It's time for the "Dundies", Dunder Mifflin's annual awards banquet (held at the neighborhood Chili's), and the staff must endure the excruciating performance of their inept emcee, boss Michael Scott.
WAR
93.5
Wins Above Replacement
“The Dundies” ranks #71 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 89.2 — Elite. The episode packs 76 scored jokes at 3.5 per minute, averaging 7.3 on craft and 7.2 on impact, with Michael landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Pam: Pam: 'First off, my Keds, because I couldn't have done it without them, thank you.'
Pam Character Comedy Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael's opening joke: 'Please do not drink and drive, because you may hit a bump and spill the drink.'
Michael Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Michael: Michael's closing confessional: 'I made Pam laugh so hard she fell out of her chair and almost broke her neck. So I killed. Almost!'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Michael · Jan: Jan mentions the 'tsunami relief fundraiser that somehow lost a lot of money.' Michael: 'It was a FUN-raiser. I think I made that very clear on the flyers. Fun, F-U-N.'
Michael Jan Wordplay/Pun Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael · Ryan: 'The hottest in the office award goes to... Ryan the temp!'
Michael Ryan Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Standout Moments
Michael: Michael's opening joke: 'Please do not drink and drive, because you may hit a bump and spill the drink.'
Michael Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Pam: Pam: 'First off, my Keds, because I couldn't have done it without them, thank you.'
Pam Character Comedy Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael's closing confessional: 'I made Pam laugh so hard she fell out of her chair and almost broke her neck. So I killed. Almost!'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 76 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Michael: Michael's talking-head about the Dundies being 'everybody's favorite day' and 'everybody looks forward to it' — cut to the rest of the episode proving nobody wants to be there.
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: "Like Meredith or Kevin. I mean, who's gonna give Kevin an award? Dunkin' Donuts?"
Michael Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Michael: Michael's story escalates from employee recognition to a neighbor hanging himself due to 'lack of recognition.'
Michael Dark/Subversive Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jim: "You know what they say about a car wreck where it's so awful you can't look away? The Dundies are like a car wreck that you want to look away but you have to stare at it because your boss is making you."
Jim Observational Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael · Jim: Michael's old footage labels Jim as 'Fat Halpert' on the Dundies tape.
Michael Jim Visual Gag Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Jim · Michael: Jim says he keeps his Dundies hidden so he won't 'get cocky,' then Michael reveals his are in a display case above his bed.
Jim Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Michael: "TMI? Too Much Information. It's just easier to say TMI. I used to say 'Don't Go There' but that's lame."
Michael Character Comedy Observational Deadpan/Understatement Michael · Stanley: Stanley says he threw out his Dundies. Michael refuses to believe it. Stanley insists he did.
Michael · Oscar: Archive footage: Oscar receives 'Show Me the Money' award
Ryan: Ryan's talking-head: Michael has taped every Dundies and is making Ryan watch hours of footage to find highlights.
Ryan Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Old Dundies footage: Michael sings 'A Little Bit of Pam All Night Long' to the tune of 'Mambo No. 5,' inserting employee names.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Physical/Slapstick Kevin · Ryan: Kevin stands in front of the camcorder all night in the old footage, blocking it.
Dwight · Pam · Kelly: Dwight confronts the women about what's written on the bathroom wall. He demands to know who wrote it. When someone mentions 'Dave Barry,' Dwight takes it seriously as a suspect.
Dwight: "Kelly, if you tell me, you'll be punished less."
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Pam: After Dwight's 'punished less' offer, someone responds: 'Ok, now I'm laughing at you!'
Pam Reaction Beat Character Comedy Michael: Michael calls Jan at corporate, asking her to attend the Dundies, describing her as 'her highness Jan Levinson Gould descending from her corporate throne to visit us lowly serfs.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael · Jan: Jan says she's not coming. Michael's response: 'You could take the bus, work on the way here, sleep on the way home.'
Jan: Jan: 'We don't approve of this Michael. You only have the budget for one office party a year, so we're not paying for this.'
Jan Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Michael · Jan: Michael: 'You're dropping an A-bomb on me here!' Jan: 'Really? I'm dropping an atomic bomb on you.'
