Rashida Jones on Making Time’s 100 Most Influential People, Amy Poehler's Tribute & Black Mirror

Summary

In this lively interview, Rashida Jones discusses her recent recognition as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people and reflects on her career. She shares her curiosity-driven approach to life and reveals her long friendship with Amy Poehler. The conversation also touches on her past creative endeavors, including an amusing behind-the-scenes project with her 'Parks and Recreation' colleagues, a fake procedural show titled 'Philly Justice.' Rashida opens up about her experience working on 'Black Mirror' and her longstanding admiration for the series, while adding humor and personal anecdotes along the way.

Takeaways

• 😀 Rashida Jones was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.
• 😀 Rashida shared her surprise at being included on the list, noting she wasn’t told in advance who else would be on it.
• 😀 Amy Poehler, a longtime friend of Rashida, praised her in an article, describing her as 'a graceful and grounded example of openhearted flow.'
• 😀 Rashida and Amy have been friends for around 25 years, having met when Amy was on SNL and Rashida visited a friend who worked there.
• 😀 Rashida revealed she has a curious nature, being interested in a wide variety of subjects and fascinated by people, even the small details like auto parts.
• 😀 Rashida and Amy created a fake show, 'Philly Justice,' while working on *Parks and Recreation*, writing scripts and shooting scenes between filming.
• 😀 'Philly Justice' was a parody of legal dramas, with characters, backstories, and even fake publicity photos, showing the humorous side of life on a TV set.
• 😀 Despite their passion for 'Philly Justice,' the project was largely kept secret, and there’s still hope to see it released in the future.
• 😀 As a child, Rashida was a fan of sketch comedy and parody news shows, such as *Not Necessarily the News* on HBO, which she loved despite it being a bit adult for her age.
• 😀 Rashida shared a humorous childhood memory about submitting a 'sniglet' (a made-up word) to *Not Necessarily the News*, which she called 'Brushoids' for toothbrushes with toothpaste stuck at the bottom.
• 😀 Rashida recalled a pre-Shazam moment when she and friends called a radio station to figure out a song they couldn’t remember, illustrating the 'good old days' of relying on human help for things we now take for granted through apps.
• 😀 Rashida stars in an episode of *Black Mirror* season 7, where her character faces a tragic event and the impact of integrating technology into her life, leading to an unexpected and dystopian scenario.
• 😀 Rashida's involvement with *Black Mirror* came after cold-emailing Charlie Brooker, the show's creator, and eventually writing an episode with Mike Shure titled 'Nosedive' in season 3.

Q & A

What accomplishment was Rashida Jones recently recognized for?

Rashida Jones was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.

How did Rashida react to being named one of the 100 most influential people?

Rashida was surprised but appreciated the recognition, mentioning that she was unsure if she'd continue to influence others the next year.

Who wrote about Rashida Jones for Time's 100 most influential people list?

Amy Poehler wrote about Rashida Jones in the Time magazine feature.

What unique description did Amy Poehler give Rashida Jones in her write-up?

Amy Poehler described Rashida Jones as 'a graceful and grounded example of openhearted flow.'

How long have Rashida and Amy Poehler been friends?

Rashida and Amy Poehler have been friends for about 25 years.

What was the fictional show Rashida and Amy Poehler created while working on 'Parks and Recreation'?

They created a fictional show called 'Philly Justice,' which they even wrote scripts for and shot scenes for during breaks on 'Parks and Recreation.'

Did the bosses on 'Parks and Recreation' approve of Rashida and Amy Poehler's fictional show?

No, the bosses were not happy about it as they focused more on their real show, 'Parks and Recreation,' but the project became an obsession for them.

What was the premise of the fake show 'Philly Justice'?

'Philly Justice' was a legal procedural drama inspired by shows like 'Boston Legal' and 'Ally McBeal.' The two created detailed character backstories, wrote an episode, and even took fake publicity photos for it.

What was the concept of Rashida's 'sniglet' from her childhood?

Rashida wrote a 'sniglet' called 'Brushoids,' which referred to the toothpaste residue left at the bottom of a toothbrush.

What is the meaning of 'sniglets,' as explained in the script?

Sniglets are made-up words that should be real words but are usually humorous or absurd in nature.

What did Rashida Jones reveal about her childhood television preferences?

Rashida loved sketch comedy, parody news shows, and particularly enjoyed watching 'Not Necessarily the News' on HBO, even though her family didn't have access to HBO.

How did Rashida react when she couldn't figure out a song before apps like Shazam existed?

Rashida recalled calling a radio station in her 20s to figure out the song she was thinking of, which turned out to be 'Heart to Heart' by Kenny Loggins.

What is the main plot of Rashida's 'Black Mirror' episode?

In her 'Black Mirror' episode, Rashida plays a character who, after a tragic event, makes a difficult decision involving technology, ultimately leading to her running ads without realizing it.

What is Rashida's relationship with the show 'Black Mirror'?

Rashida was a big fan of 'Black Mirror' and even reached out to the show's creator, Charlie Brooker, to express her interest in being involved. She had previously written an episode for the series.

What was Rashida's experience with calling radio stations in her youth?

Rashida mentioned calling a radio station to identify a song, a memory that now feels nostalgic compared to today's instant access to music through apps like Shazam.