When Michael unintentionally outs a gay employee, he stumbles through a sensitivity mine-field. Also, we find out what happened with Jim and Pam.
WAR
92.9
Wins Above Replacement
“Gay Witch Hunt” ranks #12 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 94.0 — Elite. The episode packs 65 scored jokes at 3.7 per minute, averaging 7.5 on craft and 7.4 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
Jim · Dwight: Jim's note to Dwight on the Jell-O prank: 'I hope this helps. Jim.' — and we infer the calculator has been restored, meaning Jim set this up before he left
Jim Dwight Callback Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Oscar: Michael kisses Oscar on the mouth — the room goes silent, then Oscar says 'I'm sorry, Michael.'
Michael Oscar Physical/Slapstick Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Creed: Creed talking head: 'I am not offended by homosexuality. In the '60s, I made love to many, many women. Often outdoors. In the mud and the rain. And it's possible a man slipped in. There would be no way of knowing.'
Creed Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Oscar: Oscar's talking head: 'I was going to quit, but Jan offered me a three-month paid vacation and a company car. All I had to do was sign something saying I won't sue. Gil and I are going to Europe. Kids, sometimes it pays to be gay.'
Oscar Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael's talking head: 'Jim is gone. He's gone. I miss him so much. Oh, I cry myself to sleep. Jim.' [beat] 'False. I do not miss him.'
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Misdirection ★ Rewatch Standout Moments
Creed: Creed talking head: 'I am not offended by homosexuality. In the '60s, I made love to many, many women. Often outdoors. In the mud and the rain. And it's possible a man slipped in. There would be no way of knowing.'
Creed Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael · Oscar: Michael kisses Oscar on the mouth — the room goes silent, then Oscar says 'I'm sorry, Michael.'
Michael Oscar Physical/Slapstick Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Jim · Dwight: Jim's note to Dwight on the Jell-O prank: 'I hope this helps. Jim.' — and we infer the calculator has been restored, meaning Jim set this up before he left
Jim Dwight Callback Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback All Jokes — 65 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Ryan: Ryan's talking head: 'it will not say Ryan Howard is a temp. It will say Ryan Howard is a junior sales associate at a mid-range paper supply firm. That'll show 'em.'
Ryan Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Jim · Pam: Jim and Pam's kiss: 'You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that.' 'Me too.'
Jim Pam Misdirection Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Jim · Pam: 'I think we're just drunk.' 'No, I'm not drunk. Are you drunk?' 'No.'
Jim Pam Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Jim: Jim's phone buzzes and he looks at it — it reads 'Pam'
Jim Visual Gag Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael's talking head: 'Jim is gone. He's gone. I miss him so much. Oh, I cry myself to sleep. Jim.' [beat] 'False. I do not miss him.'
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Misdirection ★ Rewatch Michael: 'I call everybody faggy. Why would anyone find that offensive?'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: 'It wasn't just an action movie, it was Die Hard.'
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Michael: 'You don't call retarded people retards. It's bad taste. You call your friends retards when they're acting retarded.'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael · Oscar: Michael apologizing to Oscar while asking how 'you do that to another dude' — framing his curiosity about gay sex as a reasonable part of the apology
Oscar: Oscar's deadpan talking head: 'That sounds like a great, wonderful idea. Let's do that.'
Oscar Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Callback Kevin: Kevin's talking head: 'It explains so much.' then immediately correcting to 'No, I'm not gay' — then a long pause before 'Yeah, I'm gay.'
Kevin Misdirection Character Comedy Awkward Silence ★ Rewatch Andy: 'Steer clear, Big Tuna. Head for open waters.'
Andy Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Callback Jim: Jim's talking head: 'I ate a tuna sandwich on my first day, so Andy started calling me Big Tuna. I don't think any of them actually know my real name.'
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Callback Andy: Andy's talking head: 'I went to Cornell. You ever heard of it? I graduated in four years, I never studied once, I was drunk the whole time, and I sang in the a cappella group, Here Comes Treble.'
