When it comes to TV shows there are characters that fans don't connect with and then there are real characters that fans are instantly drawn to. When it comes to The Office, every one of its characters falls into the latter category of characters that fans cannot get enough of.
All of the characters on The Office are hilarious in their own way, and they all bring their own specific qualities and senses of humor to the series. And while every character has their own memorable and unique moments, Stanley Hudson has always occupied a special place in fans' hearts with his perfect lines.
Updated on July 15th, 2021, By Lynn Gibbs: The Office's Stanley Hudson is everyone's favorite salesman. While Jim, Dwight, and Phillis were also good at their jobs, Stanley added his own touch of sass to the Scranton branch. In fact, some of the best lines in The Office were Stanley Hudson's quotes. With his monotoned voice and no-nonsense attitude, Stanley wanted to ignore office shenanigans and focus on work so that he could leave by 5 pm. He was every fan who worked in an office atmosphere and didn't want to be there. It was because of his raw honesty that Stanley's office quotes were some of the best in the series.
"This Is Pretzel Day"
In case anyone thought Stanley’s favorite day was his birthday, it’s actually pretzel day. In ‘Pretzel Day,’ the office is excited when a pretzel man came to the lobby to deliver hot pretzels with a variety of toppings.
Michael was excited for the taste of a hot pretzel with all the fixins’ but Stanley was even more excited. It was one of the few times fans saw Stanley with a smile on his face, happy to be at work. It was one of his more endearing moments. This annual event makes Dunder Mifflin a company worth working for.
“I Have Been Trying To Get On Jury Duty Every Year Since I Was 18 Years Old. To Get To Go Sit In An Air-Conditioned Room, Downtown, Judging People, While My Lunch Is Paid for… That Is The Life”
The topic of jury duty was a light one on The Office. Viewers saw Jim go to jury duty and extended his time off from work by saying the trial went all week. Sadly, Jim lied to his coworkers about jury duty because he needed home-time with his wife and kids. Stanley, on the other hand, has been wishing for jury duty since he was 18. He never got the chance to be a juror but he wishes.
As he said, “To get to go sit it in an air-conditioned room, downtown, judging people, while my lunch is paid for … that is the life.” Nothing sounds more like Stanley than eating lunch in silence in the air condition while judging others as they speak.
“Florida Stanley Smiles, Florida Stanley Is Happy To Go To Work, Florida Stanley Is Who You Want On Your Florida Team”
On The Office, Stanley's quotes were the best when it came to the weekend or vacation. When Dunder Mifflin was bought by Sabre, the new CEO, Jo, needed a group of workers from the Scranton branch to travel down to Florida to kick off a pop-up shop. Andy was trying to figure out who to send down to Florida, so Stanley made a plea for himself.
When it comes to the Florida heat, Stanley was their go-to man. According to Stanley, no one was better for Florida than himself. Florida Stanley smiles, Florida Stanley is happy to go to work, Florida Stanley is who you want on your Florida team.” It’s no wonder Andy was sold and sent him down for the job!
"Shove It Up Your Butt!"
In season 8, Stanley learned something new over the summer. It was a new saying that showed off his silly side. Whenever someone asked Stanley for help because they didn’t know how to do something, Stanley started off by helping them before ending it quickly with “…and shove it up your butt!”
The cameras showed Stanley in various scenes saying his new slogan and laughing harder than viewers have ever seen before. It was one of the lightest moments of Stanley’s over the years.
"You've Been Meatballed! Are You Ready For Some Meatball?”
Along with telling people to shove things up their butt, Stanley also had an infinity for meatballs. In season 6, Jim found out that Stanley enjoyed his pranks on Dwight. More specifically when Jim hid meatballs in Dwight’s desk or under his chair.
Because of Stanley’s love for meatballs, Jim kept up the prank. Every time Dwight opened a drawer and found meatballs, Stanley would say “You’ve been meatballed! Are you ready for some meatballs!?” At the end of the cold open, it turns out that Stanley kept up with the meatball joke with Jim because at the end of the day it was he and Dwight who were going home with free meatballs every night.
"I Do Not Apologize Unless I Think I’m Wrong, And If You Don’t Like It, You Can Leave"
It's shocking that someone as curmudgeonly and antisocial as Stanley has managed to find a wife, let alone multiple wives. What's not shocking, however, is that Stanley would be completely unwilling to apologize to someone unless he thought he was wrong.
In 'Did I Stutter?', Stanley said a quote that lives rent-free in most fans' heads. "It's like I used to tell my wife, I do not apologize unless I think I'm wrong. And if you don't like it you can leave. And I say the same thing to my current wife and I'll say it to my next one, too." His honest take on romance was hard not to laugh at. By the end of season 9, Stanley was on track with his statement after his wife left him in season 6.
