Jerk – Listorati https://listorati.com Fascinating facts and lists, bizarre, wonderful, and fun Sun, 04 Jun 2023 08:20:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://listorati.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/listorati-512x512-1.png Jerk – Listorati https://listorati.com 32 32 215494684 10 Times Jim from The Office Was Actually a Jerk https://listorati.com/10-times-jim-from-the-office-was-actually-a-jerk/ https://listorati.com/10-times-jim-from-the-office-was-actually-a-jerk/#respond Sun, 04 Jun 2023 08:20:37 +0000 https://listorati.com/10-times-jim-from-the-office-was-actually-a-jerk/

Jim from The Office is known for many things. He is the workplace heartthrob, the office normie, and everyone’s favorite prankster. But what people rarely discuss when talking about Jim’s character is that he’s actually kind of a jerk. Here are ten times Jim was anything but the nice guy.

Related: 10 Important Characters in Television We Never Got To Fully See

10 S1 E4 “The Alliance”

When employees at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin find out that they might be facing downsizing, Dwight asks Jim to form an alliance to protect their jobs. While Dwight is genuinely concerned about losing his job, Jim accepts the offer to form an alliance without taking Dwight’s anxiety seriously. Jim even reveals to the camera that he will mess with Dwight and that his intentions when accepting Dwight’s offer are purely for his entertainment.

In this situation, Jim is kidding around even though Dwight is serious. Jim immediately breaks his promise of secrecy regarding their alliance to get others from the office to help him mess with Dwight. By the end of the episode, Jim literally tapes Dwight into a cardboard box while the rest of the office has a party. Not exactly the type of coworker I’d want to have.

9 S2 E9 “Email Surveillance”

The writers of this episode offered a red herring for Jim’s jerkiness in that they had him plan a staff party without inviting Michael. The episode’s drama has to do with their boss’s reaction to not being invited and the hijinks that ensue as they try to get around Michael coming to the party.

The real problem is that instead of telling everyone that Micheal isn’t invited because Jim doesn’t want to party with his boss, Jim lies to achieve his goal. He tells Dwight that the party is actually a surprise party for Michael and tricks Dwight into lying. This might seem harmless to some, but Jim is using Dwight as a means to an end. Dwight isn’t given the correct information about the circumstances of Michael being kept in the dark about the party. He is tricked into lying to his workplace superior because Jim is afraid to be honest.

Some may argue that the conclusion of the episode, where Jim joins Michael during karaoke, is his way of apologizing and making up for the situation. This is possible, but it’s just as possible that Jim sang the duet to prevent the situation from getting more awkward.

8 S2 E17 “Dwight’s Speech”

In this episode, Jim helps Dwight write a speech that he will perform in front of a large crowd full of corporate executives and employees from other branches. Dwight’s speech is successful, but the content offered by Jim is based on past speeches performed by famous dictators.

There are a few points to consider when looking at Jim’s behavior in this episode. First, just because Dwight’s speech received praise from the audience does not mean that what Jim did was right. He lied to Dwight about being an experienced public speaker in college, leading Dwight to believe that Jim knew what he was talking about. Dwight was noticeably anxious about the speech, and Jim took advantage of those nerves.

And Jim provided Dwight with source material for his speech that could have completely ruined Dwight’s career while potentially offending or triggering trauma responses in the audience members. Dwight is partially at fault here since he should have known what he was saying before performing the speech.

Jim’s jealousy and frustration with his current life situation greatly contributed to his desire to mess with Dwight. Not only was Jim eligible for the award Dwight won in his stead, but Pam had set a date for her wedding with Roy. Throughout the episode, Jim shows that he is upset and frustrated with how things are going, so he decides to distract himself by messing with Dwight in a large-scale way.

7 S3 E9 “The Convict”

So, Jim has just returned to the Scranton branch after a merger with Stamford, and with him came Karen and Andy (amongst some other short-lived side characters). Karen is Jim’s current significant other, while Andy is someone Jim met while working at the Stamford branch. In this episode, Andy asks Jim to help him get Pam to like him. Jim uses Andy’s request as an opportunity to mess with the Scranton employees.

