When most of us think about love, especially on screen, we think about romantic or sexual love and completely forget that our truest loves can be entirely platonic.
Platonic love is so under-represented on screen despite probably being relatable to more people than its romantic counterpart.
However, that’s not to say there aren’t some amazing platonic love stories on screen and for my money the best has to be Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins from the sitcom Parks and Recreation.
Uteruses before duderuses, Ovaries before brovaries
A lot of sitcom pilots involve introducing the key love story that will permeate across the whole series.
Think Ross and Rachel from Friends, Jess and Nick for New Girl or Jim and Pam from the US version of The Office.
Parks and Rec also does this but not in the way that most people would think.
The first episode sets up Leslie’s infatuation with Mark Brendanawicz, a city planner Leslie once slept with and is still pining after.
But this relationship doesn’t go anywhere for Leslie, and she loses all feelings for him after she finally realises he’s a bit of a pig.
No, the real relationship set up in this episode is with the true love of Leslie’s life, her best friend Ann Perkins.
gif credit: nbc
Over the first two seasons, Ann goes from yelling at Leslie at a community meeting to working with her to fix the pit to essentially colleagues before becoming full-on-ride-or-die best friends who will take on the world for each other.
It quickly becomes clear that these two care more about each other than anyone else, and when, in season 2, Mark becomes interested in Ann, her immediate concern is how it will affect Leslie.
How much they love each other is never more clear than when Ann and Mark break-up at the end of season 2.
The break-up itself doesn’t even get a. scene, instead we get to see Leslie comforting Ann as they come together straight after the break-up to hold each other up with absolutely no judgment.
Ann is not the only friend that Leslie loves. Throughout the series, Leslie goes above and beyond for the people she cares about.
The Galentines Queen
“We have to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles and work. Or waffles, friends, work. But work has to come third.”
Leslie always goes above and beyond for her friend’s birthdays, creating an experience catered so perfectly to them with a massive party with friends and at least one piñata while Ron, the stoic people hater, got a steak and a whiskey while watching The Bridge Over River Kwai (Although Leslie did threaten him with a massive party the following year).
But Leslie’s pièce de résistance has to be the now iconic Galentines Day.
gif credit: nbc
Galantines Day has become a massive trend online in recent years after being popularised by Parks and Recreation.
The unofficial holiday takes place on February 13th and, as Leslie put it, “Is all about celebrating lady friends.”
Unlike Valentine’s Day, Galantines Day can be celebrated with all of the people you love, not just your romantic partner.
This celebration has taken off massively in the real world with the hashtag Galantines Day having more than a million posts on Instagram, showing that many people are beginning to put those they love platonically on just as high a pedestal as the people they love romantically.
And this is nothing but a good thing as, just like in Parks & Rec, platonic love is just as real and beautiful as romantic love.
These beloved friends will be there through thick and thin and will often last longer than many of your romantic relationships.
Plus, sometimes your closest friends can give you the smack-up the arse a romantic partner can’t and let’s be honest, we all need that sometimes.
gif credit: nbc
So, this February, skip the partner (or do both, we’ll support that with only slight envy) and follow Leslie Knope’s lead in celebrating the friends you love the most because they deserve the world, and so do you!
And when both Galantines and Valentines have been and gone, don’t stop celebrating those friends, loving those friends and being with them.
Platonic love is love, and love is awesome, so go tell your friends you love them already!
Featured Image Credit: nbc