Ron Swanson, of the genius that is the show “Parks and Rec,” is the epitome of communication breakdown, as he often doesn’t understand how humans are so naïve. Ron has his own method of living, which includes abstaining from social media, locking people out of his life (and office) when he can, building beautiful chairs, eating as much steak and breakfast food as possible, and becoming giddy over the occasional treasure hunt or riddle. He says exactly what he thinks, as in the example of the video below.
When sent on a talk show to promote the gala the Parks Department of Pawnee is organizing, all his peers are a bit afraid that he will blunder through it, his lack of enthusiasm losing them attention. However, when he finds an extremely hungover Joan Callamezzo, Ron coolly steps in to save the day. After mentioning the gala, he field numerous questions which pertain to his other interests. This scene, where he answers questions about woodwork rather than the gala, is just a stellar example of communication breakdown, even though it helps to promote the gala in the end.
The audience in this scenario is the entire town of Pawnee, especially those who would be interested in attending a gala. The author is the character of Ron Swanson, beloved by all Parks and Rec watchers as he is one of the most perfect men in television history. Because this takes place on “Pawnee Today,” the genre conventions, which include interviews, fielding callers, and an exuberant host, remain the same. Surprisingly, Ron fulfills all these conventions whilst keeping true to his character. The context of this particular clip derives from season 5 of the show “Parks and Rec.” (If the reader for some ungodly reason has not yet feasted their eyes on the glory of Amy Poehler’s best character, they may feel free to put their lives on hold until they understand just how great all seven seasons are.) This clip is better understood within the context of the entire show so that one may understand how strange it is for Ron to be on a talk show, how excited he looks in this scene, and why Joan’s behavior is not surprising for her character.
The purpose of this particular scene could be addressed from several angles. For the purpose of adding to the episode or show as a whole, it serves the purpose of being humorous and giving depth to the character of Ron. For the purpose within the show, Ron seeks to promote the gala whilst letting Joan rest (in every position known to mankind).
My proposed solution to this communication breakdown is for Joan Callamezzo to hire an assistant, one who could potentially fill in for her in these sorts of scenarios. If she had an assistant, someone could have still interviewed Ron with on topic questions whilst making sure Joan did not appear on live television directly after her ‘booze cruise.’ I’m not sure if communication can be restored to this situation, as everything works out well in the end, and for the sake of the show it’s probably best that communication was never restored. This aids in the flawless character development “Parks and Rec” always adheres to, and causes the viewer to fall hopelessly more in love with Ron Swanson.
^I acquired this picture from Samantha Rullo's article, "When did 'Parks and Rec's' Ron Swanson Have a Baby?"