So what really makes ‘The Office’ a meme success?
The show is filmed like a fake documentary and the cast constantly breaks the fourth wall — looking at the camera, reacting in tiny but telling ways. Their expressions give us ready‑made GIFs and meme templates for all kinds of emotions.
Another reason is the show’s timing — its airing coincided with the rise of social media, when fans could easily digitize and share images. It also started the exact same year that YouTube launched.
There were several other comedy shows that aired during the same time as ‘The Office’ but what sets its apart even today is its relatability.
"It's the characters and their relationships with each other. These are some of the most relatable characters ever portrayed on a sitcom," Donald Garverick, director of The Office! A Musical Parody, told Mashable.
It is set in a paper company, but the moments in the show go way beyond office life — Jim giving the camera that classic side-eye is perfect for silently judging your messy roommate or the drama in your family.
The show has gained such popularity that it’s even been the subject of several research papers and studies. There are also books exploring its humor, storytelling, and cultural impact.
One linguistic study found that sarcasm, hyperbole, and understatement all play a big role in creating the show’s humor which explains why dialogues from the show work so well as memes.
The show also has some racist and sexist undertones, but it aims to satirize such prejudices.
Rainn Wilson, who plays the character of Dwight Schrute on the show, in a recent podcast admitted that the show would be done a bit differently if it was made today.
“They’re clueless and in their cluelessness they’re racist and insensitive, and they’re always saying the wrong thing. And that’s Michael, Dwight and Andy — and Kevin for that matter. So it’s a show based around clueless, insensitive, racist, sexist people that kind of mirrors the United States in a lot of ways,” he said.
While the main boss, Michael Scott, is problematic, his character shows a bit of growth over the series and you may find yourself actually rooting for him over time.
‘The Office’ was the most-streamed TV show in 2020, and continued to be streamed by millions during the pandemic.
In October 2024, it was the third most-streamed show in the UK with over 43 million views.
The recent viewership numbers also show that it remains one of the most popular TV comedies of the streaming era.
Even though the UK version — and the original — is critically acclaimed, the American version became far more popular globally.
It ran for nine seasons, far longer than the UK original’s two seasons and a couple of specials, giving it much more exposure and time to build the characters and engage the audience.
The UK Office also had a dry, dead-end workplace feel, while the US version chose a more optimistic, feel-good sitcom style that was liked by more people.
