Friday, March 13, 2015
Parks and Recreation – A welcome to the Midwest (Season 1)
Parks and Recreation
begins its first season with a medley of images that establish five main themes
and introduce the characters. The themes are natural bounty, outdoor fun,
American settlers, government bureaucracy, and patriotism. In combination, they
create a picture of small-town Midwest America, where the show is set.
The theme of natural
bounty appears first with a shot of green fields stretching to the horizon
under soft clouds. This places the show firmly in farm country. The sun-filled
nature shot accompanied by what subtitle services describe as “triumphant
music” immediately lets viewers know that this is going to be a happy,
lighthearted show.
The farm shot shrinks
to the upper left corner of the screen, and two images fill the void – a
basketball hoop with a ball bouncing off the rim below the farm, and a vacant
construction site that includes a big hole in the ground, the beginnings of a
foundation and mounds of dirt filling the right half. The images are separated
by thin black spaces that frame each individually. Sunlight floods all three
shots. This transition of a single image into a screen divided into various
patterns of three and four continues all the way through the opener creating a quick-paced
dance between small, medium and large shots in 30 seconds.
The contrast of the
peaceful farm with the dissonance of a missed shot in basketball and an unfinished
house provides a balance between happiness and problems that viewers will
identify with. The happy mood prevails by filling both problem shots with
sunlight. The basketball rim introduces a second, related theme of outdoor fun.
The farm, hoop and
construction site remain on screen briefly, and then slide left. The construction
site stops its slide in the left third of the screen. Two images slide in from
the right dividing the screen into thirds. A boy catching a baseball occupies
the middle spot, and two boys riding a bicycle and scooter in the street
respectively are on the right.
The boy catching the
ball shows success, and the boys riding in the street mix the daily worries of
parents about their children’s safety with the “Don’t worry, mom and dad. That
car was really far away when I veered into the oncoming traffic lane” attitudes
of children.
As the boy on the
bike turns to look over his shoulder, the middle image switches to a tall
statue of a man wearing a red baseball cap and matching red blazer. He holds an
ice cream cone stiffly in his right hand. This image immediately switches to a statue
of an American Indian in a feather headdress holding his right arm up in
greeting with the palm turned outward. He is bare chested with tan pants and
leather arm bands.
These
two statues introduce the theme of American settlers overcoming the untamed
wilds, which, according to this show, were filled with half-naked savages. At the same time, they firmly root the setting
in small town America. The statue holding the ice cream could be outside any
Tastee Freeze, and the statue of the American Indian could be in a park, but
more likely at a used-car lot.
The
image of the pit is replaced by a brown desk with a coffee mug on it. The wall
in the background is painted with a pheasant taking flight in a grassy
woodland. As the shot moves right to
take up the whole screen, the mural on the wall grows to include two deer. The
initial shot of the desk pans out and we see it is against the wall with a
conference table and institutional meeting room chair in the fore- and
midground respectively. The title of the show, “Parks and Recreation,” appears
in white against the background of the mural in the center of the screen. This
is the first indoor shot of the series, and in it, even the indoors contains
elements of the outdoors. Pheasants and deer are associated with hunting, and
that, again, tells us what kind of community the show is going to portray.
The image shrinks to
the lower right hand corner of the screen. Over it is an equally-sized image of
two men paddling a canoe, still in sunlight. The opposing images are on top a
white marble government building, and on bottom a field of wheat. This contrast
establishes another theme – the bureaucracy of government v. the purity of
nature. Like the missed shot and empty pit, government becomes one of life’s
problems in this otherwise idyllic scene. And like the pit and the shot, the
building is bathed in sunlight, diminishing the hardships it represents.
The picture of the
building switches to two girls swinging on a tire swing in a park. There is
sunlight and motion in the picture. This image fills the screen before
shrinking to the lower right hand corner. Above it appears the name “Amy
Poehler.” The actress appears on the right hand side of the screen, standing in
front of a blue flag with gold trim and gold stars. She wears a business,
casual suit appropriate for work. We see her face in a half smile. She nods her
head and looks satisfied, then speaks, making a funny, puzzled face as the shot
shifts to the next image. The image of the girls switches back to the pile of
dirt, which briefly fills the whole screen.
