# The Office - Season 6, Episode 3 - The Promotion **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2009, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322 "2009-10-02T07:12:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/21 "2009-10-02T18:21:56Z")
I think that’s it. He was reflexively resisting Michael’s far more prosaic idea (just give everybody the same, token raise) just because it was Michael. Sometimes Michael does get things right (like the birthday parties) just from enough hard experience. Jim’s assumption that Michael’s ideas _have_ to be wrong is a faulty one. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/22 "2009-10-02T18:42:06Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I think that’s it. He was reflexively resisting Michael’s far more prosaic idea (just give everybody the same, token raise) just because it was Michael. Sometimes Michael does get things right (like the birthday parties) just from enough hard experience. Jim’s assumption that Michael’s ideas _have_ to be wrong is a faulty one. I wasn’t saying it was unbelievable, so much as it was very stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/23 "2009-10-02T18:45:16Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > So was Dwight standing up for the others against his own self interest because he truly was outraged or because he hates the fact that Jim got the promotion? Do you really have to ask? Dwight’s hatred for Jim far overshadows any other concerns. (not that Dwight really cares about anyone else in the office anyway) ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/24 "2009-10-02T19:05:26Z")
My DVR cut off before the final bit at the end. How did they solve how to distribute the raises? Did they end up giving out an equal share to everyone? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/25 "2009-10-02T19:13:01Z")
They never resolved it. The tag showed Ryan scamming Pam into giving _him_ $50 for her “wedding gift.” ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/26 "2009-10-02T19:30:28Z")
I was a bit distracted during this ep-- did Meredith state that she and Creed had sex? Must rewatch… ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/27 "2009-10-02T19:39:09Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > I was a bit distracted during this ep-- did Meredith state that she and Creed had sex? Must rewatch… “Why haven’t you and I ever…?” “We have.” ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/28 "2009-10-02T19:48:56Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Do you really have to ask? Dwight’s hatred for Jim far overshadows any other concerns. (not that Dwight really cares about anyone else in the office anyway) Quite right about Dwight’s hatred of Jim. Remember how he reacted when he learned of Jim’s promotion. Dwight does care for Angela, of course. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/29 "2009-10-02T20:01:40Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > “Why haven’t you and I ever…?” > “We have.” I thought that they were implying that Creed had forgotten they’ve ever met . It’s a running Joke that Creed doesn’t know the names of his co-workers. When the people came to Scranton after the two branches merged, I think Creed introduced himself Meredith at one point. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/30 "2009-10-02T20:26:51Z")
Heh, I’m pretty sure they were talking about sex. ---
**Author:** ![RoniaBorkason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@RoniaBorkason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoniaBorkason)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/31 "2009-10-02T20:29:52Z")
Jim’s new office is over where Creed used to sit - there used to be space for a lot more desks (Ryan, Martin, the breastfeeder), and now Creed sits facing Meredith. Jim also has a small window to outside the office. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/32 "2009-10-02T20:33:03Z")
> [@PetW](#): > > Heh, I’m pretty sure they were talking about sex. I’m not surprised that it happened, but I’m surprised that Meredith would have been able to remember it, given that she was presumably pretty drunk at the time. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/33 "2009-10-02T20:46:00Z")
Well the quote was; “Hey, why haven’t we ever…?” You’re probably right. Who knows with those two characters. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/34 "2009-10-02T21:34:59Z")
> [@RoniaBorkason](#): > > Jim’s new office is over where Creed used to sit - there used to be space for a lot more desks (Ryan, Martin, the breastfeeder), and now Creed sits facing Meredith. Jim also has a small window to outside the office. This is true. I read about it on one of the new writers from the Office’s Twitter. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/35 "2009-10-02T21:52:47Z")
