The Office’s Rashida Jones talked to a few radio stations yesterday:
Phoenix’s 104.7 KISS FM talks to Rashida about American Idol, auditioning for The Office, and Oprah.
LA’s 106.7 KROQ’s Kevin and Bean Show talks to Rashida about fan reaction to Karen, and her new TV show, The Rules of Starting Over. (It’s about 40% into the clip.)
By the way, if you missed Rashida’s appearance on Letterman Thursday night, here it is.
Tipsters: CrazyGringa, Damian
Yes, I’m a tipster! What an honor! I liked the interview despite the fact that they said they liked Karen with Jim instead of our Pammy.
CrazyGringa……
dont call her Pammy…lol
I still contend (and no disrespect intended) that anyone who prefers Karen over Pam is reacting to their love of Rashida Jones, NOT Karen. Kevin and Bean were falling all over her ‘hotness’…they aren’t looking at character or storyline when they say they like Karen/Jim. They’re thinking “Rashida’s hot, go Karen”.
I really want to know what the teeny spoiler is…but don’t want to listen to the whole thing! What’s a girl to do?
melb…it isnt teeny, trust me
it’s not much of a spoiler, more like the opportunity for us to analyze her voice and inflection as she talks about not leaving.
I like Karen and Jim but not because of Rashida. I don’t know anything about Rashida; I suppose I’m rather indifferent towards her separate from her character. I think Karen is a good match, but Jim is too far gone when it comes to Pam, though. It’ll be Jim/Pam in the end, but I like Jim/Karen together.
didn’t know if they should ask about 2Pac..hilarious
im guessing by the second one that shes going to be on the office for longer than we expected… but if so she still hasnt become a permanent cast member like ed helms…
I agree – I don’t think Rashida Jones is all that, but it would appear that people like Karen because they like her.
Karen is not the right person for Jim – she’s too clingy, doesn’t “get” his jokes, and if we can make an assumption about what happened the night at Stamford that she drove him home after he got drunk, that she schemed him into a relationship. I don’t mind if she sticks around, and it wouldn’t be the worst thing if she even stayed with Jim (certainly the best TV relationships were still interesting even when the star-crossed lovers had another person standing in the way), but don’t tel me she is “right” for Jim, because she’s not. She’s not “Ms Right”, she’s “Ms Right Now”.
You Karen-haters crack me up no end…haha!
Pam is a mess, Karen is not. Is Karen playing Jim by having someone from her past still in the picture?…no.
Pam wasn’t “playing” Jim by getting back with Roy. She was just lonely.
hey, for some reason my computer won’t play the second radio clips. What does she say that makes you think she won’t be leaving? Oh, and what happened to “watch with Kristen” who said that Karen’s over but roy’s still around. It actually looks like it is the other way around.
i love how the hosts of the first link can quote the office perfectly.
“Jennifer Garner portrayed one on Alias”
ah perfect.
I love how people can’t understand that people would actually like Karen and support her geniunely. Hell, I just got my “Team Karen” tshirt in the mail for winning OT’s contest!
Pam’s great, but she hasn’t won me any free stuff. True story.
i think that if you are a real addict (*sigh*) then you would understand that jim is really head over heels for pam whether he wants to be or not. he obviously tried to date other girls.. when it comes down to it.. it’s not about karen being awesome or bad.. or pam being awesome or bad.. it’s about the fact he’s still in love with pam. i think the rushing in of karen left a bad taste in many people’s mouths. and they are so used to the old – i can’t have what i want pam- that they just want pam and jim to happen so badly. in the end.. if pam ended up with jim.. he would be with someone who gets him.. and pam would finally find that someone to help her get over herself. it seems to be a right match to me.
RixChick–the idea that she won’t be leaving basically comes from when she outright says, “I won’t be leaving the office!”
I don’t think that whichever couple you “ship” dictates whether or not you are a devoted fan of the show.
