Let me start this by saying that I am a t-shirt designer. I have previous made a nice living working full time as a designer of t-shirts. I am currently making a few extra bucks throwing designs up on CafePress.com - I’m as much of a “professional t-shirt designer” as you’re ever going to meet.

Having said that - I have to say, I find NBC’s latest “contest” to be pretty damn offensive.

The Peacock network wants you to design their next wave of t-shirts based on the hit series “The Office“. Being a fan of the show, my ears perked up at that. I’d LOVE to design t-shirts for “The Office”.

Then I found out what the “prize” is for “winning” this “contest” (notice all the sarcastic “s?). The “winner” gets the following:

Your design will be sold exclusively through The NBC Store!
10 free T-shirts (when produced)
Choice of any three t-shirts from NBCstore.com
Dunderize Your Cube
DM Shot Glass (four pack)
Lunch Bag
Exclusive Dwight Bobblehead Golf Balls (3)
Star Mug Set

Yes - that’s right folks, the BIG prize is a Dunder-Mifflin grab back of crap and the privilege of someone else profiting from your creative work.

Woo-Hoo! Where do I start?

Oh wait - that’s a complete rip-off. See, a good t-shirt design is worth thousands of dollars. It’s worth either a large up-front payment, or a continuing royalty. Offering a prize pack that’s this cheap is just plain insulting.

Now, I’m sure there will be some of you that think I’m over reacting. That’s fine - by all means - spend your time designing “Office” shirts - me? I’ll be over her not being taken advantage of by NBC.

Ever since the Roy-Pam-Jim triangle was resolved, The Office
has shifted its focus to yet another love triangle called Dwandela, consisting of Dwight Schrute, Angela Martin and Andy Bernard.  After Dwight mercy-killed her beloved pet cat Sprinkles in the first episode of the show’s fourth season, Angela immediately ended their secret affair and instead began openly to date Andy, who proposed to her at an office party in the season’s last episode. It took months of the old Bernard charm to wear her down, but eventually she decided to take a chance on him, unknown to Bernard that she’s still engaging in secret hookups with Dwight on the side.  And from that moment on, Angela and Andy’s lives have been filled with nothing but buttoned up bliss.

Angela and Andy might be headed towards the altar but they have some major roadblocks coming their way.  For one thing, Angela’s relationship with Dwight is clearly not over.  When Dwight stood in for Andy as a Mennonite, German-speaking minister completed the vows in what was supposed to be a mock wedding ceremony for Andy and Angela in the episode “The Surplus,” Dwight tricked Angela into marrying him by deceiving her into saying “I do,” thus effectively rendering them married.  And while Angela hinted to Andy that she had a small legal matter to attend to (which is most likely to get her marriage annulled), it hasn’t been implied that Angela and Dwight’s marriage is now null and void.

Having an illicit office romance entails a lot of complications and being employed in Dunder Mifflin doesn’t make things any easier.  Now that Phyllis has already announced to the office (excluding Andy) that Angela is having an affair with Dwight, there’ll be a lot of watchful eyes and gossip to go around for the rest of the fifth season.  Unless of course Angela decides to come clean to Andy, which I don’t think will happen anytime soon.  If it does happen, it may likely trigger Andy’s anger management issues and that’s something I’m looking forward to see.

Another obstruction in the Angela-Andy relationship is a pregnancy-fueled rumor that suggests Dwight as the father of Angela’s baby.  When someone asked about a possible storyline baby storyline for Angela, her portrayer Angela Kinsey said “Wouldn’t it be funny if all of a sudden I had to be pregnant since I was just pregnant for real?!”  Of course Kinsey’s response has led many fans to believe that a pregnancy plot is not such a far-fetched development.

Catch
The Office when it returns with new episodes on January on NBC.

Season: 5

Episode: 10

First Aired: 12/11/2008

Phyllis’ Moroccan-themed holiday party goes up in flames when Meredith’s hair catches on fire and Michael is forced to deal with the accident. Meanwhile, Dwight corners the market on the hottest toy of the Christmas season.

Director- Paul Feig

Screenwriter- Justin Spitzer

Main Cast

• Steve Carell as Michael Scot
  
• Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute
  
• John Krasinski as Jim Halpert
  
• Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly
  
• B.J. Novak
  

Download “Moroccan Christmas” Free

Season: 5

Episode: 9

First Aired: 12/4/2008

‘The Surplus‘ is the title of season 5 episode 9 (s05e09) of the latest installment of everybody’s favorite comedy series, ‘The Office‘. This will, no doubt, be another comical adventure by this zany group of misfits headed by Michael Scott. If last week they made us laugh with their different antics in trying to get rid of Toby, this week promises to be another riot as the staff of ‘The Office‘ is informed that they must spend over four thousand dollars in this year’s budget surplus or lose it in the following year’s budget (sort of a poor man’s Oprah’s Big Give, he he). How they go about it is what we’ll find out in this season 5 episode 9 (s05e09) show.

However, the video stream of ‘The Surplus’ is not yet available online as this week’s show has been preempted by the Thanksgiving holiday specials. Rest assured, though, that it will be posted here as soon as season 5 episode 9 (s05e09) becomes available next week after the show airs. For the meantime, here is a short summary of ‘The Surplus’. Hopefully, I’ll find a
preview video to post here to keep us entertained while we wait for next Thursday. (Don’t forget to check back next week for ‘The Surplus’)

Oscar informs Michael that the office must spend a $4300 surplus or lose it in next year’s budget. When Michael opens up the floor for suggestions, factions break out and office mates square off against one another in order to get what they want. Meanwhile, Dwight takes Angela and Andy to Schrute Farms to work on their wedding plans.

Download “The Surplus” for Free