Act Four: Comfort-food culture

When I'm sick or sad, what I crave is stories about persistence.   Alyssa Rosenberg on culture and politics   Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson and Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in “Parks and Recreation.” (Ben Cohen/NBC) As readers of my chat know, I had very minor surgery this morning, so as you read this, I’m at home curled up in recovery mode. (Act Four will be functioning normally; I’ve stockpiled a lot of stuff for you to read until I’m back in the office.) I’m probably going to spend most of this weekend watching some things that I need to get through for a big long-term project, but if I had my druthers, I’d probably be comforting myself with a journey through some of the “Parks and Recreation” episodes I haven’t watched in a while. For me, “Parks and Recreation” defines comfort culture, which is not to say that it’s poorly-made or lightweight. Rather, when I’m under the weather or have had a bad, tiring day, the fundamental niceness of Michael Schur’s and Greg Daniels’ comedy about the residents of Pawnee, Ind., always buoys my spirits. It’s a television show I feel safe with. I know the series isn’t out to shock or disturb me, a la “Game of Thrones,” or to try to impress me with its exploration of amorality, such as “Breaking Bad” and “The Sopranos” so often did. I love both “Game of Thrones” and “Breaking Bad.” But when I’m not feeling well, I need to be reassured that even if the world isn’t a fundamentally good place, there are people out there being consistently decent to each other. “Parks and Recreation” isn’t the only thing that can do this for me, of course. The portraits of friendship in “Commencement” and “The Interestings,” or the determined heroines of Tamora Pierce’s young adult fantasy novels, or the couples in Nora Ephron’s romantic comedies are all fundamentally reassuring. None of these stories try to insist that the world is anything other than what it is: a fraught, frustrating place. But their heroes and heroines are compelling because of their persistence. They’re not oblivious fools. But they’re not easily defeated, either. And if Leslie Knope can finally win over Jeremy Jamm, I can get through some temporary discomfort.   ADVERTISEMENT   Norman Lear on burlesque comedy, Elizabeth Warren and diversity in Hollywood The legendary television creator talks politics and the state of television. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   In voice work, actors of color can escape typecasting When their faces are detached from their voices, nonwhite actors get to step into new roles. But will that translate into more live-action work? By Stacia L. Brown  •  Read more »   The best pop culture writing gets at how we really see ourselves Arguing about what's best distracts us from what pop culture can really do: help us see ourselves and our lives in new ways. By Sonny Bunch  •  Read more »   ‘Hamilton’ is a smash. Why so few other stories about the American Revolution? If we examine the American Revolution too closely, we risk cutting our founding mythology down to size. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   It will take more than new members for the Academy to get beyond #OscarsSoWhite It's great for the Academy to invite a more diverse membership roster. But if it wants to give out awards to a wider range of people, it needs to recognize a wider range of movies. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   Intersect The corner of the Internet and interesting, in your inbox weekly. Sign Up »         Share Act Four:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Act Four. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2016 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071