Here, we see Jim do a few things that are very jerk-like. First of all, Andy’s personality at this point in the show is very flawed. He is quite misogynistic, yet Jim agrees to help him get closer to Pam despite the way Andy talks about women. Jim feeds Andy false information regarding Pam’s interests and then laughs with Pam about Andy’s embarrassing come-ons.

Moreover, at the end of the episode, Jim lies to Karen about the situation to avoid a potentially awkward (or telling) interaction with Pam and Karen simultaneously.

My question for Jim throughout this episode is: who does this prank serve?

6 S3 E20 “Product Recall”

Jim’s pranks are a pretty famous part of the show, especially those played on Dwight. In this prank, Jim comes to work dressed up as Dwight, imitating how he talks, his hairstyle, and his personality. Even though this prank might seem funny, when you think about what’s actually happening to Dwight, it’s difficult not to see that Jim crosses the line.

Essentially, the punchline to this Joke is Dwight’s appearance, personality, and interests. By imitating Dwight, Jim makes fun of all of these things, to Dwight’s face, in front of the entire office. Jim continues the prank even after Dwight gets upset, never stopping to consider that what he’s doing is just bullying his desk mate.

5 S5 E7 “Customer Survey”

Many people are critical of Jim in this episode because he didn’t go to Kelly’s party, so her revenge-seeking leads to poor customer survey reviews. While that might have been selfish of Jim, the true jerk move occurred during the aftermath of Jim and Dwight receiving their reviews from Michael.

Dwight and Jim are forced to role-play a customer call with Michael observing them. In this role play, Jim plays a very rude customer to whom Dwight must make a sale. Dwight, who is rightfully upset following the bad review, takes the role-play seriously. On the other hand, Jim makes light of the situation by intentionally getting a rise out of Dwight during the role play. I mean, cut your coworker some slack!

4 S5 E24 “Heavy Competition”

After Andy’s engagement is called off, he tries to convince Jim that he can’t trust Pam. Jim, who is completely aware that Andy is projecting his own problems onto Jim and Pam’s relationship, decides to play along with Andy’s theory to make an example out of Andy.

Andy wants to prove to Jim that the emotional support of a significant other, specifically Pam, is unnecessary. He tells Jim to use him as his “traveling pants,” a metaphor for emotional support. Jim spends the episode exaggerating his emotional needs, going as far as pretending to cry and have a meltdown in front of their coworkers.

As usual, most of the office is in on the joke, making Andy look foolish. Just because Jim had a reason to be frustrated with Andy doesn’t make publicly humiliating him okay.

3 S6 E3 “The Promotion”

When Jim receives a promotion that Dwight wanted and is put in charge of the Scranton branch’s day-to-day operations, Jim does not don his new position with humility. With a change in rank at a workplace, it makes sense for the new superior to change their behavior, at least somewhat. But Jim continues teasing Dwight, and he again crosses the line.

Dwight asks Jim to sign a form for him without saying “please,” and Jim says he won’t sign it until Dwight says “please.” This argument eventually leads to Dwight having to make a complaint about Jim, to Jim. During this complaint, Jim teases Dwight, asking him if he’s crying while pretending to take notes that accuse Dwight of doing things he hasn’t done.

This behavior is extremely unprofessional and shows Jim abusing his authority at Dwight’s expense.

2 S8 E4 “Garden Party”

This episode is famous for one of Jim’s most notorious pranks, where he goes to a lot of trouble just to, once again, publicly humiliate Dwight.

This prank has Dwight follow a book published by Jim describing how to throw the perfect garden party. While it might seem like a perfectly executed prank, Jim is actually tricking Dwight into embarrassing himself under the pretense that he is throwing a great party. As per the book’s instruction, Dwight does a series of performances that makes the guests at the party uncomfortable.

If the party were just for fun, it would be a little less bad on Jim’s part (though it’s still public humiliation), but Dwight was using this party to start a business hosting events at Shrute Farms. By tricking Dwight into following his instructions, Jim is sabotaging Dwight’s business and embarrassing Dwight in front of coworkers and strangers alike.

1 S9 E2 “Roy’s Wedding”

When Jim and Pam go to Roy’s wedding, he reveals to the camera that he has started a business with his college friends without Pam’s knowledge. He and Pam had already discussed the potential business plans and decided not to move forward with the endeavor. This is a big lie considering the two are married and have a house and kids at this point in the show.

