i've been rewatching parks and rec and obviously the fatphobia in that show is horrendous, but you'd be shocked that chris traeger is one of my favorite characters. I find him so interesting because the 'health nut' is an archetype that I hardly ever see satirized in a negative light. chris' mental instability is entirely due to the fact that he's trying to outrun the inevitability of death. when he gets even the slightest ailment, he becomes utterly devastated by the fact that he can't conquer his own body. the joke is that his fitness regimens are absurd and it annoys everyone around him. he's the first fitness-focused character I've ever seen that exemplifies how placing physical fitness over everything else will lead to burnout, mental health issues, and isolation. I love it every time he and ron swanson interact. ron's entire character is built around his self-assuredness. at his core, he is a man who values his autonomy. he is so headstrong and clear in his values, namely the pleasures of food, that when chris tries to get him to change his diet, chris always loses. chris' biggest character trait is his toxic positivity in the workplace, and that is intentionally written to be a byproduct of his lifestyle. he acts like an expert and tries to impose his way of life onto others, and it's generally accepted by the rest of the cast that he's kind of a wack job who no one should listen to. fascinating.
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