Rashida Jones

Summary

Summary of "Good Hang with Amy Poehler" Featuring Rashida Jones

Episode Title: Rashida Jones
Release Date: March 25, 2025

In this engaging episode of "Good Hang with Amy Poehler," Amy Poehler sits down with her longtime friend and versatile actress, Rashida Jones. The conversation weaves through their deep-rooted friendship, professional collaborations, and the myriad interests that keep their relationship vibrant and entertaining.

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1. Celebrating Friendship and Collaboration

Amy begins by expressing her excitement about hosting Rashida, dubbing her "the Anne to my Leslie," highlighting the deep bond they share. Rashida reciprocates the warmth, and together they reminisce about their over 20-year friendship, emphasizing how their professional and personal lives intersect seamlessly.

Notable Quote (00:00):
Amy Poehler: "Rashida is just one of my best friends and she's just an incredible person..."

---

2. Harvard Days and Early Career Insights

The discussion shifts to Rashida's time at Harvard, where she was actively involved in the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. She shares her experiences as one of the first women to write music for the group, navigating the challenges of a male-dominated environment, and her collaborations with future notable figures like Mike Schur.

Notable Quote (15:04):
Rashida Jones: "I was in the Hasty Pudding theatricals, but they didn't allow women at the time. I was manager of the Woman of the Year event."

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3. The Power of Dance in Friendship

A significant portion of the episode delves into the duo's mutual love for dancing. Amy and Rashida recount how dance has been a cornerstone of their friendship, serving as a non-verbal language that strengthens their bond and alleviates social anxieties. They discuss Rashida's unique birthday parties, the "Pajama Jammy Jam," which are dedicated solely to dancing, underscoring the importance of structure and rules in making these gatherings enjoyable.

Notable Quote (37:24):
Rashida Jones: "There's something that's so instinctive, non-verbal like just being in your body. I think as somebody who probably is in my brain too much... It's a relief to dance."

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4. Navigating Acting Roles and On-Set Experiences

Rashida shares humorous and heartfelt stories from her time on "Parks and Recreation." She recalls the challenges of filming intense scenes with co-star Nick Offerman, highlighting the supportive environment that made even the most demanding scenes manageable. Their anecdotes shed light on the camaraderie that flourishes on set, turning tough shoots into memorable experiences.

Notable Quote (25:03):
Rashida Jones: "Nick was being gentle... we could not stop one of us."

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5. Embracing Feedback and Fostering Creativity

The conversation moves towards the intricacies of receiving and processing feedback in creative endeavors. Rashida emphasizes the importance of seeking feedback from trusted individuals who understand and support her vision. She discusses strategies for filtering constructive criticism versus unsolicited opinions, drawing parallels to advice from peers like Bill Hader.

Notable Quote (35:16):
Rashida Jones: "Bill Hader once said... you should take the note and not the solution."

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6. Deep Connection with Music

A profound segment explores Rashida's intricate relationship with music. She describes music as an inexplicable force that profoundly impacts emotions and moods. Rashida reflects on her experiences playing the piano by ear and her identity as an aural learner, illustrating how music serves as both a personal refuge and a source of inspiration.

Notable Quote (22:00):
Rashida Jones: "Music is something you can't explain why it has the impact that it does... it taps into something outside of us."

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7. Personal Aspirations and Reflections

Towards the end of the episode, Amy and Rashida delve into personal aspirations and childhood dreams. Rashida reveals her early desire to become a lawyer or judge, influenced by her family's legal background. They discuss the evolution of these dreams and the balance between personal ambitions and external expectations.

Notable Quote (48:00):
Rashida Jones: "I wanted to be a lawyer or a judge or the president."

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8. Laughter and Light-Hearted Moments

The episode concludes on a playful note as Amy and Rashida watch clips of American Idol auditions, finding humor in the overconfidence of contestants who sing out of tune. Their shared laughter underscores the joy they find in genuine, albeit imperfect, expressions of passion.

Notable Quote (51:46):
Rashida Jones: "Nothing makes me laugh harder than really confident, really bad singing."

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Closing Thoughts

Amy wraps up the episode by reflecting on the enriching and multifaceted conversations with Rashida, celebrating the depth of their friendship and the joy they derive from each other’s company. The episode not only offers insights into Rashida Jones' professional journey but also paints a vivid picture of a friendship grounded in mutual respect, shared passions, and unwavering support.

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Note: All timestamps correspond to the podcast transcript provided.

Transcript

[Amy Poehler]

Hi, welcome to another episode of Good Hang. I cannot wait to have you hear this episode with the great Rashida Jones. The Anne to my Leslie, my wife for life. Rashida is just one of my best friends and she's just an incredible person and interview and she's so deep and smart and funny and we're gonna talk about what it's like working together and we're gonna talk about our relationship to work and what makes a good gift giver and how much we both love music. We're gonna go deep and then stay real shallow all at the same time. So it's gonna be a lot of fun. And you know, we've been trying to do this thing where before I interview a guest, I get to talk to people who know them, who are fans of them or who wanna just, you know, give me some ideas for what to ask them. So we have gathered two great comedic actresses, Retta from Parks and Rec who played Donna Meagle and Darcy Cardin from the Good Place. So they're gonna help me get started.

[Rashida Jones]

Woo hoo hoo.

[Amy Poehler]

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[Retta]

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[Amy Poehler]

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[Rashida Jones]

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[Amy Poehler]

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[Retta]

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[Rashida Jones]

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[Retta]

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[Amy Poehler]

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[Rashida Jones]

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[Amy Poehler]

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[Rashida Jones]

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[Amy Poehler]

Hi Hannah. You know it only takes. It only takes three to make a hang Gang to be a gang.

[Rashida Jones]

That's right.

[Amy Poehler]

Everybody knows that we're talking about. And to the great Rashida Jones today.

[Retta]

Wouldn't want to talk about anyone else.

[Darcy Carden]

Not one singular human being.

[Amy Poehler]

Honestly, it's kind of overwhelming because she does so many things well.

[Rashida Jones]

Yes. She's.

[Amy Poehler]

What is it called? A polymath. Is that the word?

[Retta]

But what's the math?

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Darcy Carden]

It's so many maths.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Retta]

I was thinking the same thing. I was thinking, like, she's so unique in that. There's not. She's not, you know, even to introduce her. I don't know how you. What you would even say she's not. I mean, she's. There's so many things to list, and not just in her career, but in her life. She's. She's so many things to so many people, and she's so good at all of it. And yet that doesn't bother me. I'm not, like, annoyed by that as I'm saying it. I'm not, like, rolling my eyes. I'm like, she really does it all. And she does it so well and in such an inspiring way.

[Amy Poehler]

Agree to me.

[Darcy Carden]

She's the lawyer in the group. When people have, like, an outrageous idea or plan or think they can fix something in a certain way, I feel like RA is the person that's like, okay, everybody relax. Here's what we're gonna do. Here's what we're gonna do. This is how we fix it. Or, let me just make a call.

[Retta]

Or.

[Darcy Carden]

I feel like even though, you know, she's not an attorney, she's the attorney of the group that she's in.

[Retta]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Is that weird? No, that's really well said. What makes Rasheeda a good hang?

[Retta]

Well, she's super funny, and she also loves to laugh, so she makes you feel super funny, right?

[Darcy Carden]

Yes.

[Retta]

Which is great. She's on it. She's really on it. She's just like. She's sharp in, like, in every way I can think of.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. And so. And, like, so stylish and cool. Totally, like, like, beyond cool. It's actually oppressive.

