Response to "Lead Blog Post on The Office"

I thought Lucy's post did a great job of explaining why viewers find The Office so hilarious. Although it is not my favorite sitcom of all time, it would definitely be included in my top five, and I can't help but laugh every time I rewatch an old episode. I agree almost completely with Lucy's analysis of the character of Michael Scott: we laugh at him because we feel his intelligence and social graces are inferior to ours (the superiority theory). However, I would also assert that our amusement is partially a result of the incongruity theory and the benign violation theory. For example, Michael makes many inappropriately-timed jokes that don't really apply to the situation at hand. When Michael shows up to Dwight's wedding unexpectedly, Dwight says, "I can't believe you came!" to which Michael replies, "That's what she said." This is a touching and heartfelt moment, and the audience can't help but laugh as it's interrupted (but improved, I would argue) by a classic Michael moment. This incongruity occurs frequently throughout the show, as characters inject unanticipated dialogue and act in ways that don't align with a traditional workplace environment. Furthermore, as Lucy pointed out, some of Michael's more outdated and controversial jokes would not be acceptable today, because they're too much of a violation. In one episode, in a failed effort to help Dunder Mifflin's employees understand diversity and the struggles of minorities, Michael arranges an exercise in which people treat each other in accordance with the stereotypes associated with their assigned minority. The employees are all evidently uncomfortable with and offended by the exercise. However, viewers at the time might have found this scene amusing because there was less stigma surrounding racism and sexism when this episode was aired in early 2005. As a result, the episode was a violation of general decency, but wasn't considered too much of a violation (it was benign enough) to still be funny. Nowadays, a scene like this would be considered vulgar and would be appreciated much less than it was 13 years ago. Despite these violations, The Office is sure to remain a beloved and often rewatched classic for many generations to come.

View the clip from Dwight's wedding here.
View the clip of racism and sexism here.

Comments

  1. Shane HerronOctober 25, 2018 at 8:06 PM

    I wonder though is it really would be too over the line. It's hard to say, but of course some really edgy humor still does exist.

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  2. Caroline BassOctober 26, 2018 at 12:53 PM

    Awesome post, Lindsey! I especially like that you point out how "The Office" consistently uses incongruous interjections that are completely inappropriate for the emotional atmosphere of the situations in which they are said. I think part of this hilarity is also because of the character-specific delivery--i.e. Dwight comes across as strangely serious and we grow to expect this from him.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hannah ThomasOctober 26, 2018 at 12:57 PM

    I wonder from the creators' standpoint: Do they use The Office as a form of political satire in a way? Are they making fun of what's absolutely unacceptable to say in a workplace environment? And if The Office is still so popular, would it really be considered offensive today? I believe there's a big difference in Donald Trump's unacceptable "just joking" statements and Michael Scott's racist/sexist statements that everyone else in The Office recognizes as ridiculously inappropriate. And this difference might mean audiences wouldn't completely reject the shows content.

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