I love Pam — I think she’s great, and I think she and Jim are going to end up together because they love each other in a fairytale sort of way — but I don’t understand why so many people object to Karen for suddenly “rushing” into a relationship with Jim. What’s wrong with being a go-getter? What’s wrong with initiating a relationship with a guy you like after working together for 4-5 months? So she doesn’t hide things in vending machines, or stick cell phones in ceilings, but I think she gets Jim’s sense of humor just fine.
Jim: “Oh, we’re just looking for these chips for Karen.”
Andy: “Did you check the vending machine?”
Karen: “Ohh, the vending machines! How did we miss that?”
Jim: “I have no idea. We went right for the copier.”
-Watch “The Initiation”, at point 12:50-
Jim: “I’m messing with Andy. I’m sending him to all the women in the office with just terrible information on how to get them to go out with him.”
Karen: “I love it, I want in. Who’s the target?”
-Watch “Business School”-
-Watch “Cocktails”-
Maybe Jim is a little closed off to her, yes, because he’s in love with Pam, and of course people hate her since the “Business School” deleted scene came out, but if the person you were crazy about suddenly spilled it to you that they had feelings for someone else that they spent all day in close proximity with (and let’s face it, Pam had been a little flirty before getting back with Roy), wouldn’t you feel threatened to? Wouldn’t the insecurity trigger something in your brain that made you feel compelled to sabotage your competition? I’ve done it; I’m not ashamed. It’s human nature. Deal with it.
So yes, Karen isn’t who Jim is ultimately going to end up with, but I don’t like how people justify their hate for Karen simply with, “How could anybody like Karen?!”
When Rashida says she isn’t leaving “the office”, couldn’t she just mean not leaving before the season is over? (this is based off reading the comments not actually listening to the clips).
regarding Pam v. Karen: we “know” Pam, she’s been around a lot longer. Karen’s still the new kid. As for who Jim should end up with- as lame as it sounds, I just want him to be happy. So the only team i’m on is TEAM HALPERT. why isn’t anyone making shirts for that?
haha, meghan i’m with you. karen and jim always end up being the bad guys here.
I think we know Karen is “better” for Jim as she comes with no issues (and is pretty much perfect all around).
But whether Jim *really* feels for her the way he does Pam is another story. And a functional great-on-paper relationship like Jim and Karen isn’t as romantic or deep-seated as the tragic Jim/Pam attraction obviously because of those feelings.
So as a Team Karener, that’s my take on it. I def don’t think Jim should be with Karen if he’s not totally feeling her…but emotionally Karen is totally together while Pam is not. I would prefer Karen as a gf than Pam! ;) Hence my allegiance…
Also I hope Rashida’s sitcom is somewhat watchable…can it be as good as The Office? Already I’m thinking no. I hope there isn’t any canned laughter.
Kayla, I so appreciated your comment specifically pointing out how Karen DOES get Jim’s sense of humor. Personally, I’m a huuuuuge JAM shipper. I love them together… this season I’ve really missed seeing them together… and I can’t wait to see them finally and offically get together as a couple. But that doesn’t change that Karen is pretty cool. She’s nice, fun, pretty, and totally shares the same type of humor as Jim and Pam. I still think Jim is in love with Pam and that they ultimately belong together, but just because seeing them apart is hard doesn’t mean we can just make up traits we wish we saw in Karen (like lacking a sense of humor or a desire on her part to trick Jim or something crazy like that). Alluding to Karen as that cliched, easy to hate “other woman” found in so many sitcoms really just does a disservice to the great writing and acting on The Office. But please don’t anyone take my comments as harsh. I definitely know that seeing Jim with someone other than Pam (or vice versa) is an incredibly hard thing to bear, and sometimes griping via a comment board can be cathartic.
My sense is that the “she’s leaving” “she’s not leaving” is manipulation on the part of the production company. The character has generated a lot of tension & thus viewership and it’s in the production company’s interest to maintain that tension. Therefore I take what the actress may say at this point, after it was officially annnounced that she would be leaving, with a grain of salt – a kind of damage control.
