EntertainmentThe famous joke from The Office that Steve Carell didn’t think was goodThe protagonist of the classic series sometimes considered that the recurring pun sounded ineffective, even at the time of filmingtoday at 09:02

One of the great comedy actors, Steve Carell has in The Office one of his most acclaimed works. Throughout seven of the series’ nine seasons, he played the unforgettable Michael Scott, manager of the fictional paper company Dunder Mifflin.

During this period, Scott gained fame for his peculiar sense of humor and the many jokes and pranks he played on his subordinates. However, many of these were inappropriate, “off-color” and made at inappropriate times.

A recurring joke of the character throughout the series was the phrase “That’s what she said!”, usually used in context for something a woman would say in reference to sexual activity. It became one of Michael’s main catchphrases.

However, years after the end of the series, Steve Carell himself admits that he considers the phrase somewhat weak and forced. The revelation was made in a curious context: during an interview with BBC Radio 1 (via Movieweb), where Carell agreed to participate in a game in which listeners could call in and tell him an unpopular opinion.

A fan of The Office got in touch and said he thought many of the jokes about “That’s what she said” were pretty lame. Steve surprised everyone by saying he understood his admirer. First, he said:

I understand you because I would ride with my kids — especially when they were a little bit younger — and the show hadn’t been on in years. So, for starters, it’s a bit of an old joke at this point, but riding with my kids, someone would roll down the car window and say, ‘That’s what she said. ‘ Without any context, without even in response to anything, without any preparation.”

Misinterpreted speech

Steve Carell then stated that he already considered the speech to be somewhat weak at the time the show was aired. Furthermore, the content was misinterpreted by the public due to Michael Scott’s distorted sense of humor. Finally, he highlighted that he even sees it as funny, but not for today’s times.

I agree with you. It was funny at the time, and certainly the character thought it was funny, which was the joke. Because it was already, at the time, a bad joke. And the character didn’t have a good sense of humor. I think people have forgotten that: that the joke came from a place of mockery in the first place.”

Carell remained in The Office until the seventh season, shown between 2010 and 2011. After that, he chose to follow other paths, while the series continued for two more seasons, ending in 2013 — and featuring a special appearance by the iconic Michael Scott.

Contributed by: Augusto Ikeda.