Andy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Michael · Dwight: 'Can you tell who's gay and who's not?' 'Of course.' 'What about Oscar?' 'Absolutely not.' 'Well, he is.' 'Well, he's not dressed in women's clothes, so...'
Michael · Dwight: Michael: 'There could be others. I need to know. I don't want to offend anybody else.' Dwight: 'You could assume everyone is, and not say anything offensive.' Michael: 'I'm sure everyone would appreciate me treating them like they were gay.'
Michael · Dwight: 'Hey, what about Angela? She's hard and severe. She could be a gay woman.' 'I really don't think so.' 'I don't know. I can imagine her with another woman. Can't you?'
Michael · Dwight: 'Jim told me you could buy gaydar online.' 'That's ridiculous.' 'Yeah, probably. He didn't tell the truth a lot.'
Dwight · Michael: Dwight: 'That's ridiculous.' / Michael: 'Yeah, probably.' / Dwight: 'He didn't tell the truth a lot.'
Michael · Dwight: 'Let's call him and get the website.' 'Definitely.'
Michael · Dwight: Dwight calls Sharper Image to check for gaydar — 'It's sold out.' / Michael: 'I'll try Brookstone.'
Jim: Jim's talking head from Stamford: 'I miss that.'
Jim Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Jim: Jim watching someone else do a Jell-O mold prank (the calculator) via webcam or reference — 'I miss that.'
Jim Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Pam · Roy: The awkward conversation between Pam and Roy in the break room: 'Chicken or fish?' 'Uh... chicken.' 'So, you, uh, having a good day?' 'Excellent. Thanks.' 'Good. I'm glad.'
Pam Roy Cringe/Discomfort Awkward Silence ★ Rewatch Pam: Pam's talking head: 'I have my own apartment and I'm taking art classes and I have lunch for the next five weeks.'
Pam Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Roy: Roy's talking head: 'I got them a toaster. They called off the wedding and gave the toaster back to me. I tried to return the toaster to the store, and they said they no longer sold that kind of toaster. So now my house has got two toasters.'
Roy Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Roy: Roy's talking head: 'After Pam dumped me, I kinda stopped taking care of myself... I hit bottom when I had a drunk driving arrest. I've been working out... I'm not gonna take her for granted. I gotta win her back.'
Roy Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Michael · Oscar: Michael: 'It is so cool that you're gay. I totally underestimated you.'
Oscar: Oscar's talking head: 'Yes, I am super cool. I am an accountant at a failing paper supply company. In Scranton. Much like, uh, Sir Ian McKellen.'
Oscar Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Callback Oscar: Oscar's talking head: 'Sure, sometimes I watch Will & Grace. And I want to throw up. It's terribly loud. I do like it sometimes, when Harry Connick Jr. is on. He's so talented.'
Oscar Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Dwight: Dwight discovers his calculator in Jell-O: 'Okay. Who put my calculator in Jell-O?'
Dwight Callback Running Gag Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Dwight: Dwight's escalating response: 'Good one. But, uh, seriously. Guys, who did this?' → 'Seriously, guys. Who did this? I need to know who put my calculator in Jell-O or I'm gonna lose my freakin' mind!'
Dwight Escalation Character Comedy Callback Michael · Jan: Michael to Jan on the phone: 'I watch The L Word, okay? I watch Queer as— ' Jan: 'That's not what it's called.'
Michael: Jan telling Michael he outed Oscar: Michael's response 'Gay pride, right? Gay pride parade? It's not like... Gay Shame Festival.'
Michael · Jan: Michael: 'Could Oscar and Angela be having a gay affair?' Jan: 'No... Maybe.' Michael: 'Is that what this is about? No. I don't... No. It's not possible.' Jan: 'Anything's possible.'
Michael: 'Well, I'm not gay, Jan, and you should know that better than anybody.'
