Ron Swanson, Proponent of "Two Scoops of Government"?

Ron Swanson is the lovably awesome libertarian character, played by actor Nick Offerman, on the great NBC show Parks and Recreation.* He's also the inspiration for a potential new Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor, "All the Bacon and Eggs You Have," reports AOLTV.

A cute fan-made image of a Ron Swanson-inspired Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor has been floating around the Internet for the last week, much to the delight of everybody here at AOL TV. But, things got real when Ben & Jerry's took note.

Taken from a line in a 'Parks and Recreation Season 3 episode where Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) demands all the bacon and eggs a diner has, the fictional ice cream is scotch-flavored and called "All the Bacon and Eggs You Have."

Video below.

Ben & Jerry's took the unusual step of responding to an NBC inquiry about the fan art, writing

Ron's beliefs are in accordance with those of Ben & Jerry's – where two scoops of government can help the less fortunate and truly be a servant to the community and its citizens.

Um, yeah. I think it's safe to say that's not exactly anything like what self-avowed libertarian Ron believes. But if it inspires the company to drop a Swansonesque flavor of bacon-and-egg ice cream on us anytime soon, then I'm on board for that limited purpose.

Bonus: NBC's Ron Swanson mosaic.

*Imagine how awesome an interview with Offerman as Swanson would be if it were to appear in the pages of a libertarian publication. Just sayin'.

Baylen Linnekin is a lawyer and the executive director of Keep Food Legal, a nonprofit that promotes culinary freedom, the idea that people should be free to make and consume whatever commestibles they prefer. For more information and to join or donate, go here now.

Comments

[Invisible Finger]

Two scoops of government is fine. It would be 1,999,998 fewer scoops than what we currently have.

[pmains]

A Ben & Jerry’s flavor honoring a trait Ron doesn’t actually have would be in keeping with the spirit of the show. After all, if Ron can be Woman of the Year, why can’t he be given a flavor celebrating him as a “servant of the community?”

[Libertarians have sold out?]

Ron’s beliefs are in accordance with those of Ben & Jerry’s – where two scoops of government can help the less fortunate and truly be a servant to the community and its citizens.

[PIRS]

Well the Libertarian Party did when the nominated a non-libertarian for President in 2008. I refer to Babar the elephant.

[rather]

Only Libertarians would pick a guy with a gut, bacon and eggs as their ideal.

Wonder why libertarians are mostly male?

[rather]

I get it now: He has moobs. Maybe he can wear a wife-beater and show his side boobs!

[rather]

Libertarians only voluntarily endorse meat entirely. Pity little Epi always seems embarrassed.

[rather]

If you imitate me, I request, YOU MAKE FUCKING SENSE

[R C Dean]

I think its kind of an either/or thing, rather.

[rather]

Pro Libertate|6.30.11 @ 11:21AM|#

There should be a code. Like the first letters of each word spell out something.

[rather]

OK, smartass. I will look for the code. I see you have been reading my blog, and actually learned something

[rather]

Your code sucks, and I don’t mean clitoris. Don’t tell me, I will work on it 🙂

[rather]

Don’t underestimate moving blindly among secondary spellings.

[rather]

Yes, I’m working on it. BTW, I will post my answer on my blog. I’m doing something else here. 🙂

[rather]

fuck, I’m frustrated but I bet you like that!

[rather]

Conversely, logical uncertainties enhance lexicographic enigmas, say some doubtlessly intelligent people. Sometimes, hope is triumphant.

[rather]

Conversely, logical uncertainties enhance lexicographic enigmas, say some doubtlessly intelligent people.
Sometimes, hope is triumphant.

[rather]

Conversely, logical uncertainties enhance lexicographic enigmas, say some doubtlessly intelligent people.

[rather]

Don’t intelligent people sometimes hate intense tests?

[rather]

I might assist: Good old orderly filing bests any lame linguistics.

[rather]

Certainly Nothing prepares women now ‘days.

[rather]

Fuck fuck fuck. I’m working on it!!!

[sven]

It’s the hair and mustache. That’s what really revs our engines.

[Hank]

Odd comment from a woman who looks exactly like him.

[rather]

Hank, whatever rocks your boat dinghy
http://rctlfy.wordpress.com/20…..-question/

[PIRS]

“Wonder why libertarians are mostly male?”

