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The Voice-of-Reason Office Sweetheart: Pam Beesly-Halpert vs. Ann Perkins
Per usual, let’s start with the basics that make these fictional people who live in different universes fall under the same specific archetype. Both of these deceivingly pretty ladies boast with simplicity and common sense that is beautiful in a workplace full of oft-incompatible personalities.
On a less complimentary note, something else that links Office Pam and Parks Ann is the fact that both enter the series attached in relationships to husky, unambitious boyfriends who hold back their life from moving forward. It doesn’t take long for both of these broads’ relationships to spiral downward: Ann dumps Andy at the end of Season One after realizing he’s a worthless deadbeat, while Pam calls off an elongated engagement to warehouse worker Roy after Jim makes out with her in an empty Dunder Mifflin office.
Yes, Pam and Ann both begin simply as cute – yet highly imperfect – people. After their heroic growth past their initial significant others, they rediscover themselves as fun, fully functioning independent adults. Consequently, both of these beauts step up their dating game to their workplace’s respective Subtle Office Alpha Male, placing their lives on the paths to a hip track to thirty-something happily-ever-after.
…except for the fact that Ann dumps Mark for no good reason, prompting him to leave the show literally forever. From there, she goes on to have an identity crisis that puts her on the verge of promiscuity, which she then becomes insecure about to the point she doesn’t know how to flirt at a bar, all to ultimately end up with using a hot male coworker for his valuable sperm – all things which are essentially ruining her case in this important head-to-head contest.
Pam, on the other hand, grows into an even more cheery, so-stinkin’-cute version of her previously modest self, upping her game in the wardrobe and hair departments in the process. Her consistently wonderful sense of humor and fierce indifference for her nine-to-fives make her the ultimate office dream girl. Even with Rashida Jones’ never-gets-old exotic good looks, it’s near-impossible to triumph the better half of “PB and J” in this one.
Yeah, I’m crushin’ big time – just like I was when I fell in love with an older woman for the first time when I was 13. Deal with it.
Five dollars to the first dude who can watch this without at least grinning.
Point: Pam Beesly-Halpert, The Office
Respond
It’s a weird concept, but I think P&R has the better cast of characters but somehow The Office was the better complete show.
Completely agree here. Putting characters side-by-side like this was a great idea for an article btw. Love both shows, but Office is my favorite. Pam got worse for me near the end, but the ending of the show redeemed a lot for me.
I don’t know, I think the greatness of the Office is that everybody works with the same characters from the show. They nailed the personalities so well, everyone knows the Angela at their office, the Kelly, the Dwight. And every guy thinks they are Jim.
I literally could not agree more with you more, teammate. Not a weird concept at all.
Thanks. I think we can all agree Rashida Jones is a major pool honey.
You can’t compare Dwight with Ron. I love Ron dearly, but Dwight Schrute is the ultimate character. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
I thought the same thing – Both of those two are in a league of their own.
At very least, they should have been a wash. Dwight K is a fuggin boss. Well, an assistant to a fuggin boss anyways.
“Assistant fuggin boss”
Assistant to the fuggin boss
The Christ Pratt bloopers should be NSFW, just got caught watching them from laughing way too loud.
I have a man-crush on Chris Pratt. There I said it.
You’re not alone
Michael, Jim, Pam, and Deight can only be rivaled by Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer.
Dwight*. I could hear my boss’s footsteps towards my cube and didn’t have time to proof read.
Personally I thought parks and rec got kind of repetitive in episodes. There was no real character development, and all Aziz Ansari did was annoy the hell out of me. Overall, it was a good show, but I think The Office wins this battle. The Office had character development, it was always coming up with new ways for each character to play a funny role in the show, and no two episodes were really the same as far as humor.
Where’s Creed at?
… Orin?
No way 3:58 is funnier than the “comeback story” clip, or the responses to his ice cream cone take.
Had to pick between going to bed at a decent time last night or watching the Season 5 finale of Parks and Rec…guess who’s tired today.
Give me your keys.
Evan you haven’t even graduated yet. Fuck outta here.
Guilty.