The Camel (Parks and Recreation)
Encyclopedia
"The Camel" is the ninth episode of the second season
of Parks and Recreation
, and the fifteenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
in the United States on November 12, 2009. In the episode, Leslie
and the parks department bicker as they work on a proposal for a new town hall mural, while Ron
and Andy
share an awkward moment at Andy's new shoe-shine job.
The episode was written by Rachel Axler
and was directed by Millicent Shelton
. The title refers to the figure of speech that a camel is a "horse made by a committee
", and refers to the final mural proposed by the parks department. "The Camel" included references to several Indiana
celebrities, including Greg Kinnear
, John Mellencamp
, Larry Bird
, Michael Jackson
and David Letterman
, all of whom have a place in the mural representing Leonardo Da Vinci
's The Last Supper
.
Stand-up comedian Kirk Fox
made a guest appearance as Joe, from the Pawnee sewer department. According to Nielsen Media Research
, "The Camel" was seen by 4.67 million viewers, a drop from the previous week. The episode received generally positive reviews, with particular praise for the Ron and Andy subplot, and the jokes involving Jerry's "murinal".
(Amy Poehler
) becomes determined for the parks department to win, especially after she is taunted by Joe (Kirk Fox
) in the sewer department. Everyone in the parks department is told to come up with a possible mural. Tom
(Aziz Ansari
) pays a local artist (Doug Anthony Jones) to make a painting for him, and he is initially unsatisfied with the result, a colorful abstract painting
. When presenting it to the staff, however, he suddenly experiences his first emotional reaction to a work of art. Ann
(Rashida Jones
), who acknowledges a lack of creative talent, presents a rendering of a park that is widely panned by the others. April
(Aubrey Plaza) presents a dark and bizarre piece made of garbage she found in a dumpster. Donna
(Retta) presents a version of The Last Supper
with famous people from Indiana
. Jerry (Jim O'Heir
) presents a beautiful pointillist
photomosaic
of city hall, but he is laughed out of the room when he accidentally calls his mural a "murinal". Leslie proposes a picture of a historic Pawnee bakery fire, which she thinks will win because it is dark and depressing.
When the parks department casts votes for the best mural, they each vote for their own artwork. As a compromise, Leslie creates a mural using pieces of everybody's artwork, but the result is an ugly and confusing mess. Leslie enlists the help of Mark (Paul Schneider
), who draws a bland but skillful sketch of an old man feeding pigeons in the park. Mark himself admits the sketch is dull, but claims it will win because it has mass appeal. Nobody in the parks department likes it except Ron
(Nick Offerman
), but Leslie insists on entering it so they will win, much to everybody's disappointment. While waiting to present the sketch, Leslie sees how much fun other departments had in making their mural, and she decides to enter the parks department's original mural after all. The town council committee are confused by the proposal, but the parks department have fun presenting it and break into laughter. In the end, the town decides not to spend any money on a new mural and simply renames the old one "The Diversity Express". The parks department is nevertheless proud of their work, which they hang in their conference room; Ron also hangs Mark's sketch in his office.
In a B plot
, Andy
(Chris Pratt
) is doing well in his new job as the Pawnee shoeshiner, and Ron pays for a shine. Ron is impressed when Andy actually eases the pain from his bunion
, and he later purposely scuffs his shoe so he can get a second shine. Andy is initially flattered, but starts to grow uncomfortable when Ron returns for a third shoeshine. This time, Ron makes an involuntary noise that sounds like a sexual moan, seriously embarrassing both men. After a day of avoiding each other, Ron and Andy discuss the noise and decide it would be best to simply pretend it never happened.
and directed by Millicent Shelton
. It derives its title from the figure of speech that a camel is "a horse made by a committee". When the parks department puts together a mural proposal using elements of six different pieces of art, which Mark refers to in the episode as a camel. The episode features a guest appearance by stand-up comedian Kirk Fox
as Joe, Leslie's nemesis from the Pawnee sewer department. Within a week of the episode's original broadcast, a deleted scene from "The Camel" were made available on the official Parks and Recreation website. In the 90-second clip, Ann tries to get out of helping with the mural, April looks through a dumpster for inspiration and Ron defends "cookie cutter art" by saying, "There's nothing wrong with a cookie cutter. You know what you get with a cookie cutter? Perfectly shaped cookies!"