[Rashida Jones]

I know.

[Amy Poehler]

I know.

[Retta]

It's a lot somehow. Doesn't make me feel shitty again.

[Amy Poehler]

No, never. But I do. But I make myself feel shitty. Yeah. Because sometimes I'm just like, damn it, like, what, we're wearing Japanese pants now. No one told me.

[Rashida Jones]

I know.

[Retta]

But the thing is, is we. She is.

[Rashida Jones]

She is.

[Amy Poehler]

But all of a sudden, I'm like, oh, all my clothes are small. They're supposed to be big. Like, do we have bangs? We don't have bangs.

[Retta]

We don't.

[Amy Poehler]

Big coats. Little coats. Okay.

[Retta]

No long hair now. Okay, okay, okay.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah, totally.

[Retta]

Totally. Glasses, small glasses, little coats.

[Darcy Carden]

I don't know that she's ever done little coats. Maybe before I knew her, I've only seen her in big coats, the biggest coat.

[Amy Poehler]

The only people on Parks doing little coats were Adam and Aziz. They had the littlest co. I remember lifting up a coat and being like, whose coat is this? And it was Aziz's little coat.

[Retta]

She's like a host, right? She's like a good host.

[Amy Poehler]

She.

[Retta]

And I think maybe that's one of the reasons she's such a good hang is because she, like, really appreciates the. The hang portion. Like, she's putting in the time to make the hang, like, pleasurable, right?

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. Like, I don't feel a stressy vibe from her when she's hosting, for example.

[Retta]

Yeah. Yeah, me too.

[Amy Poehler]

Like, I'm always working out on my. I'm always working out my own stuff, which is wanting to get things like wanting it to be good and fun and being. And people coming over and saying, like, hi, and me saying. Just a second. Like, making them feel. Making them feel stressed even though I had the party.

[Retta]

Or like, explaining something like, don't go in this room. Or if you do, this is what's going on.

[Darcy Carden]

Or you gotta hold the toilet down, the handle down. You gotta hold the door.

[Rashida Jones]

Yes. Oh, my God.

[Retta]

Totally.

[Rashida Jones]

Totally horrible.

[Amy Poehler]

Or when someone's like, can I give you a hand? And you just go, no, that's okay. I just have a lot of things right now that I'm dealing with. And everyone's. Everyone looks at you and says, you did not have to invite us. You did not have to invite us.

[Retta]

I begged us to come over. Oh, God.

[Amy Poehler]

The other question I had is, I want to talk to her about dancing because we dance a lot together. She's had a lot of dance parties for her birthday parties. And you two are big dancers. Like, you. You both like to dance. I know why I like to dance at parties.

[Retta]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

Why do you like to dance at parties?

[Retta]

I think about connecting with people while dancing. Like, Amy, I can think of a wedding we were at where we didn't know each other that well. It was like early days of friendship, and we just, like, danced at a wedding. And I felt closer to you afterwards. I felt, like, totally. You know what I mean?

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

We just. We just kind of pointed at each other, and.

[Retta]

And then afterwards, we took a step. We took a. We leveled up for people listening. Retta is really doing some good pointing right now.

[Darcy Carden]

I. I'm drawn to people who I feel really vibe with music and And. And don't look crazy dancing. You know, there's not, like. Especially, like, when we were younger, high school and college, like, white boys with rhythm were like, you couldn't get enough. Like, I was just like, oh. And I remember, and I will say, at one of Rashida's birthday parties, one of the most impressive dancers that I didn't see coming was Max Greenfield.

[Rashida Jones]

Yes.

[Darcy Carden]

Max Canmose. And the feeling that I got seeing him dance is the feeling I won't be able to have when they see me dance.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

I feel like if a good song comes on, both of you and Rasheeda would be the people I would look at, point at and be like, oh.

[Retta]

I was just gonna say the noise you would make would be like, oh.

[Rashida Jones]

Oh, oh, oh, oh, shit, here we go.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, well, we're gonna. Okay, this is perfect. I will wrap it up with. Is there any question you think, like, anything you want me to ask Rashida?

[Retta]

It's. It's simple. It's a simple question. But I think my question for Rashida specifically is, when you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grow up? Or what did you see your adult life looking like? I think, what did you want to be when you grow up? Because I think, because she, you know, like, it's such a unique childhood where. Where it kind of was, like, the endless possibilities of what you could possibly do. And it seems like, you know, that maybe that's one of the reasons she does so much and is so good at so many different things. But the simple question, I think, is, when you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grow up?

[Amy Poehler]

It's a great question.

[Darcy Carden]

Mine would be. It's also a childhood question. What was the coolest thing that ever happened to you as a kid? Because she's been around so many cool things.

[Amy Poehler]

What.

[Darcy Carden]

What really was the. The thing that she remembers the most and was the most exciting for her?

[Amy Poehler]

That's probably going to be hard to pick.

[Retta]

I know.

[Amy Poehler]

Because she was. So you might get a few.

[Darcy Carden]

You might get a few things like.

[Amy Poehler]

Partying with ET and stuff. All right, well, love you guys. Thank you for checking in. I know means a lot to squeeze this time in, and Rashida's gonna be so grateful when I tell her that we chatted today. So come. Come on this podcast and be a guest soon, please, and thank you.

[Retta]

Can't wait.

[Amy Poehler]

Hang Gang. Thank you so much. Hang Gang. Hang Gang.

[Darcy Carden]

Love you.

[Retta]

Hang Gang Gang.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. Love you guys. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Uber Eats is delivering game day deals because you can't watch eight hours of basketball a day on an empty stomach. I love to watch TV on my couch and then never get back up. And so once I'm down, it's hard to stand and I definitely don't want to drive and get food. So Uber Eats delivers my food to me and then I shuffle over to my door in my pajamas and I grab the food. So whatever you're craving, Uber Eats has deals on all your game day favorites. You never have to miss a single buzzer beater. Get game day deals on all your favorites, only on Uber Eats. Order now. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Apple Card is everything a credit card should be. It's easy to manage, built to be secure, and gives users up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase. The best part about Apple Card is applying is quick and easy. Apply in the wallet app on iPhone and see your credit limit offer in minutes. Subject to credit approval. Apple Card by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch Member FDIC terms and [e-mail] this episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Uber Eats is delivering game day deals because you can't watch eight hours of basketball a day on an empty stomach. I love to watch TV on my couch and then never get back up. And so once I'm down, it's hard to stand and I definitely don't want to drive and get food. So Uber Eats delivers my food to me and then I shuffle over to my door in my pajamas and I grab the food. So whatever you're craving, Uber Eats has deals on all your game day favorites. You never have to miss a single buzzer beater. Get game day deals on all your favorites, only on Uber Eats. Order now.

[Rashida Jones]

Woo hoo hoo.

[Amy Poehler]

Rashida Jones is here. Hi, Rashida. Hi, Amy. I mean, people should know that I call you Bones, so maybe if I call you Bones during the interview, they'll know. Yes.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah. And I call you Poles. Polos.

[Amy Poehler]

Polos. So Poles are Polos and Bones.

[Rashida Jones]

Polos and Bones.

[Amy Poehler]

The new detective series.

[Rashida Jones]

Cbs.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I'm Paramount. Minus. Okay. Bones, I'm so happy you're here.

[Rashida Jones]

I'm so happy to be here.

