Is Your Obsession With "Breaking Bad" Ruining Your Career?

Photo : Frank Ockenfels/AMC

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston as Jesse Pinkman and Walter White on 'Breaking Bad'

One of my favorite television shows of all time is "Breaking Bad". Although, I didn't become a fan until the show was already into its third season, but thanks to Netflix, I was able to catch up and watch all the previous episodes in a few nights with very little sleep.  It's funny, because normally I don't like to watch television dramas but the show hooked my right away, and judging by the millions of fans the show has attracted, I'm not the only person who finds the story of Walter White fascinating. 

Yet, with the success of any television or movie franchise also comes a legion of weird obsessive fans who can't get enough of the show, its characters, the plot lines, but who also don't know where the line between reality and fantasy delineates.  They find themselves reciting lines from the show, reading books about making crystal meth, and calling people "bitch" like Jesse Pinkman.

However, not everyone is this fanatical about the show. There are many fans who love the show just for its entertainment value, but at times they will allow little snippets of the show creep into their personal life. It's at that point they need to reign in their "inner Walter", and realize the show might be effectively clouding their judgment.  You might be one of those fans, and not even know that subconsciously you are channeling Walter White, Jesse Pinkman, or even worse Gus Fring. Here are a few signs you might be watching too much "Breaking Bad", and letting the show adversely affect your career.

• You End Every Sentence With The Word "Bitch" - One of the main characters in the show is Jesse Pinkman and he seems to punctuate every other sentence with the word "bitch".  That may work for Mr. Pinkman who deals drugs and interacts with addicts, but when someone at work offers you a drink, please don't say, "Gatorade me bitch!". 
• You Decide To Shave Your Head Like Walter White - The signature look for Walter White, who by the way is going through chemo therapy, is his bald head.  In a study conducted by the Wharton School,  men with shaved heads are perceived to be more masculine and may be better leaders. However, the reason many business leaders shave their heads is because they're going bald!  And shaving your head is an especially ineffective strategy if you're a woman. No one is promoting Sinead O'Connor to a CEO anytime soon.  My suggestion, is that unless you actually are going bald, or undergoing chemo therapy, don't shave your head. It's a good look for Dr. Evil, but not you.  
• You End Every Presentation With , "Say My Name." - One of the most memorable quotes on the show is when Walt White confronts a few hardened criminals and asks them to say his name as a sign of respect.  This line works on television, but not in an office setting.  It's just grandstanding and you're not going to win anyone's respect by ending each meeting, presentation, or company picnic by asking people to say your name. They might respond by saying, "Mr./Ms. Ass Hole".
• You Advise Your Boss To "Tread Lightly" - The career path of Walter White is that he starts out as a nerdy little chemistry teacher, and becomes a bad ass drug dealer over the course of a few years.  Secretly, we all want to be able to command that type of money and power, but if you're working in a corporate environment, the same rules do not apply as they do to drug dealing.  When your boss tells you she needs a project done by the end of the month, you can't tell her "tread lightly", or she might respond with, "you're fired."
• You Respond To Every Request With, "Better Call Saul!" -  Walter White and Jesse Pinkman are business partners who rely heavily on the help of their lawyer Saul Goodman to resolve many of their problems.  Saul shows them how to hide their money, set up businesses to launder their cash, and resolves many other issues related to their drug dealing.  I'm not sure that advising people to "call Saul" when they have problems will help you advance your career.  You may find it amusing, but your coworkers will not.    

I'm sure there are many scenarios which might play out at your job, where you might think to call on Walter or Jesse to help get you through the day, or to handle a specific problem, but it's probably better for your career if you ignore the allure of "Breaking Bad", and just be yourself.

Have a great day, and a wonderful holiday!