# The Office "New Boss" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 20, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110 "2009-03-20T01:59:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/21 "2009-03-20T12:54:53Z")
I think David has a pretty good idea about how high Michael can fly. Which is to say, without Dunder Mifflin, he can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/22 "2009-03-20T12:57:03Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > Why would he say “I acquit”? That line would make absolutely no sense. because in his head, he meant acquiese or accede or some other similar sounding word. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/23 "2009-03-20T13:45:03Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > because in his head, he meant acquiese or accede or some other similar sounding word. I think it’s unlikely they wrote it that way and expected everyone to follow. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if Michael pretended later that’s what he said when he realizes that unemployment is about 112% right now. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/24 "2009-03-20T13:55:12Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > I think David has a pretty good idea about how high Michael can fly. Which is to say, without Dunder Mifflin, he can’t. His branch is the one that does best. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/25 "2009-03-20T13:55:17Z")
I’d like to see Michael get hired temporarily by the competition, suck sales away from D-M, and then have D-M beg him to come back. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/26 "2009-03-20T13:56:22Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > I thought Michael said “I acquit” at the very end in his typical word confusion. The ending is ambiguous enough that it supports either version and listening to it again, it still sounds vague. What ambiguity? He said “I quit” and walked out. Don’t overthink it. Jim and Pam’s smugness also gets on my nerves. D-M lets them think they are superior to everyone but how long do you stay in a loser job until you are just like the other losers? Jim has little to no ambition and Pam’s one attempt at something better than being a receptionist ended up as a failure. I like the two-way petting zoo. (You pet the animals and they pet you.) ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/27 "2009-03-20T14:08:47Z")
Was Michael’s “get mental” remark a take-off from the UK show? It’s been so long since I’ve seen it but he really seemed to be channeling David Brent. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/28 "2009-03-20T14:19:22Z")
I thought this was an absolutely fantastic episode. Frankly, I have found the show extremely lackluster since Moroccan Christmas. This is supposed to be a mockumentary. Which means it doesn’t work without a very strong dose of realism. What I really would have liked was for David to put his cards on the table – “Michael, you’re a good salesman, but you’re extremely unprofessional and I don’t have the time or energy to deal with you any more. I’m the C.F.O., not your babysitter. Charles is your boss; you have to do what he says.” ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/29 "2009-03-20T14:30:30Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Was Michael’s “get mental” remark a take-off from the UK show? It’s been so long since I’ve seen it but he really seemed to be channeling David Brent. I really thought he was in this episode and I also thought the “get mental” was a shout out to Gervais. It works because Michael likes comics and does their bits all the time (or at least he used to do it), and Ricky Gervais is just now becoming well known enough as a comic that Michael would riff on him. Overall I thought this episode was a throwback to the BBC version and the first season of the US season, but there is some inconsistency with other episodes, like Jim having an official title and responsibilities and being liked by the guy back at the main office, and DM having high sales (which made no sense anyway, given the way the office is managed). ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/30 "2009-03-20T14:52:09Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Pam’s one attempt at something better than being a receptionist ended up as a failure. That’s sad! What happened? (I haven’t been watching this season.) ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/31 "2009-03-20T14:52:20Z")
I’m flummoxed at how the OP could characterize the new guy as an “asshole” or “dick”. Why? Because he didn’t play along with the infantile behavior? Because he didn’t coddle employees as they wasted company time? Because he had a no-nonsense approach with little patience for lies, evasions, and other inappropriate actions? He didn’t do anything to undermine Michael (Michael was fine doing that all by himself). He didn’t play any passive-agressive power games. He treated everyone respectfully but professionally. The one case you could make was that he didn’t say goodbye in response to Jim’s repeated attempts. Otherwise, he showed a surprisingly generous amount of patience with all the BS that transpired. Whether that makes for good comedy in the long run (infusing some actual reality into a show that repeatedly skirts the edges of believability) is one thing. But I can’t think of a single thing he did that would characterize him as a “prick” (though I did indeed enjoy Jim being taken down a peg or two, reminding us and him a little more of what his true colors are). ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/32 "2009-03-20T14:57:26Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Was Michael’s “get mental” remark a take-off from the UK show? It’s been so long since I’ve seen it but he really seemed to be channeling David Brent. Since Michael often references other comedians stand up routines (remember his Chris Rock “I hate n\*ggers” bit that got corporate to send in racial awareness training) I immediately though of Tommy Tiernan’s _Something Mental_ Comedy Central Special. I could however be over thinking it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/33 "2009-03-20T15:16:43Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > I’m flummoxed at how the OP could characterize the new guy as an “asshole” or “dick”. Why? The one thing I didn’t like was him openly staring at Jim from behind the glass. That would make anyone uncomfortable. On the other hand, Jim’s explanation for wearing the tuxedo is not going to make sense to anyone from the real world. And I’m sure the new manager would not like to hear how much time Jim spends on his pranks. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/34 "2009-03-20T15:18:46Z")
I don’t think there’s any contradiction regarding Jim’s position as “number 2.” Yes, he was officially appointed “number 2,” but Charles’s very appropriate question was whether there are any actual added responsibilities that come with the title. Jim was caught short, because he knows that the only thing that comes with the title is an enhanced ability to screw with Dwight. ---
**Author:** ![Amazingrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Amazingrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazingrace)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/35 "2009-03-20T15:33:19Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > On the other hand, Jim’s explanation for wearing the tuxedo is not going to make sense to anyone from the real world. And I’m sure the new manager would not like to hear how much time Jim spends on his pranks. My boyfriend was saying that Jim should have just said, “I lost a bet” when he felt compelled to explain why he was wearing the tux. It’s still not a great situation, but the explanation would have made some sense to someone entering into the madness that is Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/36 "2009-03-20T15:39:44Z")
> [@Amazingrace](#): > > My boyfriend was saying that Jim should have just said, “I lost a bet” when he felt compelled to explain why he was wearing the tux. It’s still not a great situation, but the explanation would have made some sense to someone entering into the madness that is Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch. That was my first thought, as well. You know you’re going to look unprofessional and out-of-place when you’re caught wearing a tux at the office- you might as well make it appear as though you’re doing it out of workplace camaraderie. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/37 "2009-03-20T15:46:44Z")
Jim might have claimed to have a formal function after work or having just purchased it for the wedding and wanted to wear it or had nothing else to wear. In short, he should have said anything but the truth, which sounded nuts and petty and inappropriate for the office. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/38 "2009-03-20T16:04:41Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > That’s sad! What happened? > > (I haven’t been watching this season.) Pam went to art school in NYC and more or less failed out. In addition to taking off the jacket and tie or saying he had a black tie dinner or something to go to right after work, he probably should have said that his job as Assistant Regional Manager was basically to run the office in Michaels absense. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/39 "2009-03-20T16:07:26Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Pam went to art school in NYC and more or less failed out. She flunked out of a graphic design course, not art school. There’s a pretty big difference. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/40 "2009-03-20T17:11:14Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > She flunked out of a graphic design course, not art school. There’s a pretty big difference. This isn’t true. She flunked out of The Pratt Institute, an art school. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110.md?page=3)