[Amy Poehler]

Thank you for doing this. Please, on the way over, you just told me you were listening to something in your car.

[Rashida Jones]

I was listening to. I'm really into frequencies right now. You know, there's like a lot of stuff theories around, like the frequency of sounds and how it impacts your brain and your mood. There's ones for anxiety, for sleep, for happiness, for abundance, whatever. But I was listening to one for Road rage.

[Amy Poehler]

Because you have road rage.

[Rashida Jones]

I do.

[Amy Poehler]

I've seen it in action. Because we leave each other Marco Polos. And I've seen you in real time get mad. For people that are listening, that don't know. Rasheeda and I have been friends for many years. It's gotta be over 20 now.

[Rashida Jones]

Over 20 plus.

[Amy Poehler]

Over 20 plus. And whenever we see each other, we just jump in. Like, we talk a lot about. We just kind of jump into the deep end.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah, always.

[Amy Poehler]

We get into feelings. We get into what we're trying to work on, what we're excited about. Like, we just get right in there. We don't do a lot of small.

[Rashida Jones]

Talk, you know, not a lot of small talk.

[Amy Poehler]

And I feel like you are that way. Or I can speak for myself. I feel like I'm more and more that way with the people that I'm closest to and the people that I'm not particularly close to are the people that I say, like, what movies do you like?

[Rashida Jones]

Right. Yeah. And I find. I don't know about you, but I find that my tolerance for small talk has changed. Like, I used to like it and feel like it was just kind of like a way to tiptoe into a conversation, and now it feels like, why bother? Let's just get into it.

[Amy Poehler]

I know.

[Rashida Jones]

Let's not waste time.

[Amy Poehler]

What are you afraid of?

[Rashida Jones]

What are you afraid of?

[Amy Poehler]

What are you working on?

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah, exactly. No, no, not your actual job, but your self. Your inner self. What are you working on?

[Amy Poehler]

What's your love language? What's your attachment style? Tina and I had a good convo about. We were laughing, talking about Harvard. Fuck Harvard.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah. Fuck Harvard.

[Amy Poehler]

Fuck Harvard.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

So for people that don't know, what is your relationship with Harvard and what was your relationship with Hasty Pudding?

[Rashida Jones]

Oh, interesting. I was just thinking about this last night, actually. Well, first of all, I just want to say I'm very happy that you have this podcast because I'm just going to say I have been encouraging. I've wanted this from you for a very long time.

[Amy Poehler]

Thanks, bud.

[Rashida Jones]

Okay. Sorry, I just had to say that.

[Amy Poehler]

Thanks, Dean.

[Rashida Jones]

Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

Harvard.

[Rashida Jones]

Hasty Pudding. Yeah. I mean, I went to Harvard. I was. Yay. I was in the Hasty Pudding theatricals, but they didn't allow women at the time. Women couldn't perform. I was a manager. I was manager of the Woman of the Year event. Which you've been. Yeah, I'm sure I have. Not. Thank you so much, Hasty Pudding Theatricals. What? I'm actually, like, the only alumni. But anyway, wow.

[Amy Poehler]

We need to correct that, whoever's listening.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah. Anyway, and then my senior year, Mimi, my friend Mimi who you know, we were the first women ever to write the music for the musical in the, like, whatever, 400 year history of the.

[Amy Poehler]

Show, but no one was allowed to sing it. Cause it was written by women.

[Rashida Jones]

I couldn't sing it. No, of course not. Wow. Yeah. And then when I went back for class day, that was kind of like the one thing I snuck into my speech. Well, actually, it was very political, but the one thing about school I snuck in was, like, make it coed.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, enough.

[Rashida Jones]

And now it is.

[Amy Poehler]

It is, right?

[Rashida Jones]

It is. Finally.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. That seems so silly.

[Rashida Jones]

It's so silly. But I will say it was really fun. And I learned a lot. I learned a lot about production because it's a legit production. You travel to New York and Bermuda and everybody has to, like, chip in and work on tickets and costumes. And, like, we had. You know, we got to, like. We had an arranger who arranged for, like, a full orchestra. It was so cool.

[Amy Poehler]

And you. I know from us being friends, you started. You were. Started going to raves.

[Rashida Jones]

Oh, yeah. I was raving. I was raving.

[Amy Poehler]

Rashida was raving. During Harvard.

[Rashida Jones]

I was.

[Amy Poehler]

And that almost took you down.

[Rashida Jones]

Almost took me down. But luckily. Or took. Yeah. Took me up and then way down. But then I joined an acapella group and everything was fine. Acapella saved my life. But I would say the most surprising thing is probably that what. What I have left from the whole experience is the people.

[Amy Poehler]

Including Mike Schur.

[Rashida Jones]

Including Mike Schur.

[Amy Poehler]

For those people who don't know who created Parks and Rec and the American Office, he was mo's and works.

[Rashida Jones]

Good place.

[Amy Poehler]

Good place, Good hang. Good place, Good hang, Good place. And he.

[Rashida Jones]

Wow.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you think he's gonna sue me for that? Good hang, good place. Yeah.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

He's very litigious, and he's working on a million other things. And you and Mike met at Harvard. Where did you guys meet?

[Rashida Jones]

Freshman year, we did a play together called Love, Sex and the irs, where we were. The place started with us making out.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow. Lucky him.

[Rashida Jones]

Thank you.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, he must have been like, the day when they were like, and here's your makeout partner. It could have been anybody. He must have done a quiet fist pump.

[Rashida Jones]

I mean, he did it while we were making out. It was so awkward. I mean, that's the thing, is you Just audition for shows, especially in college, and you're just like, who you get is who you get. Like, the fact that we met freshman year is nuts.

[Amy Poehler]

I'm having these memories of when we were in. All of us were in high school and college and we'd have to do make out scenes with just people on stage and how, I guess, exciting. It was kind of exciting.

[Rashida Jones]

So fun.

[Amy Poehler]

I know. I mean, you've had to do quite a few love scenes in TV and film.

[Rashida Jones]

I have, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And any tips or thoughts about that?

[Rashida Jones]

It's so weird. But also, comedy make out is so different than serious. Serious makeup. You're so right. You know you're right.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, like a real, genuine. Our friend Katherine Hahn has had to do a lot of sex scenes.

[Rashida Jones]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

And like, genuine, like, baby girl 5 orgasm sex scene is so intense. It is.

[Rashida Jones]

This is my baby girl dance.

[Amy Poehler]

I will be on the figure. That makes me stressed.

[Rashida Jones]

It's stressy. It's fully stressy. Yeah. I'm not. I'm not good at. I'm not the person to ask because I always feel stressed and weird about it. Because the best case scenario is that you do it and you sell some sort of chemistry. But, like, it's all above board and professional. That's the best case scenario, which is, like, Seems impossible.

[Amy Poehler]

Also, I did hear an actor's tip one time that I thought was interesting, which is if you want to get chemistry with someone. And actually, Parks and Rec did this really well, which is the camera became the gaze. Right. So, like, you know, it caught me looking at Ben, played by Adam Scott, when Adam wasn't looking. And it created this vibe and vice versa. It was so much easier than direct eye contact.

[Rashida Jones]

Totally.

[Amy Poehler]

But I heard some trick that if you want to get chemistry with an actor, look at them when they're not looking at you.

[Rashida Jones]

Ooh.

[Amy Poehler]

Like, don't try to do it with them at all. Just project all this fantasy stuff on them when they're not paying attention to you.

[Rashida Jones]

Does that work in real life?

