Ron Swanson’s, er, Nick Offerman’s 10 Secrets to Life

Where does Nick Offerman end and Ron Swanson begin?

To be fair, Offerman isn’t the first comedian to portray a fictitious and yet slightly realistic version of himself on television. Just think back to the previous comedy boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s, when several stand-up comedians earned their own hit network sitcoms based on their onstage personas (see: Tim Allen, Roseanne Barr, and especially Jerry Seinfeld, who played stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld on that show called Seinfeld).

But Offerman’s Ron Swanson character on NBC’s Parks and Recreation is a very specific type of manly man who doesn’t enjoy office work but takes great pride in the hard work and love of the outdoors.

Which isn’t all that different from how Offerman recently departed his Twitter account in March, writing:

And he really is at one with nature. Watch as Offerman offered a tour of his California woodworking workshop last fall.

Since the series wrapped production on season four this spring, Offerman has hit the road on a comedy tour, and Uproxx recently caught up with him at Tulane University, where he shared his 10 Secrets of Life. They are:

  1. Engage in romantic love.
  2. Say please and thank you.
  3. Carry a handkerchief.
  4. Eat red meat.
  5. Get a hobby.
  6. Go outside. Remain.
  7. Avoid the mirror.
  8. Maintain a relationship with Jesus Christ…if it’s getting you sex.
  9. Use intoxicants
  10. Paddle your own canoe.

Sounds pretty useful, right? To find out how Offerman elaborates on these life secrets, read the post on Uproxx.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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