That's not why he's an asshole. I don't find his slacker, practical joker thing funny or cute at all. The worst part is that he doesn't realize he's no better than any of the other idiots he works with.

The 2 best lines were Andy's "flicking a bug off my weiner" and "it's monogamy for my hog and me"

very funny ep

I never saw him as a slacker per se since he does seem to make sales but the practical jokes on Dwight does go too far (even if Dwight does bring some of it on).

I remember one ep where he's being interviewed and they do flash cuts of prank after prank he's pulled on Dwight. By the end even he, awkwardly admits, that these aren't "as funny" described back to back to back.

Yep. Jim's been working there now, what 8 years, at least?

And on some level that's sad, considering that Jim said that he didn't see himself staying at Dunder-Mifflin for so long. Then Michael said that he had said the same thing but was there for like 15 years, and Jim looked depressed.

I totally get that this is a show and the character will be there as long as the actor is contracted for, but I don't get why anyone in that office would like Jim. He's just obnoxious.

I think i'd be best friends with him. Given that this jokes are pretty much only directed towards the guy that deserves it, I don't really see what else he does that is so obnoxious.

Yeah, I don't get it either. Jim seems like only normal one in that office.

I don't think Jim drank, he set his (sealed) wine bottle down just as R.C. jumped in the pool. I think the car running over the brush was more about him get getting the heck outta there quickly since he was already staying too long.

I'd say Ryan was normal at the beginning, but slowly turned into a douche, especially after getting promoted. Andy is relatively normal now (although with some self-esteem issues) compared to when he first joined the series. Daryl too.

But yeah I would hang out with Jim provided he didn't try to leave my party early! Him, Daryl and Andy.

Yeah, but I don't think he'd be best friends with either of you.

I don't mean that last statement as a insult to Dragon Tattoo or fumanstan, but sometimes Jim acts like he's above them all. I really think the comments by madcougar, bluetooth, TallGuyMe and Goat3001 (in his comparison to Ben of P&R) hit the nail on the head.

I was looking back and my last comment about The Office which was nearly two years ago and it was about how self-assured Jim is in his smugness and lazy attitude.

The funny thing is I actually like Jim, but wish he tried harder (beyond just the commissions and his relationship with Pam). I guess they show this in throw-away lines like him and Kevin being in the same football fantasy league together, but I wish he acted like a better co-worker.

One of my favorite idiosyncrasies of the show is how freaked out by how close he really is Dwight beyond the practical jokes. In spite of all their fighting, they're closer than brothers like when he and Pam gave a good review to his B&B or knowing his middle name or mother's maiden name.

He could have had a positive relationship with Dwight and this was even commented on by Dwight when he had to take Ryan under his wing during a sales call (Initiation), but chose to go in the other direction. I hope they explore that before the final episode when Jim tells how he really feels about Dwight.

bluetooth? BLUETOOTH?! But yeah one of my favorite "team ups" between Jim and Dwight was when they were doing the volleyball game from a few seasons back and took it seriously. Jim even took the time to call Dwight and say that he and Pam couldn't make it back immediately after they found out about Pam's pregnancy. Also the moment an episode ago where they were all trying to be silent. Dwight told Jim to stop the tapping and Jim agreed, taking it very seriously, then started the clock.

He acts the way any "normal" person does when surrounded by those type of characters portrayed in the office. What has he done that's been so obnoxious or asshole-ish to the others outside of Dwight? It's pretty typical for someone to attend a boss' party just to make an appearance out of courtesy but want to skip out early, and it's normal to not want to spend time with certain coworkers who have nothing in common with you.

I think he's had perfectly normal office camaraderie with say, Darryl or Oscar who are other fairly normal characters. He's actually pretty courteous to the zany antics of everyone else around him.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Oscar, I'd add him to the normal category, he'd be invited to Trivia as well.

Longer than that I suspect. There was a scene ages ago where someone show a pic of a "young" Jim with longer hair and Michael.

I *think* that they might have mentioned he took a summer job there while in high school.

Hmmm...I missed noticing that the bottle was sealed...perhaps Jim wasn't driving drunk.

I'd also include Stanley, Pam in there as well as (except for his interest in Pam) Toby.

Stanley, Toby and Oscar are actually my favourite characters.

It's one thing to be funny when playing a wacky character (ie Kramer) but to do it on a subtle level is a whole new game.

That's true.

It's sad because Jim is only character that hasn't given up on life.

