Preparing the Summer Events Catalog, Leslie decides to take Ron and the past directors of the Parks Department out for a picnic lunch. Tom enlists the help of Ann and Mark to pose for the cover photo.
Summer catalog logistics anchor 70 jokes, but midseason slump shows in modest 72.1 index.
Directed by Ken Whittingham · Written by Katie Dippold
WAR
34.7
Wins Above Replacement
“Summer Catalog” ranks #85 of 98 Parks and Recreation episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 72.1 — Solid. The episode packs 70 scored jokes at 2.7 per minute, averaging 6.6 on craft and 6.4 on impact, with Tom landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Ron: I have no strong feelings one way or the other about marijuana legalization. But I do have strong feelings about hippies, and it's that they should all be eliminated.
Ron Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch April: I'd need to see their eyebrows first. I have very specific tastes. They need to be thick, dark, and most importantly, edible. I want to consume them slowly while they sleep.
April Absurdist Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Ron: I don't like surprises. They're inefficient, they're unpredictable, and they often involve people screaming.
Leslie: But Ron, we just want to do something nice for you.
Ron: The last surprise party I attended ended with me calling the police on my own friends and filing a restraining order against the host.
Ron Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Ron: I'm hungry. I normally have three breakfasts by now.
Ron Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Andy: This love song could be about a girl... or Peyton Manning.
Andy Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 70 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Tom: Ron, what's with the hat? You look like you're about to join the Swiss Family Swanson!
Tom: Can I try on your hat, Ron?
Ron: No.
Tom: I'm gonna put this bad larry on my dome.
Tom: I mean, this hat on my head.
Tom Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Tom: Hey ladies, check out this hat. It's made from the pelt of an animal that Ron killed with his bare hands.
Tom Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Tom: You know, that raccoon hat really brings out your eyes. We actually have a lot in common, you and that raccoon.
Tom: You both dig through trash.
Tom Absurdist Character Comedy Tom: Hey baby, are you a raccoon? Because you're trash— wait, no, that's not... that came out wrong.
Tom Wordplay/Pun Cringe/Discomfort Tom: You know what? Forget everything I just said. I'm just gonna be honest. You are incredibly beautiful, and I would very much like to take you to dinner.
Tom Cringe/Discomfort Escalation Tom: Hey baby, are you duck season? Because I want to blast you with my shotgun.
Jerry: Tom, that doesn't even make sense.
Tom: Well, it's rabbit season then. Same thing.
Tom Wordplay/Pun Cringe/Discomfort Tom: You gotta have a motto. Mine is: 'If you really wanna get the hoochie, you gotta pay the price to get the smoochie.' It's like Manimal, but about gettin' ladies.
Tom Wordplay/Pun Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Tom: Your beauty is so blinding, it killed my hat.
Tom Absurdist Cringe/Discomfort Tom: I own a raccoon hat. I'm interesting.
Tom Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Tom: That's it. I'm done. This hat is cursed. I'm throwing it away.
Woman: Wait! I love that hat. Where did you get it?
Tom: You... you like it?
Woman: Are you kidding? It's amazing. Can I have your number?
Tom: Of course! Finally!
Woman Irony/Sarcasm Misdirection Ron: I don't like surprises. They're inefficient, they're unpredictable, and they often involve people screaming.
Leslie: But Ron, we just want to do something nice for you.
Ron: The last surprise party I attended ended with me calling the police on my own friends and filing a restraining order against the host.
Ron Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Leslie: This parks catalog is as important as Vogue magazine.
Leslie: We don't get Vogue.
Tom: You know what? I'm putting myself in the next parks catalog. Full centerfold. Really sell the department.
Tom: I'll call it 'Parks and Rec-reation.' Get it?
Tom: Justin? Justin, buddy? No? Nothing?
Tom Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy April: He's not going to respond to you. He doesn't know who you are. You're not in his phone. You're not in his life. You're a stranger to him.
April Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Tom: Hey, who is this guy? He looks familiar... Oh wait, isn't that Jerry Gergich's cousin? No, that's the guy from the sex offender registry.
Tom Dark/Subversive Cringe/Discomfort Jerry: Well, I had dinner with him last week, so...
Jerry Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Jerry: I can photoshop his face out of the picture.
April: Or you could photoshop your entire life out instead.
April Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm April: The parks catalog should reflect the duality of nature and civilization. It's about the liminal space between order and chaos, where the soul finds its true reflection in the mirror of existence.
April Absurdist Character Comedy April: What is the sound of one hand clapping? What is the sound of one person not caring? Because that's me. I'm that person.
