Beauty Pageant (Parks and Recreation)

"Beauty Pageant"
Parks and Recreation episode
Tom and Leslie disagree on judging criteria during the Miss Pawnee beauty content
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 3
Directed by	Jason Woliner
Written by	Katie Dippold
Original air date	October 1, 2009
Guest appearance(s)
Louis C.K. as Dave Sanderson April Marie Eden as Trish Ianetta Anne Elizabeth Gregory as Susan Worth Howe as Charles Frank Medrano as Ray Jim Meskimen as Martin Housely Jim O'Heir as Jerry Gergich Retta as Donna Meagle Susan Yeagley as Jessica Wicks
Episode chronology
← Previous "The Stakeout" Next → "Practice Date"
List of season 2 episodes List of Parks and Recreation episodes

"Beauty Pageant" is the third episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the ninth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 1, 2009. In the episode, Leslie serves as a judge in the Miss Pawnee beauty pageant and becomes determined to prevent an attractive, but talentless and unintelligent, contestant from winning.

The episode was written by Katie Dippold and directed by Jason Woliner. It featured stand-up comedian Louis C.K. in his second guest appearance as Dave Sanderson, a Pawnee police officer who develops a romantic interest in Leslie. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by 4.63 million households, a slight improvement over the previous week. "Beauty Pageant" received generally positive reviews, with several commentators claiming the season continued a trend of funnier episodes than in the first season.

It is the only episode of the series in which Nick Offerman does not appear as Ron Swanson.

At the beginning of the episode, Leslie (Amy Poehler) proudly announces to the parks and recreation staff that she will be judging the Miss Pawnee beauty pageant, a job she takes very seriously. Tom (Aziz Ansari), excited at the prospective of judging women on the basis of their looks, pulls some strings to get a spot on the judging panel along with Leslie. April (Aubrey Plaza) enters the contest in order to win the $600 prize, despite being disgusted with the concept of a beauty contest. She tries, unsuccessfully, to gain an advantage by sucking up to Leslie. Later, Pawnee police officer Dave Sanderson (Louis C.K.) visits Leslie at work to ask her out on a date. She initially accepts, but when Dave mistakes a photo of Madeleine Albright for Leslie's grandmother, Leslie becomes reluctant.