watching the office for the first time

[Mr. Ssmsslth]

Clearly I'm not alone, but just spotted some classic corpsing (Stirling Gallacher as Jennifer) that made it into a finished episode:

That is clearly intentional.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

That is clearly intentional.

Yep, she's just politely and tolerantly  fakesmiling to David Brent's crap gag. She does it at least one more time in that scene.

[Captain Z]

What are you on about. Jennifer's character hates Brent, she never shows any tolerance of his behaviour.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

What are you on about. Jennifer's character hates Brent, she never shows any tolerance of his behaviour.

Jennifer puts on a smile to David Brent's unprofessional behaviour because she's making allowance for the cameras being there , in the early stages of the series. As the serieses progress, she becomes incrementally more annoyed at , and less willing to indulge, him, not least because he's bringing the company of Wernham - Hogg into disrepute.

This issue of Sterling Gallacher playing the part of Jennifer in a nuanced way rather than having a birrova corpse at Brent ( Gervais)'s crap jokes is a hill I'm willing to die on, I don't mind telling you.

[paruses]

(For some logistical reason no-one need worry about - ) I've just watched the last three of S1 and first of S2. Am watching this with a more critical eye because of these threads rather than just really enjoying it (because it is great) and there is a definite broader feel to S2 already and it's feels much more like a shift towards The David Brent Show with Ricky Gervais. But that's with 20 years hindsight and dreadful Gervais projects in between. It is a great programme.

Anyhow - there's a bit I'd never noticed before in the black-man's-cock joke bit where he introduces "the, this little lady, this lady" to divert people's attention. It's a tiny patronising smile, bow, and nod and it's one of the funniest things I've seen for ages. I've rewound it four times to enjoy. He really was good at playing that character.

[paruses]

These posts should really be in a "watching the office for the umpteenth time" (umpteen is a number) but Rachel is only Nancy Tench in Mindhunter, isn't she?

She is - I checked on Wikipedia after trying to get the dog to corroborate it but he hasn't seen Mindhunter).

[MrsWarboysLover]

Anyhow - there's a bit I'd never noticed before in the black-man's-cock joke bit where he introduces "the, this little lady, this lady" to divert people's attention. It's a tiny patronising smile, bow, and nod and it's one of the funniest things I've seen for ages. I've rewound it four times to enjoy. He really was good at playing that character.

He really is. He's very subtle and believable as Brent, for the most part.

I guess this could be seen as broad, but I love the weird face he makes throughout the series. This type of face:

I'm specifically referring to that thing with his teeth. Sometimes he does it when he's uncomfortable, sometimes I think when he's trying to be cool. It's such a bizarre mannerism for Ricky to decide for Brent to have (and I do think it's a Brentism, not a natural Rickyism seeping through for once, because I can't recall him doing it elsewhere.) But it just somehow feels so right for the character, and is far funnier than it should be logically.

[The Ombudsman]

I'm specifically referring to that thing with his teeth. Sometimes he does it when he's uncomfortable, sometimes I think when he's trying to be cool. It's such a bizarre mannerism for Ricky to decide for Brent to have (and I do think it's a Brentism, not a natural Rickyism seeping through for once, because I can't recall him doing it elsewhere.) But it just somehow feels so right for the character, and is far funnier than it should be logically.

I think he said the character was based on a few people he'd worked with during his time in an office, so I expect it's taken from someone. The character is by far his best creation. 

[Replies From View]

Yer a cock, yer a cock!

What do we make of Tim having "Gareth is a Benny" as his screensaver text?

Harmless Grange Hill reference

[Replies From View]

I found that while I was on my way to work this morning I was chuckling at the thought of Gareth saying Tim looked like a Fisher Price man.

What's a Fisher Price man, though?  Playmobil, surely.

[Fambo Number Mive]

One of these: https://ronsrescuedtreasures.com/Fisher-Price-Vintage-Man-In-Brown-Hair-Blue-Body-916-2360-2551-Zoo-Jetliner-P1662890.aspx

[Replies From View]

I'm specifically referring to that thing with his teeth. Sometimes he does it when he's uncomfortable, sometimes I think when he's trying to be cool. It's such a bizarre mannerism for Ricky to decide for Brent to have (and I do think it's a Brentism, not a natural Rickyism seeping through for once, because I can't recall him doing it elsewhere.)

The "Derke" or "bath" face.

Of all the things he does, I'd compare this face most to clockwork.

[Replies From View]

One of these: https://ronsrescuedtreasures.com/Fisher-Price-Vintage-Man-In-Brown-Hair-Blue-Body-916-2360-2551-Zoo-Jetliner-P1662890.aspx

Misusing company files, there.

[The Bumlord]

Misusing company files, there.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

I'm just rewatching Episode Two of Series One.  'They're all bummers,' from Gareth, raises a bit of a wince.

Tim comes across as a real knob towards Gareth in the first two episodes.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

I'm just rewatching Episode Two of Series One.  'They're all bummers,' from Gareth, raises a bit of a wince.

So do Dawn and Tim winding up Gareth by disguising gay-sex-related innuendoes as serious questions near the start of Episode Three.

[Jockice]

Probably mentioned this before but the woman lowest down on the screen is the sister of a bloke who actually was my boss at one point.

[mjwilson]

It's also worth noting that, unless I'm misremembering, that sort of banter was pretty much absent from even the first few "remake" episodes of the US Office. Aside from the fact that it probably wouldn't fly on network TV, it's also not really part of the office culture here. Every American workplace I've been in has taken HR and that sort of thing very seriously, to the point where you often have to complete sexual harassment and discrimination training before beginning work, and breaking those rules will not only result in you losing your job, but also open you up to a lawsuit.

In one of my jobs, HR got us all into a meeting to talk about sexual harassment, and the director of HR started by saying "chance would be a fine thing".

[sevendaughters]

So do Dawn and Tim winding up Gareth by disguising gay-sex-related innuendoes as serious questions near the start of Episode Three.

Felt like they're spotlighting his homophobia rather than revealing their own imho

[petril]

In one of my jobs, HR got us all into a meeting to talk about sexual harassment, and the director of HR started by saying "chance would be a fine thing".

hope someone pointed out that's the culture that enables sexual harassment. if the HR director's gagging for sexual harassment, then they're probably not fit for that role

[Replies From View]

I'm just rewatching Episode Two of Series One.  'They're all bummers,' from Gareth, raises a bit of a wince.

It's meant to, though.  He is meant to be out of touch.

Thing is, the likes of Richard "Andrew Collins is a bummer" Herring seem to have softened that word since by overusing it in a childish manner.  Gareth's ignorance certainly doesn't seem to have the bite it once had.

I should emphasise I mean that specific word rather than homophobic language more broadly.

[sutin]

I feel like I can't be too critical of dated homophobia in The Office when this afternoon I was howling at Cum Town changing the lyrics of Chop Suey by System Of A Down to be about gay sex...