April: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If I leave this meeting early, does anyone notice I'm gone? Probably not.
April: We are all just floating through an infinite void of meaninglessness, searching for purpose in a purposeless universe. Also, I need everyone to sign these expense reports.
April Absurdist Character Comedy Leslie: April, I love the concept, I really do, but the lighting is all wrong, your posture is terrible, and honestly, the whole vibe is just... basically, boo.
Leslie Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Tom: Whoa, whoa, whoa! That's not—that's a personal photo!
Tom: Can we just skip past that? Nobody needs to see that.
Tom Cringe/Discomfort Visual Gag Tom: You know what? Forget about the embarrassment. We should use that photo for the cover. It's perfect.
Tom: People connect with vulnerability. It's authentic. It's raw. It shows I'm real.
Tom Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Andy: Wait, is this a normal-sized cup, or is it a really big cup?
Andy Character Comedy Observational Ann: I got you something special for our anniversary.
Ann: It's a sandwich.
Ann Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Ann: Happy anniversary! I got you a sandwich.
Mark: A sandwich? Ann, that's... actually really thoughtful. I got you something too.
Mark: It's a weekend trip to the spa. We're gonna get massages, facials, the whole thing.
Ann: Mark, that's amazing! I can't believe you did this.
Mark: That's what I'm talking about. We out here living our best life, you feel me? This anniversary is straight fire.
Mark Character Comedy Misdirection Ann: Well, the patient is dead, so... I don't think they'd mind.
Ann: Oh my God, I don't mean like, in a creepy way. I just mean like, they're gone, so...
Ann Misdirection Dark/Subversive Mark: Well, he's not dead. He's just sleeping.
Mark Deadpan/Understatement Callback Callback April: Baseball is just the boy version of softball.
April Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Leslie: Do we have everything for the picnic?
Andy: Yeah, we got it all. Well, we did until April threw all the food on the roof.
Leslie: What? Why would she do that?
Andy: I don't know. I stopped trying to understand April a long time ago.
Andy Absurdist Character Comedy April: I'm sorry I threw the smoked salmon on the roof.
April Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Mark: Why would you even believe that text was real?
Leslie: Because I wanted to believe it. And when you want to believe something, you'll convince yourself that it's true. It's called being in love, Mark. It's the most romantic thing in the world.
Leslie Character Comedy Absurdist Mark: Tom, there is no such thing as a city-planning emergency.
Mark Observational Deadpan/Understatement Tom: So Ann and Mark... Ann and Mark... What about 'Marm'? No, that's not good. 'Marl'? 'Nark'? Wait, wait, wait. What about 'Merkins'?
Ann: What?
Tom: 'Merkins.' Mark and Ann. Merkins.
Mark: That's not a couple name, that's a thing.
Tom Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Ann: Yeah, I wanted to go on dates with Tom.
Tom: What?
Ann: I'm kidding. No, I didn't.
Ann Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Tom: Ann, you look terrible. Like, genuinely awful. But I need a huge favor from you.
Ann: What? Tom, what are you talking about?
Tom: I need you to be in this photo shoot. You're perfect for what I'm going for.
Tom Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Andy: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Did you guys switch sweaters? Because that one's way too big on you, and that one's way too small on you.
Andy Visual Gag Character Comedy David: I thought you were dead.
Clarence: Dead? I'm not dead. I've been too busy having sex with your wife.
Leslie: Okay, so when I say 'Parks,' you say 'and Rec!' Ready? Parks!
Clarence: ...Volleyball?
Ron: I'm hungry. I normally have three breakfasts by now.
Ron Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Ron: Where did you get this bacon?
Leslie: I made it this morning. It's just a trail snack.
Ron: This is the best thing I've ever tasted. I can detect the exact temperature it was cooked at, the breed of pig, and the emotional state of the person who cured it. You're telling me you made this?
Leslie: Yes, Ron.
Ron: I'm going to have to ask you to make this every day for the rest of my life, or I will die. And it will be your fault.
Ron Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Tom: Okay, Ann, Mark—I need you two to slither. Like snakes. Sensual snakes.
Ann: Tom, what are you talking about?
Tom: Just trust me. Slither toward the camera. Let your bodies undulate with raw, primal energy.
Mark: This is ridiculous.
Tom: No, no—Mark, you're not committed enough. More slithering! Ann, you're perfect. Keep your eyes locked on mine as you slither.
Tom Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Tom: Mark, you are absolutely killing it. You're a natural. You've got the look, you've got the presence, you've got the cheekbones.
