslie befriends early on in the show. After Leslie defends Sweetums' super-sugary 'Nutriyum' bars on account of how happy and energised the Parks Department staff become after eating them, Ann explains that this is merely the effects of a 'sugar-rush'.

Wow. This is awkward.

The pervasive belief that sugary foods cause hyperactivity in children has been thoroughly debated and thoroughly debunked. In 1982, the National Institute of Health concluded that there was no proven link between sugar and hyperactivity; that's right - medical science has known that the existence of 'sugar-highs' is a myth for over 30 years! You'd think that an experienced nurse like Ann Perkins would be privy to such information, but apparently not. J'accuse!

5. The name of Pawnee

Via pawneeindiana.com

Parks & Recreation is set in the fictional city of Pawnee, in the non-fictional state of Indiana. Known for it's kooky inhabitants, okay(ish) parks and amazing waffles (courtesy of JJ's Diner), Pawnee is a pretty special place.

Historically, a lot of US place names have derived from the names of Native American tribes or from Native American words; famous examples include Chicago, Malibu and Tucson. One would assume that the same is probably true with a city named Pawnee, and there does indeed exist a tribe of Native Americans named the Pawnee. That's where we begin to run into some trouble.

The city of Pawnee is located in the state of Indiana, but the historical tribal areas of the Pawnee actually covered what is now Nebraska and northern Kansas, which are hundred and hundreds of miles west of Indiana. What gives?

To be fair, this particular Parks & Rec hiccup actually has somewhat of a solution. The following explanation comes from the City of Pawnee website:

"Visitors often ask about our name. There is a North American Native American tribe from the plains of Nebraska called Pawnee, a peaceful and noble tribe with roughly 2500 surviving members. However, we are not named after them! Legend has it, Reverend Howell chose "Pawnee" as the name for our city accidentally - a functional illiterate, he tried to write "Paradise" on the city charter and his scrawls were misinterpreted."

...alright then, Pawnee... I let this one slide. Just this once.