Parks and Recreation

>> IN A TOWN AS OLD AS PAWNEE,

THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY IN EVERY ACRE.

THIS WOODEN AREA IS THE SITE OF, UM, THE MURDER, ACTUALLY,

OF NATHANIEL BIXBY MARK.

HE WAS A PIONEER WHO WAS KILLED BY A TRIBE

OF WAMAPOKE INDIANS AFTER HE TRADED THEM A BABY

FOR WHAT IS NOW INDIANAPOLIS.

THEY CUT HIS FACE OFF.

AND THEY MADE IT INTO A DREAM CATCHER.

AND THEY MADE HIS LEGS INTO RAIN STICKS.

AND THAT'S THE GREAT THING ABOUT INDIANS BACK THEN--

IS THEY USED EVERY PART OF THE PIONEER.

*

>> TODAY IS A GREAT DAY FOR THE KNOPE FAMILY.

MY MOTHER IS BEING HONORED AT A BANQUET

WITH THE TELLENSON AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

IN PAWNEE PUBLIC SERVICE.

THE AWARD'S NAMED AFTER THE LEGENDARY TONY TELLENSON,

WHO WAS A GREAT MAN.

SORRY, IS A GREAT MAN.

I, FOR ONE, AM GLAD THAT THEY'RE KEEPING HIM ALIVE.

>> I SAW YOU SURVIVE THAT TOWN HALL MEETING.

YOU KEEP THAT UP AND YOU'RE GONNA BE FIGURING OUT

WHAT WALL TO PUT YOUR OWN TELLENSON AWARD ON.

>> OH, I ALREADY KNOW.

THE ONE ON THE LEFT WHERE THE AMERICAN FLAG IS.

BUT I THINK WE COULD BE

A MULTIGENERATIONAL POLITICAL DYNASTY, YOU AND I, YOU KNOW?

LIKE THE KENNEDYS OR THE BUSHES.

MINUS THE DRINKING PROBLEM.

I MEAN NO DISRESPECT.

>> THE ONLY REASON ANYBODY'S GOING TO THIS THING

IS BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID OF WHAT MARLENE'LL DO TO THEM

IF THEY DON'T.

THAT WOMAN IS TOUGH.

IN 1994, I GAVE HER A NICKNAME.

IT'S UNREPEATABLE, BUT IT STUCK.

IT'S MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT.

IT'S THE IRON OF PAWNEE.

>> THIS IS VERY EXCITING. THIS IS A BIG NIGHT.

WE ARE GOING TO MEET SOME POWERFUL PEOPLE TONIGHT.

SO TAKE THIS DOWN. >> MM-HMM?

>> GOOD EVENING.

MARLENE GRIGGS-KNOPE IS MY MOTHER.

HOW IMPORTANT ARE SPEECHES?

I DON'T KNOW, ASK THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS.

OH, IT DIDN'T ANSWER YOUR CALL?

MAYBE BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE SMITHSONIAN.

IT WAS A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE

BECAUSE MY MOM CAST A LONG SHADOW.

READ THAT PART BACK TO ME.

>> I WAS LEARNING DISABLED,

AND MY MOM CAST A VERY LONG SHADOW.

>> NO, I DIDN'T SAY LEARNING DISABLED.

>> UM, WE'LL JUST MOVE ON. WE CAN FIX THAT LATER.

LONG SHADOW, GO.

>> OKAY, I'VE LOST MY MOMENTUM NOW.

UM, ALL RIGHT, LET'S START FROM THE TOP.

WHAT'S THE FIRST SENTENCE AGAIN?

>> MARLENE GRIGGS-KNOPE IS MORBIDLY OBESE.

>> I NEVER SAID OBESE. I SAID "IS MY MOTHER."

>> OH, SORRY. I GOT IT.

>> I NEED TO MENTION THE PARK, AND IN A VERY SUBTLE WAY

I NEED TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT I'M FORGING MY OWN PATH

AND I HAVE MY OWN SUBCOMMITTEE.

BUT I DON'T WANNA SOUND BRAGGY. WHAT DO I DO?

>> IT'S ABOUT APPEARING HUMBLE. YOU KNOW?

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, WHEN HE STARTED HIS SPEECHES,

HE WOULD COME UP AND SAY, "MY NAME'S ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

"I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

"BUT I'M GONNA BE HONEST WITH YOU.

I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT I'M DOING."

SO MAYBE START OFF WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

>> OKAY, SO I START OFF--

I'M LESLIE KNOPE, I'M THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR

OF PARKS AND RECREATION, AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU,

I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING.

>> YEAH. >> YEAH.

>> THEN, I THINK WHAT WE WANT TO DO AT THAT POINT

IS START GETTING THE ENERGY UP.

>> YEAH. >> HOW ABOUT THIS?

MARLENE GRIGGS-KNOPE IS DEFINITELY NOT A WHORE.

>> NO.

>> MARLENE GRIGGS-KNOPE HAS NOT FIVE,

BUT SEVEN ASIAN FRIENDS.

MARLENE GRIGGS-KNOPE

HAS NEVER SOLICITED A MALE PROSTITUTE.

MARLENE GRIGGS-KNOPE

HAS SAID THE "N" WORD ONLY FOUR TIMES IN HER ENTIRE LIFE.

>> NO. NO.

>> SHE SAID IT MORE THAN THAT?

>> HOW ABOUT THIS ONE?

>> THAT IS HOT.

>> SERIOUSLY? >> YES.

THAT IS REALLY HOT.

HOW COME YOU DON'T DRESS UP LIKE THAT FOR ME?

>> WELL, 'CAUSE I WOULD FEEL A LITTLE SILLY

PUTTING ON A NICE DRESS TO GO TO THE COUCH.

