I’m from New Zealand and I was working in my first graduate jobs at the end of the 1990s and this show also rang very true for me and my friends. The look of the office with the colours and the furniture, the bullying, cliques, brown-nosing, empty blather talking, office romance, people trapped in the wrong life, people having little in common, etc. I knew a couple of people who had trouble watching it because it cut too close to the bone.
I wonder if this show indirectly contributed to their demise by making them an object of derision. And yeah, I worked in a 'normal' office environment for a couple of years (before going into IT/Tech where nearly everyone was like Simon) and it rang true.
The crucial thing is that he knows the camera is on him. This was a time in British TV where ordinary working folk everywhere were getting their 15 minutes of fame, and Brent knows it. He may be slightly less of a dick when the camera is off
yep. It was all about 'the airport' and all them sorts of fly on the wall documentaries with people getting famous. It's funny because i remember when the office first came out and so many people thought it was real lol.
Actually there is a fan theory that Brent was naturally good at his job, and did indeed earn his position as boss, but because he feels misplaced in his work (with the aborted music career), he goes a bit weird whenever the TV cameras are on him, showing off, and taking his nose off the grindstone.
Hahahaha “Sergio Giorgini”! In case you didn’t realise Josh: That’s a cheap vinyl jacket that David Brent has bought and he’s just made that name up on the spot. As for Ian Botham: He’s this English cricket player from the late 70s and 80s who was working-class and from the North of England, and renown across the commonwealth for being someone who didn’t muck around with the traditions and “decorum” of the sport and was a bit of a party animal who took a few recreational drugs.
Brent's position is an example of the Peter Principle. In the US Office, it was revealed that Michael Scott was Scranton's top sales rep. This led to him being promoted to manager, a role in which he wasn't competent at. Brent's backstory is likely identical.
Ian Botham was a famous cricketer for England in the 80s. Was a kind of maverick - often got in trouble with the cricketing authorities for wild nights out, drugs, drinking etc. Was certainly very talented, but a difficult character. After he retired, he devoted a lot of time to charities he backed, including disabled or mentally disabled charities. He did lots of long sponsored walks to raise money. Obviously Brent decided to use slightly less tactful words than I did :D
Alright Josh Not really anything to do with anything, just wanted to say you're a real one, bring a lot of positivity to people who might need it my friend. Take care of yourself once in a while my dude.
@@IDidntSetAHandle And that is everything that is wrong here. For Josh it is all about the money and he couldn't care less about his subs. For me it would be different.
@@NeilusNihilus rubbish, are you jealous or something? He does indeed reply and heart messages. Its usually shortly after the upload. This is what most creators do.
The point of Brent getting 5/7 votes from the board is supposed to show that he is actually very good at his job, but once the cameras showed up he became more obsessed with appearing like the cool relaxed boss, and ends up looking a prat. The scene with big Keith's appraisal goes to show he can do his job very easily, he just doesn't anymore. That's how I've always taken it anyway.
@@GodofMMA23 Just watch Bothan's Ashes 1981 and his 147 Not Out knock when England won the test V The Aussies at 500/1.... It's on You Tube,My Friend:)
@@philmcguinness669 Sorry but sarcasm isn’t always easy to detect in the RU-vid comments (where you also encounter some of the stupidest people on earth).
I personally don’t think Neil is very nice, he’s one of those people that knows he’s attractive and is smarmy about it. He low-key bullies David and let’s him know he’s the alpha male all the time which brings out the worst in David and makes him act up.
Absolutely agree. he comes across like, oh were colleagues and let's be professional but sometimes his actions literally provoke a reaction for David to try and prove he is cool or stand up for himself and be funny and liked.
He's not meant to be liked, if you've ever seen interviews from behind the scenes he was specifically written to be a character the audience hates because they can see him for what he is unlike the staff in the office.
The actor did a great job, he’s professional and authoritative, yet there’s something really smug and unlikable about him you can’t quite put your finger on
Yes Neil is an arsehole and ambitious behind the facade. It’s not just that he’s attractive he’s got strong social skills. He lets socially challenged and weak Brent hang himself. But I’d far rather work with and for Neil than Brent even though he’s possibly a worse human being.
Its pretty much office life, certainly in the 90s - utterly cringe. Brent was a brilliant salesman, top of his game - then for no other reason than he was great at his job he gets promoted to a completely different senior leadership role to which he is entirely unsuited, and that is corporate culture and why incompetent people end up in senior positions - seen it too many times.
Yeah, there is the occasional peak behind the curtain that reveals a better professional and being liked by his staff peppered through the show. And it's that makes Brent more of a tit with poor self esteem, who's bad at performing for the camera. Like- David trying to coach Keith through the appraisal process, Tim enjoying the mana-mana sing along when David joins in, the group photo at the end of the last episode, the singing along with Gareth in the team meeting. Similar is Tim's awkward, over the top laughing when he'd glued Gareths phone and being clearly disliked by the warehouse crew, shows he is not just the sane, everyman.
Probably about a year and a half ago like everything else on this channel. I'm not being a wanker but for all we know the entire family could be wiped out. Is this channel still active or did the reactions end about 9 months ago but there's enough content to keep it appear on the go?
This is the best thing Gervais has done. Since this he’s done patchy sitcoms , coat-tailed others , Pilkington and Warwick Davis and done to my taste poor stand up. The Office is the pinnacle of cringe comedy. It has not been surpassed or equalled.
