Who Said It? Jim Halpert From 'The Office' Or April Ludgate From 'Parks And Rec'?
- by Kaci Lane Hindman
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Comedies are a dime a dozen, with something for every taste of humor. The Office and Parks and Recreation are a rare breed as they mix in candid interviews with the actors that mimic an actual documentary. Thanks to these shows, the mockumentary was born. Despite obvious differences, these comedies have a lot in common—including their audience.
Greg Daniels helped create both of these small-town satires for television. One show clearly focuses on people working in a local office branch for a paper supply company, while the other focuses on local government employees working for the parks and recreation department in their town. Yet, the style and pacing of the comedy and the diverse character personalities are strikingly similar between the two.
Any given situation from The Office could easily work on an episode of Parks and Rec and vice versa. That's what makes comparing trivia between the two shows so much fun. For instance, Jim Halpert and April Ludgate don't have that much in common on the surface but dig deeper down and they seem very similar. Both are sarcastic and love to prank their employees. They are also unenthusiastic about their jobs and totally infatuated with their significant others.
That's why only true fans of The Office and Parks and Rec will know which character said these lines.
"Well it is tempting but I am 100% leaning towards something else."
Both Jim and April are well-liked among their peers, regardless of whether they want to be. Especially with April, it seems like her main mission is to turn friends into enemies. That, coupled with the fact that they are at work for little more than a paycheck, is plenty of reason for each of these characters to not care about the opportunities presented by their coworkers. Needless to say, neither is the type to suck up to the boss in an effort to get ahead.
"They don't ever talk about careers that were MADE because of unplanned pregnancies."
This is an odd line to say, but it did come from a scripted mockumentary. No matter how much a person desires to one day be a parent, there is no denying that an unplanned pregnancy isn't ideal. And just as unpredictable as a pregnancy can be a career. While a lot of women take time off of work when they get pregnant, some feel the need to work even harder to support their growing family. Then again, the character who said this line could be referring to the father.
"I love games that turn people against each other."
As before mentioned, April loves to make enemies in the workplace . . . and everywhere else. Then, there's Jim. He's way friendlier than April in general but still loves to pit people against one another so that he can laugh about it when they go at it. That's especially true if one of those two people is Dwight. For some reason, Jim and April get more entertainment out of watching others compete than they do competing in a game themselves.
"Yeah, I'm trying to find a way to be annoyed at it, but I'm coming up empty."
When it comes to The Office, there are plenty of people who could easily annoy Jim. Michael and his constant distractions sure have a way of annoying Jim with as well as everyone else in the office. Then, there's Dwight who shares a desk with Jim. Of course, seeing Pam with Roy got under his skin for some time. Concerning Parks and Rec, April doesn't work with anyone in particular who bugs her on purpose, but everything and everyone still seems to bug her.
"I did have a chance to think about it, but then I thought about something else."
Employees on both of these shows seem to think that if they can win over Jim or April to their side then they have really accomplished something. It's not so much that these characters hold so much power in their places of business but rather that they don't care too much about anything going on at work. It's easy to imagine either Jim or April saying this line after a coworker came to him or her with an idea or invitation.
"Party planning is literally the stupidest thing I have ever done in my life."
Comedy always heightens real-life circumstances, and both of these shows do a good job at taking celebrations to the extreme. Michael Scott and Leslie Knope are all about finding a reason to have a party. This always divides the office between those who like to plan parties and have random celebrations and those who couldn't care less. Jim and April fit into the latter of those groups. Jim is just a little nicer than April about having to attend a party.
"So I am about to do something very bold at this job that I've never done before. Try."
April and Jim show very little enthusiasm for their jobs. That's why it was no surprise when both characters ended up working someplace other than the companies where they started. The only difference is in their attitudes. Jim seemed to be naturally good at his job with Dunder-Mifflin, which is why he rarely had to try. April simply didn't try at her job because she doesn't like to try at anything in life. Either one of them giving an extra effort is a surprise.
