The Office — It’s Happening Meme Template

Michael Scott tells everyone to stay calm while visibly panicking. Add the news that makes an ordinary moment feel like an emergency.

The contradiction is the joke: the person demanding calm is already losing it. A caption can make the alarm justified or wildly out of proportion to the event.

It also works for excitement. A long-awaited announcement, an early delivery, or a group finally agreeing on dinner can trigger the same response.

Steve Carell plays Michael Scott in The Office. In the opening fire-drill sequence of “Stress Relief,” Dwight creates a fake emergency to test the staff. Michael’s attempt to take charge turns into the shouted demand for calm shown in this template. [1]

NBC dates the season-five episode to February 1, 2009, immediately after the Super Bowl. That is the date of the television scene; it does not identify the first person to use this subtitled still as a meme. [2]

The yellow dialogue already contains the reaction. Put only the triggering event in the open space on the right, above the subtitle.

Choose one piece of news rather than explaining the entire situation. “The tickets go on sale in one minute” gives the reader a reason for Michael’s urgency.

The news that sets it off

In the open area on the right, above the yellow subtitle.

• Leave the yellow dialogue visible.
• Keep Michael’s face clear.
• Use an announcement, deadline, or long-awaited arrival.
• A trivial event can make the panic funnier.