The Office Fan Interview
20 Feb 2023
Kristin at her “Koll of Truthy”. The nickname for the secret hilltop providing framework for good self-reflection.
Again we meet Kristin, to try to map her current stream of consciousness. This year we became interested in her manic love for The Office (the American version). It's a little out of character; in last year's interview, she talked about the need to find her own pace, in a hyper online climate. How is binging a 200-episode TV show, not a total escape from the offline reality she values so highly? Where does the pendulum swing this year?
“I’ve upgraded my phone subscription to unlimited data, and skipped school to watch all nine seasons of The Office again”
Hello my dear! I see you’ve been out for a walk? How was it?
– Good! I went to my Koll of Truthy, which is the nickname for the secret hilltop providing framework for good self-reflection.
I see. A new year is all about clarity. First, would you care giving me a brief summary of your last year’s merits?
– I’ve written one tiny book called Success (part of a soon finished mini-triology, see my shop), I’ve played a small number of dj-gigs, I’ve rearranged my living room several times, I got to talk three minutes on a national radio station, I’ve upgraded my phone subscription to unlimited data, and skipped school to watch all nine seasons of The Office again.
<3 ***DO NOT WORRY: THIS INTERVIEW CONTAINS ZERO SPOILERS FOR THE NEW VIEWERS OF THE OFFICE*** <3
Sounds like a good year!
– It was. And also kind of awful.
Oh. Why so?
– I’ve been really pissed off this year. Tired of being sick. Resentful about what I’ve lost, and will never find again. I still can’t believe life operates in that way. Such a huge frustration in my life. And I’m angry about things that are unbelievably far out of reach, yet so annoyingly close in my imagination.
I think that’s all very legitimate reasons for being pissed off. You’re trying to find some sort of grounding in chaos. Don’t you think?
– Maybe, anger could be a good compass sometimes. I feel like I’ve stood up for myself this year, more than usual.
“I’m angry about things that are unbelievably far out of reach, yet so annoyingly close in my imagination”
I bet you have. But let’s go back to your less angry side; the nine seasons of The Office that you mentioned – are you one of those dedicated rewatchers?
– You bet I am. I started watching The Offie in 2018. At the time I was going through a deep defining sorrow, and since then it’s been a life saving cooping mechanism. This is my 5th time rewatching it. Billie Eilish have rewatched it 14 times, so I’m lagging behind. First I was embarrassed that I liked the American version better than the British one. The British version is considered genius, but oh so British: soggy, hopelessly grey and sexually inappropriate (no exceptions, no breaks). So as an anti-depressant, the British show is malfunctioning. Americans are opportunists to the bone, which provides better anxiety-relieving effects.
Falling in love with The Office, has made me accept the possibility of someday working in a real office. I’m excited that Steve Carell is going to be my boss, and quite flattered to be followed around by a film crew.
Apologize for being a n00b here, but I’ve never watched it…
– I’ll give you a summary. The show is based on the British 2001 show, created by Ricky Gervais. Back then, the concept of mockumentary was unknown, and most people thought it was 100% real, thus the show got mixed reviews (before being praised as a cult phenomenon). I can’t blame them, it’s all filmed on handheld cameras, and the reactions from the actors seem so authentic. Simplicity is key; the story happens on a single location set, capturing people working in an office. They sell paper. They have the world’s worst boss, who ironically has a mug saying ‘world’s best boss’. Things are being said, but most things are not being said. It is the perfect representation of humanity lost in the system we’ve created ourselves.
They probably have a bunch of good writers? Brilliant minds is needed to unlock such a simple concept, and make it last for nine whole seasons.
– The team of writers is incredible. I personally love Jen Celotta, who for instance wrote Grief Counseling from season 3. There were several hard-hitters from season 3, and I’m impressed by the storyline in Traveling Salesmen and The Return, co-written by Michael Schur (who also brilliantly plays Mose in 13 of the show’s 200 episodes). Stress Relief from season 5 is a global favorite – mainly because it got the time slot right after Super Bowl in 2009 – which Paul Liberstein wrote. Paul also plays the role of Toby. Most of the actors has a very naturalistic style of acting, but Toby tops them all. He was the perfect face of a tired HR rep, wanting nothing from life, delivering his lines as it was his own funeral. A lot of the comedy is based on this lack of glow, or life. At the same time, the story has a really optimistic undertone, revealing the beauty in normality. As the seasons unfolds, we really get into the details of the character’s emotional complexity, and those nuances is what I always come back for.
“It is the perfect representation of humanity lost in the system we’ve created ourselves”
I read that The Office could not have been made today, because most of the characters had been cancelled. What’s your prognosis?
– Well, I mean. Yes. Mindy Kaling (actor, executive producer and writer on the show) said that in an interview, referring to The Office’s uncensored “portraying of the uncomfortable and inappropriate behaviors everyone encounters”. Workplace harassment in its purest, dumbest form. The start of the 2000s were a sad time for equality in the workplace, and the comedy reflects that brilliantly. It’s still painful to watch, because it’s so accurate. That said, they did make some good statements between all the jokes. Assumingly they were the first American TV show that made a dedicated episode for the Indian celebration of Diwali. Putting the show in the context of our present time, is very interesting. If you love these details like me, you should definitely check out Office Ladies, a podcast about The Office with Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey (actors on the show and bff’s). Times are changing, but some things still remains: In 2020, The Office was the most streamed show in the U.S. It’s my cooping mechanism through rough times, and apparently I share that tool with millions of fans.
