I Put My Foot Down

Parks and Recreation star Chris Pratt would push back against “mean” jokes directed at Jerry, a new book reveals. Created by Michael Schur, the hit NBC sitcom first aired in 2009, airing for seven seasons before coming to an end in 2015. Pratt played Andy Dwyer, a lovable goofball, on the show, while O’Heir played Jerry Gergich, a city employee who was used as something of a punching bag for others in the Parks & Rec cast of characters.

In a conversation featured in O’Heir’s new book, Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation (via Variety), Pratt and O’Heir reflect on the Jerry jokes that may have gone too far. O’Heir recalls that Pratt, more than any other cast member, paid particular attention to the Jerry jokes and was always striving to ensure that they never became purely mean-spirited. Check out Pratt’s comment below when asked if he remembers those moments during filming:

“I do, I do. I was concerned in some of those moments because I care about you and I love you, and I knew that there were some jokes that were, like, mean. But meaner than they were funny. If it’s a joke, it’s funny. But if it’s mean for the sake of being mean, well, I’m not a huge fan of mean-spirited humor, and I just wanted to check in on you.

“There was one time where I put my foot down on something. There was that time you use the printer and it says something like, ‘Jerry sucks’ on a piece of paper, and I just said, ‘I don’t think that’s funny. I don’t know about it.’ For the most part, I rolled with it, but there were a couple times where I think it went too far and I was concerned for you.”

Though O’Heir affirms that the Jerry jokes didn’t bother him and that he didn’t take them personally, he admits to Pratt that his costar’s care and attention was greatly appreciated:

“Just so you know, that meant the world to me. You checked in on me, [Amy Poehler] checked in on me, and it’s not like I expected everyone to check in on me, but the fact that you did was so special…You have the biggest heart, and I don’t mean it from a medical perspective.”

What The Jerry Jokes Meant For Parks & Rec

The NBC Sitcom’s Jerry Jokes Were A Highlight

Every sitcom has its own running gags, or jokes that recur throughout the show’s lifetime. The characters constantly making fun of Jerry was one of Parks & Rec‘s most memorable running gags, with jokes at the character’s expense featured throughout the show’s seven seasons. The Office had a similar running gag, with Steve Carell’s Michael Scott making fun of or ridiculing Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) every chance he got.

Schur was a writer and producer on The Office, in addition to appearing in the show as Mose Schrute.

As the exchange between Pratt and O’Heir makes clear, however, it’s important that these jokes don’t go too far. After all, a character just being cruel to Jerry in a particularly mean-spirited way wouldn’t reflect well on that character, and having likable, empathetic characters is crucial to any show’s longevity. Clearly, Parks & Rec struck this balance quite well, as it enjoys a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score and there’s still interest in a revival to this day.

Our Take On Parks & Rec’s Jerry Humor

Why The Jokes Don’t Feel Mean-Spirited (Even When They Are)

A lot of the Jerry jokes in Parks & Rec are based around just how forgettable he is, with characters, for example, frequently forgetting his name and calling him names like Lenny, Larry, and Gary. Most of the characters aren’t, however, outwardly mean-spirited toward him, and the jokes are generally all in good fun.

There are times when the Jerry jokes could certainly be considered mean, but the show smartly makes clear that Jerry leads an exceedingly happy life with his family, and he easily brushes off the jokes about him. Jerry’s own attitude towards the jokes allows them to be funny to audiences, as it likely would have been much harder to laugh at them had Jerry himself been negatively affected. Ultimately, Parks and Recreation successfully navigates its Jerry humor, and it’s clear that Pratt played a role in ensuring that what made it on-screen wasn’t too cruel.

Source: Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation by Jim O’Heir (via Variety)