"Sweetums" is the 15th episode of the
second season of the American comedy television series ''
Parks and Recreation
''Parks and Recreation'' (also known as ''Parks and Rec'') is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 ...
'', and the 21st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
in the United States on February 4, 2010. In the episode, the Parks and Recreation Department hosts a public forum to discuss a sponsorship agreement with local candy manufacturer, Sweetums.
Leslie
Leslie may refer to:
* Leslie (name), a name and list of people with the given name or surname, including fictional characters
Families
* Clan Leslie, a Scottish clan with the motto "grip fast"
* Leslie (Russian nobility), a Russian noble family ...
and
Ann
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie.
Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
warn the public of the dangers of supposedly nutritious snack bars called "Nutriyums", which are filled with simple sugars, notably
high fructose corn syrup
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as glucose–fructose, isoglucose and glucose–fructose syrup, is a sweetener made from corn starch. As in the production of conventional corn syrup, the starch is broken down into glucose by enzym ...
.
The episode was written by
Alan Yang
Alan Michael Yang (born August 22, 1983) is an American screenwriter, producer, director and actor. He was a writer and producer for the NBC sitcom ''Parks and Recreation'', for which he received his first Emmy nomination. With Aziz Ansari, Yang ...
and directed by
Dean Holland
Dean Holland is an American film editor, television director and producer best known for working on ''Entourage'' and the comedy shows ''The Office'' and ''Parks and Recreation''. In 2007, he was honored with the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding S ...
. "Sweetums" addressed several issues including the politics of corporate sponsorship, the use of propaganda and free gifts to manipulate public opinion, and the dangers of corn syrup-related products, which are regularly available in vending machines at public places, such as schools, parks or municipal buildings.
The episode featured a guest performance by
Justin Theroux
Justin Paul Theroux (; born August 10, 1971) is an American actor and filmmaker. He gained recognition for his work with director David Lynch in the mystery film ''Mulholland Drive'' (2001) and the thriller film ''Inland Empire'' (2006). He also ...
as Leslie's boyfriend,
Justin Anderson. According to
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
, "Sweetums" was seen by 4.87 million households, and drew the season's highest rating among viewers aged between 18 and 49. The episode received positive reviews from critics.
Plot
The Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department considers a potential sponsorship deal with Sweetums, a local candy manufacturer hoping to market "nutritious" snack bars to park visitors.
Ron Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald.
Ron or RON may also refer to:
Arts and media
* Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character
* Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character
*Ron Douglas, the protagonist in ''Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe ...
(
Nick Offerman
Nicholas David Offerman (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor, writer, comedian, producer, and carpenter. He is best known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom ''Parks and Recreation'', for which he received the Television Critics A ...
) supports the deal as he advocates governmental privatization and emphasizes consumer choice over public safety.
Leslie
Leslie may refer to:
* Leslie (name), a name and list of people with the given name or surname, including fictional characters
Families
* Clan Leslie, a Scottish clan with the motto "grip fast"
* Leslie (Russian nobility), a Russian noble family ...
(
Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler (; born September 16, 1971) is an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. After studying improv at Chicago's Second City and ImprovOlympic in the early 1990s, Poehler co-founded the improvisational-comedy trou ...
) initially supports the deal as well, until
Ann
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie.
Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
(
Rashida Jones
Rashida Leah Jones (; born February 25, 1976) is an American actress.
Jones appeared as Louisa Fenn on the Fox drama series ''Boston Public'' (2000–2002), as Karen Filippelli on the NBC comedy series ''The Office'' (2006–2009; 2011), and as ...
) informs her they are filled with unhealthy
corn syrup
Corn syrup is a food syrup which is made from the starch of corn (called maize in many countries) and contains varying amounts of sugars: glucose, maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to softe ...
. Leslie arranges a public forum for Pawnee park visitors so they can make an informed choice about Sweetums products. Ron is unhappy with the arrangement, and gets angry with Leslie worrying about how much he is drinking during a recent outing, feeling she is stifling his personal freedoms. During the forum, Sweetums representatives screen propaganda films, highlighting consumer satisfaction, while Leslie responds by screening a 30-year-old Sweetums film which discusses how corn syrup and other snack bar ingredients make cattle unhealthy. At the end of Leslie's screening, Sweetums brings in its commercial's primary actor, the company's CEO
Nick Newport Jr. (
Gary Weeks
Gary Weeks (born June 4, 1972) is an American film and television actor; he is also a film producer and screenwriter.