That said, and again, I may be voicing an unpopular opinion, but this is quite a fine ensemble cast, and unfortunately this actress adds nothing of substance to it: her acting is shallow & amateurish; she has no emotional range or depth; & she could use some good elocution lessons. Why was she cast in this role? We read somewhere that JK “lobbied hard” to have her cast – you have to wonder what other, more talented actresses who weren’t necessarily close friends of the male lead, would do with that role.
The characterization, at least as portrayed by her, is maddeningly boring, and it detracts deeply from the cast as a whole. That in itself has nothing to do with what sort of allegiance you may claim to which character or how you would prefer the narrative to play out & reach a resolution.
The counterpart on the UK “Office, Rachel (no relation!), projected a lot of charm , emotional range, warmth and personality, exactly what this actress fails to portray.
karen and rachel are two completely different characters, even though they fit the same role in the whole story. karen may just not be that bubbly.
also, i’ve jsut been thinking about how rachel wasn’t paid that much attention to. so it was easier to let her go without some big dramatic scenario that the writers will probably have to come up with for the karen and jim break up, because we’ve seen so much more of karen’s character.
While I’m not a fan of Jim with Karen I wouldn’t agree with that attack on Rashida Jones’ acting abilities. As for her lack of depth, how much have the writer’s provided her with?
Rachel, I don’t know why you feel the need to call Rashida’s acting into question. It’s totally out of left field. And elocution lessons? Please. Whether you mean she needs to work on her speech in the show or in interviews, I could not disagree more. In interviews she comes off as completely relaxed and likeable, and on the show I think she fits in seemlessly with the ensemble cast.
In short, I agree with you that your opinion is unpopular. I just also happen to think it’s wrong.
Rachel, personally I disagree with your opinion of Rashida, but I definitely respect that your problem with Karen is the actress chosen. My main qualm with the “Karen haters” is justification (or lack thereof as far as I’m concerned). Most of the comments against Karen seem to be embellishments that play into the fantasy of an episode that starts with Jim turning to Karen saying “Oh my gosh, you’ve tricked me into dating you when I truly belong with Pam!” followed by Jim and Pam simultaneously high kicking Karen back to Stamford and then spending the rest of the episode making out. It’s nice to hear someone’s dislike for Karen be based on more solid reasons (even if i disagree ;).
I have a sinking feeling Karen won’t be riding off into the sunset at the end of this season – not because of anything she said in the interviews (obviously she’s not going to throw out that she’s been cast in a new show) but more because that show is only a pilot. So if it doesn’t get picked up, I guess she’s staying in Scranton.
Now I’ve just depressed myself.
How did a topic about Rashida Jones revert back to JAM and Karen talk? Also, those who don’t like the character Karen, should really separate her from Rashida – THEY AREN’T THE SAME!
Jackson (#30)
I’m in total agreement here.
i think that if rashida’s pilot was to be picked up and she had to chose between the office and that show…..she would more than like stay with the office if offered a perm. job. you can tell that she loves her job a lot to give it up for some mediocre sitcom.
Jackson…..when i read all those comments earlier, i was thinking the same thing. I’m just glad some one said something. some times i think alot of people forget that its a tv show not real life……….a mockumentary, not a documentary.
I’m just trying to figure out why Rashida is all over the place this week? Two radio interviews, Letterman, and she showed up on SNL for gawds sake!
And it wasn’t even the day before an episode, it was the day after. What gives?
I agree with rachel about Rashida’s acting in this show. I find it flat and substandard.I also wonder how much of it is a writer’s device to showcase the contrast between Pam and Karen.