's painting The Last Supper
with Indiana natives in place of the apostles
. Actor Greg Kinnear
was chosen to replace Jesus, with the Apostles replaced by John Mellencamp
, Larry Bird
, Michael Jackson
, David Letterman
and a NASCAR
race car, among others. Jerry presents for his mural a work of pointillism
, a style of painting in which small distinct dots of color create the impression of a wider image. When proposing her somber mural, Leslie claims tragedy often succeeds in awards, and specifically cites the Academy Awards which honor the film industry. As an example, Leslie uses The English Patient
, the 1996 Best Picture
winner during the 69th Academy Awards
. Upon first receiving his painting, Tom says, "It looks like a lizard puking up Skittles
", a reference to the multi-colored candies. Leslie indicates she had a dream involving American actress Gina Gershon
. When Mark tries to get out of helping with the mural, he uses the excuse, "I was gonna go to Arby's
and watch Frontline", a reference to a fast food restaurant chain and a Public Broadcasting Service
public affairs program. Ron names his bunion Paul, after the mythological lumberjack Paul Bunyan
.
. It drew a 2.1 rating/6 share among viewers aged between 18 and 49, about a five percent drop from the previous week's episode, "Ron and Tammy". The episode received generally positive reviews. Matt Fowler of IGN said "The Camel" was a particularly funny episode, and that the parks department's collaboration on the mural allowed "each character being able to instill their own level of brand-specific insanity into the mix". Fowler also praised the sewer department jokes, the "murinal" scene involving Jerry and the fact that no department ended up winning the mural contest, which Fowler called a commentary on "the futility of local government in their attempts to accomplish anything". The Star-Ledger
television columnist Alan Sepinwall declared "The Camel" one of the episodes he would suggest to newcomers seeking to become familiar with Parks and Recreation. Sepinwall said the Ron and Andy subplot "made me laugh as hard as I have in a very long time", and said the episode had a good mix of funny, sweet and ridiculous moments, and said the ensemble cast was starting to work extremely well together.
The A.V. Club
writer Leonard Pierce said the episode included great lines, strong personality-driven comedy and good character moments, specially Tom's emotional reaction to his painting. Pierce said the Andy and Ron subplot was "so well played that it threatens to usurp the mural storyline". Sandra Gonzalez particularly praised the "murinal" jokes about Jerry's mural, as well as Ron's claim that he ran a sheet metal factory when he was nine, and that "Child labor laws are ruining this country." Time
magazine television critic James Poniewozik
said make jokes connected in "The Camel", including the Andy shoeshine plot and the "unexpectedly glamorous" sewage department. But he particularly praised the character development in the main plot, in which "each in their own way sticks to the purity of their uniquely screwy ideas". Brad Sanders of the Indiana Daily Student
praised the entire cast, particularly Offerman and Pratt, who he said provide the show's two best characters. Sanders said the fact that the episode included a "hilarious subplot" involving both of them "was more evidence that the writers have been listening to the fans".
GQ writer Dan Fierman said Parks and Recreation appeared to be "approaching early Simpsons
-levels in its absurdity and comic pacing". He suggested this could be due to the use of Mike Scully
, a veteran comic writer with the animated series, as a consulting producer on Parks and Recreation. In an article reflecting on the Parks and Recreation second season
, which became critically acclaimed following poor season one
reviews, Slate
magazine writer Jonah Weiner said the plot of "The Camel" "can be read as something of a Season 2 mission statement". Weiner compared Leslie's decision to submit the quirky collage rather than the safer bet as reflective of the Parks and Recreation writing staff's apparent decision "to ride their zaniest whims rather than tamp them down for something more readily recognizable as a hit sitcom".
set in the United States on November 30, 2010. The DVD included deleted scenes for each episode.
Parks and Recreation (season 2)
The second season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network starting September 17, 2009, and ended on May 20, 2010. The season was produced by Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, and series co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur...
of Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on NBC that focuses on Leslie Knope , a mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the series debuted on April 9, 2009; it has run for three seasons and...
