Throughout its run, Parks and Recreation engaged with political debates simmering in American culture, offering a humorous ripped-from-the-headlines take on issues such as same-sex marriage, distrust of politicians, government shutdowns, and corporate bailouts Through compelling analysis, Holladay untangles representations of women and BIPOC in the series as they engage with contemporary discourse surrounding media and identity politics.

Holly Willson Holladay is associate professor of media theory and criticism at Missouri State University. She received her doctorate in media and cultural studies from the University of Missouri. Her research about identity, popular media, and media audiences has been published in journals such as Journal of Fandom Studies, Feminist Media Studies, the Journal of Popular Culture, and in various edited collections.