While I am not rooting for Karen and Jim’s relationship I think we need to remember that there might be a very good reason that Rashida seems somewhat stiff or stilted in this role. I have a feeling that this has been quite calculated by the writers and Rashida may be brilliantly pulling off a subtle flaw in Karen’s personality. Even her little playing around with Jim this past week regarding her dating came off a bit flat – it was an attempt at the kind of kidding Jim does all the time, a sort of desperate attempt to keep him interested in her I thought. But I think that flatness speaks to the lack of spark Karen has and I think they need her to come off like that in order for Jim to ever make the break and head back to Pam. So that even though Pam seems like she should be the more bland of the two (based on her position in the company and personal sense of style, etc.), she’s really the more dynamic. Just my 2 cents.
33 | Buy me a coke
Rashida was probably in NYC for something and they got some appearances out of the way while she was there. If the show is on hiatus for a while, she’s got plenty of free time. Hopefully, that also translates into free time (interviews and appearances) for the rest of the cast as well.
Damian (32)
I think if the pilot got picked up and she had to choose, she would probably choose the new show. On the office, she isn’t the star. It’s an ensemble show with a office romance that pits her against the audience’s favorite character (for the majority). On a regular sitcom, where she is one of the main attractions, she has a much better chance of hitting a bigger degree of fame. So as much as she loves the office, I think she would choose what most actors would, the chance to be the star…
Have they filmed the April shows yet? I’m just wondering since Rashida wasn’t made a permanent cast member if she may be gone by the next episode, since the show is supposed to be real time.
First April episode I think it’s possible Jim and Pam are both single, Karen is gone, and Andy is back…
no, we would have to see the breakup of Jim and Karen, right? Things are going to well for them (on the surface). I was actually hoping for them to break up and Karen work there for a little while. It would be a chance to show what happens when you break up with someone from work. Especially if they broke up with karen knowing that Jim still liked Pam, how an aggressive person like Karen would act in that situation. Anyway, I am rambling but bottom line is I really think we will see the break up. Also, just because she said she wasn’t leaving doesn’t mean a thing. The producers love to screw with the fans a little, keep them from knowing what is really gonna happen.
Check out Rashida Jones w/ her dad at the Oscars!
I agree with #30. Rashida can act. She seems like a really cool person. Karen can’t pull a prank to save her life. And aside from Benihana Christmas, I don’t like Karen. Rashida is Steve Carell good when it comes to playing such a flawed “entertainer” or pranking buddy so well.
I hope that made sense.
Anyone that has seen her on Boston Public knows that she in fact can act. I am sure that the idea of making her boring is to make the audience find something that they do not like about her. That way we can all sit here and say “blah blah… Jim should be with Pam” I mean Phyllis is boring and no one complains about that. But that is what is endearing about Phyllis. They are just trying to show us that Karen is not “perfect”
Pan, I think you’re exactly right. Can’t let Rashida make Karen *too* charming. ;)
i admit it, i love rashida, even though i should be crazy jealous of her, you can’t help but love the girl. however, i hate karen, and i’m sad she’s not leaving. but yay for rashida!
If I may respectfully add my opinion… I root for Karen because I don’t think that Pam deserves Jim. I see Pam as insensitive (to both Toby and Roy. What was she thinking??) and even though Jim and her have undeniable chemistry, I want his character to wind up with someone who really 100% wants to be with him and isn’t going to take his love for granted. In other words, not Pam.
Also, I bet it takes even more acting skill to make Karen stiff and awkward for Rashida Jones, seeing as her and John Krasinski used to date in real life.
re:Bella
I don’t think Pam even realizes that Toby is interested, she certainly isn’t leading him on. Being insensitive to Roy? He’s insensitivity personified. I don’t disagree that Pam has hurt people but it’s been because she hasn’t been honest with herself. She doesn’t think she’s worthy of anything great in her life. If she ever takes the chance and finally tells Jim about her feelings, I don’t think she’d take him for granted for a second.
Back to the original topic of Rashida- I do think she does play Karen well which is why I don’t like Karen. I do wonder why there has been the “she’s leaving/she’s staying” miscommunication. I think we’re being toyed with on that one.