"I don't care about that prize, but I'm gonna win because I want his happiness to away."
April and Jim show very little enthusiasm about hanging out with anyone in their workplaces other than their significant others, of course. For some reason, Jim likes to pick on Dwight and do all he can to make him mad. April likes to make everyone mad, except for Andy and maybe Ron. She particularly likes to pick on Ann and Jerry. Whichever character said this line, we can only imagine his or her competitive side coming out for the sake of playing a prank.
"And for my next trick, I will make my career disappear."
Everyone reaches an age where he or she realizes that it's time to start caring about the future. For some, that only happens when they realize that they goofed around a little too long. Not caring at work can easily lead to a dead-end job with no options for career advancement. There's no doubt that both Jim and April had an epiphany like this at some point. Luckily, they both realized what they wanted to do before their shows ended.
"Time is money, money is power, power is pizza, and pizza is knowledge, let’s go!"
Time is money is a common statement for anyone to make, as it’s a common saying. Saying that money is power also makes sense, since money can often be used to persuade people to do things they normally wouldn't. Power and pizza aren't exactly on the same level, which is where this quote gets a little off the rails. And calling pizza knowledge makes no sense at all. Yet, we can totally imagine Jim or April holding pizza to such a high standard.
"It's Sunday night, I'm making phone calls to strangers, and you're in my house. My life couldn't be worse."
One thing that Jim and April don't do often is mix business with pleasure. Well, unless we consider the fact that they both met their spouses at work. Other than that, they tend to not hang out with coworkers outside of work. This statement implies that whoever said it was hanging out with coworkers during the off hours. Even worse, it also implies that the person was working. Aside from Andy Bernard or Leslie Knope, anyone would be aggravated by that.
"That's my favorite part of Christmas, the authority."
At first, this quote sounds like a statement that would come from someone with more power in the office like Michael or Ron. If not, then from someone who thinks he or she holds more power like Dwight or Leslie. But it was Jim or April who said it instead. Perhaps the power this person felt came from picking the perfect Dirty Santa gift or from playing the role of Santa. We can imagine Jim as Santa, but April is much more fit to play the Grinch.
"Okay, so far, our ideal party consists of touch football, mating, charades, and yes, horse hunting."
This sounds like quite the party so far, and it makes us glad that Jim and April don't typically plan office events. Aside from cupcakes, football and charades, things went a little off the rails. For instance, mating is only considered a party activity at Woodstock. Finally, there's horse hunting. A party like this would never pass the approval of Angela or Leslie.
"I just fell backwards into your world, a couple years went by, and now here I am."
This quote could mean a lot of things, all depending on who said it and whom they said it about. It could be Jim speaking to Michael about working at the paper company or to Pam about their relationship and meeting her at the office. Another possibility is April speaking to either Ron or Leslie about how she started working for the Parks and Recreation department. Then again, she could be talking to Andy about how the two of them met at work.
"Is there something about being a manager that makes you say stupid things?"
Wow, that's a little harsh. Maybe the person who said this said it to the camera and not to the person's face. Of course, that would depend on who said it. April is more likely than Jim to say something so rude to a superior's face. Still, we could imagine either character saying it, as they both shake their heads at some of the plans coming from Michael and Leslie. Funny enough, neither of them wants to be in charge.
"Wow, thanks for taking all the excuses, dude."
The Office and Parks and Recreation are filled with characters who love to make excuses and procrastinate on all of their work. There are some like Dwight and Leslie who are always up to working on whatever, whenever, but that is far from the norm on these shows. April and Jim are more of the type who lie low and try to get passed over for special projects. They both seem ready with an excuse at any time too, in case someone notices them.
"Why don't I wanna go? Um. I don't know any of these people. It's an obligation. And, did I use the word pointless?"
