Comments on: That's What She Said

By: Big Fat Deal » Women Can Only Eat In Movies If They Look Like They Don’t

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:17:57 +0000

[...] talked about how much we love Mindy Kaling here before. In this great interview, she talks about the problem with writing realistic women characters and [...]

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:22:12 +0000

What a great episode. Comedy definately mirrors real life. Hopefully this espisde will show the aburdity of some diets, and the dangers associated with extreme weight loss measures.

By: cassienova

cassienova — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:04:33 +0000

loved the office; hated the new ricky gervais show podcast. sjm, i share your horror and sadness at having to reverse my adoration of ricky and stephen–especially after the disillusioning anthony bourdain debacle a few months ago–but that fat hate rant was totally shocking to me, too. i kept thinking: am i missing the irony here? are they making fun of people who would say this? mo — have you listened yet? what did you think?

By: sjm

sjm — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:10:44 +0000

I agree with the general adoration of this episode. I watched it with folks who remarked that their jobs offered this kind of incentive (though no one had taken up the offer) and we all enjoyed/cringed how thoroughly ridiculous (and borderline fascist) this idea is in real life.
But on another note, my interest in the Office is just one part of my enjoyment of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Every once in a while they deal with the issue of weight and I’m often disappointed. Some bloggers have mentioned Ricky’s own response to journalists who comment on his weight, eating etc. so I often thought if him an ally in the battle to accepting all body images. But I recently bought and listened to their most recent PodCast with Karl Pilkington and am now no longer a fan. They spend several minutes mocking fat children, their parents and blaming overeating and laziness for obesity. Gervais argued that there isn’t enough of a stigma against fat people. If there was, he’s never be as rich and famous as he is! I kept waiting to hear some suble hint of irony creep in that has made me a fan for so long. But he was quite sincere in his rant against people (like himself he acknowledges) who are overweight and/or obese. I’ve never been so disappointed in a celebrity. Both he and Merchant exhibit an intelligence and compassion that is usually missing from entertainment media. This is why I seek out their work. No longer. It seems when it comes to issues of weight/body image they are just as ignorant and mean as the mainstream.

By: Rachelgbd

Rachelgbd — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:17:41 +0000

I really loved this episode. There may have been some things they could have done differently but it was generally leaps and bounds ahead of anything else on prime time. And I thought they went really far to highlight Dwight as the one who should be laughed at and not Phyllis. Especially when during one altercation between Dwight and Phyllis, this happens:

Jim: “How much weight have you lost Dwight?”

Dwight: (evasively) “I’m hardly the problem here.”

Jim: “Oh you’re definitely the problem here.”

I’m not sure I’ve ever laughed so hard.

By: Becca

Becca — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:59:15 +0000

I loved this episode, which is why I, too, was waiting for any mention to pop up in the fatosphere. I think part of what makes this show work for so many people (and I agree with Emily’s comment – and would add that, along the lines with what cubicalgirl said above – I don’t think that this particular art form strives to enlighten the viewership in a didactic manner – it’s a bit more integrated than that, poking fun instead for effect, using whole episodes and also vignettes and even small remarks to play out issues – “Gay Witch Hunt”, for example) is that everyone is so human. That’s from body to personality to action to wardrobe. Part of Phyllis’s world is that she is fat and also in her mid-40s. And part of her world is that she gets flak for both of these things – and part of The Office’s world is how she deals with it. “We’re the same age,” she says, when Michael cuts her about her age. I agree with multiple commenters that Phyllis comes off more likable and more heroic (though thankfully not flawed) than the people who cut her. She’s one of the more sexual, but not sexualized, characters on the show.

And one other thing – part of the humor of this show is ripping on the human resources seminars, etc., we have to go through in our workplaces. Having a meeting like “YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!” – and having Jim and Angela subvert it – Jim being subversive and Angela not – I’m pretty sure that the whole meeting was yet another mockery on yet more invented statistics and held truths.

I giggle a lot at work because bore-ientation, signs about losing weight in the workplace, embarrassingly retro and unevolved lessons on diversity – still kickin in my world.

By: Erica

Erica — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:31:31 +0000

Michael, trying to get everyone to commit to losing a certain amount of weight: “Angela, can I put you down for 10 pounds?”

Angela: “My doctor wants me to GAIN weight.”

Michael: “If you gain weight you will die.”

Hahahaha

By: Alyssa

Alyssa — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:04:54 +0000

Yeah, Steve Carell looks good. (Even with facial hair, lol!)
Remember when George Clooney put on 30 pounds for a film and everyone in Hollywood freaked out? All I could think was “Um, hello?! He’s still GEORGE CLOONEY, people!!!!!!!”
Oy.

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:28:12 +0000

I have to agree that I really liked this episode. But to touch on the “the audience won’t get that dwight is an idiot and michael is supposed to be stupid and it’s a joke on THEM not on fatties, etc…” Having been raised in the theatre and having some amazing acting/directing coaches I learned a great lesson that I have taken with me to almost everything and I think it applies here. “Do not reach down to the general population, bring them up to you. if they dont get it, inspire them to do some research damnit!” My professor was right, I make art (plays) for ME, and for people like ME that want to see something that makes them think and maybe a little uncomfortable. I would say that the part of the population that didn’t “get it” will start seeing more and more things like this (i hope so anyway!) and maybe one day they’ll think “wait a minute, that guy sounds like a moron…..” BINGO!

By: Bree

Bree — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:33:30 +0000

I don’t watch The Office, but that screencap proves Steve Carell is handsome at any size.