>>

>>

I HAVEN'T BEEN OUT IN SO LONG.

ANDY BEING IN CASTS

HAS DEFINITELY PUT A CRIMP IN OUR SOCIAL LIFE.

I DON'T REALLY KNOW LESLIE'S MOM,

AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TELLENSON AWARD IS,

BUT AT THIS MOMENT IN MY LIFE,

IT SOUNDS LIKE A MAGICAL EVENING.

>> BABE, I'M OUT OF MILK.

>> HOW DRESSY IS THIS EXACTLY? >> TO THE MAX.

IT IS THE MOST EXCLUSIVE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT EVENT OF THE YEAR.

>> REALLY? >> YEAH.

THE TELLENSONS IS LIKE THE OSCARS TIMES THE GRAMMYS

PLUS THE SUPER BOWL.

>> WOW. OKAY.

UM, I SHOULD PROBABLY CHANGE.

>> YEAH, I'M HEADED TO THE SALON RIGHT NOW.

SALVATORE MANFRELOTTI HAS BEEN CUTTING HAIR

ACROSS FROM PIONEER HALL SINCE 1958.

ALL THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS WHO HAVE COME THROUGH PAWNEE

HAVE SAT IN THAT CHAIR AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER.

I MEAN, HE'S THE GUY THAT MADE LARRY BIRD

LOOK THE WAY HE DOES.

>> NEXT.

>> SO WHAT'S THE INSIDE SCOOP, SALVATORE?

>> MY FEET HURT.

>> CLASSIC SALVATORE.

>> DO I KNOW YOU? >> UH, NO.

THIS IS MY FIRST OFFICIAL POLITICAL HAIRCUT.

I'M LESLIE KNOPE,

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION.

>> ARE YOU RELATED TO THAT MARLENE SOMETHING KNOPE?

>> THAT DEPENDS.

WOULD YOU CALL BEING HER DAUGHTER RELATED?

>> WHAT THE HELL ELSE WOULD YOU CALL IT?

NOW, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO WITH THIS?

>> WELL, UM, MY MOM IS BEING HONORED TONIGHT,

SO IN A WAY, I AM ALSO BEING HONORED.

AND I JUST WANTED TO MIX THINGS UP A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW?

PIN IT UP. SOMETHING SASSY.

BUT POWERFUL. AND DYNASTIC.

HI! APRIL.

>> GOOD EVENING...SIR.

>> OH, I'M OFF THE CLOCK, APRIL, YOU DON'T NEED TO CALL ME SIR.

SALVATORE CALLS THIS HAIRDO "THE MAYOR."

AND YES, I WILL WEAR MY HAIR LIKE THIS

WHEN I AM THE FIRST FEMALE MAYOR OF PAWNEE.

>> OH, MAN.

I AM WAY OVERDRESSED.

>> WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOU LOOK GREAT.

WE LOOK GREAT. EVERYONE'S LOOKING AT US.

>> YEAH, I KNOW. >> YOU WANT A DRINK?

>> YES, I DO VERY MUCH WANT A DRINK.

THAT MAN IS STARING.

>> THAT'S FORMER CITY COUNCILMAN FRANK SCHNABLE.

OH, WE ARE IN RARIFIED AIR TONIGHT, ANN.

RARIFIED AIR.

>> HE'S COMING OVER. >> WHAT?

OKAY, BE COOL. BE COOL.

>> I WILL TRY.

>> HELLO. >> HELLO.

FORMER CITY COUNCILMAN, I AM LESLIE KNOPE.

I AM THE DAUGHTER OF THE HONOREE THIS EVENING.

>> I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU

THAT I THINK THAT WHAT YOU TWO ARE DOING IS SO BRAVE.

AND JUST BEING WHO YOU ARE--

I WISH I HAD YOUR COURAGE.

>> OKAY, LET'S GO.

>> I ENJOY GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS

LIKE I ENJOY GETTING KICKED IN THE NUGGETS

WITH A STEEL-TOE BOOT.

BUT THIS HOTEL ALWAYS SERVES BACON-WRAPPED SHRIMP.

THAT'S MY NUMBER ONE FAVORITE FOOD

WRAPPED AROUND MY NUMBER THREE FAVORITE FOOD.

I'D GO TO A BANQUET AND HONOR THOSE SOMALI PIRATES

IF THEY SERVED BACON-WRAPPED SHRIMP.

EXCUSE ME.

>> HEY, TABLE 12. CAN GET A WHAT-WHAT?

>> WOW. >>

>> THANK YOU.

>> I MEAN, ANN, YOU LOOK STUNNING.

BUT LESLIE, WOW.

>> I WAS GOING FOR WOW. >> YOU GOT IT.

>> I WAS TOLD IT WAS BLACK TIE.

>> I LIKE YOUR HAIRDO, LESLIE. >> THANK YOU, RON.

>> IT'S JUST LIKE MY BROTHER'S.

HE'S AN OFFICER IN THE AIR FORCE.

>> HMM.

>> BACON-WRAPPED SHRIMP.

>> OH, THANKS, I'M OKAY. >> I WASN'T OFFERING.

>> OH, ANN. DON'T LOOK.

NO, NO, NO. I SAID, "DON'T LOOK."

SEATED BEHIND US IS JANINE RESTREPO.

WE NEED TO RE-ZONE THE PIT TO TURN IT INTO A PARK,

AND SHE'S ON THE ZONING BOARD.

OH, WHAT A NIGHT! PLEASE.

THIS IS SO COOL.

AT THAT TABLE ARE ALL EIGHT LIVING TELLENSON AWARD WINNERS.

BERT WINFIELD, GEOFFREY MORGLESBERG,

QUENTIN ARBLE, DAWN KRINK, MICHAEL HOLLOWAY.