The ‘Parks and Recreation’ Cast Was Not Having the NRA Posting Leslie Knope GIFs on Twitter

Bless the Parks and Recreation cast, and the political optimism they’ve come to embody. Following an NRA attempt to co-opt the image of Leslie Knope over Twitter, creator Mike Schur and stars Nick Offerman and Amy Poehler are letting the pro-gun organization have it.

Immediately after NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch endured significant embarrassment at CNN’s “Stand Up” town hall – a forum conducted in response to the Florida high school shooting that left 17 dead – the NRA tweeted out a GIF of Amy Poehler’s Parks and Recreation character Leslie Knope in a show of support for Loesch. As you might expect, Parks and Rec showrunner Mike Schur does not take kindly to organizations co-opting his characters, and subsequently tweeted “Hi, please take this down. I would prefer you not use a GIF from a show I worked on to promote your pro-slaughter agenda. Also, Amy isn’t on twitter, but she texted me a message: ‘Can you tweet the NRA for me and tell them I said f— off?’”

Schur wasn’t the only Parks and Rec alum incensed by the NRA tweet, as BuzzFeed notes that debate sprang up around whether the infamously right-leaning Ron Swanson would support a ban on assault weapons. Star Nick Offerman didn’t conclusively weigh in, but nonetheless echoed Schur’s outrage in telling the NRA “our good-hearted show and especially our Leslie Knope represent the opposite of your pro-slaughter agenda - take it down and also please eat s—.” This isn’t the first time Offerman has had to distance himself and Ron from right-wing claims, either.

Finally, Poehler’s onscreen Parks partner Adam Scott completed the triumvirate of dunks, adding “Hey @nra please stay the f— away from Leslie Knope.” The NRA has neither responded, nor taken down the GIF, but we have a good idea why.

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