The actress is
packaged between the happy image of children playing in a park, and the problem
image of the pit. This gives the impression that she’s an upbeat person, but must
face problems. The expression on her face suggests she’s also quirky.
The image of the pit
shrinks down to lower left corner, and the name “Rashida Jones” appears above
it. The actress appears on the right. She holds a newspaper clipping that says
“Unemployed Man Breaks Legs in Abandoned Pit.” She speaks and points at the
clipping with a serious expression on her face. Not only does the image of the
pit precede her, she associates herself with the pit in the frame that features
her. She is doubly associated a problem. Because I know the contents of the
show, the characters these actresses play, especially Amy Poehler’s character,
become problem solvers. In a broad reading, one could say this positions them
as community caregivers.
The image of the pit
switches to one of children playing a game in a field. It looks like a team
game and the children shown are looking toward the action like they are waiting
for a ball to be thrown or kicked toward them. It’s sunny, and there are trees
in the background. So far, both of the characters have been associated with
themes of fun outdoors, and lighthearted problems.
The shot of the
children playing fills the screen briefly then shrinks to the upper right
quadrant. Under it appears the name “Paul Schneider” and an actor appears on
the left hand side of the screen. He’s wearing a blue crew neck sweater with no
collar, a watch on his right wrist. His hands are in front of him with fingers
linked and he is shown talking to someone. He then listens, shaking his head in
response with a close mouthed, grimacing smile. There is a coffee cup and plate
in front of him, and another diner in the background over his right shoulder.
The picture of the
children is replaced by one of a buffalo standing in a field, shown in profile,
looking directly at the actor. It’s a mid-range shot, but the buffalo fills the
image, and there is golden prairie around it. The buffalo turns its head to
look toward the camera as the actor shakes his head. The image of the buffalo
recalls the myth of the American settler, and its independent, unspoiled
majesty is transferred to the actor. Both women in the cast have been
associated with a problem, and the man focuses on character. The images of
outdoor fun tie all three actors together.
The buffalo and actor
ID are replaced by a legalistic looking form that could be a page out of a
government manual. It’s a close up and the form fills half the screen. The
actor is immediately replaced by a medium shot of a woman playing tennis,
standing at the back of the court waiting on a serve or a return. As she
approaches the ball, the form disappears, and the woman’s image moves to the
upper right corner. The name “Aziz Ansari” appears under her. On the left side
of the screen, an actor appears who is talking on the telephone with his right
hand raised, the index finger up as if he is making a point. He’s wearing a suit
and tie, and has a gold watch on his right wrist. He leans back as he speaks
into the phone.
The woman playing
tennis returns the ball in the upper right, then disappears replaced by an
official form. As the image grows to briefly fill the screen, a stamp comes
down on the form, leaving the word “Void” behind. Government forms both precede
and follow this actor’s image, associating him strongly with the theme of
government bureaucracy. This feature, paired with the actor’s slick suit and
shiny watch, puts him outside of the themes of rugged settlers. Paired with his
Indian origins in an otherwise all-white cast, these identify the actor as the “other”
who can be increasingly found in small towns, but who doesn’t quite belong. What’s
more, the “outdoor fun” shot associated with this actor is of a single woman,
positioning his character as one who will pursue women in romantic
relationships.
The image of the
voided form shrinks to the lower left hand corner, and the name “Nick Offerman”
appears above it. An actor appears on the right hand side of the screen, also
wearing a jacket and tie. He holds a coffee cup in his right hand and stands in
a doorway. On his left, two signs adorn the wall. The top one promotes an
“Adopt A Park” program, and the bottom one says “Documents for shredder only
………. No Garbage”.
As the actor steps
further into the room, and gives a hard stare to someone, the camera zooms in,
and the image on the lower left switches to a red cardinal on grassy ground.