The start of the American The Office, like the British version, miraculously survived the mixed reviews and got picked up for another season. By the fifth season, the show had received an enormously larger budget. This shot is considered the most expensive of the whole show. It cost $250.000 (equals a one bedroom 13 square metre apartment in Oslo). Made as a film set with a track for lapping cars, pouring rain machines, a fake gas station and CGI trees. True realism is expensive.
“Watching The Office is like being hugged by dullness, as my soul is being hit in the crotch with a frozen sledge hammer”
You seem to enjoy getting into the details of the show.
– Cant’ really get enough. Will rewatch it until Billie Eilish gets her first grandchild. I have a long and rich note on my phone, where I write down important observations during the rituals of my rewatching. I don’t know what I need all that information for, other than talk to other’s who also love the show. I find great joy in catching all the small errors (for instance Dwight suddenly wearing white sneakers, or Angela’s cat being replaced by another seemingly identical cat actor), but I think my biggest fandom lies in the totality of the show. The feel. Watching The Office is like being hugged by dullness, as my soul is being hit in the crotch with a frozen sledge hammer. A sort of sadistic soul food.
Sadistic Soul Food #1: Andy trying to break his computer, so he can get a new one from Pam.
Sadistic Soul Food #2: Michael helping Kevin with his New Year’s resolution, while Gabe’s disgusted. I have printed business cards with this screenshot. Also, I made it into a textile poster. For me it’s a metaphor for both the great naive act of trying to be a better person, and the shame imposed by culture for not succeeding in this act.
How do you draw the line from The Office to your own self-reflectiveness? Is there a dimension you see in this show, that other people miss? Or do you think it’s a projection of your own compulsive search for meaning in everything.
– Mostly the latter. Still, there’s something special about it, and I feel like I’ve come closer to the core by listening to the Office Ladies podcast. They talk a lot about the personalities of the editors, producers, camera operators, directors, designers and actors. It seem to me that Greg Daniels (producer, director and writer), set the tone for an open creative environment on set. There would be actors pitching ideas to writers, editors doing directing, writers being actors. The line between the different creative expressions become blurry. This fluidity is a true act of trust to the people involved, and gives the show a very special type of depth.
“As I'm turning 34 this year, I've decided to stop confusing myself, and just trust the things I'm currently doing good”
Talk about fluidity. You got some creative fluidity going on in your own life, haven’t you?
– I tell myself: There is no such thing as ‘finding my thing’, unless my thing is a constant search. There are many types of artists, some do it for the fame (no judgement, just a different personality), some have a strong, innate compulsive need for expression. And some are just forever curious people. I think I’m the last category. When my biggest motivator for creative work, is simply triggering my own curiosity and follow it, it often go through random convenient tools and the journey looks quite eclectic. I am still finishing my bachelor degree as a landscape engineer, still making video essays, still photographing myself in Norwegian Summer Outfits, and still writing tiny books. I’m confused by this mashup on a regular basis, but as I'm turning 34 this year, I've decided to stop confusing myself, and just trust the things I'm currently doing good.
Do you feel like you’re fluid in terms of principles as well? I can’t help but ask you this – since our last year’s interview was fixated around the need to find your own pace, in a hyper online climate. How is binging a 200-episode TV show, not a total escape from the offline reality you value so highly?
– Clever observation, and contradiction. As I mentioned, I now have unlimited data on my phone, but I still don’t have wifi. So I watch all the nine seasons on DVD. Is that offline, or online? Perhaps a hybrid, but definitely a total reality escape. At least I can do a clever interview about it.
I’m extremely good at rewatching The Office, so to keep my promise I’ll have to rely on this activity into my 34th year. To the right you can see my advanced setup with optic DVD super-drive linked to my MacBook.
It’s true. You can always rationalize a lack of character.
– I wouldn’t say it’s a lack of character, because it’s 100% human to be in conflict with yourself.
I’m impressed by your ability to extract meaning from bullshit!
– Thank you so much! Living in this online/offline world, trying to make sense out of it, you sometimes have to avoid taking everything too seriously. I literarily have to stop myself. Because in my heart I’m a very serious person, idealistic, value-driven. Which works brilliant for direction and leadership, but wears me down in other areas of life. I used to make silly faces in photos growing up. Now I just look sad. Maybe I’ll have to go back to silly.
Me in my best friend’s bathroom, wearing a wig, 2003.
It’s nice listening to how you constantly balance out your own personality traits. Is this a conscious action?
– I fluctuate between apologizing for existing, and wanting to be everything I can be. I’m not sure what this is motivated by.
Well, not all actions or thoughts are motivated by a single emotion or motif. It’s hidden in all the nuances and details, and most of all – in the totality. I’m always very happy to meet you, Kristin. Do you have time to show me the Koll of Thruthy before I leave? I’d love to get a sense of your epiphany spot. The 505 bus doesn't leave for another 20 minutes.
– Sure thing! And I hope we’ll continue with this yearly interview tradition until I’m 85. You are my favorite interviewer after all.
One of these pictures is of me, and one is of my interviewer. We both love the Norwegian summer. Captured at Hardangervidda and Eidfjord last year.
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