Biography
Gary Weeks was born in Wiesbaden, Hessen, Federal Republic of Germany in a U.S. airbase. He was raised in Georgia, ...
) and his son and daughter,
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
and
Dakota
Dakota may refer to:
* Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux
** Dakota language, their language
Dakota may also refer to:
Places United States
* Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community
* Dakota, Illinois, a town
* Dakota, Minnesota, a ...
. Denver instructs the forum audience members to look under their seats for candy. The forum audience exclaims with excitement and ultimately votes in favor of the sponsorship deal. Ron taunts Leslie by eating two unhealthful servings of steak ("turf and turf"), but she remains genuinely concerned for his health. Ron later apologizes to Leslie for having "been a horse's ass".
For the B-plot,
Tom (
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ismail Ansari (; born February 23, 1983) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is known for his role as Tom Haverford on the NBC series ''Parks and Recreation'' (2009–2015) and as creator and star of the Netflix series ''Master ...
) attempts to move out of his home after his divorce from
Wendy
Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries.
In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...
(
Jama Williamson
Jama Williamson (born March 12, 1974) is an American actress. She was active in New York City theater throughout the early 2000s, during which she appeared in such shows as Avery Crozier's ''Eat the Runt'', Hunt Holman's ''Spanish Girl'', A. R ...
). Tom again hesitates to reveal his feelings for his ex-wife, whom he married to protect from deportation.
Mark
Mark may refer to:
Currency
* Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
* East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic
* Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927
* Fi ...
(
Paul Schneider) reluctantly helps Tom through the moving process as he is a truck owner and could not think of a "valid excuse".
Donna
Donna may refer to the short form of the honorific ''nobildonna'', the female form of Don (honorific) in Italian.
People
*Donna (given name); includes name origin and list of people and characters with the name
* Roberto Di Donna (born 1968), Ita ...
(
Retta
Marietta Sirleaf,Jung, E. Alex Vulture.com, May 23, 2018. rchived https://web.archive.org/web/20180523214634/https://www.vulture.com/2018/05/retta-has-a-story-to-tell.htmlon 05-23-2018 ),
April
April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian and Julian calendars. It is the first of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the second of five months to have a length of less than 31 days.
April is commonly associated with ...
(
Aubrey Plaza
Aubrey Christina Plaza (born June 26, 1984) is an American actress, comedian, and producer. She began her career performing improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. She starred as April Ludgate on the NBC sitcom '' Par ...
),
Jerry
Jerry may refer to:
Animals
* Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National
* Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Jerry'' (film), a 2006 Indian fil ...
(
Jim O'Heir
Jim O'Heir (born February 4, 1962) is an American actor and comedian, perhaps best known for portraying Jerry Gergich on the NBC sitcom ''Parks and Recreation''.
O'Heir first became active in Chicago theater and improv during the late 1980s and ...
) and
Andy
Andy may refer to:
People
* Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds
* Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pi ...
(
Chris Pratt
Christopher Michael Pratt (born June 21, 1979) is an American actor. He rose to prominence for playing Andy Dwyer in the NBC sitcom '' Parks and Recreation'' (2009–2015). He also appeared in The WB drama series ''Everwood'' (2002–2006) an ...
) join to assist Tom move his many boxes to his new home, while Tom himself works very little. At the end of the episode, Tom learns that his new home has a gas leak and that he is unable to move into his new home until Monday. Tom asks the department members to take the boxes into their own homes, but they ultimately bring his possessions and leave them in the Parks and Recreation Department office. Throughout the move, April continues to develop romantic feelings for Andy, who remains oblivious to her affections. When April's boyfriend
Derek
Derek is a masculine given name. It is the English language short form of ''Diederik'', the Low Franconian form of the name Theodoric. Theodoric is an old Germanic name with an original meaning of "people-ruler".
Common variants of the name are ...
(Blake Lee) and his gay boyfriend
Ben
Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right.
Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( he, × ...
(Josh Duvendeck) arrive at Wendy's house, they mock Andy, which prompts April to refer to their behavior as "really gay for a gay couple." In their final appearance in the episode, Andy asks April to watch him roller-blade after work, but April declines his offer, implying that the comments of her boyfriend and his boyfriend may have confounded her feelings towards Andy.
