My coworker said he respects me.

This zinger finds its funny bone in the massive gap between what someone says and what they actually do. The humor is pure irony. The setup establishes a baseline of professional courtesy, leading us to expect considerate behavior. The punchline then delivers the exact opposite with an act widely considered a cardinal sin of office life. A verbal promise of respect is immediately and catastrophically voided by an unforgivable, fishy action.

For anyone who's ever shared a communal kitchen, the act of microwaving fish is the nuclear option of inconsiderate behavior. It's a violation of a sacred, unwritten social contract. The pungent aroma doesn't just warm up a meal; it seeps into the walls, the ceiling tiles, and the very soul of the office for hours, if not days. This shared, traumatic experience makes the coworker's claim of respect not just false, but hilariously and offensively out of touch with reality.