For no apparent reason, season 8 of The Office includes a number of references to ancient Egypt that are absent from the rest of the (numerous) episodes.

In S08E10, the main characters celebrate the Dundler Mifflin Christmas party. In one of the usual conflicts between Jim Halpert and Dwight Schrute, Toby Flenderson's character draws a parallel between the situation created by Jim and Dwight and the protagonist of a novel he has just read, Chad Flenderman in A Murder for Framing. It is interesting how Toby describes the hero: he is a black man, Oxford-educated, but with a great ability to move in the underworld and to drive all kinds of vehicles, as well as being... the best Egyptologist in the world. As we can see, the role of the archaeologist, and of the Egyptologist in particular, is once again linked to intellectualism and adventure.
Although nothing else is said about this character, fans of the TV series have published booklets recreating the look and feel of this fictional work, which features pyramids on the cover and blood, to indicate it is a murder mystery novel.

In S08E13, "Jury Duty", Jim makes an excuse to take time off work and help his wife with the care of their young children, who are particularly complex at this stage of their upbringing. The excuse was that he had been sitting on a jury in a hit-and-run case. However, under insistent questioning from his colleagues in the office, cracks appear in Jim's story, and he confesses that he was absent from work so he could be at home. Dwight proposes that he be fired for missing work, but the boss, Andy Bernard, suggests to Jim in a private conversation that he used an old fashioned cover-up, the Connecticut cover-up. Jim then asks Andy if he is sure he can keep the secret, and Andy says: "They used to call me King Tut, because I am so good at keeping things under wraps". Later, he adds that his nickname was actually King Butt, because of his obesity problems when he was young.
We see here a curious example of Tutmania. The omnipresence of the pharaoh Tutankhamun in popular culture is expressed in this episode in relation to a comic pun (Tut-Butt), and the reference to his wraps is an allusion to the mummy and the confidentiality of the conversation between the two protagonists. Besides, who better than a dead man to keep a secret?

Finally, in S08E17, "Test the Store", a selection of Dundler Mifflin employees travel to Tallahassee to take part in the opening of a Sabre shop. Sabre's flagship product is a technological gadget in the shape of a pyramid. Ryan Howard is tasked with making a presentation to sell the product to the audience, but he has an anxiety attack. So, Jim has to do it. Jim gives a brief speech, in which he highlights the permanence and transcendence of the pyramid's technology, comparing it to that which stands the test of time, such as the pyramids of Egypt and Mesoamerica. The Sphinx of Giza also appears briefly. In this way, the sellers value the past, the most stable constructions of history, to cement the future with this pyramid of Sabre. So, in this we see another aspect of Egyptomania: popular culture utilizing Egypt as a symbol or longevity and stability.

Author: Abraham I. Fernández Pichel