Production
"Sweetums" was written by
Alan Yang
Alan Michael Yang (born August 22, 1983) is an American screenwriter, producer, director and actor. He was a writer and producer for the NBC sitcom ''Parks and Recreation'', for which he received his first Emmy nomination. With Aziz Ansari, Yang ...
and directed by
Dean Holland
Dean Holland is an American film editor, television director and producer best known for working on ''Entourage'' and the comedy shows ''The Office'' and ''Parks and Recreation''. In 2007, he was honored with the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding S ...
. The episode addresses the supposed dangers of
corn syrup
Corn syrup is a food syrup which is made from the starch of corn (called maize in many countries) and contains varying amounts of sugars: glucose, maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to softe ...
-related products, which are regularly available in vending machines at public places, such as schools, parks or municipal buildings. The issue has been the subject of several town meetings like those featured in the episode, and companies use propaganda videos similar to that used by Sweetums in the episode. "Sweetums" featured one of a string of slated guest appearances by
Justin Theroux
Justin Paul Theroux (; born August 10, 1971) is an American actor and filmmaker. He gained recognition for his work with director David Lynch in the mystery film ''Mulholland Drive'' (2001) and the thriller film ''Inland Empire'' (2006). He also ...
as
Justin Anderson, a love interest for Leslie,
although Theroux only appeared in the
cold open
A cold open (also called a teaser sequence) is a narrative technique used in television and films. It is the practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the title sequence or opening credits are shown. In Ameri ...
scene of "Sweetums".
In one scene, Ron builds a wooden
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
to prove to Leslie what he is capable of doing while drinking alcohol. This element of Ron's character was inspired by actor Nick Offerman, who in addition to comedy runs an independent
carpentry
Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters tr ...
business called Offerman Woodshop.
Michael Schur
Michael Herbert Schur (born 1975) is an American television producer, writer, director and actor. He was a producer and writer for the comedy series ''The Office'', and co-created ''Parks and Recreation'' with ''Office'' producer Greg Daniels. ...
, co-creator of ''Parks and Recreation'', said he planned to incorporate it into Ron's character soon after learning about Offerman's carpentry skills.
A Sweetums stand is visible during a scene in the future ''Parks and Recreation'' episode "
Park Safety", a reference to the outcome of the "Sweetums" episode.
Cultural references
During one scene, Leslie visits the library and is treated in a hostile manner by the librarian. This is a reference to the previous
second season episode, "
Ron and Tammy
"Ron and Tammy" is the eighth episode of the second season of ''Parks and Recreation'', and the fourteenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 5, 2009. In the episode, the library department ...
", which established a long-standing feud between the Pawnee parks and recreation department and the town's library system.
Ron commented that all government should be privatized and parks should be run by
Chuck E. Cheese's
Chuck E. Cheese (formerly known as Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza and simply Chuck E. Cheese's) is an American family entertainment center and pizza restaurant chain founded in 1977 by Atari's co-founder Nolan Bu ...
, a chain of family entertainment centers. This is a reference to the ''Parks and Recreation''
pilot episode
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
, in which Ron said all government should be privatized and follow the Chuck E. Cheese business model. Tom creates what he describes as a moving robot that plays music called "DJ Roomba" by attaching an
iPod
The iPod is a discontinued series of portable media players and multi-purpose mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The first version was released on October 23, 2001, about months after the Macintosh version of iTunes ...
music player to a
Roomba
Roomba is a series of autonomous robotic vacuum cleaners made by the company iRobot. Introduced in September 2002, they have a set of sensors that enable them to navigate the floor area of a home. These sensors can detect the presence of obstac ...
, an
autonomous robot
An autonomous robot is a robot that acts without recourse to human control. The first autonomous robots environment were known as Elmer and Elsie, which were constructed in the late 1940s by W. Grey Walter. They were the first robots in history th ...
ic vacuum cleaner.
After Jerry accidentally steps on DJ Roomba, Tom and April arrange for the "
ghost
A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
" of DJ Roomba to follow Jerry around the Pawnee town hall playing an infinite loop of music by the hip hop band
The Black Eyed Peas
Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hil ...