[Amy Poehler]

I've tried and the answer's no. The answer is a hell no. Okay. Okay. So do you think some of your best acting was in Parks and Rec when you had to pretend that you didn't know who Genuine was?

[Rashida Jones]

Do you know? It's still one of my biggest complaints. I remember we did the table read for that and I was like, no, no. No one's gonna buy it because I don't buy it. Okay. Pick anybody else on this cast to try to play that in an honest way. It is so unfair that you're making me do this. It really. Yeah. It still hurts because.

[Amy Poehler]

How familiar are you with genuine reading?

[Rashida Jones]

We were married. I mean, you know, I live in 90s R&B. That's where my heart is. It's not here. I mean, it is with you, but for the most part, it's not present. It's in 90s R&B. So he's a very important figure.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. I just want to talk for a second about your relationship to music, because it's so. It's an amazing combination of deeply familiar and personal because of your family and the work you've done since you were a little kid. Like, the way music has surrounded your life. And then as an adult, knowing your relationship to music, you kind of come in as, like. I don't know how else to explain it other than a deep appreciator of it. Like, you know it and can do it, and also you deeply appreciate it. It's kind of closest to, like, an art historian or something. You know how art historians love art and they know it, and they also know how it's important. Important. I feel that you are that way about music.

[Rashida Jones]

That's really nice. Thank you.

[Amy Poehler]

What is your relationship to music?

[Rashida Jones]

Music to me is the kind of thing you can't. There's something inherent about it that you can't explain why it has the impact that it does. You can break it down. You can talk about frequencies, you can talk about combinations of notes. You can talk about BPMs. But at the end of the day, the way it makes you feel is something that's just very hard to explain, you know, in a way that feels, if you don't believe in God, like the closest to an unknown that's outside of us. Like, you can tap into something outside of us in a way that, like, even I love movies, but there's a visual aspect. So you don't, like, use your imagination as much when you're engaging with the thing.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, do you think then you're like an aural. Aural learner more than a visual learner?

[Rashida Jones]

I am. I am. And in fact, it's a shameful thing. But I took a lot of piano when I was little, and I love playing piano, but I never really learned how to read properly because I learned so well by ear. So I'd play these, like, Chopin Polonaise, like big pieces by ear. I couldn't read it. Cause I was, like, just picking it up, you know.

[Amy Poehler]

Whoa.

[Rashida Jones]

I know. It's sort of like it would be Nice to have a balance of both, but you know, it's definitely way more.

[Amy Poehler]

Aral. Aral.

[Rashida Jones]

Aral.

[Amy Poehler]

Aral. Aral. Aral.

[Rashida Jones]

Arl.

[Amy Poehler]

Arl Roberts. Remember him? I feel like we have had some hard ass laughs and I was trying to think the other day, like places that we've laughed, deep laughs. And it really does add years to my life. I know that. And I wonder if you could tell the story about when we were on Parks and it was. Cause we talk about it. We've talked about it before when we were on Parks and it was the first season, it was the hunting episode. And just to kind of set up, we were shooting that whole week way far away, somewhere in California, you know, I don't even remember where.

[Rashida Jones]

Me either.

[Amy Poehler]

And we had to do a scene with Nick Offerman and that. I think about it sometimes, the way that laugh came, it was like giggle. It was giggle, giggle orgasm city. But don't worry, we'll cut that. But what do you remember about it? What do you want?

[Rashida Jones]

Well, I remember we were. He maybe ate something weird and we were trying to give him ipecac.

[Amy Poehler]

So Nick Offerman playing Ron Swanson ate something. Yeah, I don't remember actually what happened in the show.

[Rashida Jones]

I was like determined as a nurse that I was like, you have to throw up. Like, you can't, you're gonna get sick. And he's like, I'm fine. And we were trying to get this like liquid in his mouth. And you know, it's Hollywood, so things that happen like on camera don't actually happen in real life. So it was written that we like hold him down and he's resisting us and we give him this, this thing. But like, you don't know. You don't know how small you are. Because I think both of us, like, I'm always like, I'm like a tall person, right? Like I ask people.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I feel like if I feel.

[Rashida Jones]

Tall, but I'm not. And I'm not. And I'm.

[Amy Poehler]

How tall are you?

[Rashida Jones]

Five three and a half. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I'm five two.

[Rashida Jones]

And, and, and Nick is solid. Yeah, he's a solid dude.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, he's like a Midwestern corn fed dude.

[Rashida Jones]

Dense and like, and muscular. And he, we were trying to hold him down and he was whipping us around with such ease. Like we couldn't, we actually the both of us could not hold him down. And he was like, literally he'd just go beep and we would just fly off the bed in each direction. We could not stop one of Us.

[Amy Poehler]

We each had one arm. Yeah. And he would. It felt like just the flick of a wrist. Because he was flattered.

[Rashida Jones]

He was being gentle.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. He wasn't fighting for his life.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah. No, no.

[Amy Poehler]

And we could not get him to stay down.

[Rashida Jones]

Could not. Could not.

[Amy Poehler]

And I remember that feeling also. I think there's something fun about wrestling. Like there is.

[Rashida Jones]

So good.

[Amy Poehler]

It's so good. And being thrown around is so fun.

[Rashida Jones]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

And he was throwing us around. And I feel like I just like if I was to picture it in my mind, you were just like wee. Like, I could just see you going past me and your hair going, wha. And then your legs going wee. And me. And I just remember like, Regina, like, I didn't ever see you flying by, which can't be true.

[Rashida Jones]

But I feel like we were tumbling all over the floor. Like every time we got back on the bed, we were like. And we were kind of like in each. We were both trying to be like on top of him and then like just flipping over really quickly.

[Amy Poehler]

And I think too, because Nick is such a lovely, gentle guy in general, we knew there was something about us that knew we weren't going to get hurt.

[Rashida Jones]

It was safe.

[Amy Poehler]

It was safe.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

But he was making like grunting bear sounds. It was really, really, really.

[Rashida Jones]

It was really fun.

[Amy Poehler]

That was a really. I mean, I'm trying to think of like there was so many good crack up moments. Crack up moments. I'm 100 years old.

[Rashida Jones]

What a crack up.

[Amy Poehler]

But I'm just like.

[Rashida Jones]

I was like, there's that spot in Andy and April's house, remember, where we could never get a scene done. Just that one.

[Amy Poehler]

That literally spot.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

It was haunted.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah. And then I remember there was one time you were like Rashida. Because I could not get through it. But I really. It's. It felt like haunted. It did not feel like it was my fault.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. I'm sorry I said that. There was. I. A couple times I would see bloopers for the show and I'd be like, amy, no.

[Rashida Jones]

But those days were so long.

[Amy Poehler]

They were.

[Rashida Jones]

They were long. And it was fun. Until it wasn't. You're like, oh, my God, it's 10pm we just want to go home.

[Amy Poehler]

I know. And the. And there was a scene for people that care. There was a spot on that set where anyone who stood there couldn't get their lines. And then of course, it became self fulfilling prophecy in many ways. But there was just a lot of deep laughs and deep laughs off camera. Like one of the things I treasure. There's so many things I treasure about my friendship with you was that we would be talking like this, and we'd be just talking and talking and just, like, talking about our day and talking about life. And then they would just go, action. And then we would just talk like Leslie and Ann, and we'd do our scene and be like, we kind. I'll speak for myself. Kind of knew it kind of didn't.

[Rashida Jones]

Right.

