“Hey, could you hand me that modem please?”
“what modem?”
“the one right in front of you.”
“I don’t see a modem”
“It’s on your desk.”
“oh, this? Are you talking about this?- This is a router”.

As such, I would like to introduce you to Elizabeth Beacton, a congressional staffer who, if you have not already been forwarded this article, starts one of the most hilarious email exchanges I have ever seen by combining that above (awesome) habit (of pretending to be confused) with the equally hilarious habit of losing your temper when some one uses a nickname:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0609/No_namecalling.html?showall

SUGGESTION TO READERS: when some one fakes like they are confused to me, I like to then pretend I don’t remember asking a question. I call it “doubling down on the fake confusion” and it always forces them to admit they knew exactly what I was referring to:

“Hey, could you hand me that modem please?”
“what modem?”
“Oh my God. Have I been talking about modems again?”
“what??”
“I have no recollection of the last five minutes. Do you have any idea why I may have been talking to you about modems?”
(after defeated pause) “yeah… you meant ‘router’. I’m holding a router… …here, take it.”

2 Responses

1. Steve Harvey Says:
   June 18th, 2009 at 11:04 am

   Wow! That email string is hilarious. Never call me any thing but my full name…Steve O. Licious

2. Mark Geary Says:
   June 18th, 2009 at 11:05 am

   This lady also has one of my favourite traits of an assistant. Its called the I-assume-I-have-the-same-power-and-import-as-the-person-i-serve syndrome and is known to affect the clerical staff of up to 98% of all CEOs. Ever get a Priority 1 IT help desk ticket because the secretary to the Finance VP forgot his or her network password?

Leave a Comment