I have wondered this myself. I think it may be because a disproportionate number of libertarian writers are sci-fi writers. More guys read sci-fi than women (why THAT is I have no idea). So more people who are introduced to libertarianism through people like Robert Heinlein and L. Neil Smith and others are male.

[sarcasmic]

I think it is because libertarianism lacks the emotional appeal of other political philosophies, and thus attracts fewer emotional creatures.

[mr simple]

Right? It’s because we’re not in it to protect the children.

[?]

Are you still talking about a character on a TV show? I understand that libertarianism is a small club on a short bus on a field trip to nowhere, but do TV characters count as fellow travelers?

[SugarFree]

Swarm! Swarm! Protect the Queen!

[?]

I thought Pissiarch was the Queen.

[rather]

I think it is a multitude of factors:
-Autism-spectrum disorders risk is male, and it is conducive to focusing on one’s own interests
-Selfishness is male, and as such libertarians hate to share. Females get pleasure from it.
-Protective instinct is female, even in the animal kingdom, males are less so.

[sarcasmic]

Libertarians don’t have a problem with sharing, as long the people doing the sharing are sharing what belongs to them.

We have a problem with people sharing shit that doesn’t belong to them.

See the difference?

[rather]

Libertarians don’t have a problem with sharing, as long the people doing the sharing are sharing what belongs to them.

You have defined an exchange of goods, or services.

Sharing, is giving away something that is of value to you but you receive enjoyment from the pleasure it gives the recipient.

Women get it, men don’t

[T]

So you’re okay if I invite 16 feral cats and a couple of hobos to share your house with you? Because, honestly, that would give me pleasure and since I’m not sharing something that belongs to me, it’s not an exchange of goods or services.

I may be mistakenly presuming your house has value, though.

[PIRS]

No charity can be voluntary. Do you not get that? Libertarians have no problem with being charitable.

I think you are confusing libertarians with Objectivists. Ayn Rand did not even consider herself a libertarian – in fact she called us “hippies of the right” or “whim worshipers”.

[PIRS]

I missed a comma between no and charity – go I wish this thing allowed edit. I should have said “No, charity can be voluntary. Do you not get that? Libertarians have no problem with being charitable.”

[sarcasmic]

A liberal sees someone giving their property to someone else in exchange for nothing and calls it charity, ignoring that the liberal is pointing a gun at dude’s head.

[Smart Ass]

—“I wish this thing allowed edit”—

Preview is our friend

[sarcasmic]

Uhhh no?

Libertarians share.

Really, we do.

What we have a problem with is people telling us that we have to share, because then it is no longer voluntary and there is no pleasure in it.

Also we have a problem with other people sharing our property for us, because that again is no longer voluntary and there is no pleasure in it.

See the difference?

[rather]

Got it! You give away everything you don’t want. I did that when I was five too. 🙂

[PIRS]

“Got it! You give away everything you don’t want. I did that when I was five too. :-)”

I take it you have not met very many libertarians.

Tell me, is it charity if I rob you and then donate the money I stole from you to my local homeless shelter?

[Citizen Nothing]

I happened to have had a talk with my five-year-old twins this morning about astronomy — and noncoersion. It went thus:
My son opined how it’s too bad that the Milky Way is nearly invisible due to light pollution and that it would be good to make everyone turn off most lights at night so we could see the stars better. I suggested that persuasion would be be better, though harder, and that forcing people to do things just because we want them to is not good, although that’s the way most of the world operates.

[Quetzalcoatl]

+10 for parenting

[Citizen Nothing]

And yet we are accused of thinking like five-year-olds. I just wearily shake my head. (I’m quite used to that motion.)

[rather]

-10 for no interaction with your daughter

[Citizen Nothing]

Yeah. I’m hoping the wolves eat the little bitch.

[Audrey the Liberal]

How do you know Citizen didn’t interact with his daughter?

[Audrey the Liberal]

How do you know Citizen didn’t interact with his daughter?

[JD]

Sharing, is giving away something that is of value to you but you receive enjoyment from the pleasure it gives the recipient.

Women get it, men don’t

Women enjoy giving away other people’s shit?

[Jason]

Women enjoy giving away other people’s shit?

My wife enjoys giving away my shit.

[Derek]

Me sharing stuff I own to someone in need is not “an exchange of goods and services”. It’s sharing.

The gov’t sharing my money with someone without my permission is theft.

See the difference? I’m going to guess “probably not”.

