For those that don’t watch the American television version of The Office, it is a situation comedy about a failing paper company led by a charming-but-impulsive regional manager. The show’s humor comes mainly from its wide variety of distinct characters (although typical office stories come into play as well), some of which seem like perfect office archetypes. Protagonist Jim Halpert is a rational, level-headed salesman who, after many attempts to bring sanity to his workplace, resigns to just enjoy the humor all around him. Jim can amuse, but there are others:
- Dwight, a goofy, abrasive know-it-all with action hero aspirations;
- Creed, a creepy, funny should-be-retired colleague whose ambiguous comments are often disturbing and funny;
- Kevin, an accountant who, seems woefully inattentive and thick-headed given the nature of his work;
- Ryan, the low man on the totem pole who has little else other than Machiavellian ambition and stories of past professional glory;
- Angela, the peculiar, pet-loving enigma who has some strange habits that are impossible to ignore; and
- Kelley, the customer service representative who, despite her profession, is prone to having wild, dramatic fits over the insignificant.
The show is full of office-related humor, and its meaningless meetings, inappropriate antics and professional blunders leave us saying:
“Wow, that is so true.”
But, is it? Are these characters real? Can you spot them at your job? Perhaps if you can’t spot them, could you be one of them? Let’s not kid ourselves; we can’t all be cool, collected, “Jim Halpert” types. Someone has to be the drama queen, the cutthroat, the dreamer, the know-it-all.
Are you one of them? If so, which one are you?
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