I think Creed was going down the “having met” path and Meredith was going down the “sex” path. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/36 "2009-10-02T22:09:13Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > And Jim’s naive attitude is actually a bit shocking. I mean even in a “normal” office, I highly doubt coming out and trying to “reason” with everyone about the sales staff getting the raises, especially when he was a slaesman and his finacee is also, seems actually VERY stupid of Jim, Jim has some history of trying to be direct and honest about things even when this is not necessarily the wisest course of action. He clearly has no problem with tricking other people when it’s part of a prank, but he seems uncomfortable with hiding the truth for other reasons. He sometimes even over-explains. I was thinking about this recently because the “Alliance” episode was on in re-runs. Roy saw Pam and Jim laughing together and accused Jim of trying to cop a feel on Pam. Jim began trying to explain the bizarre and complicated prank they were playing on Dwight. Roy didn’t buy it, especially when Dwight denied everything. Jim could have just said, with perfect honesty, that he and Pam were laughing about something funny that had happened at work. Similarly, last season when Charles asked Jim why he was wearing a tux Jim tried to explain the Dwight-baiting reason rather than just saying “I’m going to a formal event after work” or something. I was thinking last week when he was promoted that this trait may cause problems for Jim as a manager, and it didn’t take long for that to happen. He probably really believed that it was better to be up-front with everyone about the raise situation, especially since it’s a small office and people probably would have figured things out soon anyway. But anyone should have been able to predict that an announcement that basically amounted to “The work of one division is more valuable than that of the others” was not going to be popular, and Jim’s obvious conflict of interest makes it even worse. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/37 "2009-10-02T22:11:20Z")
Quite frankly I’m surprised Jim and Pam would invite any of their coworkers to their weding. They all seem like selfish passive aggressive assholes. Ryan tried to have Jim fired. Phyllis is snide and hostile. There is no love lost between Jim and either Dwight or Andy. Most of the other characters range from annoying to obnoxiously bizarre. I realize that it’s a common work sitcom trope where the cast of coworkers spend all their time with each other, but people do get married IRL without inviting any of their coworkers. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/38 "2009-10-02T22:13:21Z")
One of the few good parts of the episode, after the Super Bowl; Creed, (to the first-aid instructor); “That’s where I know you from, you’re the lady I saw in the parking lot earlier!” > [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > I think Creed was going down the “having met” path and Meredith was going down the “sex” path. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/39 "2009-10-02T22:16:24Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > Jim has some history of trying to be direct and honest about things even when this is not necessarily the wisest course of action. He clearly has no problem with tricking other people when it’s part of a prank, but he seems uncomfortable with hiding the truth for other reasons. He sometimes even over-explains. I was thinking about this recently because the “Alliance” episode was on in re-runs. Roy saw Pam and Jim laughing together and accused Jim of trying to cop a feel on Pam. Jim began trying to explain the bizarre and complicated prank they were playing on Dwight. Roy didn’t buy it, especially when Dwight denied everything. Jim could have just said, with perfect honesty, that he and Pam were laughing about something funny that had happened at work. Similarly, last season when Charles asked Jim why he was wearing a tux Jim tried to explain the Dwight-baiting reason rather than just saying “I’m going to a formal event after work” or something. > > I was thinking last week when he was promoted that this trait may cause problems for Jim as a manager, and it didn’t take long for that to happen. He probably really believed that it was better to be up-front with everyone about the raise situation, especially since it’s a small office and people probably would have figured things out soon anyway. But anyone should have been able to predict that an announcement that basically amounted to “The work of one division is more valuable than that of the others” was not going to be popular, and Jim’s obvious conflict of interest makes it even worse. But it isn’t that he was being honest, it was that the solution, a raise for the salespeople only, was a dumb solution. I think what is becoming obvious is that while Jim is a nice guy and is not over the line like Michael, he still would not make a good manager. I mean the guy until recently was a regional salesperson at a very middling paper company, he wasn’t exactly a shining star. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322/40 "2009-10-02T22:31:16Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > But it isn’t that he was being honest, it was that the solution, a raise for the salespeople only, was a dumb solution. I strongly suspect that just that kind of “dumb solution” happens in business all the time. But my point is that regardless of how good or bad Jim’s money distribution plan was, it definitely was NOT a good idea to go out into the office and make a big announcement about how people in some positions were getting raises and others weren’t. If everyone wasn’t going to get an equal raise (which I agree would have been the better way to go), then it would have been smarter for Jim as a manager to keep the details confidential. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-season-6-episode-3-the-promotion/512322.md?page=3)