Original artwork, not a still
I declare bankruptcy!
— The Office (U.S.) · 2005
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Michael treats legal terms as incantations, and this is the clearest case: the word will work because he said it loudly. People quote it whenever someone tries to make a problem vanish by naming it, and the follow-up, "I didn't say it. I declared it," is quoted nearly as often. It is shorthand for magical thinking about money.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Office (U.S.)Show the scene
In "Money", the hour-long seventh and eighth episodes of season 4, Michael is short of cash after the renovation plans with Jan and decides the answer is to declare himself bankrupt. Creed has suggested it. Michael stands in the office and shouts the line, believing the word alone does the job. Oscar, the office accountant, gently points out that it does not work like that, and Michael insists he did not say it, he declared it. Oscar then reviews Michael's spending: exercise machines, fishing gear and magic sets. The episode first aired on 18 October 2007.
Sources (2)
- The Office Wiki: MoneySynopsis and infoboxReference checked
- Wikiquote: The Office, season 4Money [4.07 & 4.08]Reference checked
Context reviewed