[Amy Poehler]

And then they'd cut. They'd work on it, and we would just go back to talking. Like it was like a dream job.

[Rashida Jones]

We filmed in between our conversations. And also, I think I remember very clearly in the pilot, because we had already been friends for years when we shot the pilot and they were doing one of those spy shots and we were in your office and we were talking and it was like, you know, other people were like, oh, this is great. Like, this is a thing that really works. Their friendship. We're really gonna be able to sell it. And we're like, duh, duh.

[Amy Poehler]

No kidding.

[Rashida Jones]

What do you mean?

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, they really did base the entire show, at the end of the day, on the fact that Leslie and Ann were, you know, each other's number one.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Rashida Jones]

Not hard to do.

[Amy Poehler]

No. And what. I mean, we've talked about this before, but we. When we first started the show, I think it was like. It was kind of like we were trying to figure out who was going to play what part and who was going to come on board and. And kind of like the beginnings of that show were, I'll say a little clumsy.

[Rashida Jones]

Crunchy. Crunchy, crunchy. Can we talk about it?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I'd love to.

[Rashida Jones]

Oh, my God. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

It was crazy because I think for. I don't think a lot of people know this for the beginning, I think we both were worried that we had taken each other's part.

[Rashida Jones]

Like, yes. So I had been on hold for this untitled thing that was gonna. That Greg and Mike were gonna write. And I had done a year on the Office and they let me go, which made sense. It made sense. I was born.

[Amy Poehler]

You had such a tough job there because everybody wanted Jim and Pam. And then guess who shows up. A very likable cool. And everyone was like, oh, no, wait, I love Karen.

[Rashida Jones]

It did not feel that way. People did not like me. Like, fans were not about it, but they had to create tension for the relationship to be earned later. So I was the third point in the triangle. It's fine. I, like, accept it. But anyway, so Mike was Like, we're working on this other show. I'll put you on hold. We don't know what it is yet. Remember, people thought it was like a spinoff of the Office for a second. But anyway, so they kept, like, kind of deciding, like, changing the main characters of the show. When they pitch it to me, the boss was a guy, and they didn't know if they were going to cast me or not. But I remember you were extremely pregnant.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Rashida Jones]

We'd just gotten back from Italy.

[Amy Poehler]

You and I were in Italy. Yeah, that's right.

[Rashida Jones]

We were in Italy. And it was very hot.

[Amy Poehler]

That's right.

[Rashida Jones]

And a day later, you were like, let's go to lunch. I need to talk to you about that.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you remember where we went?

[Rashida Jones]

Pastis. Yes, I do.

[Amy Poehler]

In New York City.

[Rashida Jones]

I do.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, God. And I said, let's talk about something.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah. And you said, no, no, no, you.

[Amy Poehler]

And I was like, I want you to raise this baby with me.

[Rashida Jones]

It's yours.

[Amy Poehler]

This baby is yours.

[Rashida Jones]

I know that's impossible.

[Amy Poehler]

You need to accept it.

[Rashida Jones]

But you. No, I actually hold this, this moment as, like, a gold standard of friendship and being able to take care of your oneself and the person that you love at the same time. I really do. Polos. Because it was what you did and how you did it was very hard because you took me to lunch and said, I'm so sorry. But they offered me the part, both of us thinking it was the same part. I was on hold for being created by a friend of ours. And so I immediately started crying in pasties. And you held my hand and you were so warm, and you were so. There was something about it where you were like, I know. I'm sorry, buddy. But you also. You didn't, like, do the thing that I sometimes do where I'm codependent, where I'm like, I know I suck. I'm the worst person. I don't even deserve it. Like, whatever I would say to try to make the other person feel better, which doesn't work. You didn't do that. You, like, held your space. And you also comforted me at the same time, which was like, a very beautiful thing.

[Amy Poehler]

I wonder what Scher's version of this is.

[Rashida Jones]

Let me tell you.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[Rashida Jones]

Because I left him a message almost immediately because I'm not shy. I was. And I was like, oh, I'm such an idiot for thinking I could even be on the show. Like, anybody wants me on the show. Of course, I didn't get this. Like, Amy's like a. You Know, oh, my God, what a.

[Amy Poehler]

Mean part of yourself to be.

[Rashida Jones]

Very mean. Very mean. That's a person we're trying to. To not invite to the dinner party anymore. But so I called him. I was like, hey, would love to talk to you. He was on a plane and he landed, and he's like. I was like, you want to tell me what's going on? Because it would have been really nice for you to tell me and not Amy to tell me that I wasn't getting this job. And he's like, no, no, no, back up. We changed the boss. It's a woman, and Amy's playing the boss. And I was like, you. Oh, my God. Like, we might be working together.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. It kind of went from, oh, no to oh, my God, we might be the two women on the show. Show.

[Rashida Jones]

And I still wasn't cast because I still had to do a bunch of chemistry reads after that. But. But that became, you know, this huge possibility of, like, my life being the best, from the worst to the best.

[Amy Poehler]

God, I'm sweating even thinking about that. It wasn't.

[Rashida Jones]

They had. They just hadn't decided things, and they. They were trying to build around you, I think, is what happened around that character. So I think they had just done that. And I think you wanted to tell me as soon as possible because we were so close, which was the right instinct. And Mike decided to get on a plane, which was his instinct, and he.

[Amy Poehler]

Just flew for hours. He just went to different streets, and he never got off the plane. And that's what execs do. That's what a powerful person does, is they get on the plane.

[Rashida Jones]

They just get on as many planes as possible. My phone was off, but I have.

[Amy Poehler]

To say, you were very good, and you've taught me a lot about handling feedback, because, like, you. You know, even recently, like, you reached out to friends about giving. Give me some feedback on something. And I thought about, wow. I mean, I. I'm always trying to process, taking feedback, like. Like we talked about, like, just figuring out who I can get feedback from. And I love your feedback. I trust it. I respect it. The way you give it is very caring and loving. But feedback from the wrong person?

[Rashida Jones]

Oh, yeah. Not great. Nightmare. Nightmare.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, how do you handle that?

[Rashida Jones]

I will say, you know, it's. Part of me was doing it because my little inner critic, that person that was at the table is so loud and mean and unreasonable. And so I look to people who love me and can tell me that that's not always the person I should be Listening to so weirdly my friends sometimes are like a stand in for my highest self when I can't do it for myself. So that's. I was sort of looking for that. And it's funny because I was looking for feedback about the things that kind of bring me joy and the parts of my work that my friends see light me up. The point is I was very targeted about it. I asked people that I love and respect and that is the thing to do. I think. I also think that if you are going to get feedback from people because a lot of us get unsolicited feedback.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Rashida Jones]

Bill Hader once said to me, it was when I first started writing and he was talking about notes because I did not understand that process. I didn't really start writing. So I was like in my 30s. And he said, you know, you should take the note and not the solution. And that's what I feel like with feedback and people. It's like aggregate the kind of like common threads and then you can be like, okay, I'm getting a kind of similar thing in this area where people seem to think I'm this thing. What does that actually mean? And where is that coming from for me? And is that something I feel like I can fix or investigate as opposed to being like, that person has a problem with me. And then also, as we know, everybody's.

[Amy Poehler]

Just thinking about themselves all the time, 100%. And what do you do when you're, because you're writing all the time, producing, directing, when you get a note that you deeply disagree with, how do you handle it in real time? Do you push back? Do you say, let me think about it. Do you?

