My abosolute favorite television show is The Office. To me, there is nothing funnier than the awkward scenarios and the drama that occurs on the show. It's my favorite show because it is unafraid to make the viewer uncomfortable. It is brave, as not other television shows really accomplish that sense of awkwardness and intensity. The characters are all very different individuals, and all cast members have great and diverse personalities. Though most of the characters are white, there is an African American man (Stanley, and this does not include the some of the warehouse staff), a man of Mexican decent (Oscar, who we later find out is gay), overweight individuals, an overly critical Christian woman (Angela), an Indian woman (Kelly) and other great characters. Ultimately, the characters are a group of people who hate their monotonous jobs and would rather be anywhere else but Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, PA. The show is unafraid to be politically incorrect and make the viewers react in different ways. The show titled "Diversity Day" was the second show on season 1, and it deals with the office having to go through a diversity seminar because the manager Michael Scott performed a controversial Chris Rock routine in the office which offended many people. If you have never watched The Office, I strongly suggest that you watch it! It is important to keep pushing the envelope in television to keep the issue of racism in America prominent so that we do not regress in our overall progress of eliminating racism. Here is a clip from "Diversity Day" which shows how the writers of The Office are unafraid to make the audience uncomfortable and keep people talking:
http://www.spike.com/video/office-diversity-day/2693508
P.S. Steve Carell was mortified when he had to do this bit- he apologized to everyone on set when performing this scene.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The Office is lightyears ahead of its time. The writing on it is crisp, fresh, and relevant. They bring up important issues but cleverly hide it is particular ways. They do a great job of showing diversity, because that is what the real world is all about. You would be hardpressed to find an office in America that is comprised solely of one race. I love Diversity Day, such a good ep. I think that Sexual Harrasment and Gay Witch Hunt are also two extremely smart and funny episodes.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing this episode. It certainly crosses the line with Michael's ignorant, dramatic behavior, but gets away with it. Steve Carrel's character grows on you after watching episode after episode. You just begin to anticipate his rude remarks.
ReplyDeleteI love this show as well, and I remember this episode kind of bringing up different racial stereotypes, but in a lighthearted manner. Whether it was Michael Scott's Chris Rock impersonation, or Dwight coaxing Pam to describe his card (Asian) using a stereotype, to which she commented that they might not be the best drivers. It seems like subtle racial cues come up frequently in this show. Episodes like The Convict (Michael finds out that one of his new employees was in jail and automatically assumes that it was the black man) or E-Mail Surveillance (Michael mistaking the IT guy for a terrorist because he wears a turban) also point out racial stereotypes as well. The issues are always done in smart, subtle ways though, so they don't really come across as being offensive.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this clip!
ReplyDelete