Jerry Gergich (Parks and Recreation)

"They can laugh at me all they want. Because two more years until I retire with full benefits and pension, and my wife and I, we have bought a little cottage on a lake, and I am gonna get myself a stack of mystery novels, a box of cigars, and I am gonna sit back and enjoy my life." (Parks and Recreation, "Park Safety")

Jerry Gergich (played by Jim O'Heir), also possibly known as Jerry, Terry, Larry, among other names, is a character in Parks and Recreation. Jerry is used as the butt of many jokes in the show, with many of the characters and viewers enjoying and poking fun at his clumsiness and bad luck.

While most ensemble comedy shows have a character that is on the bottom of the social pecking order, Jerry is unique in his reaction and response to his placement amongst the group. The Office's Toby serves the same purpose as Jerry, constantly getting belittled and yelled at by the other characters. However, Toby is often hard to watch for an empathetic viewer, as his aggressively depressing life and situations are often too sad to laugh at. Jerry, however, has a good life outside of the office in which Parks and Recreation is set. As a contrast to Toby, his life is almost comedically good. He has a beautiful wife, a loving family, and almost perfect health. This makes it a lot easier to be amused by his bad luck and problems at work, as knowing that he's a genuinely happy man with a good life provides a better comedic air.