‘Parks and Recreation’ Fans Are Offering Definitive Proof That Ben Is Better Than Jim From ‘The Office’

The Office and Parks and Recreation have a lot in common. They’re both single-camera NBC sitcoms from Greg Daniels; they both have rocky first seasons that require people to give an obligatory “don’t worry, it gets better” warning; and they both feature a boyfriend-turned-husband who spends much of the show looking into the camera. But, to that last point, where they differ is: Ben Wyatt is clearly better than Jim Halpert.

We have buried Jim from The Office before, asking whether he’s actually a good guy (“Jim was 100% a bully. Yes, Dwight was a total dingus, but I feel like we all should have learned by kindergarten that we shouldn’t be mean to people just because they’re different. Be better, Jim. Also, do your damn job”). But less discussed is that, Ben from Parks and Recreation Certified mensch. It’s a non-debate that’s stirring up passionate defenses after Twitter user @fiImsis asked who would win in a fight: Jim or Ben

“y’all remember in bowling for votes when that guy called leslie a bitch and ben immediately punched him so hard that he fell to the floor what’s jim gonna do prank him” one followed responded, while another, using the same episode (“Bowling for Votes”) as proof, added, “a bowler called leslie a bitch one time and Ben decked him. michael sexually harasses pam everyday and Jim just looks at the camera funny.”

— izzy (@spidermanffh) November 11, 2019

a bowler called leslie a bitch one time and Ben decked him. michael sexually harasses pam everyday and Jim just looks at the camera funny https://t.co/UcoGh4fj0R

— rudy mustang (@rudy_mustang) November 12, 2019

The winner: Ben. Or it would look like this.

— izzy (@spidermanffh) November 11, 2019

Needs more [Wyatt stare] and [Halpert stare].