Part of what makes Parks and Recreation such a wonderful show is the believability, depth, and full-realization of the characters. However, upon being reminded of this clip of a drunk Ben Wyatt going on camera and mustering the Howard Stern salute of 'Baba Booey' I was left wandering if it really makes sense for Ben to be a Howard Stern fan.
Let's look quickly at another Baba Booey from NBC's Thursday Night Lineup: Dennis Duffy. I can't find the clip online but basically, Dennis is being awarded for saving someone in the subway-
Dennis: Thank you Mayor Bloomberger. I accept this honor on behalf of every… Stern rules! Baba Booey!
Now, Dennis is a much sleazier guy than Ben. That should not distract us from each character's delivery of the message. Dennis is clearly the center of attention in his "Baba Booey", stopping in a middle of a press conference to fulfill some promise to himself about being on TV. Ben Wyatt on the other hand is almost blackout drunk. In this state, after being in front of this TV crew for quite some time and having familiarity with them, we find Ben in a very relaxed state. Ben's "Baba Booey" is a more letting his guard down because this is him trying to be funny. Whereas a more classic Stern 'Baba Booey' salute is meant to be more at the expense of the media outlet, Parks and Rec deftly references uses pop culture to make a character more human.
So to answer the question- Is it believable that Ben Wyatt is a Howard Stern fan? Definitely yes. Ben Wyatt was a hot shot 18 year old who ran for Mayor. He is currently breaking a government rule and dating a co-worker. And now that they have introduced Ben's Stern fan side, there is a clearer picture of just how much darker, mellow, and real the character is.
It goes to show that you shouldn't be surprised that anyone ever likes the Howard Stern show. It's a smart, insightful, and very entertaining wealth of information. By being a Stern fan- Ben Wyatt went from 'kind of prudish' to 'guy who's just dealing with life'. I don't believe we'll see anymore of Ben's Howard Stern side, I'd find it totally believable that that phase of his life is over (He does seem to enjoy Crazy Ira and the Douche though).
There is room for argument here: was Ben just saying 'BabaBooey' because he just knows thats what you are supposed to say to the camera? NO, I say. That's kind of bush league writing, aka something Family Guy has done in, of course, a throwaway flashback gag. The Parks and Rec team are too smart to toss just throw a moment like that.
There you have it: answering a question no one asked and providing a long answer while taking a quick dig at Family Guy. Welcome back, blog.
