Stanley Hudson was once described as Phyllis Vance's curmudgeon. Stanley was the often grumpy, Sudoku playing, tell it like it is salesman on NBC's "The Office."
Sure, Stanley balanced what was a truly wonderful cast. Michael, Jim, Pam, Creed, Darryl, Toby, and a host of others. Protagonists. Antagonists. Joke makers. Trouble makers. In sum, a bunch of memory makers. To this day, I can still binge watch the show and go line-for-line for many an episode.
While each character had a purpose in the series, I often think of Stanley as also being somewhat the moral compass of the show. His obvious distaste for silly pointless meetings. His penchant for to the point quips. How many times did you see him laugh on the show? He saw everything. Knew everything. His moral conscience always on display. Why didn't he ever quit? Even when he went tete-a-tete with Michael Scott? (Did I stutter?)
But he knew all. So much so that the producers would allow him to keep an eye on everything going on in The Office. In the talking head sequences, you typically have Stanley in the background. Watching. And if not, then certainly Listening. Keeping tabs on everyone. Fatherly? Godly? You decide.
Why Stanley? Why not Phyllis? Or Creed? I think it's because he was designed to be the moral fiber of Dunder Mifflin. God-like? Maybe. Maybe not. But without Stanley, there would certainly be some level of anarchy. Ok, well, more anarchy. He was the Yang to Michael's Yin. Maybe he wasn't carrying a big stick, but what he said softly, he certainly said very poignantly.
And you can have your very own Stanley as a Virtual Background. Here's the image for you.
And if you do binge The Office... maybe you'll catch him offering a rare smile.
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