, and the fifteenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in the United States on November 12, 2009. In the episode, Leslie
Leslie Knope
Leslie Barbara Knope is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is portrayed by Amy Poehler. Poehler garnered two Emmy Award nominations for Best Lead Actress in Comedy Series for her role.-Background:...
and the parks department bicker as they work on a proposal for a new town hall mural, while Ron
Ron Swanson
Ronald Ulysses "Ron" Swanson is a fictional character played by Nick Offerman in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. Ron is parks department director in the Indiana city of Pawnee and the immediate superior of protagonist Leslie Knope...
and Andy
Andy Dwyer
Andrew Maxwell "Andy" Dwyer is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is Ann Perkins' ex-boyfriend, a talented-if-yet-unsuccessful musician, a shoe-shiner at Pawnee City Hall, and April Ludgate's husband. He is portrayed by Chris Pratt.-Background:At the start of the...
share an awkward moment at Andy's new shoe-shine job.
The episode was written by Rachel Axler
Rachel Axler
Rachel Axler is an American television writer and playwright. In television, her credits include New Girl, Bored to Death, Parks & Recreation and The Daily Show....
and was directed by Millicent Shelton
Millicent Shelton
Millicent B. Shelton is an American music video, television and film director.Shelton has directed over a hundred music videos for artists such as Mary J. Blige, R...
. The title refers to the figure of speech that a camel is a "horse made by a committee
Design by committee
Design by committee is a term referring to a style of design and its resultant output when a group of entities comes together to produce something , particularly in the presence of poor leadership...
", and refers to the final mural proposed by the parks department. "The Camel" included references to several Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
celebrities, including Greg Kinnear
Greg Kinnear
Gregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...
, John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
, Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
, all of whom have a place in the mural representing Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
's The Last Supper
The Last Supper (Leonardo)
The Last Supper is a 15th century mural painting in Milan created by Leonardo da Vinci for his patron Duke Ludovico Sforza and his duchess Beatrice d'Este...
.
Stand-up comedian Kirk Fox
Kirk Fox
Kirk Fox is an American actor, screenwriter, and stand-up comedian.-Career:Fox has been acting in television and film since the early 1990s. In 2003 he received attention for his work with Pauly Shore as co-writer and co-star of the film Pauly Shore Is Dead, and in 2005 he wrote, co-produced, and...
made a guest appearance as Joe, from the Pawnee sewer department. According to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, "The Camel" was seen by 4.67 million viewers, a drop from the previous week. The episode received generally positive reviews, with particular praise for the Ron and Andy subplot, and the jokes involving Jerry's "murinal".
Plot
The Pawnee council decides it will replace the town hall's "Spirit of Pawnee" mural, which has been repeatedly vandalized because of its racist undertones. When each Pawnee department is asked to propose a new mural, LeslieLeslie Knope
Leslie Barbara Knope is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is portrayed by Amy Poehler. Poehler garnered two Emmy Award nominations for Best Lead Actress in Comedy Series for her role.-Background:...
(Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...
) becomes determined for the parks department to win, especially after she is taunted by Joe (Kirk Fox
Kirk Fox
Kirk Fox is an American actor, screenwriter, and stand-up comedian.-Career:Fox has been acting in television and film since the early 1990s. In 2003 he received attention for his work with Pauly Shore as co-writer and co-star of the film Pauly Shore Is Dead, and in 2005 he wrote, co-produced, and...
) in the sewer department. Everyone in the parks department is told to come up with a possible mural. Tom
Tom Haverford
Thomas Montgomery "Tom" Haverford , born Darwish Sabir Ismael Gani, is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is a sarcastic, underachieving government official for the city of Pawnee who is revered for his high levels of swagger and unmatched entrepreneurial skills...
(Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. He currently stars as Tom Haverford on the NBC show Parks and Recreation....
) pays a local artist (Doug Anthony Jones) to make a painting for him, and he is initially unsatisfied with the result, a colorful abstract painting
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
. When presenting it to the staff, however, he suddenly experiences his first emotional reaction to a work of art. Ann
Ann Perkins
Ann Meredith Perkins is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is a nurse and best friend of Leslie Knope. She is portrayed by Rashida Jones.-Season one:...