Michael · Jan: Jan reveals Michael already spent the party budget on a '05-05-05 party.' Michael: 'It happens once every billion years!'
Michael · Jan: Jan mentions the 'tsunami relief fundraiser that somehow lost a lot of money.' Michael: 'It was a FUN-raiser. I think I made that very clear on the flyers. Fun, F-U-N.'
Michael Jan Wordplay/Pun Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael · Dwight: Michael's Karnac the Magnificent bit: 'PLO, IRA, and the hot-dog stand behind the warehouse... Name three businesses that have better healthcare plans than Dunder Mifflin.'
Michael: "Here's the problem: there is no open bar because of Jan, and it's the reason why comedy clubs have a 2-drink minimum."
Michael Character Comedy Observational Deadpan/Understatement Michael: "We'll be fine. I just wish people were gonna be drunk."
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Michael: Michael: 'We'll be fine. I just wish people were gonna be drunk.'
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Callback Dwight · Pam · office women: The women accuse Dwight of being a pervert for being in the ladies' room; Dwight protests he was investigating the bathroom wall graffiti.
Michael · Pam: Immediately after the Dwight/ladies' room chaos, Michael cuts to: 'The Dundee award for longest engagement goes to Pam Beesly!'
Michael Pam Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Roy: Roy accepts Pam's 'Longest Engagement' Dundee on her behalf and his entire speech is: 'We'll see you next year!'
Roy Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Michael · Dwight: Michael and Dwight debate keeping 'longest engagement' for Pam. Dwight: 'I just think, world's on disengagement, we're all expecting it, you know? That's why it's funny. Every year that Roy and Pam don't get married it gets funnier!'
Michael Dwight Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Dwight: Michael says using the same joke every year 'comes across as lazy.' Dwight replies: 'Ow, lazy!'
Dwight: Dwight announces to the office that women will lose bathroom privileges and there will be 'two men's rooms' as punishment for the graffiti.
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist Escalation Callback Michael · Dwight: Michael dismisses Dwight mid-sentence with 'Don't don't talk don't touch stop it — oddment!'
Michael: Michael's speech addressing 'rumors' about the Dundies: 'No money, no food, and the jokes are really bad.'
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Michael: Michael's Dundies opening warning: 'Keep your acceptance speeches short, I have wrap-it-up music and I'm not afraid to use it, Devin.'
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Michael: The Dundies theme song: a badly mangled song about the Dundies with near-incoherent lyrics performed at the ceremony.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick Jim: Jim's confessional: 'The Dundies are kind of like a kid's birthday party, and you go, and there's really nothing for you to do there, but the kid's having a really good time, so you're kind of there.'
Jim Observational Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael · unnamed waitress: The waitress trips on the cord, cutting off Michael's song mid-performance.
Michael · Stanley: Michael announces separate checks instead of a group tab. Stanley reveals he did bring his family. Michael: 'I'm looking forward to meeting Terry.' Stanley: 'It's this person whose hand I'm holding, Michael.'
Michael · Dwight: Michael's HR joke: He was on a 'very hot date with a girl from HR' and was about to take her bra off when she made him fill out 'six hours of paperwork.'
Dwight: Dwight's follow-up to Michael's HR joke: 'Like an AIDS test?'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Cringe/Discomfort Michael · multiple employees: The audience starts leaving for Poor Richard's mid-Dundies. Michael: 'Guys, where are you going?'
Pam: Pam stays at the Dundies because she 'has to eat somewhere,' then adds she'll get a ride home from Angela.
Pam Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Michael · Phyllis: 'The Busiest Beaver award goes to Phyllis Lapin!' Michael then realizes the trophy says 'Bushiest Beaver.'
various employees: After the 'Bushiest Beaver' disaster, other employees use it as a final excuse to leave for Poor Richard's.
Multiple employees: After the Phyllis trophy incident, someone: 'He's a jackass, every year!' — and the remaining employees start leaving too
Jan · Michael: Jan arrives at the Dundies. Michael: 'Jan Levinson Gould!' Jan: 'Good, I'm just in time for Ping.'
Jan: Jan arrives and immediately asks for a drink. The camera/audience registers this is significant.