Many of us out in the real world share April and Jim's disdain for work functions outside of work. Sure, there are always those select few who like going to work parties and brownnosing the boss. But for the most part, people like to keep work at work and not attend meetings or socials after hours. Whoever said this quote made mention that it was an obligation, which makes even more sense why it should be dreaded. Of course, the main excuse is that it is pointless.
"You should up your therapy to seven times a week, fix that outfit, and give me your wallet."
Whoever said this had some constructive criticism for his or her coworker that wasn't all that constructive, or at least not that motivational. These are some harsh statements to tell someone when trying to help him or her along with personal development. Yet, Jim or April chose to go there. Even more intriguing than which character said this quote is finding out the coworker to whom he or she said it. What we wouldn't give to know that coworker's response.
"If you have a secret, you have to tell me. That’s the whole point of marriage! You get twice the secrets!"
So, this obviously is directed toward either Andy or Pam, depending on if April or Jim said it. Any fan of both shows knows that both of these couples have very funny relationships where they can easily joke around with one another. They like sharing secrets about their coworkers with one another, even before they became couples. Being married is all the more reason to share the biggest and best secrets of all. That is one of the perks of marriage, right?
"Oh today, we saw a junkyard dog attacking the bones of a rotisserie chicken."
This scenario sounds a little too sketchy. Who knows if it was told to another person or to the camera. Either way, it sounds like this was the highlight of the person's day. We can't help but wonder where this incident occurred. If in Scranton, then it may have happened near the warehouse or on Dwight's farm. If it happened in Pawnee, then there's a good chance the dog showed up at the pit or on one of Ron's camping excursions.
"I want to not do to things like you taught me."
Again, this is another demeaning statement made to a superior or perhaps a co-worker who means well. The way it is worded lets us know that it was told directly to the person and not to the camera. That had to hurt. April could have said something like this to anybody, whereas Jim would have likely said it to Dwight or maybe Michael. Either way, it has to make someone feel bad to know that he or she is the "what not to do" example.
"Are you busy? And writing Star Trek fan fiction doesn't count."
The first part of this quote is a valid question for anyone to ask someone on multiple occasions. It could be directed toward a co-worker at the office or toward a spouse at home. The comedy comes in the second part, where the one speaking assumes the other person might be writing Star Trek fan fiction. Then again, Michael Scott has been known for writing screenplays at work, and Tom is always busy working up some kind of new business idea.
"Right now this is just a job. If I advance any higher in this company, this would be my career. And, uh, if this were my career, I'd have to throw myself in front of a train."
That's a sad statement to make. Even sadder is that many of us have felt this way about a job at some point in our lives. There's nothing worse than feeling stuck in an unwanted position. Perhaps even worse than getting stuck working the same exact job is getting stuck working at a company or in a field not of one's choosing. Once a promotion and raise have come along, it only complicates things by making it harder to walk away from something that isn't fulfilling.
"Ever since I was a little kid, like eight or nine, I could sort of control things with my mind."
April loves to try and control people. She is constantly trying to convince others that she has some sort of magical powers or that she is a witch. Needless to say, this sounds like something she would say. On the flip side of that, it sounds like a statement Jim might make to someone like Dwight in order to pull a prank. He might also say it to Michael during one of the times Michael tries to perform a magic trick.
"All right. Well, I'm not asking for a raise. I'm going to actually be asking for a pay decrease."
Most everyone dreads work evaluations. Even the most dedicated and hardworking employees tend to not like getting sized up by their superiors. Of course, the Leslies and Angelas of the workplace welcome such constructive criticism, but people like April and Jim see evaluations as just one more thing that has to be endured. Asking for a pay decrease is either someone's weird way of using reverse phycology or an odd way of letting the boss know his or her job doesn't matter.
"But in the end? Bringing a child into this world? That's disgusting!"
