You remember the episode. It’s season three. Phyllis is getting married to Bob Vance (Vance Refrigeration, obviously), and Michael Scott, in his infinite, misguided wisdom, decides the office needs to throw a bachelorette party. But because Michael is Michael, he can't just hire a normal stripper and call it a day. He gets confused. He gets weird. And suddenly, the Scranton branch is hosting a middle-aged man in a colonial wig.
Benjamin Franklin the office appearance is one of those fever-dream moments in sitcom history that feels more like a hallucination the more you think about it.
Honestly, the "Ben Franklin" episode (officially Season 3, Episode 15) is a masterclass in cringe. It’s written by Mindy Kaling, which explains why the dialogue is so sharp and uncomfortable. While the guys are downstairs in the warehouse dealing with a very confused stripper named Elizabeth, the women are upstairs being "educated" by a man who claims to be a Founding Father.
But here’s the thing: most people just remember the funny wig. They forget the absolute insanity that went into making this character work.
The Man Behind the Bifocals
The impersonator, whose "real" name in the show is Gordon, was played by the legendary Andy Daly. If you haven't seen his show Review, go do that immediately. Daly has this incredible ability to play characters who are terrifyingly committed to a bit, and Gordon is the blueprint for that.
Daly actually showed up to the audition thinking he wouldn't get the part. He was in his mid-thirties and in great shape. He figured they’d hire some "paunchy, bald dude" who actually looked like he was 81 years old.
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To fix the "too fit" problem, the wardrobe department stuffed a massive pillow under his colonial coat. Sounds simple, right? Except Daly later revealed on the Office Ladies podcast that wearing a cheap polyester pillow against his skin for 12 hours under hot studio lights gave him a massive, itchy rash.
He was literally suffering for his art while Meredith was hitting on him.
Did he actually tie that cherry stem?
One of the most iconic (and gross) moments is when Ben Franklin "strips" by taking off his coat and then proceeds to tie a cherry stem into a knot with his tongue to impress Pam.
It looked real. It wasn't.
Basically, Daly had a pre-tied cherry stem tucked in the side of his mouth. He put a fresh one in, moved it around with his tongue while making some suggestive eye contact, and then spat out the tied one. It’s a classic magician’s trick, but the way he winks at Pam afterward? Pure nightmare fuel.
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Dwight vs. The Founding Father
The real heart of the episode—and the part that sparks the most Reddit debates even in 2026—is the showdown between Dwight Schrute and Gordon.
Dwight is convinced that this man is a fraud. Or, more accurately, he is 99% sure. That 1% of doubt is where the comedy lives. Dwight starts grilling him with rapid-fire historical questions to trip him up.
- Dwight: "Who is the King of Prussia?"
- Ben: "Friedrich Wilhelm III!"
Most of this was actually improvised. Rainn Wilson started throwing out questions that weren't in the script. Luckily, Andy Daly is a massive nerd. Before filming, he had spent hours reading Benjamin Franklin’s Wikipedia page because he thought the show was more improvised than it actually was.
When Dwight asked if he was nearsighted or farsighted, Daly didn't blink. He knew Franklin invented bifocals, so he answered accordingly. Mindy Kaling was reportedly so impressed she thought they’d rehearsed it in secret.
Why "Ben Franklin" Still Hits Different
There's a weird tension in this episode that you don't see in modern sitcoms. It’s the "guy shower" vs. "girl shower" dynamic. While Michael is busy being an accidental creep at a sex shop, the women in the office are forced to endure a lecture on 18th-century politics.
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It highlights the bizarre vacuum of Scranton. In what other universe would a professional business hire a historical reenactor for a bachelorette party?
Interestingly, the stripper Elizabeth (played by Jackie Debatin) became a recurring character, appearing again in "Fun Run" and the series finale. Gordon, however, was a one-hit wonder. He showed up, creeped out Pam, offended Angela by being a "sleazebag," and vanished into the Pennsylvania night.
Facts most fans miss:
- The Wardrobe Recycling: The shirt Elizabeth the stripper wears is actually the same one Pam wore in "Basketball" and "The Dundies." The costume department didn't have time to shop for a guest star, so they pulled from the "retired" bin and turned Pam’s old clothes into a rip-away outfit.
- Jenna Fischer’s Health: If Pam looks a little glazed over, it’s because Jenna Fischer was actually sick during filming. You can even hear her sneeze in the background of one scene.
- The "No Secrets" Quote: Elizabeth tells Michael, "Secrets, secrets are no fun, secrets, secrets hurt someone." This wasn't just a random line—it’s actually a lyric from a 2002 song by a girl group called No Secrets.
The Legacy of the 18th Century in Scranton
Benjamin Franklin the office isn't just a filler episode. It’s a turning point for the Jim/Pam/Karen triangle. It’s the episode where Karen finally confronts Pam about her feelings for Jim, and the awkwardness is palpable.
Having a man in a wig standing in the background while these life-altering romantic realizations happen is exactly why The Office worked. It balanced the mundane reality of heartbreak with the absolute absurdity of a boss who doesn't know the difference between a stripper and a scholar.
If you’re looking to revisit this era of the show, pay close attention to the background actors. You can see Meredith holding a stack of singles, fully prepared to tip a Founding Father. It’s that level of detail that keeps the show in the Google Discover feeds nearly two decades later.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to see more of Andy Daly's range, check out his "Review" series or his appearances on Comedy Bang! Bang!. To see the real-life chemistry behind the Ben Franklin scenes, listen to the "Ben Franklin" episode of the Office Ladies podcast (Episode 43), where Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey break down the behind-the-scenes chaos of the "guy shower" versus the "girl shower."