Mark: I'm just standing here.
Tom Mark Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Clarence: Well, you see, the female brain is about 10% smaller than the male brain, which means women are naturally less suited for leadership positions. It's just science.
Clarence Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Clarence: You know, I've been reading about the female circulatory system. Women have less blood flow to the brain during their menstrual cycle. It's just science.
Leslie: That's not... that's not how that works.
Clarence: I'm just saying, maybe you should take it easy this week. For your own good. I care about your health.
Andy: This love song could be about a girl... or Peyton Manning.
Andy Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch David: Clarence was old and weak, So I put in for a transfer, swooped, And pushed him out.
David Dark/Subversive Character Comedy David: who gives a crap about this crap?
David Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Tom: Ann, you look terrible. No, worse. Even worse than that. I need you to really lean into looking like you haven't slept in weeks and someone stole your will to live.
Ann: Tom, what are you doing?
Tom: I'm directing. This is what I do now. I'm very good at it.
Tom Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Tom: Ann, you look like a young Meryl Streep mixed with a young Grace Jones.
Ann: Those are both compliments?
Tom: No, not really. One's a bit cold, and the other one scares people.
Ann: So both comparisons are insulting?
Tom Ann Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Tom: Ann, you looked great out there. Really great. I mean, for someone who has the natural charisma of a filing cabinet and the stage presence of a potted plant.
Tom Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Tom: You know what? Let's just photoshop Leslie's head onto a more attractive body.
Tom Cringe/Discomfort Escalation Clarence: You shouldn't lead us to the picnic. Bears can smell the menstruation.
Leslie: What? That's not true.
Clarence: Well that's what I read on the bear community website.
Clarence: I just whizzed on a butterfly.
Ron: You were on parole.
Michael: Yes, okay, fine. I was on parole. And yes, I may have used drugs. Constantly. But that's not the point.
Michael: The point is, drugs should be legal. All of them. We're criminalizing a plant that grows out of the ground. That the government put there. To test us.
Ron: I have no strong feelings one way or the other about marijuana legalization. But I do have strong feelings about hippies, and it's that they should all be eliminated.
Ron Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch April: I'd need to see their eyebrows first. I have very specific tastes. They need to be thick, dark, and most importantly, edible. I want to consume them slowly while they sleep.
April Absurdist Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch April: Why are you asking me for water? You're not elderly enough yet.
April Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort David: I got that job the same way I got this baked potato at the airport: I saw it, I wanted it, and I took it.
That's not how you acquire things.
David: It's worked for me so far.
David Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Michael: Look, I'm just saying, if we legalize marijuana, think about all the tax revenue. It's a win-win.
Leslie: Michael, that's... actually not a terrible point.
Michael: Right? I've been doing my own research. You know, for a long time now. Very hands-on research. I have like eight plants in my apartment right now.
Leslie: Wait, what?
Michael: What? I thought we were having a hypothetical conversation!
Clarence: Can we do one where we're all making funny faces?
April: I'm trying to Photoshop these old men to look happy, but it's really hard because their mouths are so ancient and rigid. I think I'm just going to have to draw new mouths on them.
April Character Comedy Observational Tom: This one is called 'The Future.' It's blurry, which represents the uncertainty of what's to come.
Tom Absurdist Character Comedy Ann: What about these normal swing photos?
Tom: Those are my 'unhappy wife' photos.
Tom Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Leslie: This is a disgusting fragrance flap.
Leslie Character Comedy Observational Tom: I don't need a fake ID. I rely on confidence. Confidence and a very convincing story about how I left my wallet at home.
Tom Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Leslie: So wait, you're saying that every Parks director before me left on bad terms with the one after them?
Ron: That's correct.
Leslie: Well, that's not going to happen with us, right? I mean, we're friends. We'll always be friends.
Ron: We'll see.
Leslie: What do you mean 'we'll see'? Ron, you're scaring me.
Leslie Character Comedy Observational Leslie: Ron said he wants to be city manager so he can dismantle the government from the inside. Well, I want to be city manager so I can build it up, make it better, expand it. And unlike Ron, I'm actually going to win.
Leslie Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Ron: Some people want to enjoy their life.
Ron Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Ron: Michael made a bong out of a stuffed raccoon. Right here in this office.
Ron Absurdist Callback ★ Rewatch Callback ⏩ The part you fast-forward
Our scorer flagged 16:00-17:00 as the stretch with the fewest or weakest comedic moments. Everything else lands harder.
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