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Michael's talking head: 'The company has made it my responsibility today to put an end to 100,000 years of being weirded out by gays.'
Oscar · Michael: 'Am I the first gay man you ever knew?' 'Trick question. Because you can't always tell, so how would I know? Was that the right answer?'
Pam · Dwight · Michael: Pam announces Dwight is watching gay pornography on his computer — 'Uh, Michael knows, Pam. Okay, he asked me to do this just for him.'
Michael: Michael looking at gay porn: 'Nothing wrong with this stuff. At all. This is fine... You know what? I totally see the merit. And, actually... It is quite beautiful.'
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael · Dwight · Oscar: 'Oh, damn popups.' / 'What are you doing?' / 'Watching some of your friends.' / 'This is stupid. Excuse me. Don't touch me. Help! Ow.'
Michael: Michael calling the meeting: 'I don't care if you are gay or straight or a lesbian, or overweight.'
Michael: Michael: 'Did you know that gay used to mean happy? When I was growing up, it meant lame. And now, it means a man who makes love to other men.'
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Michael: 'We're all homos. Homo sapiens.'
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Michael: Michael: 'Gays aren't necessarily who you think they are, people. I mean, anybody can be gay. Businessmen. Like antique dealers, or hairdressers, or... accountants.'
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Michael: Michael: 'Oscar, why don't you take this opportunity to officially come out to everybody here, however you want to do it. Go ahead. Stand up. I'm doing this for you.'
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael: Michael: 'I bet a lot of straight men wish that applied to them. So they could go out there and have some torrid, unabashed, monkey sex. As much as they could. Sounds pretty good, right?'
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Dwight: Dwight: 'I think all the other office gays should identify themselves, or I will do it for them.'
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist Michael · Phyllis: Michael asking Phyllis: 'In college, did you ever experiment with other women? A lot of women do.' Phyllis: 'No, and you knew me in high school.' Michael: 'Of course, we all thought you were gay in high school.'
Michael · Phyllis: Phyllis on Michael being defensive: 'You sound pretty defensive, Michael.' Michael: 'No, I am just coming out myself. I am coming out hetero.'
Michael: Michael: 'If I was gay, I would be the most flamboyant gay you've ever seen. I would be leading the parade covered in feathers, and just... I'd be waving that rainbow flag.'
Oscar: Oscar: 'I don't think I can work here any longer. This has been the worst, most backwards day of my life.'
Oscar Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat Michael: Michael announcing he's going to embrace Oscar — 'You might want to watch this, Angela, because you can't catch anything.'
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Oscar · Michael: Oscar repeatedly refusing Michael's hug: 'I'd rather not.' / 'I really would... would... I'd really rather not.' / 'I don't want to touch you. Ever considered that?'
Michael: Michael post-kiss talking head: 'I did it. Thank you. See? I'm still here. We're all still here.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Callback Dwight: Dwight talking head after the kiss: 'Michael appears to be gay too. And yet, he is my friend. I guess I do have a gay friend.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael's closing speech: 'What is love, anyway? Maybe it's supposed to break all the rules. Like me and Jan. Or Oscar and some guy.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: 'That's what she said. Or he said.'
Michael Running Gag Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael spots Oscar's roommate at the end of the day: 'Oh, there's Gil, Oscar's roommate. I wonder if he knows.'
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Callback Oscar: Oscar's talking head: 'I was going to quit, but Jan offered me a three-month paid vacation and a company car. All I had to do was sign something saying I won't sue. Gil and I are going to Europe. Kids, sometimes it pays to be gay.'
Oscar Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Dwight: Dwight's reaction to the Jell-O note: 'Nice.' — then Dwight discovering the gaydar works on Meredith
Dwight Callback Visual Gag Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Unknown: Final beat: 'Oh, no.' — someone's reaction to what Dwight does with the gaydar
Unknown Reaction Beat Awkward Silence Callback Top Episodes — The Office