Jim even goes so far as to lie to Pam’s face when they try to figure out things they don’t know about each other. By the end of the episode, it’s clear that Jim is intentionally keeping Pam in the dark.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but being a “Pam looking for their Jim” isn’t the happily ever after we should all be aspiring to.

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10 Jerk Moves Your Cat Does, Explained https://listorati.com/10-jerk-moves-your-cat-does-explained/ https://listorati.com/10-jerk-moves-your-cat-does-explained/#respond Fri, 10 Feb 2023 02:42:55 +0000 https://listorati.com/10-jerk-moves-your-cat-does-explained/

Cats aren’t dogs; they’re not man’s best friend. But while it may seem like your cat is an a-hole, they’re an a-hole with excuses at least. From treating you like crap to torturing wildlife, here are 10 things your cat does explained.

10. Sleeping All Day

Cats sleep an obscene amount of time by human standards. After the 24-hour sleep of early kittenhood, the average cat will sleep 16 hours a day (until they get old, when they start sleeping more). Why are they so damn lazy? Because they don’t sleep as deep as us humans. 

Unlike us with our clearly defined cycles of rapid/non-rapid eye movement in sleep, culminating in deep REM sleep, cats nap in short periods of slow wave. In other words, they spend most of their time in the shallows of sleep, sleeping deeply for only five minute periods throughout the day. 

Of course, as crepuscular animals, they also have to sleep all day to be active at dawn and dusk. Another explanation, given they evolved in hot climates, is that cats sleep all day to regulate their body temperature.

9. Staring

Be it the world outside the window, the wall, or just into space, cats are big starers. It doesn’t help that their eyes are enormous in relation to their bodies, or that they blink at a fraction of the rate we do (twice per minute vs. our 15-20 times per minute). It’s an unnerving quality to have in a pet.

But cats’ vision differs from ours in ways that sheds light on this question. For one thing, they have a slightly wider field of vision (200 degrees vs our 180 degrees), and an ability to zone in on the tiniest movement. Meanwhile, their visual acuity isn’t as good as ours, meaning we can see more detail at a distance. 

Explanations vary for why cats stare so much. Maybe what to us looks like a wall is, to cats with their super hearing, a complex and stimulating soundboard of pipes, insects, and rodents. It could also have to do with hunting practice, for which patience and focus are key. Probably the least assholey reason, however, is love. Based on multiple studies, Japanese researchers concluded that cats only stare at humans they trust. They also found that, like dogs, cats can notice and follow your gaze.

8. Peeing Outside the Litter Box

There are some truly jerky reasons for peeing outside the litter box. Your cat may feel better smelling more of its urine, or maybe they don’t like the litter (kind of like you pooping on the floor because you don’t like the toilet paper). Alternatively, if you have more than one cat, maybe the one who doesn’t pee on the floor is the real asshole for aggressively hoarding the tray. But even these reasons have excuses. If your cat needs to smell more of its urine, for example, it’s probably a sign of anxiety. And if they don’t like the litter, maybe it just hurts their paws.

There could also be other, more serious explanations. These include urinary tract infections, kidney or thyroid diseases, diabetes, digestive problems, and age-related health problems. 

Or maybe you’re the jerk for not emptying the box enough?

7. Meowing Through the Night

If your cat’s meowing more than usual, it may be a sign of disease. But, in general, it’s their way of getting what they want—from you. Cats very rarely meow at each other. It’s another behavior reinforced by human responses, which we’re afraid means it’s your fault again. Say your cat meows and you feed it, for example; you’ve taught them that meowing gets food. Many of us condition our pets in this way without really giving it thought. 

Cats may even learn to associate different meows—different lengths, different pitches—with different rewards (food, attention, etc.). It’s no coincidence that cats of deaf owners tend to meow less, and that studies suggest mimicry between meowing and the sound of human babies

Still, as mentioned, meowing may be a cause for concern. A good way to rule out underlying disease is to look at your cat’s ears and eyes. If their ears are turned sideways or back and/or the pupils are dilated, there’s a good chance your cat is sick or anxious about something.

6. Ignoring You

Why does your cat seem content to ignore you? Unlike dogs, who come running when they’re called, cats don’t even look up. We know they can hear us; studies have shown they can recognize your voice and even their names (at least as precursors to rewards). 