Argh! Sorry about that. Even as I was looking over the quotes and writing down the names I was thinking "Remember, it's bluetoast, not bluetooth!" Considering how often my name gets misspelled in office mails, all I can ask is that you forgive the transgression.

I agree and actually who to go through this when my former boss had a barbecue. Jim actually took provided some good points I could use the next time such a situation comes up.

The list is to long to mention, but it's basically boils down to him a) making practical jokes or insults at the expense of others without them realizing it or at times when they don't deserve it and b) on a more philosophical level, not being a better man when he knows can be. However, I'll admit it's just a show and Jim is basically a good guy (like being in sync with Dwight during a sales call, saving the Michael Scott Paper Co. employees) and some of his irksome actions are written just to get a laugh and some are to deal with the exaggerated quirks of Dwight.

Seems vague to me, do you (or anyone else) have a couple specific examples of jokes and insults other then against Dwight that make him an asshole or elitist? I've yet to see any mentioned here.

And your second point is fine if you just dislike that aspect of the character, but Jim not "trying hard" at work just puts him in line with millions of other workers out there that are ok with a mediocre job they don't care for. Again, he's the common man. Doesn't make him an asshole or obnoxious

So what if Dwight was obnoxious and weird? Did he ever go out of his way to play pranks on you? Jim likes to push buttons just for the sake of pushing buttons. Either that, or he's bored.

Six Reasons That Jim From the Office is a Jerk. I distinctly remember when the camera panned over in an accusing manner and how Jim acted like a pussy after he pulled the jell-o prank on Andy (item 6) and him aggravating the situation in a later episode with the cellphone.

True, Andy was a poorly written character that had to be revised, but this actually showed how well mannered Dwight was when he took all the jokes hurled his way and going throught the proper channels with Toby to file his complaints.

As for Item 5, it was smart that it was only shown as a webisode which I had never seen or heard of until today:

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While I haven't gone back to watch the older eps in syndication (as it relates to items 1 through 4) and will give him a pass because Jim and Pam belong together (both seriously and ), I don't think his character ever would have recovered the an actual break-up scene with Karen had been recorded.

Also, there was an episode where he was in charge of the branch. Jim institutes new policies because he obviously smarter than Michael and only to fail miserably as the boss. Instead of trying to make Michael or Andy's life easier having discovered how hard balance everyone's needs, he continues to agitate and create havoc.

Either way, we're going to have to agree to disagree on this point. While the show can't have everyone acting like Stanley and taking the path of least resistance (which is what I do as the common man ), you would think (the writers would have) Jim use his brilliance and creativity to make the branch better rather than coming up with pranks to act out in a passive-aggressive manner after so many seasons. I am begrudgingly willing to admit he's basically a flawed good guy, but I don't think you're willing to accept he can sometimes display some serious dickwad-like tendencies because he acts like he's "better than everyone else" there and this job is beneath his lot in life.

The appeal within the show for Jim has always perplexed me, but the one thing he did (for which he did receive his comeuppance) was throwing a snowball at Dwight's face from about four feet away because Dwight didn't agree with his definition of "snowing." I get that Dwight is a tool, but in this case he didn't deserve a snowball to the face.

I don't know, those seem like pretty weak examples to me in that Telewatcher link. I don't think Jim is a jerk for wanting to show off a bit in basketball after getting hit (for a girl, who wouldn't?). I don't think Jim is a jerk for trying to date girls or expressing his feelings for Pam. And if someone punches a hole through a wall because their stapler is in Jello, they clearly have other issues.

As for the snowball fight, Dwight certainly taunts Jim to begin with, so I don't think that necessarily makes Jim the biggest asshole. And Dwight's retaliation is obviously far, far worse and I think it was meant to show Jim get a little humility against Dwight. But again, that's Dwight again and not others in the office.

Maybe I'm an asshole for not thinking much of what he does

Certainly not. But I know lots of people who think he's a complete tool. The same could have been said of Michael. Basically it's either a thing where you like the guy and will forgive him for anything he does no matter how ridiculous, passive aggressive, or over the top it is, or you don't.

Don't get me wrong. Realizing that it's television, I think that some of the stuff he's done to Dwight is funny (he spent hours making a Lego desk in the last episode - that was funny). But on occasion that over-the-top "playfulness" creeps into the real world for me and turns me completely off (the snowball incident).

If you went to the trouble of making a Lego desk or giftwrapping my station, I would applaud and laugh. If you threw a snowball at my face from four feet away, I'd beat the fuck out of you.