The first time I saw some very online person smugly trot out the line “I do not dream of labor” in response to an anodyne prompt about dream jobs, my eyes rolled reflexively to the back of my head. No one dreams of the labor part, I remember thinking. It’s supposed to be a question about your interests, your priorities, your contributions as you see them in the world.
But as I watched Netflix’s Office Romance, in which two colleagues woo each other with lines like, “For most people, work is something you have to endure to get to the weekend. But for me, this is the best part,” I found that retort bubbling up in my head again, this time in my own voice. I do not dream of labor. But these people really, really do, to an extent that gives what ought to be a fluffy Jennifer Lopez rom-com vehicle a faintly dispiriting feel.
Office Romance
The Bottom Line
Not worth running afoul of HR for.
