Entertainment

What Makes Leslie Knope & Susie From 'WHAS' Great

by Leah Marilla Thomas

Wet Hot American Summer has brought a lot of comedy favorites back together this July, but it has been especially nice to see Amy Poehler as Susie in Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp after NBC's Parks and Recreation ended in the Spring. It doesn't hurt that Susie and Leslie Knope are pretty similar characters. This is not to say that Amy Poehler is being typecast or not a phenomenal actress. Not at all. They are very different in their own ways. Leslie Knope is not an artist or a teenager, she's a government employee.

However, the best qualities that Susie and Leslie share are ones like being confident, melodramatic in the best way, and bossy. I'm sure they both agree that "caring loudly" is a better way to describe complaints. Both women are also vulnerable, know what they want, and are natural leaders. We shouldn't be surprised, as these characteristics are something that Amy Poehler herself praised in an interview with Katie Couric.

“I just love bossy women. I could be around them all day. To me, bossy is not a pejorative term at all. It means somebody’s passionate and engaged and ambitious and doesn’t mind leading.”

With that in mind, let's celebrate all that makes Susie and Leslie alike. After all, if Leslie had listened to a few more original cast recordings instead of stump speeches, this could have been her as a teenager.

They're Theatre Enthusiasts

She also once suggested that Ben sing a showtune, but I think that may have been a burn. Still, having a crush on the Phantom is pretty deep in musical theatre geekery. She definitely was involved in some High School productions or Pawnee Community Theatre at least.

They Take Charge

Plus: do I spot a classic Leslie Knope compliment in this clip? Susie calls Andy (a.k.a. Paul Rudd a.k.a. Parks and Rec's Bobby Newport) a "beautiful broken son-of-a-bitch" which sounds an awful lot like the slew of kind metaphors that Leslie showers on Ann Perkins.

They Both Have A Ben

Different dynamic, same name! Before Leslie met her Ben, she was about as unlucky in love as Susie. If only Bradley Cooper had guest-starred on Parks and Recreation while he had the chance!

They Support The Gay Community

I believe Leslie Knope described herself as "Queen of the Gays" after she married two male penguins. It was so cute and she's kind of a hero now. Even "way back" in 2001, Wet Hot American Summer showed us a world in which teenagers shrug their shoulders and are happy for their gay friends. When Ben and Susie break up, it's amicable. It's yet another awesome thing that Susie and Leslie Knope have in common. Not only do they know how to get things done, but they're pretty phenomenal people on top of that.

Images: Saeed Adyani/Netflix; Giphy (3)