Pop culture quote gets its own holiday

By Jim Vorel

All notions of social convention go out the window Thursday, as anyone in the known world proudly declares “Oh yeah? That’s what she said.”

In the spirit of International “That’s What She Said” Day, participants will be expected to work the phrase into all facets of conversation on Thursday. Bonus credit is to be awarded if a student is able to interject a sudden “that’s what she said” into a passing stranger’s conversation.

“I plan to lurk, mostly, and wait until the juiciest, most inappropriate moment comes up, like a professor talking about a serious subject,” said Michael Deegan, sophomore in LAS, who plans to celebrate on Thursday to the fullest. “Then I strike.”

Thursday marks the first annual International “That’s What She Said” Day, an event founded by freshman John Hughes of Central Washington University. The event was inspired by NBC’s hit comedy “The Office,” particularly by the office in question’s boss, Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell, who often awkwardly delivers the line to his unamused subordinates.

Deegan, who says he first stumbled over the group while “stalking a few friends on Facebook,” names Michael Scott, the character who popularized the rejoinder, as his favorite character on the show.

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“He’s so inappropriate, but through it all he somehow remains bizarrely sympathetic,” Deegan said.

Hughes, creator of a Facebook event for International “That’s What She Said” Day, had no idea that the concept would grow so large so quickly.

“A friend of mine and I were actually competing to see who could create the best event that would get the most people,” Hughes said. “I was hoping for somewhere around 20 to 50 people. I actually forgot about the event for nearly a week and when I checked back there were over 12,000 people in the group.”

The group has continued to grow since, and currently has over 140,000 students who plan on “attending.” If these students really do find ways to work “that’s what she said” into their conversations on Thursday in every possible situation, then the event may even join the ranks of such prestigious and famous holidays of Internet sub-culture as the popular Talk Like a Pirate Day, held annually on Sept. 19.

“I think it’s far-fetched to think it could overtake Talk Like a Pirate Day,” Deegan said. “I think it stands a chance of being noticeable on campus. A lot of people watch ‘The Office,’ so I think it has a lot of potential. Myself, though, I’m waiting for Walk Like a Ninja Day.”

Hughes realizes that as the creator of the event, future celebrations may spiral out of his control, and take on a life of their own.

“I still like to think that every time I hear someone say in passing ‘that’s what she said,’ that maybe I had something to do with it,” he said. “If it became as big as Talk Like a Pirate Day, that would be the happiest accomplishment of mine ever.”

However, not all of the participants of International “That’s What She Said” Day take the faux-holiday quite so seriously.

“I expect I’ll probably mostly celebrate by watching the newest episode of ‘The Office’ that night,” said Lauren Cylkowski, sophomore at Parkland College.

“Then again, I’ll still probably say it every time I get the chance. After all, you can’t pass up a perfect opportunity. I might even try other languages – though that might be pretty hard.”

That’s what she said.