“Parks and Recreation,” the beloved NBC sitcom about a group of local government employees who become friends in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, ended its seven-season run on Tuesday night, much to the dismay of its legion of fans on social media.
Though “Parks and Recreation” struggled to grow its ratings, it developed a loyal following over the years. Leslie Knope, the show’s eager, driven and ambitious protagonist, became a feminist icon to many female viewers for her unabashed ambition, drive, enthusiasm, and her fight for gender equality. BuzzFeed declared Knope “the best feminist role model on TV.” Knope has a Tumblr dedicated to her titled “Leslie Knope is my life coach.” Numerous listicles have sprung up declaring Knope’s most feminist moments. Fans have photoshopped Knope’s face on everything from Rosie the Riveter posters (“Knope we can!”) and President Obama posters (“Knope” instead of “Hope”). Knope’s female fans saw the character as aspirational, someone they could look up to and admire — and learn from.
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On Tuesday night, fans of the show mourned the end of the beloved series on Twitter. But in particular, many young women bemoaned the loss of the Knope character, who had become a role model to many women.
@smrtgrls be the leslie knope in whatever you do. Thanks for your inspiration that women can do cool thing and being a positive role model
— Angela Romano (@stayclassyang) February 25, 2015
Will miss the weekly motivation from Leslie Knope, but will live each day fueling that same drive within myself @smrtgrls #ParksFarewell
— Laura Fitzpatrick (@BitzOfFitz) February 25, 2015
Leslie Knope taught me that everyone has a passion, and everyone's passion is worth fighting for @smrtgrls #ParksFarewell
— Mallory Elder (@malloryelder_) February 25, 2015
Thank you to @smrtgrls for showing our world that strong and determined women leaders can change the world, binders in hand #ParksFarewell









