Bo Burnham’s Parks & Recreation Role, Explained

Bo Burnham’s hilarious guest role in Parks and Recreation didn’t just make use of his comedic talents; it also made use of his musical abilities.

Bo Burnham had an unforgettable guest role in Parks and Recreation. Despite only appearing in one episode, Burnham left a big impression on the show’s viewers with a delightfully absurd addition to the Pawnee ensemble. The character didn’t just make use of Burnham’s comedic talents; it also showcased his musical ability. He can be seen in the season 6 episode “Flu Season 2,” which became an integral part of Parks and Recreation’s ongoing story arc because it was the episode in which Leslie found out she was pregnant.

One of the earliest YouTube stars, Burnham became known for videos of funny songs. He eventually brought those songs to the stages of theaters and comedy clubs and recorded albums and standup specials that brought him to an even wider audience. Burnham has since expanded his reach into other media. He published a book of poetry entitled Egghead: Or, You Can’t Survive on Ideas Alone and made his feature film directorial debut with the universally acclaimed coming-of-age dramedy Eighth Grade. He’s also taken on a few acting gigs, including a hilarious guest spot on Parks and Recreation.

RELATED: The Parks & Rec Character Arnold Schwarzenegger Almost Played

Bo Burnham Played Chipp McCapp

Bo Burnham guest-starred in the Parks and Recreation season 6 episode “Flu Season 2” in the role of Chipp McCapp, a 17-year-old country singer with a huge fan base in Indiana. Leslie booked Chipp as the headlining act at the Unity Concert and had to drive over to his studio with Andy to convince him not to pull out of the show. The concert was intended to bring the citizens of Pawnee and Eagleton together following the unpopular town merger, and inviting a music star beloved in both towns was a big part of that plan. Chipp isn’t just a parody of country musicians; he also lampoons arrogant young celebrities.

When Leslie and Andy arrive at Chipp’s studio, they find that he’s a spoiled brat who bullies his production team and treats his dad, who catered to his every whim, like dirt. Chipp’s unlikable personality ends up costing him the gig of performing alongside Andy’s band, Mouse Rat. After seeing the way Chipp treats people, Leslie fires him from the Unity Concert and decides to reunite the classic Pawnee rock band Land Ho! to headline the show instead. Burnham drew on his own satirically abrasive stage persona to lean into Chipp’s repugnance. The difference between Chipp and Burnham is that Chipp’s abrasiveness isn’t just confined to the stage.

Chipp’s Song Is Just Like Burnham’s Real Music

The satire of Chipp McCapp’s character is very similar to Bo Burnham’s own style of musical comedy. Chipp’s in-universe hit song “Beautiful Like My Mom (Support the Troops)” is a spot-on spoof of the subject matter commonly tackled by country songs, like celebrating strong mothers and praising the U.S. military. In his own albums and comedy specials (including Netflix’s highly acclaimed Bo Burnham: Inside), Burnham spoofs the styles and subjects covered in various music genres: “Repeat Stuff” parodies love songs; “Oh Bo” satirizes the “misogyny, gay panic, and fiscal irresponsibility” glorified in modern hip-hop; “Welcome to the Internet” has the sound of a Disney villain’s crowning musical number.

Burnham performed his own spoof of country music, “Pandering,” in his Netflix special Make Happy. This ironic country song takes the satire one step further than Chipp’s track from Parks and Recreation. “Pandering” pokes fun at millionaire musicians using buzzwords to relate to blue-collar audiences they have nothing in common with: “I walk and talk like a field hand / But the boots I’m wearing cost three grand.” Both Chipp and Burnham’s songs ridicule the use of hackneyed clichés in country music, but Burnham also points out the commercialization of what was once an honest genre: “a Bud Light with the logo facing out.”

MORE: How Bo Burnham’s Inside Connects To Make Happy’s Ending