We're going to assume that the character who said this was referring to someone else. Even as much as April doesn't care for kids, she seems to think that she and Andy are awesome. So, she would probably be saying this about someone like Ann. If Jim said it, then he would likely have said it about someone like Jan or Angela. After all, neither of these women seem to be the patient and caring type who could relate to an infant.
"I think this is the smallest amount of power I've ever seen go to somebody's head."
We've all heard the saying that some people prefer to be a big fish in a small pond. The only problem is that some ponds are so small, the fish doesn't have to be that big at all. That's the reason why people in small town government or who manage small branches of larger companies seem to think they are all powerful. They might fool a lot of people into thinking they have the final say on everything, but not those like April and Jim.
"I moved our meetings to tomorrow because you are intoxicated, and hangover, simultaneously, at 2 in the afternoon."
OK, this statement could be directed toward virtually any character on either of these shows. Nobody on Parks and Rec seems to have a drinking problem, but nobody on the show is also above letting hard times get him or her down. As for The Office, we could totally see someone like Meredith or Ryan coming to work hungover. Still, the question remains as to whether Jim or April said this about a coworker.
"I think we can agree that all adult grape juice tastes the same and if you spend any more than 5 dollars on adult grape juice, you are very stupid!"
Speaking of drinking, we all know that Jim is more of a lager guy, as are most men. April doesn't really seem like the type to sit around and sip adult grape juice, either. She is more likely to share a jug of something harsher with Ron than a bottle of adult grape juice with Leslie and Ann. Both Jim and April are pretty cheap with their money too, especially when it comes to delicacies like adult grape juice.
"Well that's great. You're talking about your court ordered community service?"
Community service is something great to do. That is, unless it comes under a court mandate due to some sort of criminal behavior. If Jim said this line, then it is likely he is referring to someone who had a misdemeanor or someone trying to right a wrong for something stupid he or she did. Anyone remember Scott's Tots? If April said it, she was probably being sarcastic about the time she had to help Leslie work with the trash collectors of Pawnee.
"Okay, as far as dinner tonight, cancel that. And please, for both of our sakes, never, ever, ever see her again."
This quote had to be in reference to a friend of the person who said it dating someone he or she didn't like. Maybe it was the time that Michael started dating Pam's mom or one of the many times he decided to try and make it work with Jan. Then again, it could be when Chris dated Ann since April didn't like Ann for a long time. Another possibility would be one of the times Ron went back to one of his ex Tammies.
"I only tell the truth when it makes me sound like I'm lying."
Why would anyone want to lie when it wasn't necessary to do so? Some of the reasons would include wanting to trick others or because a lie can sometimes sound better than the truth. Another reason would be because he or she wants to keep certain personal details private from nosy coworkers. Regardless of the reason, this person thinks it's best to just lie. So much so, that he or she would rather people think the truth is a lie also.
"If you do everything I hate for a month, then I might begin to think about the possibility of thinking about maybe staying."
This is a strange request for someone. Who would want to stay somewhere that someone does everything they hate? Better yet, was the person who said this talking to a coworker or a significant other? There's a good chance that this statement was made out of pure sarcasm. If only we could see how the other person responded, it might begin to make sense. Jim and April both eventually left their jobs, so there's a good chance this was directed at a coworker.
"I don't mean to brag, but New Year's Eve...I was home by nine."
Some people love hanging out until the New Year, but not everyone is such a socialite. For those who like to stay home and chill, nothing is worse than being forced to stay up late just because the calendar is turning over a new year. After all, the New Year will come whether that person is awake or asleep. We could easily see Jim and Pam calling it a night early or April and Andy simply refusing to go out anywhere in the first place.
"Except no one dresses up like a janitor."
This statement was given an answer given to a coworker when discussing the similarities and differences between nurses and janitors. Why nurses and janitors? Who knows? Perhaps this episode centered around Halloween and how people like to dress like a nurse for the occasion but never like a janitor. It could have been when Angela changed into a nurse costume to try and win a contest, or any random day when April was trying to discount Ann's occupation as a nurse.