[Rashida Jones]

I most likely go, that's a really good point. I'll address that. And then most of the time if you don't, it doesn't. If you make the rest of the thing good, it doesn't matter.

[Amy Poehler]

It's so true. Like, it's the advice I always try to give people that are starting out, which is don't fight every battle in real time. Because execs want to feel creative and they want to feel like they're part of it. And if you, they get embarrassed.

[Rashida Jones]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

If you're like, what a dumb ass note.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Why would you say just such a stupid thing?

[Rashida Jones]

And also it's a waste of energy because it's such a long process and if you're like using all of your, you know, currency to fight back with everything, you're going to be exhausted, you're not going to be able to Be creative. Whereas if you go, yeah, great idea, let's. We're going to figure out how to solve that, you know.

[Amy Poehler]

But then you don't do it sometimes.

[Rashida Jones]

Sometimes it doesn't make sense because the thing they're asking for isn't. Is, you know, completely contradictory to the other thing they're asking for. That happens a lot. So you can't do both again. It's like if somebody's having a problem with an area of the script or like a theme of the script or a character, you know something's wrong, but they're never gonna know how to fix it. You have to do that.

[Amy Poehler]

When I gave you some feedback recently, one of the things that I said that you love to do is dance.

[Rashida Jones]

I was gonna bring that up.

[Amy Poehler]

I wanna talk about dancing.

[Rashida Jones]

Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

The importance of dancing in your life.

[Rashida Jones]

And our lives and our lives.

[Amy Poehler]

And I want to tell you something fun about this show. So we do this thing, like a little secret, like talking behind people's backs, but in a good way. Which is before I interview you, I do a little zoom with people and ask them what I should ask you. So before you came today, I zoomed Retta and Darcy and was like, you guys, I'm talking everybody, Rashida, what should we ask her? And we all started talking about dancing. Cause we were talking about how we love doing it with you. How we've done it so much with you. How we had the joy of like doing with you over and over again at birthdays. And it was so fun to talk about. Cause it's like what a lot of people associate with you is the feeling of dancing and the feeling of like, what it feels like to be good at dancing.

[Rashida Jones]

Thank you.

[Amy Poehler]

So what's your relationship to it? What does it do for you?

[Rashida Jones]

Well, I will say when we first met, I felt like we got right into dancing right away. Like we'd go out in New York and we would dance. Like it was almost like that was the way we got to know each other. Like we sat and talked, but also we just went and danced. And there again, there's something. There's something that's so. That feels so instinctive, non verbal like just being in your body. I think as somebody who like probably is in my brain too much. It's a relief to dance. It's such a relief to dance. Yeah. And I don't even know how to describe it. I just want to be dancing all the time. And you know, me too. Just want to be dancing all the time.

[Amy Poehler]

I think I'm A little. I think that I. My, especially in social, you know, like at social events, I get a little anxious and I need to express it somehow.

[Rashida Jones]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

And the chatting and talking, like you said, the small talk makes me feel crazy.

[Rashida Jones]

Yes, yes, I would. And there's nothing worse for me than being in a small talk conversation and seeing the dance floor and hearing a song and being like, I can't believe I'm not there right now. And some I have very rudely been like, excuse me, and just run to the dance floor because I cannot miss a good song. And Darcy and Retta and you have all been to my birthday party. So I used to have an annual birthday party that was the Pajama Jammy Jam. And there were very strict rules. They were, come in your pajamas. You can't not. You will not be let in without your pajamas. I only serve cereal and pizza and candy. And this is not a party for socializing. There will be no talking at a corner. You're there to dance and dance only. You have to dance. And people stuck to the rules and the people, like the die hard people who want to be there to dance. You could tell, like, there is like a. There's certain people who are like that, and there's some people that are not.

[Amy Poehler]

I remember in those early years too, people saying, I don't really like to dance. Should I come?

[Rashida Jones]

And I'd say, no, no, yeah, don't come. It's fine. We'll come, we'll hang out some other time in a different way. But that's not this.

[Amy Poehler]

Have a cup of coffee outside of a deli sometime. But not, not this, not this.

[Rashida Jones]

And it is like, it is a marathon. Like, we get there, we are on the dance floor. DJ Tendaji is messing it up, like every era, just crushing it. And we're just there for six and a half hours with a couple of water breaks. Like, we just don't even talk to each other.

[Amy Poehler]

No. But Retta was so funny. She was like. Retta was saying, like, the thing I love the most is when you find out a white guy can really dance. And she said, max Greenfield. Yeah, Max Greenfield, really brought it.

[Rashida Jones]

Also, Ben Schwartz, great dancer.

[Amy Poehler]

People should know that.

[Rashida Jones]

John Ralphio, dancer and also, like, understands 90s R&B and 2000 R&B in like a deep, deep historical way. Also, like, there's. It's great because it's such an equalizer to wear pajamas. It's not like. And I, and I, you know, if you want to wear like a sexy pajama okay. But that's not really the point. The point is to be comfortable and be kind of uniform in the sense that you can really focus on the dancing. I sound like extremely strict about this. And it's not. Not. It's actually fun. And the way we're talking about it makes it sound like it's not fun.

[Amy Poehler]

You're talking to a person that. I think rules are what make things fun. I hear somebody laughing in this room. I don't know why that's funny. Rules. Rules are boundaries.

[Rashida Jones]

Right.

[Amy Poehler]

Everything has like, you know, you can't just be like, come whenever and anybody can come or whatever. It's like, that's a nightmare. If someone's like from 7 to 11 or we're going here or like that. I feel seen, taken care of. Somebody said, I'm gonna do this thing, it's gonna go like this. Then you can have your feelings about it. But this is what I like. It makes me feel like people are taking care of themselves.

[Rashida Jones]

Very Swim Lesson. Yes. Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. Swim lesson.

[Rashida Jones]

I just remembered my high school friends also all up in the.

[Amy Poehler]

All of your high school friends. And I know all of your high school friends because of those jammy jams and your college friends.

[Rashida Jones]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

And they're amazing.

[Rashida Jones]

Thank you. Thanks.

[Amy Poehler]

And they're so fun. But talk to us about Swim Lesson for a second because. Yes. Tell us what Swim Lesson is.

[Rashida Jones]

Well, to your point, it's a movie about a swim teacher, Bill Marsh, who has taught over 5,000 kids from like ages 2 to 5. And he has a very particular way of teaching. But part of that is the sort of boundary, his boundaries that he sets with these kids. So he's like, you can have all the feelings you want, but you have to stay in the pool. It's an eight day intensive program. And the hope and actually the outcome most of the time, very, very, very most of the time is that the kids have these breakthroughs and they go from crying and screaming and vomiting and running out of the pool to really enjoying being underwater and actually swimming a little bit. And it is this sort of parable for what it is to be alive. It's the first of many, many, many times that you will face something that you don't understand, that you're scared of, that you don't know how to do, and you make some progress and you feel good about yourself and you push through that. And it's both the pushing through it and the learning something new that makes you feel, that gives you self esteem.

[Amy Poehler]

And you and Will McCormick directed it produced it.

[Rashida Jones]

It's a short documentary, beautiful short doc.

[Amy Poehler]

It's winning a ton of awards, and it's. Where can we see it?

[Rashida Jones]

You can see it on YouTube. On the LA Times channel. On YouTube.

[Amy Poehler]

Highly recommended. It's so incredible. We got to screen it. I got to see it when you screened it at Pixar, which was very special.

[Rashida Jones]

That's so awes.

