With the powerhouse comedy network television show “The Office” premiering in its 5th season last night, I thought it only fitting and pop-culture enthusiast of me to watch six consecutive episodes on my couch alone the night prior. Alone, because if anyone were to ever see me they would sucker punch my social ladder for as long as they could. But not if they were part of the more than six million people who do the same thing any given Thursday during a season of the show. This was my attempt at understanding the popularity of such a ridiculous 30 minutes in a TV box.
The show’s satire is so beautifully scripted by writer Greg Daniels, who adapted the show for the American audience. Each episode is so raw and blunt in making the art of degradation so okay and somewhat appealing. Why can’t we all be like this in the workforce? Because one reason why this show is so liked is that it says what we all wish we could say anywhere to anyone. But we don’t, because god forbid we ever practice our freedom of speech to cross the line of morality. We’ve all been in that place at that time where we wish our thoughts would screech out through pores in our head just to see the reaction on people’s faces. Well, “The Office” fills in that nasty deed for us, which is why viewings are out the roof.
For the duration the show airs each week, I can laugh until I cry and live in the life I wish I had; simple, happy-go-lucky, 9-5 chaos and call it an income. So yeah it’s funny, but there has to be something beyond the sheer humor the show provides that keeps everyone wanting more. What I personally enjoy about the show is its character development. It is such a cross-section of all different types of employees so its representation of a realistic workspace is on point.
The point I’m getting at is the show’s success stems from our want of simplicity; a simplicity that is not realistic. And our want of reality is satisfied with each characters personality. We all know a Michael and a Pam and a Phyllis. And if we don’t know one, we want to. Michael is the boss every business major knows they will be talking smack about at the bars in five years. Somewhere in the deceitfulness of each character is who we are, force-feeding our own white lies humor so people eat them out of our hand without ever knowing. This tactic rescues our credibility, and ultimately our pride.
The show has something to be learned from; it’s a half hour time frame to be honest with yourself; it is suburbia, small-business America at its finest. And if you don’t care to watch the show to relate its theme with your own surroundings, the hilarity is enough. It honestly makes me think that every other piece of entertainment I thought was actually funny was jedi-mind-tricking me into believing that’s what a peak comedic performance was.
I thank you for surviving my rant; watch the show, you’ll thank me back.
Sidenote: Anything you could want to know about the show can be found at their site, www.nbc.com/The_Office.
