There are tons of real-life female role models for us twenty-somethings to look up to.
But really, none are more perfect than the (sadly) fictional Leslie Knope.
The star of Parks and Recreation is the ultimate feminist role model, especially for a world that often doesn’t understand what it means to be a feminist.
By the way, being a feminist just means you want equality for all people, regardless of gender.She is a career woman, but also a fierce friend, loyal significant other and avid crusader for what she truly believes in. She lives by a moral code, never swayed by outside opinions or popularity. Sure, she is sometimes single-minded to a fault. But she’s also willing to apologize and ask for forgiveness when she really needs to.
There are quite possibly infinite reasons why Leslie Knope is the ultimate feminist role model, but here are some of my favorites:
She’s unapologetically proud of her accomplishments.
Leslie is awesome at her job. She works really hard and she deserves all of her successes. While she thanks those around her constantly, she’s also proud of herself. One of my favorite moments of the series was Leslie hanging up the picture of herself on the wall of City Councilmen. She was psyched to be the first woman up there. The rest of us can and should learn from this example. There’s nothing wrong with being proud of doing something great after you’ve worked really hard to achieve it.
She’s a fierce and loyal friend.
Galentine’s Day is the holiday we didn’t know we needed.
Every February 13, Leslie hosts a yummy brunch with individualized gifts for her favorite women. You may have missed the official Galentine’s Day this year, but there’s always time for a celebratory meeting with your closest friends.Her male friends are all feminists, too.
Ben Wyatt, Ron Swanson, Tom Haverford…they all support Leslie because she is passionate and motivated. They have little consideration for the fact that she’s a woman; they just admire her tenacity and commitment. Isn’t that what we should all want in life? To be admired for our hard work? If more men could congratulate the female professionals in their lives the way Leslie’s male friends do, we would be well on our way to universal feminism.
She doesn’t let being a feminist get in her way of being feminine.
One of the most frustrating misconceptions about feminism is that it rejects femininity. Not true at all, and Leslie knows that. Her Pawnee Goddesses embrace both crafts and political discourse while wearing fabulous purple t-shirts. She lovingly admires Ben’s cute butt, and she has a complete fangirl moment, full of stuttering and giggling, when she meets Joe Biden. For Leslie, it’s not about being feminine or feminist; it’s about embracing the things that she loves with unabashed enthusiasm, regardless of whether or not they stereotypically fall along gender lines.
She never talks about “having it all.”
In this final season of Parks and Rec, Leslie has taken on a huge role: she’s a mom. A mom to triplet toddlers, at that. One of my favorite things about this storyline is that it barely exists. Leslie did not compromise her professional goals to become a mom. Instead, she made huge professional strides in the first three years of her triplets’ lives. Though at the same time, she makes no pretenses about being a perfect mom. Whenever her kids come up, it’s to reference how chaotic Leslie and Ben’s home life has become. The kids are a whirlwind of energy, so the house is a mess. Leslie knows that it’s possible to be a great mom and a great career woman, but she also knows that she has to rely on Ben and sacrifice some cleanliness and order. We love the refreshing perspective that motherhood is hard and messy, and that’s perfectly okay.
Her relationship with Ben is what all women should want.
Leslie and Ben love and support each other 100%. They’re both funny, nerdy, and successful. There is no competition. Sometimes, Ben makes sacrifices for Leslie. He was willing to break up with her to avoid a political scandal when she decided to run for City Council (see the campaign button in a jewelry box—SWOON) before ultimately running her campaign. But she was equally willing to make sacrifices for him. She told him he had to go work in D.C., and this season, she convinced him to run for U.S. Congress. They know that it’s not about one becoming more professionally or financially dominant than the other; it’s about making sure each person in the relationship has the ability to chase his or her dreams with the unconditional support of the person they love most.
When she does need to apologize, she does it from the heart.
Ron and Leslie had a rocky start this season. While Leslie assumed Ron had maliciously picked up business practices to undermine her success, she eventually discovered that she had hurt Ron’s feelings by taking away all of his coworkers and then blowing him off when he was vulnerable. Instead of becoming defensive or making excuses, Leslie did what is so hard for so many of us: she apologized. With no qualifications. Some women apologize for things when they don’t need to, and some people (women and men) don’t take the time to genuinely apologize when it actually is necessary. Leslie knows what’s up. She doesn’t ever apologize for her beliefs or her hard work, but when she truly hurts someone’s feelings, she owns up to it. Her friendship with Ron is now stronger because of that.
Feature Photo via We Heart It