Following in the footsteps of The Kramer Reality Tour, the Sex & The City tour, and The Sopranos tour, this weekend Scranton, Pennsylvania will host The Office Convention, a three-day celebration of all things Office, or as the website puts it "Think of it like a Star Trek convention but with nerds wearing Dwight Schrute glasses instead of Spock ears."
This is weird for several reasons, but mainly because The Office is a show that's rooted in the ordinary, that revels in the dreary-ness of everyday office life, and Scranton was chosen as the setting for the show because it reflected that kind of dreary ordinariness. Basically, working in an office is depressing, but working in an office in Scranton seems even more depressing–and a lot of the show's humor stems from that.
The Office Convention's organizers claim to be in on the joke, but a quick look at the activities schedule reveals that they're definitely not as in on it as they could be. With that in mind here's a list of Office Convention activities that would really celebrate the spirit of the show:
Trip To Chilis: Experience first-hand the thrill of chain-restaurant dining in Scranton! Will you get drunk from Chilis' gigantic, overpriced drinks like Pam did? Probably!
Watch A Bad Training Video: Michael Scott isn't the only office manager in Scranton who has to show training videos. But are they always so bad? Find out in this mind-numbing, hour-long screening of actual office training videos used by actual companies in Scranton!
Office Park Visit: Ever wonder what an office park in Scranton is like? Now you can find out for certain. This activity includes carpool pick-up and drop-off to a real-life Scranton office park where you'll see a parking lot, a bored security guard, and a building that contains real Scranton offices–just like the ones on The Office!
Paper Exhibit: Did you know that paper is real? It's true! Even though Dunder-Mifflin is a fictional company, the product it sells–paper–has been around for ages. At the Paper Exhibit you can see paper of various colors and stocks, and you can even pose for a picture with a ream of the same kind of paper used at the Scranton Chamber Of Commerce!
Greater Scranton Helio-tour: Experience the beauty and majesty of Scranton the way no Scrantonite ever has: by heliocopter. (Length of flight: 4 minutes.)
Attempt To Befriend Stanley In this VIP-only activity, you will be seated at a desk across from Leslie David Baker, the actor who plays Stanley, and given three chances to befriend him. Is he as prickly as the fictional character he portrays?