"I Would Rather Work For An Upturned Broom With A Bucket For A Head Than Work For Somebody Else In This Office Besides Myself"
Stanley has the energy level and competitive nature of a turtle on morphine, but when Michael announces a beach day competition to claim his managerial job once it's vacated, Stanley is immediately ready to throw down.
After years of suffering as one of Michael Scott's employees, it's easy to understand why he'd be ready to shed blood in order to ensure he's the king of the castle for the foreseeable future. Comparing anyone in the regional manager position to a broom is entertaining as it gets for Stanley.
"I Took An Extra Shot Of Insulin In Preparation For This Cake Today"
In 'Survivor Man,' Michael goes off to the woods for a personal survivor challenge, while Jim took over as manager for the day. As his first step as interim manager, Jim thought it would be a good idea to combine everyone's birthdays into one party instead of having separate parties every month.
This was one of the worst moves Jim could have made in the office. His colleagues hated this idea — especially Stanley. "I took an extra shot of insulin in preparation for this cake today. If I don't have some cake soon I might die," Stanley demanded. And luckily for him, Jim gave him what he asked for and he got his cake.
"I Do Not Like Pregnant Women In My Workspace. They’re Always Complaining. I Have Varicose Veins, Too. I Have Swollen Ankles. I’m Constantly Hungry. Do You Think My Nipples Don’t Get Sore Too? "
In 'Baby Shower,' Michael throws a baby shower for "his" upcoming baby with Jan. The Party Planning Committee went around the office to collect money for a joint gift, which is when Stanley spoke his true thoughts.
Like some pregnant women, Stanley also suffers from varicose veins, swollen ankles, and sore nipples. The difference is that he can't complain about it openly because he's not pregnant. Nevertheless, fans love when Stanley's truth is so bold because it's impossible to not laugh at.
"You Are A Professional Idiot"
A friendship between Stanley and Michael would never work. And that becomes clear when Michael Scott and Stanley get into a disagreement, Michael thinks the only way Stanley would respect him is to fake fire him. After Stanley reacts, Michael lets the cat out of the bag and admits he wasn't actually firing him. He just wanted to get a rise out of Stanley.
In response, Stanley didn't hold back. "You are a professional idiot," he says. Michael becomes emotional at Stanley's words but he wasn't wrong. Pretending to fire someone is idiotic but only Stanley can get away with calling the boss a "professional idiot."
"Life Is Short. Drive Fast And Leave A Sexy Corpse"
Stanley Hudson may show no regard for other people, for the world in general, or for his own physical health and well-being, but this life motto explains why he seems to surrender to his every crotchety impulse at all times: "Life is short. Drive fast and leave a sexy corpse." His sudden passion for life was a scene fans loved to watch over and over.
The Office understandably focuses on the experiences of the characters while they're occupying the Dunder Mifflin offices, but it's moments like these that make fans wish that they had shown maybe just a glimpse of Stanley's life outside of work. One can only imagine what Stanley does on the weekend.
"Newsflash: You Are Not Special”
It doesn't matter who Stanley is talking to, when he's mad he doesn't hold back. Stanley isn't so much one of the low-key villains on the show, he just has boundaries. He doesn't have time for nonsense or for people who think their time is more valuable than his.
Saying "Newsflash: You are not special," is almost sassy enough to be something Kelly Kapoor would say. In fact, these are two characters who didn't get enough screen time together. And while this statement sounds cruel, it's all in its delivery.
"Do Not Care"
Could three words sum up Stanley Hudson more than "do not care"? It seems like absolutely nothing can make Stanley actually care about anything, and, even if the office was about to go up in flames, he would hardly look up from his crossword puzzle.
It doesn’t matter what his coworkers need, Stanley doesn’t care. What makes this hilarious is it’s not just the line — it’s his delivery; it’s his mannerisms. Don't mess with Stanley.
"Boy, Have You Lost Your Mind, Cause I'll Help You Find It!"
Nothing was scarier or funnier than when Stanley verbally attacked Ryan for getting too close to his middle school-aged daughter. As much as Stanley hated working for Dunder Mifflin before, this was one of his worst days on the job. He did not hold back and let Ryan have it, saying “Boy, have you lost your mind? 'Cause I'll help you find it. What you looking for? Ain't nobody gonna help you out there. Jesus could come through that door and he's not gonna help you if you don't stop sniffing after my child.”
As creepy as Ryan's actions sound, viewers knew the real story was Stanley's daughter had a crush on Ryan and wouldn't leave him alone to work. It’s safe to say that was the last time Ryan was ever on Stanley’s bad side. This was also the angriest viewers have seen the character.
"Did I Stutter!?"
Stanley barely tolerates Michael on the best of days, but when he was particularly not in the mood to deal with his antics he let out the classic "did I stutter?" His words were jarring but his sudden burst of energy is what made Stanley funny.
In an interesting twist of events, after a long and awkward standoff throughout the episode, Stanley and Michael actually managed to come to some sort of a truce, and Stanley seemed content to treat Michael respectfully even if he doesn't respect him.