| Office Space, an American comedy film | | | | that it spawned dozens of fan sites, |
| that satirizes the working life of a | | | | most notable of which was the website |
| number of fed up individuals who work | | | | B*llSh*tJob.com, which was not only an |
| for a large software company, flopped at | | | | ode to the film, but a forum for those |
| the big screen. When it was first | | | | who had had enough of their own dead end |
| released back in 1999, critics were | | | | jobs, and by watching Office Space were |
| largely unimpressed. The New York Times | | | | motivated and inspired to quit and find |
| wrote: "It has the loose-jointed feel of | | | | better employment. |
| a bunch of sketches packed together into | | | | The cult following is also manifested in |
| a narrative that doesn't gather much | | | | the availability of non-official |
| momentum"; Entertainment Weekly deemed | | | | merchandise related to various props in |
| it "cramped and under-imagined." | | | | the film. For example, it's possible to |
| The story focused on Peter Gibbons, an | | | | purchase Initech mugs and mouse mats, |
| employee of the software company | | | | but perhaps the most unlikely item to |
| Initech, who spends his working days | | | | receive a cult following came from the |
| adjusting banking software code to | | | | stationary world. |
| prepare for the Y2k disaster - which at | | | | One of the central characters Milton, an |
| the end of the 90s was a much talked | | | | overweight paper pusher who is |
| about "threat". Peter is bored, tired, | | | | constantly bullied by upper management |
| fed up and hates his job and everything | | | | who relocate his desk whenever they feel |
| about the company he works for, | | | | like it, has one love in his life: his |
| especially his boss "Lumbergh" who | | | | Red Swingline Stapler - about which he |
| frequently makes Peter come to work on | | | | is constantly mumbling. |
| weekends. | | | | Swingline are a real life stationary |
| Despite the slow start, Office Space | | | | company who do manufacture staplers, but |
| became a massive cult movie, spawning a | | | | prior to the making of Office Space, |
| whole generation of office bound fans. | | | | they had not produced a red model in |
| It seemed to sum up the working lives of | | | | years (a member of the props team was |
| so many in the Western world; even those | | | | instructed to paint the stapler prop red |
| who had never worked in an office | | | | to fit in with the script). Due to the |
| cubicle for a software firm could still | | | | demand generated by the film, Swingline |
| relate to the maddening commute to work, | | | | began producing the red model again, |
| the pointless office bureaucracy, the | | | | which went on to become the best selling |
| annoying co-workers, the printer that | | | | stapler of all time. |
| forever jammed and the boss who | | | | Perhaps the movie's greatest achievement |
| preferred to spend company time and | | | | was striking a chord with so many |
| money on his shirts and celebrating his | | | | workplaces around the world; from |
| birthday, rather than giving his staff a | | | | serviced offices in London to the desks |
| pay rise. | | | | of Detroit, Office Space is the voice of |
| Such was the connection that Office | | | | the jilted office generation. |
| Space made with those who watched it, | | | | |