. After expressing excitement that he got DJ Roomba to play music by
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...
, Andy sings the line, "Little baby" from the band's song, "
So Much to Say
"So Much to Say" is a song by American rock group Dave Matthews Band. It was released in August 1996 as the second single from their album, ''Crash (Dave Matthews Band album), Crash''. It won a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo ...
". During one scene, Andy is impressed with Tom's
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
version of the 1999 thriller, ''
Deep Blue Sea''. Tom says the disc includes 22 extra minutes and a commentary track in which actor
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...
, who appears in the film, raps all his dialogue.
Leslie tells Ron she had already written a eulogy for him and it starts, "Oh captain, my captain! Ron Swanson: a swan song", a reference to the
Walt Whitman
Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among t ...
poem "
O Captain! My Captain!".
While Tom is trying on various articles of party clothes, Leslie comments that he looks like
Encyclopedia Brown
''Encyclopedia Brown'' is a series of books featuring the adventures of boy detective Leroy Brown, nicknamed "Encyclopedia" for his intelligence and range of knowledge. The series of 29 children's novels was written (one co-written) by Donald ...
, a young detective from a series of
Donald J. Sobol children's novels.
Reception
In its original American NBC broadcast on February 4, 2010, "Sweetums" was seen by 4.87 million households, according to
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
. It marked a 15 percent increase over the previous week's episode, "
Leslie's House". "Sweetums" drew a 2.3 rating/6 share among viewers between 18 and 49, which was the highest rating of its kind for a
second season episode at the time,
although the season premiere episode "
Pawnee Zoo
"Pawnee Zoo" is the second season premiere of the American comedy television series ''Parks and Recreation'', and the seventh overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 17, 2009. In the episode, L ...
" drew a slightly larger viewership of about 5 million households. During its original broadcast, "Sweetums" ranked third in its 8:30 p.m., behind ''
Bones
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...
'' on
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
, which drew 12.64 million household viewers, and ''
Survivor'' on
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
, which drew 8.39 million households.
"Sweetums" received generally positive reviews. Matt Fowler of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' called it a "fantastic episode",
and called the world of ''Parks and Recreation'' rich, lively and "a beautiful mosaic".
Fowler praised individual comedic moments, like the DJ Roomba jokes and portrayal of the easily fooled Pawnee citizens, as well as the development of storylines like that of Tom and Wendy, and Andy and April.
Steve Heisler of ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' praised the episode for revealing more about the mythology of the town of Pawnee, such as the strong influence Sweetums holds over the residents, and the ongoing feud between the parks department and the library. He also praised the character development of characters like Tom and April, adding, "It's amazing to me how in such a short time, ''Parks & Rec'' has taken the most one-note characters and made them truly three-dimensional."
''
The Star-Ledger
''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to ''The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of wh ...
'' television columnist
Alan Sepinwall
Alan Sepinwall (born October 19, 1973) is an American television reviewer and writer. He spent 14 years as a columnist with ''The Star-Ledger'' in Newark until leaving the newspaper in 2010 to work for the entertainment news website HitFix. He th ...
declared "Sweetums" one of the episodes he would suggest to newcomers seeking to become familiar with ''Parks and Recreation''. Sepinwall enjoyed the main story with Leslie and Ron, which he said "returned to a goldmine for the series: the civil servants having to deal with the insane questions and complaints from their constituents".
He also felt Tom's subplot was impressive because it made him feel sympathy for Tom due to his problems with Wendy, despite the fact that Tom was being so inconsiderate to his friends.
Sandra Gonzalez of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' particularly praised Aziz Ansari and Ron Swanson, as well as the moving subplot, which she said spotlighted the show's impressive supporting cast. Gonzalez felt the main plot "fell a little flat",
but was helped by the conflict between Leslie and Ron.
Steve Kandell of ''
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
'' magazine praised the episode, and said the script keeps the characters grounded without making them into caricatures.
DVD release
"Sweetums", along with the other 23 second-season episodes of ''Parks and Recreation'', was released on a four-disc
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
set in the United States on November 30, 2010. The DVD included deleted scenes for each episode.
References
External links
"Sweetums"at the official ''Parks and Recreation'' site
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweetums (Parks And Recreation)
2010 American television episodes
Parks and Recreation (season 2) episodes