Sure, but the overall intent holds true. Not just in professional settings, it’s important to have the skill to reframe a negative comment into a positive one.

This is probably what I would say:

It sounds like you’ve got everything you need for the meeting. Would it still make sense for me to attend?

If that’s the case, then I think I’d be more useful handling some other tasks in the meantime. Please keep me updated on the outcome of the meeting

Funny you bring up eel reproduction. Had to share. https://youtu.be/TzN148WQ2OQ

This is an unnecessarily rude comment that just proves that the parent comment was right in saying that you’re an unpleasant person. I hope you reconsider what behavior you consider to be acceptable

In the book, it’s fairly clear that he did kill everyone but only got away with it because 1) nobody can tell anybody else apart because everyone looks the same and 2) everybody is so self-centered that even if they did know a murder took place, they didn’t bother to report it.

It’s very heavily implied in the book that the landlady covered up Paul Allen’s (and multiple other prostitutes’) murder, presumably to maintain the property value of the apartment. Unfortunately, a lot of the clues don’t translate well into a movie:

1. The apartment only recently became available to rent
2. Bateman notes that the paint on the walls is still fresh, barely dried
3. Bateman notes that there’s a lot of potpourri laid out, as though to cover up a smell
4. Iirc the furniture was also brand new
5. The landlady immediately knew who Bateman was and asked him to leave