Turns out you are not alone.
This condition, Office Potluck Repulsion Disorder (OPRD) or people who are grossed out with office potlucks, is extremely common, and this time of year brings out the worst for those with the disorder. If you’re attending a potluck this season, I’d stop reading now. If not, please continue. Here’s the best summary of this condition:
Instead of blithely helping themselves to mounds of casserole and slices of meatloaf, potluck haters head straight for the store-bought cookies, breads and beverages. They insist their aversion to homemade food isn’t capricious. Eating turkey and stuffing made by the co-worker who doesn’t wash his hands after using the bathroom or the gingerbread trifle created by the friend whose clothes are perpetually covered in pet hair is asking for trouble, they say. Even if the preparers seem clean enough, hardly anyone is as scrupulous as they should be in the kitchen, washing pots and utensils improperly and failing to keep foods at the right temperatures. And who knows what their rules are about tasting the dish while cooking?
I have to admit that after reading the entire article, I am now totally skeeved by potlucks.
December 14th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Ew. I just hated them because there are so many of them and I don’t like my coworkers enough to dedicate that much time or money to cooking or buying crap.
Now I’m thoroughly icked.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
I wonder what it is about others obsessiveness with germs that is practically contagious!
December 15th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
What always weirded me out about office potlucks wasn’t the germs, but the bizarre greedy behavior. People fighting to be first at the table for spinach dip and warmed up queso? And if someone who didn’t bring anything showed up, plate in hand? Ooooh, daggers!
December 15th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
I just ate at the office potluck (Ham and Turkey bought by dept. everyone brought sides). It was a civil affair and a grad student made an excellent Margarita Cheesecake. The Dept. Head’s dog kept the floors clean. The food was good but my lower intestines paid for it later. I’m okay now. I’m surprised more people don’t get sick. I did not read the article knowing that the potluck was happening. I usually buy something but I made deviled eggs and joked that I kept the nose picking, bum scratching and dog petting to a minimum. All the eggs were eaten, probably by those who did not hear the joke.