Ron Swanson, Pawnee, Indiana’s mustachioed, Libertarian City Department director, was played with aplomb by Nick Offerman over seven seasons of Parks And Recreation episodes. He so fully embodies the character that Offerman, especially when sporting the Swanson mustache or echoing the non-political side of the outdoors-loving, modernity-hating role, blends the line between reality and pretend, work- and normal-life.
In short, if you’re going to dress up as Ron Swanson for Halloween and tweet about it, you better be prepared for the very real possibility that Offerman will give you feedback on how you did.
There was no shortage of Swanson costumes, full of polo shirts and hairy upper lips, on Twitter last night ...
... and several of them caught Offerman’s attention, prompting no-nonsense critiques of the work.
Here, for example, we have a couples costume that pairs Swanson with his beloved breakfast food, which Offerman simply states should be tagged NSFW for anyone familiar with the character’s opinion of bacon and eggs.
The fine points of Swanson’s shirt preferences didn’t escape Offerman’s notice either. Here, he explains the need to add a T-shirt beneath a collared shirt and the importance of buttoning to the very top.
He doesn’t abide a slim Swanson either.
But Offerman does appreciate when the character’s mannerisms are properly replicated, praising the tendency for those in costume to keep a hand resting in the waistband of their pants.
It’s November 1, which means it’s time to start planning next year’s costume. That means learning from Offerman’s notes and getting to work assembling the necessary components, buttoning them up properly, and rehearsing your best unimpressed expression. Or you could just digitally slap Offerman’s mug over videos of you, your friends, and any of the children in your life. That seems to impress him well enough, too.
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