(Rashida Jones
Rashida Jones
Rashida Leah Jones is an American film and television actress, comic book author, screenwriter and occasional singer. She played Louisa Fenn on Boston Public and Karen Filippelli on The Office as well as roles in the films I Love You, Man and The Social Network...
), who acknowledges a lack of creative talent, presents a rendering of a park that is widely panned by the others. April
April Ludgate
April Roberta Ludgate is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is an apathetic college student employed by the Pawnee Department of Parks and Recreation as Ron Swanson's assistant. She is married to Andy Dwyer. She is portrayed by Aubrey Plaza...
(Aubrey Plaza) presents a dark and bizarre piece made of garbage she found in a dumpster. Donna
Donna Meagle
Donna Meagle is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is portrayed by Retta Sirleaf and has appeared in the show since the pilot. For the first two seasons of the show she appeared as a recurring character; she became a regular in the third season.-Background:Donna is...
(Retta) presents a version of The Last Supper
The Last Supper (Leonardo)
The Last Supper is a 15th century mural painting in Milan created by Leonardo da Vinci for his patron Duke Ludovico Sforza and his duchess Beatrice d'Este...
with famous people from Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Jerry (Jim O'Heir
Jim O'Heir
Jim O'Heir is an American actor. He was active in the Chicago theater during the 1980s and 1990s as part of the theater group White Noise, and appeared in such plays as The Book of Blanche, Stumpy's Gang and Ad-Nauseam with the group...
) presents a beautiful pointillist
Pointillism
Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. The term Pointillism was first coined by art critics in the late 1880s to ridicule the works...
photomosaic
Photographic mosaic
In the field of photographic imaging, a photographic mosaic, also known under the term Photomosaic, a portmanteau of photo and mosaic, is a picture that has been divided into rectangular sections, each of which is replaced with another photograph that matches the target photo...
of city hall, but he is laughed out of the room when he accidentally calls his mural a "murinal". Leslie proposes a picture of a historic Pawnee bakery fire, which she thinks will win because it is dark and depressing.
When the parks department casts votes for the best mural, they each vote for their own artwork. As a compromise, Leslie creates a mural using pieces of everybody's artwork, but the result is an ugly and confusing mess. Leslie enlists the help of Mark (Paul Schneider
Paul Schneider (actor)
Paul Andrew Schneider is an American film actor.-Early life and career:Schneider was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. He graduated from the North Carolina School of Arts...
), who draws a bland but skillful sketch of an old man feeding pigeons in the park. Mark himself admits the sketch is dull, but claims it will win because it has mass appeal. Nobody in the parks department likes it except Ron
Ron Swanson
Ronald Ulysses "Ron" Swanson is a fictional character played by Nick Offerman in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. Ron is parks department director in the Indiana city of Pawnee and the immediate superior of protagonist Leslie Knope...
(Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman is an American actor best known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. He is also a skilled woodworker.-Early life and career:...
), but Leslie insists on entering it so they will win, much to everybody's disappointment. While waiting to present the sketch, Leslie sees how much fun other departments had in making their mural, and she decides to enter the parks department's original mural after all. The town council committee are confused by the proposal, but the parks department have fun presenting it and break into laughter. In the end, the town decides not to spend any money on a new mural and simply renames the old one "The Diversity Express". The parks department is nevertheless proud of their work, which they hang in their conference room; Ron also hangs Mark's sketch in his office.
In a B plot
Subplot
A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance...
, Andy
Andy Dwyer
Andrew Maxwell "Andy" Dwyer is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is Ann Perkins' ex-boyfriend, a talented-if-yet-unsuccessful musician, a shoe-shiner at Pawnee City Hall, and April Ludgate's husband. He is portrayed by Chris Pratt.-Background:At the start of the...
(Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt
Christopher Michael "Chris" Pratt is an American actor, best known for his roles as Harold Brighton "Bright" Abbott in the television series Everwood, the recurring character Winchester "Ché" Cook in season 4 of The OC, Andy Dwyer in the television series Parks and Recreation and for portraying...
) is doing well in his new job as the Pawnee shoeshiner, and Ron pays for a shine. Ron is impressed when Andy actually eases the pain from his bunion
Bunion
A bunion is a deformity characterized by lateral deviation of the great toe, often erroneously described as an enlargement of bone or tissue around the joint at the head of the big toe...