[Amy Poehler]

And I don't think a lot of people know about your tenure at Pixar like you. I mean, that of the, like, you know, it's almost impossible, Bones, to get a full, you know. You know, I just have to do little snapshots of your wide and illustrious career. Cause you have done so many things. You do so many things so well. And because you're a curious person who likes to challenge themselves, you also are just doing new things all the time. And on top of the million places that people have seen you act and the things they've seen, you write and direct, I don't think people also know that you had a stint at Pixar where you were writing, and you just have this way in which you. You kind of are of the world. You really want to experience a lot of things.

[Rashida Jones]

Thank you for saying that, because for me, it's like a. I don't want it to be a problem, but it's like I see myself as a generalist almost, you know, like, where I don't. I sort of do like a little dot, like a tiny little dive into all these areas. But, like, a lot of people by the time they're 50, have done a deep dive into one area, and I feel grateful that I haven't totally done that. But then in some regards, I'm like, had I spent all of those hours doing one thing, would I be like, that kind of, you know, would I be like a, you know, virtuosic in one place? I think also, I mean, the truth is, you know, my beloved father, who passed away a couple months ago, he. The bar of what he accomplished in this world is so high. It's unfairly high for anybody. And thank God for him, because he really did, like, change culture. And so if I were being honest, like, you know, he was a great dad and he loved me, and he was so encouraging and he was so proud of me. But at the end of the day, like, I'm looking at this person who's accomplished things that are, like, unimaginable, and I can't not let that enter my orbit. So, yeah, my standards are stupidly high, like, and unfairly. High to myself. So that's, like, also something I'm thinking about as I approach 50. I'm like, okay, how do I let go? That was his life. I'm so glad he let it. And that's not my life. And what is my life? And also, what do I find kind of, like joy and connection and what do I feel good at doing in my life? That has nothing to do with that. And also, I do feel like there's this hat trick where the oppression of only being one thing and being, like, domestic, you know, domestic and whatever, and knocking out of the house. We've done the opposite. Which is, like, the pressure, the oppression of, like, having to do everything and then pretend like it's all easy and we're all fine with it. Like, yeah, that's. It's impossible. It's impossible. It's an impossible standard.

[Amy Poehler]

And I. Like. One of the reasons why I want to do this podcast is, as I've watched so many men do, the bare minimum.

[Rashida Jones]

Is this. Is this your bare minimum?

[Amy Poehler]

And this I'm truly giving 25%, which is for most people, is 75%. But it's like, enough is enough. Enough with the 100%.

[Rashida Jones]

Sure.

[Amy Poehler]

And enough with improving ourselves and listening to stuff about how we're supposed to get better and better and better.

[Rashida Jones]

But it will make the rest of our life very interesting. Well, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, we're all gonna live on a farm together. And, you know, like. Right. We're all gonna live on a farm together.

[Rashida Jones]

Right. 100%.

[Amy Poehler]

So Darcy and Retta had two questions for you.

[Rashida Jones]

Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

They're kind of the same question. And then I'm going to finish with the question that we're asking everybody on Good Hang. So the question they had for you, which is kind of a cute question because it kind of got. Came off of us hanging out and talking about how Retta described you as, like, you know, like, Rashida can be the lawyer of the group, which I love. So true. Which is like, Wait, hold on. But it got us talking about who Little Rashida. Like, what did little Rashida want to be when she grew up? What was her. What does she want her job to be?

[Rashida Jones]

Well, Retta is partially right. I wanted to be a lawyer.

[Amy Poehler]

Really?

[Rashida Jones]

Mm. I wanted to be a lawyer or a judge or the president. No, thanks. No thanks to that one. But, yeah, I wanted to be a lawyer or a judge.

[Amy Poehler]

Did you know anyone that was a lawyer or a judge?

[Rashida Jones]

My grandfather was a lawyer, and my uncle is a judge.

[Amy Poehler]

No way. My uncle Richard is a judge, and you saw him. Did you ever see him in action, like, see him bang a gavel and, like, judge?

[Rashida Jones]

No, but he. His brain is just that. He's got that brain. He's just like. He's like. See, he's parsing all the details, and he's putting the facts together, and he's, like, assessing. I love that.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you think you would, like. You make a good jury member? Do you think you're able to be?

[Rashida Jones]

I don't.

[Amy Poehler]

Me neither.

[Rashida Jones]

I don't think so. I don't think so. I think it would be. I'm too emotional for that same judge is different because I think you're, like. You are considering emotion that's in there. I mean, obviously, you're considering facts. But I think I like the idea of being the adjudicator of right and wrong, which is something I'm, like, trying to let go of as I get older because there's so much gray and, like, it's so boring to think that, you know, morally, what's the right thing for anybody, you know? But I think I liked it, like, as a kid, you know, like, you were always trying to suss out, like, where your boundaries are and, like, what's good and what's bad. And I think I liked the idea of, like, really enforcing that.

[Amy Poehler]

You know, we did a fun, jokey thing on Parks and Rec where we took a picture one day on some, like, courthouse steps. Me, you, Kathryn Hahn, Adam Scott, Paul Ruddy. And we looked like we were in a 90s drama called Philly justice, what we called ourselves. And then, because it was whatever, season seven of Parks, and we were probably phoning it in at that point, but we ended up pretending that we used to be in that show. And we did a whole text chain.

[Rashida Jones]

The writers took the time off writing the show and wrote an entire episode of Philly Justice.

[Amy Poehler]

That's right. The writers wrote an episode that we felt filmed that I have a copy of that I keep wanting to put on, like, TikTok. I know. Oh, it's so good. Morgan Sackett, our producer, sent me the full thing. And you play Angie Martinez.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And she's a lawyer.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah, Right.

[Amy Poehler]

She's a lawyer.

[Rashida Jones]

She's a young. She's like a young defense attorney or something. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And there's a bunch of scenes where you object to things and you throw things at you.

[Rashida Jones]

Not in a courtroom.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, you're not in a courtroom. And you. I think you and Han like a rivalry. No, I think you're in love.

[Rashida Jones]

Oh, we are.

[Amy Poehler]

I think you guys, maybe you yell at each other and then you kiss. At some point I forget, oh, my God, I gotta get that out there on the Internet so people can see it.

[Rashida Jones]

That was really fun.

[Amy Poehler]

But it's so fun. And there is a side of you that 100% I could see going in and putting a briefcase down.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah, I'm not going to law school, but yeah, I think some part of me thinks I'm a judge. Isn't that just a testament to how much downtime you have on a set? That we created an entirely new show?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. We had time for a whole other show that no one ever saw. Okay. And then the last question. Good hang. So we're trying to figure out how to like, continually self regulate here and find joy in all different places. And like, I'm asking everybody to talk about what gives them relief. What is the thing they go to and they want to like, laugh, check out, tune in, take a load off. It's small or big, but I feel like we learn a lot about somebody by what they laugh at. What's yours?

[Rashida Jones]

Well, contrary to what we just talked about, which is I love good music and I love, you know, I love the emotionality of listening to great music. Nothing makes me laugh harder than really confident, really bad singing. Like, sincerely confident bad singing.

[Amy Poehler]

People that know that they're doing Imagine.

[Rashida Jones]

Okay, I'm not laughing at them. I just like the gusto in which people. Like, I would watch the first couple seasons of American Idol with Friends, like appointment television, sit down. Not like when it got to the good people, but like those first five episodes where people were just coming in hard with like no musicality whatsoever.

