Today is a very important day. It’s the birthday of my Scorpio king, love of my life, and favorite fictional character: Ben Wyatt. Played by Adam Scott in Parks and Recreation, Ben became my favorite fictional husband for a great many reasons, all stemming from Scott’s ability to show Ben’s love and appreciation for Leslie Knope. And boy oh boy, do I owe a lot to this character.
One, he shares a name with my cat. On purpose, obviously. I named my cat Benji because of Ben Wyatt (and in particular his name when he was running for teen mayor of Partridge, Minnesota). This character means a lot to me because it is rare that a fictional character, particularly a male character, is willing to give up everything in his life for the woman he loves and not think twice about it.
Not only did Ben time and time again give up things for Leslie—without her ever even asking him to—but he also knew how to show his love for her in ways that would constantly awe me. When Leslie and Ben are both approached to run for governor of Indiana and they’re talking about who is going to do it, he knows that this is her time and backs down because she doesn’t ask him to do it.
He is the man I’d like to marry and it hurts me daily that he is fictional. So happy birthday to my love. I wish you were real, Ben Wyatt.
(image: NBC)
Here are some other things we saw out there today:
- Oh, the end of an era … sort of. The finale of The Walking Dead is here but also there are so many spin-off shows, it’s hard to think of this as a real ending. (via Pajiba)
- Jay Leno is hospitalized after a gasoline fire injury. (via Entertainment Weekly)
- David Harbour teases the future that Thunderbolts will bring to the MCU. (via Collider)
- There are new Star Wars-inspired ears from Disney! (via ComicBook.com)
- Christina Applegate made her first public appearance since her MS diagnosis (via Variety)
Anything we missed out there today, Mary Suevians? Let us know what you saw in the comments below!
