Be a LAPPAR! Say No to Parks and Recreation!

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What is a LAPPAR you say?  Well a LAPPAR is a Librarian Against Pawnee Parks and Recreation.  Parks and Recreation is a reality show on NBC with Leslie Knope as the focus.  On the show, Leslie Knope is the head of the Parks and Rec department.  The show main focus is on the Parks and Rec department, but it also highlights the City of Pawnee's government's inner workings.  In the midst of the show is a heated rivalry between the Parks department and the city's Public Library.  The antagonist of the Parks department is Tammy the Librarian, who is described a crazed sex-starved evil ex-wife of the Parks Director Ron Swanson.  First, that in and of itself is grounds for librarians around the world to take offense.  The icing on the cake is their out and out hatred and prejudice of libraries in general.  Take a look at these quotes:

Tammy the Librarian on Parks and Recreation
This doesn't look like any librarian I know.

"I know Tammy seems scary, but really she's just a manipulative, psychotic, library book pedaling, sex crazed she-demon."
Leslie Knope

Leslie Knope: "News flash! We're screwed! We've got a big problem with the library."
Tom Haverford: "Punk-ass book jockies!"
Ann Perkins: "Wait -- why do we hate the library?"
Leslie Knope: "The library is the worst bunch of people assembled in history. They're mean, conniving, rude and extremely well read which makes them very dangerous."

Ron Swanson: "Tammy is a mean person. She's a grade-A bitch. Every time she laughs, an angel dies. Even telemarketers avoid her. Her birth was payback for the sins of man, but you know the worst thing about her?"
Leslie Knope: "She works for the library."

Leslie Knope: "Pawnee's library department is the most diabolical, ruthless bunch of bureaucrats I've ever seen. They're like a biker gang. Only instead of shotguns and crystal meth, they use political savvy and shushing."

Shocked yet?  This sort of over the top aversion to libraries is, dare I say, frighteningly close to terrorism.  This must be stopped!  We need to classify this sort of hatred as bookist, librarist, knowledgist, or something.  Give me a break this is in it's infancy.  However we label library hatred, we need to mobilize and unite!  Want to join the movement and show that libraries are not the enemy?  Want to show the the world that you don't really need to know anything to hand out dodge balls and tennis rackets?  Then join us at LAPPARS on Facebook and make your library support known.  Down with library hate!  Don't rec-reate, educate!

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Posted by: Etienne Douglas

Etienne is the Webstar Coordinator/Library Assistant II at the Marin City Library.

This is an official blog for the Marin County Free Library.

County of Marin Social Media User Responsibility Guidelines

Comments

Librarians in fiction

I just noted that San Rafael Library has Killer Librarian by Mary Lou Kirwin on order. I personally plan to wear therapeutic shoes and grow my hair out in order to wear it in a bun, in protest!

I love libraries AND Parks and Recreation

Parks and Recreation is a COMEDY show, NOT a reality show.

They make JOKES, which are FUNNY.

Are there books at the library about comedy or about taking a joke?  What about spelling? (Because "fighteningly" is certainly not a word)

The fact that you are so seriously offended and whining actually makes me side more with the show, not you.

Not everything is black and white - libraries aren't ALL GOOD and television comedy shows aren't ALL BAD.

How are you any better than the people on the show when you say that "you don't have to know anything to hand out dodge balls"? 

Might I suggest that you get over yourself and re-direct your energy to showing the world how tolerant and compassionate YOU are, instead of exactly the opposite.  That which you focus on grows.  If you want other people to be tolerant and compassionate towards librarians, than you should be tolerant and compassionate towards people who aren't.  Teach people how to read, and that valuing diversity is a good thing, and that having more than one opinion about something is acceptable. 

 

LOLOL

This or this or this

 

Satire?

What is this satire you speak of?

Reality Show?

Parks and Recreation is a reality show?  That is awesome.

You get it, I know you do

The "evil library" subplot funny because, c'mon - what kind of monster hates libraries? But it is also used to sneakily critique how  America's ideological adherance to individualism contrasts with its use of collectivism as a logistical tool in the social arena. Also, sexy librarians aren't as sexy if they aren't mean.

I Don't Get It Maybe I Will Later

I don't want to get apathetic about this problem.  Leslie Knope ran on a campaign that promised fewer libraries and got elected!  This may encourage more individuals to take a anti-library stance.  I can't sit idlelly by and let that happen. If you love the library speak out against this sort of slander.

I have already started:

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