[Amy Poehler]

And they were super cocky.

[Rashida Jones]

Super cocky. There was one girl who, it was like, what she did was actually musically amazing because she was tone deaf. She went to like six different keys in like 20 seconds. Like, just kind of brilliant, but didn't.

[Amy Poehler]

Know and nailed it and walked out being like, I got it.

[Rashida Jones]

She said she was like, more. That's what she said.

[Amy Poehler]

It's so interesting that you say that because there must be some, like, psychological part of you that likes the way people are approaching music as something that you revere.

[Rashida Jones]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

So badly. Like, it must be a huge release.

[Rashida Jones]

It is, it is. And to that point, I remember there's David Wynn and I once I pitched this bit to him. It did not go well when we did it at comedy at Sketch Fest. Is that what it's called, Sketch Fest? Where I was like, let's do California. California. What was California dream Dreaming California dreaming I'm like, but let's do it, like, super genuine, sincere. Come in, like, with the guitar, like, start singing. And then I'm gonna come in with the harmonies, and they're gonna be totally wrong. It was funny in concept, but, like, it was a release. It was like a feeling like, oh, I don't have to sound good.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Rashida Jones]

I could just go for it.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you. Have you ever seen that Domingo sketch on snl?

[Rashida Jones]

Totally.

[Amy Poehler]

That's kind of like when they.

[Rashida Jones]

Great job.

[Amy Poehler]

When they come in so off. Yes.

[Rashida Jones]

How do they do that? I wonder if somebody coached them how to sing badly. Because there's good singers singing badly.

[Amy Poehler]

I know. Like, it's satisfying to watch, like, Ariana Grande not get the note.

[Darcy Carden]

Yes.

[Rashida Jones]

Yes. But it's not like, sometimes when really good singers sing badly, they're like. And you could tell they're good singers. They're actually doing a good job convincing people they're bad.

[Amy Poehler]

When you do karaoke or see people sing karaoke, do you like it when they're off?

[Rashida Jones]

That's a little bit more painful because it's in person.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. You know, so just to get. Get it down to the nitty gritty. It's like being with friends watching on tv. Someone that comes in and, like, buckle up. And then they just start singing, and then they just wail Roar by Katy Perry and they get it way wrong. And then they leave being like, nailed it.

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Suck on that. Yeah.

[Rashida Jones]

People who don't. Who are so confident were like, if you laughed, they wouldn't crumble. Like, I would. I don't want. I'm gonna want to hurt anybody's feelings. Yeah. I mean.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Yeah, that's good. That makes me want to watch old American Idol.

[Rashida Jones]

I'm gonna send you some because I found them again. I found, like, the girl that knocked my socks.

[Amy Poehler]

Wait, let me just look at her up before we go, because we can do this now. I have a laptop.

[Rashida Jones]

It's deep in, like, a. It's like, in a super cut of, like.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you remember her name?

[Rashida Jones]

I don't, but it's like.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you remember what she sang?

[Rashida Jones]

Yeah, she's saying. She's saying Phil Collins. Take a look. Against all odds. And she came and she was like. People say I look just like Mariah Carey, and I sound just like her too.

[Amy Poehler]

Is this her?

[Rashida Jones]

No, that's not her.

[Amy Poehler]

You sure? Oh, my God, it's her. Okay, okay. Oh, my God. Okay, sorry. We gotta listen to this before we go. Oh, yeah. She said she looks Like, Mariah Carey. She doesn't not look like Mariah Carey. She's cute. She's cute.

[Rashida Jones]

You gotta turn her way up.

[Amy Poehler]

You would not think that this is gonna go badly. Like, that's what I mean.

[Rashida Jones]

She's cute, and she's wearing the shaw.

[Amy Poehler]

She's wearing a shawl. She has really cute hair. She's like. She definitely. Like, she wears cute jeans. And she's a little too close to the judges, which is already making me nervous. Like, she's standing too close to the table, which she doesn't have a good.

[Rashida Jones]

Like, here she goes. You ready?

[Amy Poehler]

Here she goes. Okay, hold on. Standby.

[Rashida Jones]

The end, she goes off. Watch. What? Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow.

[Rashida Jones]

Like, that's, like, acrobatic. That's hard to do. Like, I could. I've tried to imitate that. It's hard to do.

[Amy Poehler]

That is very, very good. You're right. That's very, very satisfying to watch because you're right. She's kind of good. She just not. She's. She's not hitting any notes.

[Rashida Jones]

No. She's not hitting any keys. And any keys within that. She's hitting all the keys, which is amazing. Like, it's really hard to do.

[Amy Poehler]

She's also doing something that I like when singers do where she's holding her throat as if that, like, she's like, I'll get it.

[Rashida Jones]

She's so nervous. I mean, she's so nervous. You can tell. But she's like. She's like, this is not going well. She knows. She starts to figure it out.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow, that is really satisfying. I'm gonna. Hold on. I'm gonna send that to myself so I can watch it again, because that's so good. Also, take a look at me now Now. Cause you're just an empty space and you come and pay me. And then at one point, she goes. She gets a little shout, too. She didn't seem to be feeling like it was going badly, though.

[Rashida Jones]

So really, I think she. I think she was like, oh, maybe too late. But she was like, oh, because she was. I think this was like, please stop.

[Amy Poehler]

Please stop.

[Rashida Jones]

Please just stop.

[Amy Poehler]

How funny would it have been at the very end, she ended and went.

[Rashida Jones]

Oh, that would have been so funny.

[Amy Poehler]

If she said, oh at the end. All right. Love you, Bones. Thanks for doing this. Thank you for those.

[Rashida Jones]

That was fun.

[Amy Poehler]

All right. Thank you so much, Rashida Jones. You were the best. I love you. Thank you for doing this for me. I don't think you had much of a choice, but thank you for doing it anyway. And I will do anything for you. We talked a lot about music and it makes me think that before this episode is over, I feel like I need to just ask Chapel Roan if she'll come on again. Chapel? Chapel, are you there? Are you listening? We've been reaching out to your team and I'm assuming that no answer means a maybe. And I'm excited about having you on. I just think you're the best. I just love your music and everything that you're doing for the music industry and I kind of started this podcast to talk to you and when you come on, I'm going to end it. So I haven't told Spotify that yet, but you will be my last guest. So Chapel, come on soon because I'm tired and I'd love to wrap it up. So thank you everybody for listening. Thanks for hanging and we'll catch you next time you've been listening to good hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by the Ringer and Paper Kite for the Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, cat Spillane, Kaia McMullen and Alaia Zaneris. For Paper Kite production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles. This episode is presented by the Toyota Grand Highlander. Life's journey brings constant change. Filled with exciting surprises, new chapters and grand challenges. And the Toyota Grand Highlander is more than a vehicle. It's your partner in embracing all life throws at. You blinked and the kids have grown up. The third row can fit three adults. From daily routines to life changing adventures, the Toyota Grand Highlander is up for every grand challenge. Learn [e-mail] Grand Highlander Toyota let's go Places. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Uber Eats is delivering game day deals because you can't watch eight hours of basketball a day on an empty stomach. I love to watch TV on my couch and then never get back up. And so once I'm down it's hard to stand and I definitely don't want to drive and get food. So Uber Eats delivers my food to me and then I shuffle over to my door in my pajamas and I grab the food. So whatever you're craving. Uber Eats has deals on all your game day favorites. You never have to miss a single buzzer beater. Get game day deals on all your favorites only on Uber Eats. Order now.