, and he later purposely scuffs his shoe so he can get a second shine. Andy is initially flattered, but starts to grow uncomfortable when Ron returns for a third shoeshine. This time, Ron makes an involuntary noise that sounds like a sexual moan, seriously embarrassing both men. After a day of avoiding each other, Ron and Andy discuss the noise and decide it would be best to simply pretend it never happened.
Production
"The Camel" was written by Rachel AxlerRachel Axler
Rachel Axler is an American television writer and playwright. In television, her credits include New Girl, Bored to Death, Parks & Recreation and The Daily Show....
and directed by Millicent Shelton
Millicent Shelton
Millicent B. Shelton is an American music video, television and film director.Shelton has directed over a hundred music videos for artists such as Mary J. Blige, R...
. It derives its title from the figure of speech that a camel is "a horse made by a committee". When the parks department puts together a mural proposal using elements of six different pieces of art, which Mark refers to in the episode as a camel. The episode features a guest appearance by stand-up comedian Kirk Fox
Kirk Fox
Kirk Fox is an American actor, screenwriter, and stand-up comedian.-Career:Fox has been acting in television and film since the early 1990s. In 2003 he received attention for his work with Pauly Shore as co-writer and co-star of the film Pauly Shore Is Dead, and in 2005 he wrote, co-produced, and...
as Joe, Leslie's nemesis from the Pawnee sewer department. Within a week of the episode's original broadcast, a deleted scene from "The Camel" were made available on the official Parks and Recreation website. In the 90-second clip, Ann tries to get out of helping with the mural, April looks through a dumpster for inspiration and Ron defends "cookie cutter art" by saying, "There's nothing wrong with a cookie cutter. You know what you get with a cookie cutter? Perfectly shaped cookies!"
Cultural references
For her mural, Donna proposes a recreation of Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
's painting The Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
with Indiana natives in place of the apostles
Apostle (Christian)
The term apostle is derived from Classical Greek ἀπόστολος , meaning one who is sent away, from στέλλω + από . The literal meaning in English is therefore an "emissary", from the Latin mitto + ex...
. Actor Greg Kinnear
Greg Kinnear
Gregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...
was chosen to replace Jesus, with the Apostles replaced by John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
, Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
and a NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
race car, among others. Jerry presents for his mural a work of pointillism
Pointillism
Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. The term Pointillism was first coined by art critics in the late 1880s to ridicule the works...
, a style of painting in which small distinct dots of color create the impression of a wider image. When proposing her somber mural, Leslie claims tragedy often succeeds in awards, and specifically cites the Academy Awards which honor the film industry. As an example, Leslie uses The English Patient
The English Patient (film)
The English Patient is a 1996 romantic drama film based on the novel of the same name by Sri Lankan-Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The film, written for the screen and directed by Anthony Minghella, won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture...
, the 1996 Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
winner during the 69th Academy Awards
69th Academy Awards
The 69th Academy Awards were dominated by movies produced by independent studios, financed outside of mainstream Hollywood, leading to 1996 being dubbed "The Year of the Independents". All but one of the nominees for Best Picture were low-budget independent movies The 69th Academy Awards were...
. Upon first receiving his painting, Tom says, "It looks like a lizard puking up Skittles
Skittles (confectionery)
Skittles is a brand of fruit-flavoured sweets, currently produced and marketed by the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, a division of Mars, Inc. They have hard sugar shells which carry the letter S. The inside is mainly sugar, corn syrup, and hydrogenated palm kernel oil along with fruit juice, citric acid,...
", a reference to the multi-colored candies. Leslie indicates she had a dream involving American actress Gina Gershon
Gina Gershon
Gina L. Gershon is an American film, television and stage actress, singer and author, known for her roles in the films Cocktail , Showgirls , Bound , Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back , Face/Off , The Insider , Demonlover , Category 7: The End of the World , P.S...
