Office Fun Just Serves to Emphasize its Soul Destroying Nature

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Today was "The Land of Canaan" day in the office cafeteria. Yessir, the cook's lame attempt at brightening our day. They had put up veils on the walls and counters and put rugs down on the floor & played Arabian Nights music. Whatever, it's still the same sad cafeteria making a pathetic stab at exoticism. The highpoint was watching the gormless secretary peering suspiciously at the falafel.

Does your workplace try to be fun?

― Miss Laura, Tuesday, 19 November 2002 12:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes, we have similar theme days in our office cafeteria. The worst one was when they did a Back to School menu, trying to make the food on offer as much like school dinners as possible! So we had bangers and mash with lumpen gravy and some stodgy pudding with (similarly lumpen) custard. I think everyone in my department took one look at it, sniffed and went for a pub lunch instead. And bitched about it on the intranet Bulletin Board all afternoon.

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 12:22 (twenty-three years ago)

It's impossible to have fun at work. I've tried it.

Booze is the only answer when workplace fun is the question.

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 13:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Our office doesn't have themed days apart from a vague bonfires day menu BUT I CARE NOT because the roast garlick potatoes I just scoffed were the best things EVER. I was almost tempted to try and get the RECIPE (pathetic).

And there was a DUMPLING with the roast beef! And gravy! I mean!! Dumplings! R0xx0r!!!

― Sarah (starry), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 13:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Indeed, if the office canteen is going to have theme days then the theme should be 'pub'. No dice from the franchise-holders here, unfortunately. And it's a good 15 minute walk to the nearest actual pub.

― robster (robster), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 13:52 (twenty-three years ago)

my workplace is fun nonstop! it's always a party. it's just that we can't wait until the fun stops.

(actually that's not true. we like walking in time to salt n pepa when we're out on the floor or doing the nutbush out in the backroom when we're supposed to be polishing cutlery or stealing after dinner mints from the storeroom... i guess the difference between this and office 'fun' is that it is not sanctioned/decreed from above.)

― minna (minna), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 14:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Have any of you been exposed to the torture of the "Fish Philosophy" ? Fear it. The basic principle is its the office worker's responsibility to have fun at work, not maganement's responsibility to ALLOW fun to occur. Its things like " today we will have a word search competition- winner gets an extra break!" . Its sad.

― Mike Hanle y (mike), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 15:15 (twenty-three years ago)

just remember, things could be worse

― fields of salmon (fieldsofsalmon), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 15:25 (twenty-three years ago)

That's awesome! I would have fun on Land of Canaan lunch day.

― Maria (Maria), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 15:27 (twenty-three years ago)

biblical plagues day!!

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 15:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Fish! Yes, Hanley. I've been exposed to it. Had to sit through a video about some fish market in Seattle. I have the book, untouched, at my desk right now. "Choose your Attitude". Ugh.

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 15:40 (twenty-three years ago)

'oh, and FRIDAY is HAWAIIAN SHIRT DAY... so, uh, if you want, wear a hawaiian shirt and, jeans'

― Josh (Josh), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 15:47 (twenty-three years ago)

This all sounds transcendentally awful.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 16:23 (twenty-three years ago)

i just watched office space for the first time last night

― H (Heruy), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 16:28 (twenty-three years ago)

tom to thread! he has many a tale of [insert name of tom's company here]'s interesting canteen theme weeks :)

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 16:42 (twenty-three years ago)

wow, i haven't seen the inside of a corporate cafeteria in years.

the sort of 'fun' that i hate consists of any team-building at some sports-centric offsite location, because all it really succeeds in doing is separating the jocks from the nerds, aka the sales staff from the editorial, aka the overpaid from the hardly so. all it does is reinforce pretty much every class divide. augh.

― maura (maura), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 17:40 (twenty-three years ago)

My office so defies any notions of fun any more that even their attempts at being fun have no explanation other than some sort of Kafka-esque tribulation. "Ok, for our company outing, we're going to go to a METS game! In the middle of JULY! And sit OUTDOORS in 100 DEGREE HEAT! And let's not mention the LACK OF BEER BESIDES MICHELOB!" The only good thing that happened was my lowriders hung too low and everyone was scandalized by my g-string.

We're talking a company that used to send us on $1m outings to posh spas and resorts. This was before the Dark Force took over.

― Ally (mlescaut), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 17:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh for heavens sake. This just showed up in my work inbox:

"....have joined together to form "Action" Teams.

Each "cast" will consist of one Producer (partner), one Director (WEI Council member) and a cast of 10 or more. The initial purpose of these teams is as follows:

bring different groups of people together (collaboration) to share ideas
provide an opportunity for everyone to socialize in a relaxed atmosphere
encourage open and honest communication"

LEAVE ME ALONE.

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 20:17 (twenty-three years ago)

There is some sort of competition among our offices themed on the Civil War which I think is kind of sick.

Sometimes there is alcohol in the office. Or cake. That's about it.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 20:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Hahahahaha we also have the Civil War in our office. Only it's not a game. You know that Onion article about the Machiavellian maneuvering in the Applebee's? That's like my workplace. The only joy in my day is trying to thwart the rumors that I'm sleeping with my boss, and then alternately trying to play them up to fuck with people.

― Ally (mlescaut), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 21:00 (twenty-three years ago)

five years pass...

My office fun today is finding a cache of rubber stamps that were s'posed to be thrown out. Now I will be stamping all docs I give to anyone

FYI
URGENT
POSTED
PAST DUE

― libcrypt, Saturday, 31 May 2008 00:25 (seventeen years ago)

Also, RECEIVED with whatever date I like.

― libcrypt, Saturday, 31 May 2008 00:29 (seventeen years ago)

five years pass...

We offer a fun atmosphere, which includes:

***** A Gong!
***** Basketball Hoop!
***** Spiffs and Bonuses!
***** Free Coffee!

― fit and working again, Tuesday, 3 September 2013 16:39 (twelve years ago)

Spliffs?

― imagine Brigadoons (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 3 September 2013 16:42 (twelve years ago)

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