Jan Reaction Beat Character Comedy Michael · Ryan: 'The hottest in the office award goes to... Ryan the temp!'
Michael Ryan Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Ryan: Ryan's confessional about receiving the 'hottest in the office' award: 'What am I going to do with the award? Nothing. I don't know what I'm gonna do. That's the least of my concerns right now.'
Ryan Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Angela: 'The Tight Ass award goes to Angela — not only because she's everybody's favorite stickler, but because she has a great caboose!'
Michael · Jan: Michael and Jan drinking from apparently empty glasses. Michael: 'I think those might be empty.' Jan: 'No, 'cause the ice melts, and then it's like a second drink!'
Michael Jan Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Michael · Kelly: 'The Spicy Curry award goes to our very own Kelly Kapoor!'
Michael Kelly Cringe/Discomfort Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Michael · Kelly: Kelly: 'Spicy curry, what does that mean?' Michael: 'Not everything means something, this is a joke.' Kelly: 'Yeah but why did you give it to me?' Michael: 'I don't know, I'd just...' Kelly: 'This is a bowler!' Michael: 'I know, they didn't have any businessmen, so...'
Michael Kelly Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Escalation Callback Michael: Michael's aside: 'It's so freakin' hot in there. Now I know what Bob Hope was going through when he performed in Saudi Arabia.'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist Irony/Sarcasm Michael · Dwight: Michael says Dwight is 'sucking the funny out of the room' — then the music cue comes in too early and Michael is caught off-guard.
Michael: Michael's 'Tiny Dancer' parody: 'You have won a tiny Dundie.'
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael · bar patrons: Random bar patrons heckle Michael: 'You suck man! You suck!'
Michael: Michael announces he'll 'rapid up' and cut the Dundies short so 'everybody can enjoy their food.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael · Kevin: Kevin's award: 'The Don't Go In There After Me award... for the time I went to the bathroom after him and it was really, really smelly.'
Michael Kevin Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Dark/Subversive various employees: Employees who haven't received Dundies demand more awards. 'Dundies! Dundies! Dundies!'
Multiple employees: Remaining employees demand more Dundies: 'Hey I haven't gotten one yet!' 'So keep going — More Dundies!'
Stanley: Stanley's acceptance speech: 'Last year I got great work, so I don't know what to think about this award... but at least I didn't get smelliest bowel movement like Kevin!'
Stanley Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback Stanley: Stanley's acceptance speech button: '...at least I didn't get smelliest bowel movement like Kevin!'
Stanley Character Comedy Callback Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Pam: Pam's 'Whitest Sneakers' award — Michael: 'because she always has the whitest tennis shoes on!'
Michael Pam Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Pam: Pam: 'Let's give Michael a round of applause for MC-ing tonight because this is a lot harder than it looks, and also because of Dwight too.'
Pam Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Jim: Jim's closing confessional recap: 'We got to see Ping, and we learned Michael's true feelings for Ryan, which was touching. And we heard Michael change the lyrics to a number of classic songs, which for me has ruined them for life.'
Jim Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael's reaction to Pam falling/being drunk: 'Oh my god! You are so drunk! Did you get that?'
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Dwight: Dwight announces he's a sheriff's deputy and then takes off his shirt to cushion Pam's head.
Dwight Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick Absurdist Dwight · Unknown: During the chaos of drunk Pam: 'It's ok I'm a sheriff's deputy.' Response: 'He's a volunteer!'
Chili's manager · Michael: The Chili's manager announces Pam has been 'banned from this restaurant chain ever again' for sneaking drinks.
Dwight: Dwight to the documentary crew: 'Thanks, I do check her pupils to make sure that wasn't a concussion.' Camera operator: 'Yes that too, but I mean with the audio, great work!'
Dwight Character Comedy Meta/Self-Referential Deadpan/Understatement Meredith: Meredith's confessional: 'I feel bad about what I wrote on the bathroom wall.' Off-camera voice: 'No you don't.'
Meredith Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat Callback Jim · Pam: Jim helps drunk Pam to her car. Pam says 'I just wanted to say thanks.' Jim: 'That's not really a question.'
Jim Pam Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Top Episodes — The Office