[sarcasmic]

See the difference? I’m going to guess “probably not”.

It’s all about feelings. It feels good to help people.

When you don’t have enough to help everyone, you enlist others to give as well. If the selfish greedy libertarian bastards don’t want to give, then you put a gun to their head and make them. It doesn’t count as stealing because you’re not going to keep what you take. And it feels good to rob libertarians because they’re selfish bastards. You’re doing it with the best of intentions.

You’re sharing! =-)

[Citizen Nothing]

I wear only a monocle so that some other poor blind bastard can see out of at least one eye, too.
(The top hat is ’cause it rocks.)

[Brandon]

“It doesn’t count as stealing because you’re not going to keep what you take”

Except a certain percentage to cover overhead. Like your salary. Which should be enormous because of how caring and generous you are. And security so those greedy bastard libertarians don’t come to try and get their stuff back.

[Apogee]

Except a certain percentage to cover overhead. Like your salary. Which should be enormous because of how caring and generous you are. And security so those greedy bastard libertarians don’t come to try and get their stuff back.

^This

[Heroic Mulatto]

Selfishness is male, and as such libertarians hate to share. Females get pleasure from it.

That statement is so full of shit, on so many levels, that it achieved the density to collapse into a singularity and rip the fabric of space-time.

[rather]

Well, I am working on time travel 😉

[PIRS]

“Hitting all the big band clubs from the 20?s to the 1950?s is on my Time Travel Bucket List”

There are big bands and there are big bands. I would love to hear “Big Noise from Winnetka” performed by Bob Haggart. But later on some of the big bands became too much like elevator music. Lawrence Welk is a good example of what I mean – his early compositions were brilliant but later on he became bland and pointless.

[rather]

I would die to wear the clothes, hear the music, to see talent before it is corrupted by corporate money, and management

Pirs, it would be so cool to go into a hat shop, a speakeasy, or even a diner at dawn

[PIRS]

“I would die to wear the clothes, hear the music, to see talent before it is corrupted by corporate money, and management”

Are you aware that corporations are creations of government? Without government companies would still exist but they would be far more decentralized. I would love to go to a speakeasy, that would be neat.

[rather]

Gangster speakeasy, and a raid for fun. I would sit in between the mayor and chief of police as to not get my ass shot, or blood stains on my silk gown.

[Q]

Christ, I would wanna go back in time and warn myself not to gorge on all those pastries, too.

[KingTaco]

You have to be somewhat careful with the sci-fi & libertarian equation. There’s a huge group of sci-fi writers who are lock-step liberals/leftists but use the ‘libertarian’ monicker (John Scalzi and Charlie Stross are two great examples of leftists who somehow get mentioned as libertarians) as a sexy-sounding cover.

[rather]

Libertarians: a sexy-sounding cover? ? ?

New T-shirt!

[PIRS]

True – I am well aware that no every sci-fi writer is libertarian. But a higher percentage of them are than in just about any other fiction genre.

[PIRS]

Does anyone here know if the show’s writer is libertarian? I am not saying he/she is NOT – I simply do not know. A recent issue of Reason had an article about the TV show Family Ties that pointed out that, despite having a conservative character, the writer was anything but conservative. It is possible the writer of this show is not at all libertarian – I simply do not know.

[sarcasmic]

Family Ties tried to play the conservative character as a villain, but MJF was too nice of a guy to pull it off.

[PIRS]

Interesting, he was a truly nice person from all I have read of him. Sad ending to his life.

[PIRS]

Sorry, I do not mean he is dead, he is not but right now he is unable to act much because of his Parkinsons

[rather]

But damned if that boy can’t mix a can of paint!

[rather]

OK, you made me smile. Even MJF would laugh

[cynical]

Because women are more likely to be dependent by nature, at least at some points in their life. Back in the day, they were dependent on husbands. Now, they have the option of being dependent on government or (to a lesser extent) their employer instead.

[rather]

BS
https://reason.com/blog/2011/06…..nt_2369311

[rather]

OOPS
http://rctlfy.wordpress.com/20…..omestible/

[Joshua Corning]

Only Libertarians would pick a guy with a gut, bacon and eggs as their ideal.

Well a guy with a gut also describes just about every husband in the Country.

Libertarians use as their symbol what women choose to marry and live with.

[T]

Mainly because guys in their forties who spend enough time at the gym to not have a gut are either gay or too selfish to be worth marrying.