The bird is turned a little but we see both eyes. It moves its beak. The images
associated with this actor are symbolically important. Stamping a government
form with “void” calls the legitimacy of government into question by
highlighting government inefficiency. The work that went into creating and
filling out the form is rendered meaningless in one swift stamp.
This is contrasted by
the image of a cardinal, which like the buffalo, is an iconic American image.
The cardinal is fiery red, known for attacking its own image in a window, while
at the same time carries connotations of gentleness. The signs on the wall of
the room where the actor appears and the hard stare he delivers associate him
with authority.
Both the bird and the
actor’s name are replaced by an image of a man and a woman riding bikes toward
the camera across what looks like a wide, arced footbridge. A canopy of trees
appears in the background. The riders are at the top of the arch, about to
enjoy a coast down the bridge. The bike image shrinks to lower left quarter of
screen. Above it the name “Aubrey Plaza” appears. On the left, an image of an
actress appears. She is sitting in the room where the image of the deer and
pheasants appear on the wall. She is looking up at someone and turning the
pages of a book in front of her. She looks bored and annoyed. She sneers in the
direction of the person who she was looking at and goes back to the pages of
her book.
The actress’s image
slides to the left and a still image of a mural of a woman sitting on a horse
appears. There is a girl riding behind her.
They are in front of two Conestoga wagons. In the mid- and background
are a man with white hair and beard and teenage girl. The mural suggests they
are on a journey to their new home. Pairing the actress between the bicyclists
and the mural associates her with outdoor fun, and the settler theme.
The mural fills the
screen briefly, then shrinks to upper right corner of screen. Beneath appear
the words “Guest Starring Chris Pratt”. On the right side of the screen, an
actor appears seated on a sofa with a remote in his right hand. He is bearded,
wears a wrinkled t-shirt and grey sweat pants. Both legs are in full casts up to
his upper thighs and sit rested on the coffee table in front of him. Leaning on
the sofa behind him are a pair of crutches. Could this be the unemployed man
with two broken legs featured in the news article that actress Rashida Jones
held? (Yes.) Also in the background is a woman in the kitchen. The shot zooms
in on the man’s upper body and face, and he is shown saying something without
taking his eyes from the screen. This sequence positions him as being dependent
on a woman, while also taking the care he receives for granted.
As he speaks the
picture of the settlers is replaced by one of a parade. We see it from the
perspective of someone standing at the edge of the street looking down a line
of parade goers. No one’s face appears. The shot begins fuzzy then comes into
focus briefly. We see hands clapping and waving flags as a fire truck moves
toward their spot on the parade route. The image adds the theme of patriotism,
which with the settlers theme and natural bounty, help complete the picture of
the American Midwest.
The actor’s image
slides to left and is replaced with an aerial photo of a town. The downtown
area is mostly grey with buildings, and neighborhoods extend to the upper limit
of the image, which is a criss-cross of roads. Each square is mostly green,
speckled with the grey of houses. A field fills the lower left hand corner of
the image. From high above, the town is a small spot in the landscape. Coming
toward the end of the opening, it put the individual dramas portrayed in the
images and characters that have come before in perspective.
On the upper right,
an old two person outdoor metal swing sits at the edge of the construction site,
on bare dirt, with both the near and far edge of the pit in the background.
Below it appear the
words “Created By Greg Daniels & Michael Schur”. The aerial photo is
replaced by two children swinging on a swing set. Their image is replaced by
one of City Hall and the opener ends.
The opener’s five themes combine to
create an image of small-town America. At the same time, the opener minimizes
the problems that take place there with sunlight and happy music. It
naturalizes women as caregivers, highlights the cultural insensitivity of
Midwesterners to American Indians, and focuses on character attributes of men.
The single person of color is most strongly associated with government and
chases women. Collectively, these images naturalize stereotypes found in the
Midwest, while making light of government bureaucracy.
Labels: John, Parks and Recreation
# posted by Unknown @ 5:05 AM 
