Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is a pun doing a politician's job: her surname plus the rallying shape of 'yes we can', the kind of upbeat slogan Leslie would be sure to have workshopped with a laminated binder. It sums up her whole character, an unembarrassed believer in government and in her friends, and it escaped the show as real signage, fan merchandise and a favourite of anyone running for a school board or a cause.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Parks and RecreationShow the scene
"Knope We Can!" is the slogan of Leslie Knope's run for Pawnee City Council in Parks and Recreation's fourth season (2011-12). The campaign, which the fan wiki files as Knope 2012, pits her against Bobby Newport, the wealthy, good-natured and clueless heir to the town's biggest employer, who enters the race in "Campaign Ad" (19 January 2012). Her team of Ben, Ann and the Parks department runs the campaign, and the slogan goes on signs, merchandise and even a mobile billboard that the cast posed with during filming. Outside the show, a March Madness write-in drive by the National Women's Law Center borrowed the phrase.
Sources (4)
- Parks and Recreation wiki: Knope 2012introduction and Merchandise/Media linksReference checked
- Wikipedia: Parks and Recreation season 4episode 58, Campaign AdReference checked
- Hollywood Reporter: cast canvasses for Leslie Knopearticle bodyReference checked
- NWLC: Knope We Can write-in campaigntitleReference checked
Context reviewed
