Michael Scott, the face of NBC’s hit: The Office, took audiences by storm as he graced screens in 2005. What was originally a British comedy staring awkward boss David Brent (Ricky Jervais) soon became a hit in the US thanks to its relatable ‘workplace next door’ style. The ‘mockumtary’ comedy format was relatively new to the states but was nothing short of a success. However it is no doubt that the belle of da ball was regional manager Michael G. Scott.
Since it’s airing, the show has become a meme of many formats, accumulating a very dedicated fan-base. And what is a fan-base without its backbone?: fan pages. There are many office fan pages floating about on social media, featuring clips from the show, time relevant memes, mixing current affairs and timeless Office moments, but there’s one particular page on Twitter that opted for a slightly different style… A tribute to Michael Scott in the form of his best quotes – except the’re all completely out of Context…
So I took a minute to speak to the founder of, appropriately named, Out Of Context Michael Scott to find out how and why this stroke of genius came to be. Here’s what the young New York based student had to say:
“I would say my passion for the show began when I was quite young, Looking back I’m really not sure how it started. At this point I’m pretty sure I’ve watched at least 4-5 times.”
He – who doesn’t wish to be named as of yet – says that he would definitely define his account as a fan page. But why did he just focus on Michael? “Some people may like Jim and Dwight a little more, but for me I can’t get over Steve Carell and the way he portrayed Michael Scott. It was amazing and I would attribute most of my humor to that specific character. “
And why opt for the out of context direction? “I saw other accounts that were doing similar things and I absolutely loved it.” What page in particular took his fancy? A Drake and Josh one of course! Only the classics!
“It made me think why don’t I create one for Michael Scott. We all know he has [said] some ridiculous things and seeing them out of context would be hilarious.”
Instagram tends to be the host for meme pages. What was it about Twitter? “I believe Twitter was the perfect place to grow. The ability to share a post whether to re-tweet or quote a tweet, it really helps.” As for the method of gaining traction, he makes note of a “boring magic sauce” but ultimately highlights that “growing on social media is weird” in terms of process. It’s safe to say that retweets are great but there’s no getting over the unpredictability of that digital footfall.
Identifying a demographic is critical in finding your audience, but is there, in fact, a specific audience for the Office? “In terms of demographic I would assume it would be from the teenager age ranging to I would say people in their 30s maybe, if I had to guess.”
And as for tapping into those unexplored demographics: “it’s all about your availability on the platform and how much time you dedicate to spending on the app, but to reach out to a whole other age range of people could be very difficult.”
And so, what are the struggles? “The struggles have definitely been my availability to keep this page consistent.” – A worry that many fan pages and online influencers often share.
But consistency or not, there’s no doubt that this page is unique, like the regional manager himself. “Every clip that I’ve posted so far has basically been centered around him. The idea is to find clips where he says something ridiculous or hilarious that will just make you pee your pants.”
Michaels ‘extra’ persona is mirrored in the presentation too. “Some of the office out of context accounts only post pictures with a subtitle and I think I’m unique by actually posting the specific clip. It definitely takes some extra work to pull the clip, but I feel like it makes the biggest difference.” Though it doesn’t take three years of writing, one year of shooting, four years of reshooting, and two years of editing, it definitely pays off to post the whole clip! Michael would love the dedication.
Lets talk fan page competition! Whilst there is actually little to no competition specifically between Michael Scott fan pages (definitely hit a niche there), there will always be online accounts offering followers for money. “[He] reached out to me and wanted to know if I wanted a shout-out program where I paid him money to get some followers and I was like no chance”. After stating he was only doing this for fun he goes on to say “Turns out I even exceeded the follower goal by myself and that was a great feeling.” That’s what I call BIZNUZ!
Does running a TV show themed page change the way you, yourself watch the show? Apparently it will at the start. “I used to watch at least one episode a day were in a would try and find those random clips that people forgot about.” But don’t worry folks, it won’t kill the passion! He says “It made my love for the show even stronger because it makes you watch the show over and over again”.
So, anyone reading this, who fancies taking up a similar hobby… why not give it a go. “I believe it’s a great opportunity to express your creativity.” As for tips and tricks: “I would always offer them words of advice and constant encouragement to keep the page running and active.”
Now, if you have never entered the Dunder Mifflin universe, here’s the top episode pick from the Office connoisseur himself: (get on it.) “After some thought I have to go with ‘Stress Relief’. That is one of my favorite opening scenes of the entire show with that fake fire drill. Of course it’s a two part episode so that’s a definite bonus.”
And in theme with the page, any favourite Office Quotes?
“THATS WHAT SHE SAID, (specifically when next to Jan), Dwight you ignorant slut, and I declare bankruptcy”.
Honourable mentions? “
“Sometimes I’ll start a sentence, and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way, I’m not superstitious, just a little stitious, and I am Beyonce always.”
It seems that the secret to running a social media fanpage is passion. If it is something you’re interested in, what is stopping you really? Give it a go and let us know about it too!
Remember to check out @OutOfContextMichaelScott (@outofcntxtms) on Twitter, show some love and follow. If you liked this post be sure to like, comment and drop your email to subscribe!
You can stream The Office on Netflix and Amazon Prime in the US and currently Prime and Now TV in the UK.