the low down on getting down
one of the more interesting facets of the corporate world is in the social structure between colleagues. it's different than high school or college, and i'd surmise that it's different than working in some sort of service industry. there is a clear hierarchy of power and authority in the corporate workplace, and while 90% of the time, the friendly interpersonal relationships are much more prevalent than i'm-your-boss-and-don't-you-forget-it relationships, there is still that underlying structure of rank on a day to day basis.
it is for this reason that i believe the infamous "office holiday party" was invented. it's the one day of the year where all supposedly become equal, and all share the same common goal: to get drunk on the company. the tradition has been mocked and parodied many times over in hollywood, most recently, this week's episode of the nbc sitcom "the office." the episode was hysterical, capturing the misery of the occasion in a suburban corporate park, depicting the employees as captive participants in the charade. other office party urban legends include the secretary and the boss hooking up in the bathroom, the guy who gets wasted and tells everyone off, and the uptight girl who bares all after one too many.
i will admit that this year i found myself on the verge of dreading our party. i guess i found it overhyped among many of the employees in my peer group, with all of these constructed memories of being those people who "always" get obliterated, yet somehow manage to find their way home at 4 am after being deposited in a car by a friend etc. etc. and, there are plenty of other similar "tales" of sex, drugs and hip-hop-pop (this is mtv after all).
however the "holiday office party" may be characterized in your own experiences or imaginations, i must give due credit to mtv for rewarding us with an incredibly impressive, non-cheesy, expensive, and most importantly, fun holiday party. a giant ballroom, endless open bars, massive spreads of food, music that doesn't make you feel like you're at a wedding, town-cars for everyone (if you want to wait in line, that is) and 3000 of your closest friends all come together to remind you that you're part of something really great and really unique.
i don't really know how many drinks i actually had, how many people thought i looked ridiculous dancing, how many times i fell on my ass on the way to the bathroom (i think it was once, but bruises may indicate twice), or how many drinks were spilled on me throughout the night, but i do remember that i had a wonderfully fantastic time! (even moreso than last year)
there is still a faint ringing in my ears as i write this, which is an interesting sensation. i didn't realize how loud the music was until i got home. the office is eerily quiet, which was to be expected. i was told i didn't really have to come in today, but since i wasn't all that hungover, i felt obligated to make an appearance for a few, and i'm glad i did. we were treated to a buffet of mcdonalds for lunch--icing on the proverbial cake. or should i say, grease on the proverbial hangover. christmasy delicious!
it is for this reason that i believe the infamous "office holiday party" was invented. it's the one day of the year where all supposedly become equal, and all share the same common goal: to get drunk on the company. the tradition has been mocked and parodied many times over in hollywood, most recently, this week's episode of the nbc sitcom "the office." the episode was hysterical, capturing the misery of the occasion in a suburban corporate park, depicting the employees as captive participants in the charade. other office party urban legends include the secretary and the boss hooking up in the bathroom, the guy who gets wasted and tells everyone off, and the uptight girl who bares all after one too many.
i will admit that this year i found myself on the verge of dreading our party. i guess i found it overhyped among many of the employees in my peer group, with all of these constructed memories of being those people who "always" get obliterated, yet somehow manage to find their way home at 4 am after being deposited in a car by a friend etc. etc. and, there are plenty of other similar "tales" of sex, drugs and hip-hop-pop (this is mtv after all).
however the "holiday office party" may be characterized in your own experiences or imaginations, i must give due credit to mtv for rewarding us with an incredibly impressive, non-cheesy, expensive, and most importantly, fun holiday party. a giant ballroom, endless open bars, massive spreads of food, music that doesn't make you feel like you're at a wedding, town-cars for everyone (if you want to wait in line, that is) and 3000 of your closest friends all come together to remind you that you're part of something really great and really unique.
i don't really know how many drinks i actually had, how many people thought i looked ridiculous dancing, how many times i fell on my ass on the way to the bathroom (i think it was once, but bruises may indicate twice), or how many drinks were spilled on me throughout the night, but i do remember that i had a wonderfully fantastic time! (even moreso than last year)
there is still a faint ringing in my ears as i write this, which is an interesting sensation. i didn't realize how loud the music was until i got home. the office is eerily quiet, which was to be expected. i was told i didn't really have to come in today, but since i wasn't all that hungover, i felt obligated to make an appearance for a few, and i'm glad i did. we were treated to a buffet of mcdonalds for lunch--icing on the proverbial cake. or should i say, grease on the proverbial hangover. christmasy delicious!
posted by mark at 11:50 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home