Not that it stops some women, of course.

[PIRS]

Does anyone here know if the show’s writer is libertarian? I am not saying he/she is NOT – I simply do not know. A recent issue of Reason had an article about the TV show Family Ties that pointed out that, despite having a conservative character, the writer was anything but conservative. It is possible the writer of this show is not at all libertarian – I simply do not know.

[AlmightyJB]

You know those sandwiches aren’t going to make themselves. We’ll take a beer while you’re at it.

[AlmightyJB]

Not sure how a reply to Rather at the top of the thread ends up all the way down here. Maybe my Android isn’t showing the nesting correctly. That or squirrels.

[Citizen Nothing]

Are these the squirrels with their own rooms?

[AlmightyJB]

If so, Riggs has some explaining to do:)

[rather]

Some replies need to be found at the bottom of the thread. 🙂

[Brandon]

Idea: Huffington Post should make their threads horizontal, so no one feels bad about being at the bottom.

[rather]

I was mentioned in the Huffington Post. I wondered why I got traffic from them

[pmains]

The mosaic is disappointing. They just reduced the opacity of a number of pictures of meat and super-imposed that over an image of Ron. It’s not like he has hair follicles made out of brisket.

[mr simple]

My thoughts exactly. That is No True Mosaic.

[Pro Libertate]

I’m holding out for a haggis-flavored ice cream called Sean Creamery.

[JW]

I’ll throw in “Therapist’s Revenge” as a back up flavor.

[Pro Libertate]

And Your Mother’s a Whore as a recurring holiday flavor, only available at their stores.

[Mainer]

“Tu madre es una puta fea”
for Cinco de Mayo

[Pro Libertate]

Hey, Connery never said Trebek’s mother was ugly.

[Michael]

The Penis Mightier.

[Pro Libertate]

We’re actually doing this wrong. It’s supposed to sound like the celebrity or something well-known, while incorporating something ice creamy. Like, for instance, the Peanuts Mightier.

[Michael]

Does it work?

[Dagny T.]

The Ron Swanson Pyramid of Greatness contains many worthy life lessons on grooming, attire, welfare avoidance, and more.

[P B]

The episode when he explained what government does, while eating part of her lunch, the the girl on the field trip was awesome.

[Abdul]

Had to google for that one.

It’s worth it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcHjZ4PSTfs

Winning hearts and mines*.

*No, it’s not a typo.

[P B]

It just felt right, at the time.

[P B]

It just felt right, at the time.

[Joshua Corning]

Rage: One rage every 3 months is permitted. Do not hurt anyone who dies not deserve it.

I have to say I like this one.

[JW]

I keep hearing that this show isn’t too bad, but I have a pretty jaded view of sitcoms these days.

Should I give it a try? What say you?

[Citizen Nothing]

Do it.

[NoVAHockey]

It took awhile to hit it’s stride, but I like it.

[mr simple]

I’ve only seen one full episode and pieces of others. It seemed to me to be like 30 rock, in that someone wanted to jump on the absurd humor bandwagon and made a show that was ridiculous for the sake of being ridiculous. Unlike Community, which is absurd with a purpose and hilarious. But, like I said, I’ve only seen one episode, so I may have misjudged.

[Mainer]

I like Community when it’s purpose is to show Alison Brie with no pants.

[SugarFree]

Bouncy bouncy

[JW]

She is going to bear my children, whether she wants to or not.

[rather]

What is sexy about pulling down your dress to show more?

If she tugged it up, it would say exclusive, not starlet tits

[Joshua Corning]

It is a between scenes video…ie the director is asking her to show more cleavage for the shot.

In the scene they were shooting the point was that one of the characters was looking down her shirt. It is important that the cleavage is exposed to set the right tone for the shot.

it would say exclusive, not starlet tits

All I see is a professional actor doing her job and doing it well.

By the way she is in Mad Men and Community.

So to recap she is the best drama series on TV today and she is on the best comedy series on TV today….

I don’t think you should be giving advice about her career.

[rather]

http://s35.photobucket.com/alb…..f&newest=1

[SugarFree]

The 1st season is rough going, but short. Push through that and you will be rewarded.

[R C Dean]

Sure, give it a go. Some of the characters/subplots don’t work as well, but its usually pretty good. Ron Swanson is easily the best character on the show.

[goober1223]

The best plots are when Leslie is overly optimistic and the rest of the government rewards her for her optimism.

