The Office: Dunder Mifflin Is In 'The Last Of Us' And 14 More Facts
Thanks to the podcast industrial complex giving us endless retrospectives and desperate home cooks wondering exactly how long to toast the ancho chiles for the perfect beef-and-bean soup, we might never run out of new The Office facts to post for posterity. Here are 15 about the show that make us never want to go to its namesake:
LEGO Made A Whole Set Of Dunder-Mifflin
Everybody's workin' for the weekend…so we can go home and play with our cubicle-themed toys? Hey, whatever spreads the word about the cautionary tale of office culture.
…And So Did The Last Of Us
An office is for not dying, and sure, we'd certainly spend eternity embarrassed that we kicked the bucket wearing a refied bean-crusted Taco Bell work shirt. Barricade the doors and shoot stragglers from Vance Refrigeration in the PS5 remake of The Last Of Us.
The Best Way To Answer The Age-Old Question
Having will they/won't they sexual tension is Sitcom 101. Having the cojones to resolve that tension while still continuing to church out quality product? Like any long-lasting marriage, that takes real maturity from the writers. Hey, speaking of…
So Many Writers Became Actors
If The Office has a layer of realism because not everyone looks like glossy photoshoot-level hot person, they come by it honestly. Of course, the entire Cracked staff is nothing but Apollos and Venuses, but we've heard rumors that most writers look like they sit at a computer typing all day. Hey, sometimes a random person on set is the best extra.
The Actors Did Stuff To Make Themselves Look More ‘Normal'
To be a person in Hollywood is to become a veneer-capped, spray-tan-sheened cartoon of a human who has to look unrealistically idealized for the camera. The Office, however, wanted a more “authentic” look for its cast, as Jenna Fischer details in this 2008 interview.
The Actors Had Myspace Blogs
Wikimedia Commons: egg (Hong, Yun Seon)
Because nothing screams “I have to look present even though this entire meeting could've been an email” like dicking around on your computer during scenes where you don't have any lines. We're just glad Creed had an actual place to get his CreedThoughts out before QAnon conspiracies took over.
The Office Continues To Be Popular, Even As Work From Home Becomes The Norm
The show made a lot of people wary of white collar jobs, and now it seems the days of drab open floor spaces are going the way of the dodo. Yet The Office continues to find new viewers, presumably from young people who want to understand why their parents are so downtrodden all the time.
HR Pros Use The Series For Training
What better way to lower the stakes of cringe moments than using a TV show as an example? And The Office sure does provide examples of cringe in the workplace.
The Show Self-Consciously Leaned In To Internet Fame
Watching the first couple of seasons, you have to applaud the series' commitment to the mockumentary bit. Camerawork is erratic, actors look like your layabout cousin finally followed up on some leads from the temp agency, and the “I'd rather chew rusty nails than go to Chili's with my boss” energy is palpable. But realism can only carry a show so far, especially when that documentary crew has been hanging around way longer than needed to get footage. What can you do when you can't be The Bicycle Thieves? Lean into memes.
The Office, With Illustrated Essays
When a show is this good, sometimes you just gotta write down all of your feelings. New York Times bestselling author Shea Serrano thought so at least, penning ten illustrated essays with artist Arturo Torres to create a digital product for a paperless world.
Maybe The Michael Scott Paper Company Wasn't Such A Bad Idea
It was a stupid idea: Michael, Ryan, and Pam breaking off from their established company to start their own dead-tree-slinging operation. But maybe if Michael had waiting a couple years and really gone nuts with memes and TikToks, he could've gotten in on some of the eight-figure deals being thrown around for his jokes.
The Dundies Are Partially Based On Greg Daniels's Dad
“He'd wear a Carnac hat—you know, the turban—and his name was Aaron, so he'd be ‘Aaronac.'” says Greg Daniels. Sounds like a guy who would star in an Agent Michael Scarn movie pro bono.
The Importance Of A Good Casting Director
Keep your eyeballs on the TV before the “play next episode” countdown on your streaming service is up and you'll see the name Allison Jones. There's a reason she gets such high billing, being one of the best eyes for talent in Hollywood.
Fittingly, Michael Scott's Condo Is The Worst WFH Environment
Who wants to work at the same place you Foreman Grilled your own foot? We know that homeownership is a pipe dream to a lot of Millennials and Gen Z homies, but please don't make the same mistakes Michael did if you ever want to purchase your way into rent control.
Pam's Painting Of The Office Park Might Become a Relic
Try Googling the show, and you might get a bunch of articles about the commercial real estate crisis that is a byproduct of people trying to stay alive during COVID-19 lockdowns. As more and more people realize that a day on the job is far more pleasant without an hours-long Office Space-style commute. “We're not a workplace, we're a family” was always corporate BS anyway.