One eight-month study, for example, found that up to 70 percent of the cats involved turned their heads when they heard their human’s voice. It’s just that cat responses are extremely subtle, especially compared to dogs, whose responses are intentionally communicative. 

Basically, we haven’t bred or trained cats in the same way as dogs, which means cat behavior is far more instinctive. Cats in the wild don’t communicate vocally even with their own kittens unless there’s an imminent threat. So unless your cat wants something from you at the moment you happen to call them, they just have no reason to respond.

5. Headbutting You

Also known as bunting or head rubbing, headbutting is when your cat nuzzles their head against you. They also do it to each other. But it can become a nuisance if it gets more aggressive.

Unsurprisingly, dominant cats tend to headbutt more frequently. And this is a clue to the reason. Cats have scent-producing glands all over their bodies—including the chin, mouth, temples, and ears—and the dominant cat in a household of many will headbutt more to spread its scent (the scent of the colony) to all members. 

So, a-holey or not, when your cat headbutts you, they’re marking you out as their tribe—which, by the way, makes them your chief (at least to other cats).

4. Losing Their S*** On Catnip

Cats on catnip are like humans on coke: manic, aggressive, unpredictable, and stupid-looking. It’s just that in cats it’s not quite as hedonistic—or in any case they have an excuse.

As it turns out, there are chemicals in catnip, as well as in silver vine (another plant that causes the reaction), called nepetalactone and nepetalactol that act as mosquito repellants. In a study, researchers allowed cats to rub themselves on paper soaked in nepetalactol, then introduced mosquitos and counted how many cats were attacked. They found a clear correlation between rubbing and getting fewer bites.

It’s thought the drug effect—euphoria attributed to the ?-opioid system—is a response cats evolved to the plant to encourage them to engage with it. It’s not all cats, either; the trait is hereditary. 30 percent don’t respond to catnip and 20 percent don’t respond to silver vine. Tigers have also been found to be indifferent to catnip and even “disapproving” of silver vine.

3. Pushing Their Claws Into You

Kneading soft objects (as though making dough with their paws) is something all cats learn as kittens. It’s a way to stimulate their mother’s milk production by releasing oxytocin. It’s also a form of communication between kittens and their mother, as kneading releases pheromones from scent glands in the paws.

However, it’s common for domesticated cats to continue to knead into adulthood. This is where it gets painful, as many cats will also dig in their claws. In typical cat fashion, this just means they love you. And the more they do, the harder they’ll knead—so you become the a-hole if you punish.

But why do cats continue to knead long after mom is dead and buried? Again, it’s your fault. The retention of juvenile behaviors into adulthood (neoteny) in this case probably comes down to its advantage in socializing with you and other animals in the house.

2. Bringing Dead Animals Into the House

Even if you’re not disgusted, horrified, or guilt-ridden by your cat’s habit of bringing dead birds and rodents into the house, it can still feel like a passive aggressive comment on how much you feed them. The truth is, though, cats are simply born predators. It’s not a question of having to eat, it’s a matter of having to hunt. In fact, it’s the same drive that has your cat chasing laser pointers or feathers on a string. 

But why, once they’ve killed their prey, are they so eager to show it off to you? Sometimes they won’t even just leave it somewhere for you to find but will hold it in their mouth mewing until you come and see. This is down to another drive, which is their instinctive pack animal nature. Female cats in particular are primed to teach their young how to hunt. In other words, they’re not trying to scare you, shame you, or make you throw up; they’re just treating you like a helpless kitten that can’t hunt for itself—but one that they love very much.

1. Playing With Their Prey

Perhaps the most a-holey thing your cat does by far is to play with its prey before killing it. Typically, they’ll bat at the victim with their paws, ensuring a slow and torturous death and leaving us to wonder: How could Mister Cuddles be so cruel?

According to a study in the 1970s, the answer is actually quite simple. Researchers found that cats given rats and mice to prey on played with their victims longer the larger they were. And of course the larger the prey, the more risk for the predator. Researchers therefore concluded that “playing” was actually a strategy to disable from a distance before going in for the kill. Researchers also observed that hungrier cats played with their prey for shorter periods of time. We see the same behavior among big cats in the wild.

But why do cats sometimes not bother killing their played-with prey? The answer here is a little more a-holey: practice.

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