Sad Day...but it doesnt have to be!

Because of the WGA strike, last night was the last new episode of "The Office" until they reach an agreement.I am sure you know about it by now, but if not you can get the gist of it here. Basically, the writers want their money for DVD sales and advertisement money derived from streaming shows for free on the Internet. Admittedly, I don't know enough about this subject to have a valid opinion, but I say give them their money. If it weren't for the writers, the actors wouldn't have anything to act, the suits wouldn't have anything to air. Just give them their money, so I can keep being entertained. Selfish on my part? Maybe...but it makes sense to me. If anyone has any insight as to why this shouldn't be my opinion, I would listen eagerly.
However, the writers strike was not the point of this post. My intentions were to highlight the awesomeness that is "The Office". As mentioned in my "Netflix" post, I didn't start watching The Office until late last season, but it didn't take me long before I was addicted. I don't know how I missed it for 2-1/2, but I felt very much like I had been missing out on something special.

I have been a big TV fan my life and there have been several TV shows I have liked in the past: Seinfeld, Friends, Perfect Strangers (or, Balki, as I affectionately referred to it as a kid.)..... but, I believe this is the first show that I have ever been truly addicted to. Laughter is truly is my nicotine. In cliche-uage, it is pure comedic genius. Each week, I can't wait until Thursdays when the new episode airs (which is why I am saddened today.)

On the flip side, the reruns never get old. You really find something new to laugh at each time you watch one. Pretty much every single line is quotable. I subscribe to an email that sends the best quotes over on Friday morning. I laugh, almost as hard as I did the night before, just reading the email of quotes. My cube-mates can attest to this. I am also bringing them into The Office loop. I already have one converted and working on my second. I am their Jim Jones and The Office is my Kool-Aid, just replace the mass suicide with mass laughter.

I will be patient with them because it took about 2-3 episodes for it’s humor to really hit me. The first time I saw it, I just didn't quite get it. I think it is because I didn't know what was going, the mock-umentary style was throwing me off, and I didn't know the characters or their personalities at all. For example the following quote from Dwight: I have been Michael's number two guy for about five years, and we make a great team. We're like one of those classic famous teams. He's like Mozart and I'm like Mozart's friend. No, I'm like Butch Cassidy and Michael is like Mozart. You try and hurt Mozart, you're gonna get a bullet in your head, courtesy of Butch Cassidy. Now that I know Dwight, this is hilarious. At the time, I just thought he was an idiot. Ok, he’s still an idiot, just a hilarious one now. I understand the depth that was in Jim's quote to Pam: Then it's a date. However, I had heard such praise from so many other people, I decided I would stick with it. By the third episode, the love affair had begun.

Also, I put the lovable, ill-tempered, bloody man-nippled, a capella singing, Cornell grad Andy Bernard up there with my favorite TV characters of all time. That is a bold statement, but I stand by it. I won't try to list his quotes because they probably won't go across as well in print, especially with out you knowing the character, but I laugh at just about everything he says. Or sings. A couple of his most memorable moments for me would be 1) the time he punched a whole in the wall because Jim hid his cell phone in the ceiling tiles because he had recorded himself singing Rockin’ Robin (all 4 parts) and would call himself over and over just to hear but couldn't find it when it was ringing and finally got too frustrated. 2) And when he fell into the lake at the beach games with the sumo wrestler suit on. "But, don't worry about ol' Andy Bernard because he is going to make it, with name repetition, personality mirroring, and positive reinforcement through smiles and head nods."

I know that I probably didn't do The Office justice in my attempted blog post. However, I am writing this in an effort to get anybody out there on "The Office" fence to use this time that the writers have provided you wisely. Catch up on reruns, get into the show, get to know the characters, give it a chance. Don't do it for me, do it for you. I promise, you will not regret it.