A facial expression is often worth a thousand words—especially on NBC’s The Office. Characters are prone to breaking the fourth wall by staring directly into the camera, their smiles, grimaces, and stares providing viewers with a glimpse inside their heads. By the time the show’s final episode aired in 2013, audiences could instantly recognize—and interpret—Jim Halpert’s ironic stare, Dwight Schrute’s self-satisfied smirk, and Michael Scott’s awkward fake smile.
For fans looking to relive these quietly hilarious scenes, Nerdist reports that a website, The Office Stare Machine, has compiled “every single time a character speechlessly breaks the 4th wall and stares at the camera.” Creator Joe Sabia spent a year and a half building an archive of more than 700 clips, and teamed up with developer Aaron Rasmussen to display them online. The site features a search engine, which allows visitors to type in more than 800 different emotions—boredom, sadness, anger, and loneliness, to name a few—and watch a corresponding video snippet.
Aside from its laugh factor, The Office Stare Machine provides viewers with a unique way of getting to know their favorite characters’ personalities. According to the site’s creators, Michael Scott, as played by Steve Carell, has the most “happy” expressions, whereas Dwight Schrute, a.k.a. Rainn Wilson, has the most devious ones. And despite his fun-loving, easygoing nature, Jim, who’s played by John Krasinski, is sad the most—presumably because of his long-running struggle to win secretary Pam Beesly’s affections.
Check out a few clips from The Office Stare Machine below, or visit the site to view the full archive. If you need an extra incentive to watch the entire collection, the website is also designed to play “a secret, epic, and beautifully crafted surprise video” once you’re done browsing its catalog of emotions.
LONELY
TIRED
ANNOYED
HAPPY
[h/t Nerdist]
January 3, 2017 – 4:30pm