I enjoy watching House as a character far more than I'd enjoy being in the same building with him as a real person. I think the show's explained at least part of why he gets as much slack as he does, especially in the episode Three Stories.

For me, House falls somewhere between Mal kicking the badguy into the turbine and early season Spike. I wouldn't want to hang with pre-chipped Spike but he was a lot of fun to watch.

I could be a less nosy person.

Nah.

As Cuddy once said, she's the only hospital that will hire him because he's such a jerk.

That doesn't explain why she keeps him around, though. He's got a job there because the show is named after him -- any real-world hospital would have fired him years ago, "emotional reasons" or not.

(And yet, it's still the only medical show I know other than Scrubs that's watched by my real-world medical relatives. I think they enjoy watching a doctor get away with being an ass to his stupid patients, regardless of the absurdity of the medicine.)

I love Mal and early Spike. When they insisted everyone should play by the rules, even when it doesn't work, I respected where they thought their authority lied. They were trying to escape the grace of others. House, rather, depends on it. I'd also rather watch people get killed than having people be mean to them.

Not sure why.

Yet? Love Profit.

But that's what I like about the show. Everybody thinks House is a prick, and he is paying for it.

Unfortunately, being considered a prick is like being considered awkward: whether you think you are or not doesn't matter. He's a prick! An unrepentant one who seems to enjoy the reactions he gets.

I watch the show from a distance, thinking What kind of freak gets off on being hated? rather than thinking what it would be like to work with him. If I worked with him, either he or I would quickly end the interaction, either via harassment lawsuit, or assault, or some other exciting throwdown the details of which I cannot conjure up. Still and all, I should think he would respect a woman who takes his cane away from him to beat him with it. It is something he would do, in a fight.

I should think he would respect a woman who takes his cane away from him to beat him with it.

I thought he did?

She's all rambling and paranoid and I have ZERO idea what to do.

Um, do you think the paranoia's potentially dangerous? To you, I mean? 'Cause there's not getting a coworker into trouble and there's a coworker thinking you're one of Them and stabbing you with a letter opener. I don't mean to be too alarmist and clearly you're there and know what's up, and I'm not. But be careful, 'kay?

I agree with Cashmere -- HR will know the people to call if intervention is truly warranted. Or you could go to her and share your concern directly -- she may not know how she's coming off to others. Or does she have a boss that you could talk to privately?

It's not 'tattling' if it's a serious problem.

I guess I see House as like Buffalo Bill (was it?): it's about an unlikable person. I can certainly see why you'd find it watch-from-the-hall material, especially if you're already saddled with this sort of jerk in real life. I enjoy it because I like seeing something other than the standard adorable-misunderstood-quirky-person as the lead.

Trudy, if she's scaring you that much, I'd give someone in HR a call. See if someone can talk to her. She just might need the help.

I'm just hesitant because she and I are so new -- I don't know how they react here and I don't want her to lose her job.

She's all rambling and paranoid and I have ZERO idea what to do.

Like, truly incoherent, not in touch with reality?

At first she just seemed upset by family stuff. Saying that her ex husband had accused her of stealing. A little loudly for the workplace "they took me away in handcuffs! In my nightgown! They didn't even let me brush my teeth!". Then she started saying her whole family was in on it... still sorta normal. THEN she started saying she's being watched wherever she goes, like the grocery store. That's when I got spooked.