Like when she got all of the former parks department directors together for a picnic in the park and they all hated each other.

[goober1223]

The best plots are when Leslie is overly optimistic and the rest of the government rewards her for her optimism.

Like when she got all of the former parks department directors together for a picnic in the park and they all hated each other.

Any plot that centers around Ron is gold. Even his recurring ex-wife, Tammy.

[Sudden]

Saw one episode on a flight from Hawaii back to L.A. It did wonders to somewhat alleviate the depression of leaving Hawaii.

[WTF]

Since Radley won an award, how about we celebrate with a Balko Nut Punch?

[ClubMedSux]

As I’ve pointed out before, Courthouse News Service (to which you link) appears to get their information entirely from the plaintiff’s complaint. As such, while the allegations might very well be true, I take anything a plaintiff’s attorney tells me with a grain of salt. It’s sort of like relying on a candidate’s campaign commercial to determine whether or not to vote for him/her.

[ClubMedSux]

That being said, Balko Nut Punch would be an AWESOME Ben & Jerry’s flavor. I can read the press release now:

“Radley’s beliefs are in accordance with those of Ben & Jerry’s – where two scoops of unchecked police power can help the less fortunate and truly be a servant to the community and its citizens.”

[NoVAHockey]

it would have to be something strong — like bourbon flavored.

[R C Dean]

With toasted pecans, of course.

[JW]

Don’t be silly. Neutical sprinkles.

[Duke Lacrosse Team]

Don’t be such a pussy.

[Mike M.]

I look at Ben and Jerry are proof of how great our country is. Where else on earth can you be as dumb as these guys are and still make boatloads of money?

[Rocket scientist]

What, you think Kim Jong-il is Brainiac?

[hmm]

I’d say Congress, but they may or may not be on earth.

[sam]

Bacon ice cream has been done to death as part of the Great Bacon Bubble of 2007-2011 (hopefully no longer, even David “Momofuku” Cho is porked-out by now). “Egg” ice cream would be absolutely vile, unless they just made normal ice cream but messed up the tempering on purpose. Even then, gross.

[ClubMedSux]

1. I can’t speak for anybody else, but my love of bacon is not a bubble.

2. “Egg” ice cream is AWESOME; it’s called frozen custard.

[Joshua Corning]

love of bacon is not a bubble.

Considering the effects it has on the human body it is pretty much a steady line downward…

But oooooh what a ride.

[Joshua Corning]

A graph has been produced to demonstrate this fact:

http://xkcd.com/418/

[PIRS]

But have you ever had egg custard ice cream? Deelish ….

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/449704

[pmains]

Or French Vanilla Ice Cream.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk (separated into 1 cup and 1/2 cup)
2 vanilla beans, halved lengthwise
8 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

[R C Dean]

That’s Freedom Vanilla Ice Cream in these parts, pilgrim.

[Pro Libertate]

I highly recommend Emeril’s Drunken Monkey ice cream, which I’ve eaten several times at one of his restaurants and which I finally made myself a few months ago. It’s a little long to post here, but I posted it at Urkobold a while back.

[R C Dean]

Maple-bacon ice cream is hard to beat, folks. I forget the recipe, it may have actually been a maple-bacon custard.

[Rock Action]

Swanson turkey burger captions at the link. (“Swanson turkey burger” has all sorts of food implications, one of them mightily unpleasant.)

When asked if he’d ever eaten a turkey burger on one episode, Ron responded, “Is that a fried turkey leg inside a grilled hamburger? If so, yes. Delicious.” Not only did Eater post a recipe for the dish, but actor Nick Offerman and Jimmy Fallon actually ate the creation on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.”

[AlmightyJB]

Hate their politics. Love their ice cream. Americone Dream is awesome. Bacon and eggs is probably my favorite meal. Not sure about that in an ice cream flavor though.

[NotRon]

In real life Nick Offerman is actually a small businessman (woodworker) with real employees and clients…and has much more facial hair. So maybe he does lean libertarian.

[Warty]

I often have that same reaction when I get steak in restaurants. Why is it so goddamn hard to serve >=24 oz steaks? You tiny skinny people ruin everything about the world.

[Graphite]

I’m with you Warty, and as a hard gainer it makes it especially fucking difficult to eat an appropriately sized meal at a reasonable price when I go out to eat.

Here’s another good Swanson bit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..re=related