. When Mark tries to get out of helping with the mural, he uses the excuse, "I was gonna go to Arby's
Arby's
Arby's is a fast food restaurant chain in the United States and Canada. Roark Capital Group owns 81.5% of the company, with Wendy's Company owning the other 18.5%. It is primarily known for selling roast beef sandwiches and curly fries. The Arby's menu also includes chicken sandwiches, appetizers,...
and watch Frontline", a reference to a fast food restaurant chain and a Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
public affairs program. Ron names his bunion Paul, after the mythological lumberjack Paul Bunyan
Paul Bunyan
Paul Bunyan is a lumberjack figure in North American folklore and tradition. One of the most famous and popular North American folklore heroes, he is usually described as a giant as well as a lumberjack of unusual skill, and is often accompanied in stories by his animal companion, Babe the Blue...
.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on November 12, 2009, "The Camel" was seen by 4.67 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
. It drew a 2.1 rating/6 share among viewers aged between 18 and 49, about a five percent drop from the previous week's episode, "Ron and Tammy". The episode received generally positive reviews. Matt Fowler of IGN said "The Camel" was a particularly funny episode, and that the parks department's collaboration on the mural allowed "each character being able to instill their own level of brand-specific insanity into the mix". Fowler also praised the sewer department jokes, the "murinal" scene involving Jerry and the fact that no department ended up winning the mural contest, which Fowler called a commentary on "the futility of local government in their attempts to accomplish anything". The Star-Ledger
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 which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
television columnist Alan Sepinwall declared "The Camel" one of the episodes he would suggest to newcomers seeking to become familiar with Parks and Recreation. Sepinwall said the Ron and Andy subplot "made me laugh as hard as I have in a very long time", and said the episode had a good mix of funny, sweet and ridiculous moments, and said the ensemble cast was starting to work extremely well together.
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
writer Leonard Pierce said the episode included great lines, strong personality-driven comedy and good character moments, specially Tom's emotional reaction to his painting. Pierce said the Andy and Ron subplot was "so well played that it threatens to usurp the mural storyline". Sandra Gonzalez particularly praised the "murinal" jokes about Jerry's mural, as well as Ron's claim that he ran a sheet metal factory when he was nine, and that "Child labor laws are ruining this country." Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine television critic James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik is an American journalist and television critic. He writes Times Tuned In column and has a blog with the same name.Originally from Monroe, MI, Poniewozik attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with a BA in English. He subsequently attended the graduate program...
said make jokes connected in "The Camel", including the Andy shoeshine plot and the "unexpectedly glamorous" sewage department. But he particularly praised the character development in the main plot, in which "each in their own way sticks to the purity of their uniquely screwy ideas". Brad Sanders of the Indiana Daily Student
Indiana Daily Student
The Indiana Daily Student is an independent, student-run newspaper that has been published for the community of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana since 1867. The IDS is free and distributed throughout the campus and city.- Circulation :...
praised the entire cast, particularly Offerman and Pratt, who he said provide the show's two best characters. Sanders said the fact that the episode included a "hilarious subplot" involving both of them "was more evidence that the writers have been listening to the fans".
GQ writer Dan Fierman said Parks and Recreation appeared to be "approaching early Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
-levels in its absurdity and comic pacing". He suggested this could be due to the use of Mike Scully
Mike Scully
Mike Scully is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school...
, a veteran comic writer with the animated series, as a consulting producer on Parks and Recreation. In an article reflecting on the Parks and Recreation second season
Parks and Recreation (season 2)
The second season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network starting September 17, 2009, and ended on May 20, 2010. The season was produced by Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, and series co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur...
, which became critically acclaimed following poor season one
Parks and Recreation (season 1)
The first season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network between April 9 and May 14, 2009...
reviews, Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
magazine writer Jonah Weiner said the plot of "The Camel" "can be read as something of a Season 2 mission statement". Weiner compared Leslie's decision to submit the quirky collage rather than the safer bet as reflective of the Parks and Recreation writing staff's apparent decision "to ride their zaniest whims rather than tamp them down for something more readily recognizable as a hit sitcom".
DVD release
"The Camel", along with the other 23 second season episodes of Parks and Recreation, was released on a four-disc DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set in the United States on November 30, 2010. The DVD included deleted scenes for each episode.
External links
- "The Camel" at the official Parks and Recreation site
- "The Camel" at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...