Genre:
To quote the wonderful Wikipedia, The Office is a "mockumentary" because it literally mocks every single aspect of our culture that it can grasp. It is also under the genre of a basic sitcom, because it is very much a situation comedy. You can also not forget the fact that it is a domestic comedy because unlike most sitcoms which forgo the development of characters, character development plays a important role in The Office. In a domestic comedy much of the focus of the program is put on how each character interacts with each other, essentially how well they play in the sand box, and in The Office there is a never ending stream of encounters which range from awkward, zany, and crude, to loving, learning, and caring.
Storyline:
The Office's episodes supply its viewers with an interesting and extremely ironic, humorous look into the company, Dunder Mifflin. The episode which I watched was titled "Garden Party", and the storyline was essentially that Andy Bernard, the branch manager at Dunder Mifflin, decided to throw a garden party to hopefully impress his boss, Robert California, and to show that he is a competent individual who can successfully run the company. The episode also tracks each characters own perspective of what is going on, and gives insight into their own perspectives.
Characters:
In The Office there is really no main character, but rather a host of individuals who all have leading roles. Granted their are some characters who are given more screen time, the general idea is that they are a group and the episodes track every characters life's. I will go deeper in depth about each character when I discuss the stereotypes presented in The Office.
Plot:
The episode starts off with the usual humor that all of them do when it is revealed that the new billboard just put up has been vandalized and is now extremely inappropriate. Next, Andy calls the crew into the conference room and shares his idea of throwing a garden party which is immediately met with criticism. The episode continues on with the usual antics between Jim and Dwight in which Jim creates a fake book titled "Throwing a garden party", and Dwight follows its silly suggestions to the tee. Later on when they all arrive at the party, everyone realizes Andy was just trying to impress his overbearing, snobby parents. Andy eventually snaps at his father when his attempt to perform a duet goes foul and his father brings his brother in to replace him. This episode is littered with the antics that Dwight performs from the book, and the extreme awkwardness that The Office is best known for. The episode concludes with the gang from The Office comforting Andy, and basically being there for him after his fallout with his father.
Advertisements:
I received the usual assortment of ad's and commercials ranging from the new "Scarface on Blue-Ray" to the "Tide, Talking Stain". Along with those I also saw the same old pharmaceutical commercials ranging from Mucinex to Advil, and the classic car commercials for the Ford Fusion. I also can't forget the Hyundai comeback commercials. There where also some ad's for the networks prime time programming which include Community, Parks and Recreation, and so on. The commercials for the networks prime time programming was very effective, because having watched both the above mentioned shows, I know that they intentionally used the very best snippets of humor from the episodes to attract viewers into watching that particular show.
In depth analysis:
The Office is projected to a very wind range of viewers. They have an individual who caters to every demographic. They have Blacks, Indians, Irish, Americans and also have characteristics that are from every cultural corner. They constructed the show so that no matter what, there will be a character that you will connect with, and most likely, cause you to continue watching the show. I believe that what really attracts most people to The Office is that they attack every issue out there with no social filter, and this relates to real situations that can be touchy, but are made humorous through various methods. Another unique aspect about The Office, is that it is filmed with basically one camera, has no special effects, and has no laugh reel like many sitcoms. It is also not unlike a documentary because of the one on one interviews that you share with the characters throughout the series. What really makes The Office unique is that it has no seal of approval it seems, and goes to the extreme in everything. What makes it unique for me, is that it tells a new story every day, and is so spontaneous you never know what situation might arise next time. Here is a perfect example of how random The Office episodes can be, and also how hip the show is to new trends. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEqMfi-A5Q0&feature=related)
Stereotypes/demographics present:
Let me just start off by saying that The Office attacks stereotypes with no remorse. The characters are the best example of how to show that The Office lives off of stereotypes.
Jim- your average white male prankster, who enjoys a good laugh, does not always take work as serious as he should, and is self interested.
Dwight- the nerd who has a knowledge of everything, has a habit for missing social ques, and does not care about how others view him.
Kelly- the talkative office flirt, who never knows when to stop talking
Kevin- the overweight one, who can always be seen near food, has the biggest heart, yet can be a bit of a pervert.
Andy- the super self conscious manager who tries his best but lacks that knack of being a leader.
Merideth- the trashy, crude, middle aged women, who says what is on her mind.
Robert California- all you can say about Mr. California is that he holds a power over the people that is unnerving.
Oscar- the informed homosexual who dresses fashionably.
Stanley- the ever tired, black character who hates his job and the people he works with.
Angela- the uptight christian who tends to gossip about other peoples wrongs.
The list of characters goes on and on but I'm sure you can see that each individual deals with a specific stereotype in today's world. The following link is to a Youtube video which shows some of the various stereotypes and issues with racism that are presented in The Office. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhXcgHVUJ3o)
The demographics of the audience really is varying. For example, I know many young teens and kids that enjoy The Office, and I also know tons of adults that watch The Office. It is also hard to make an assessment on the demographics just based off of the commercials, because they could really be targeted at any age range. An interesting observation that I want to share is that there are many references to current cultural events littered throughout the episode. For example, behind Dwight, there is a big Homer Simpson doll, and Andy's parents mention that they are going to go see Moneyball a movie that was just released. They also show the video of Josh Groban, Andy's brother playing the guitar with his father on Youtube. It then makes sense to me that many of the people who enjoy The Simpsons, and spend time on Youtube, might also be the demographic that watches The Office.
It is funny to think sometimes how people from different countries might view The Office. I feel like some people might view it as funny, some as offensive, and some would just not understand it. The Office is very up to date on the social norms, and new trends. For example how they make use of the "That's what she said joke". People from another country would most likely not understand the humor behind the joke, heck most people from the United States don't! If a viewer was to just paint a picture of the U.S. culture from The Office it would be quite an interesting one that had a strong sense of irony in our culture and a even stronger social awkwardness that permeates many situations.
Strengths/weaknesses:
The show has an immense entertainment value, and yet at the same time provides a great look into America as a society, and how people respond to varying situations. I think that it really does reflect our culture even if it is somewhat outlandish at times. Some would argue that as a weakness, that the situations presented are too contrived and made up, but I am of the opinion that awkward situations occur all the time its just that most people are better at getting out of them then the characters in The Office. What really makes The Office for me is that it has a celebrity factor at times, but most importantly it has that "hard to watch" awkwardness that I absolutely love. The only thing that I don't like about The Office is that they keep the show to half an hour long! The one thing that makes The Office most memorable to me though, is its theme song, I literally hear it everywhere I go. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OycneWxM5Y)
Reviews:
I came to an interesting conclusion when it came to the reviews that I found surrounding The Office. First off, most of the "professional" reviews where poor for The Office, but then I noticed that they where poor for almost all of the shows currently out. This so called TV critic (http://www.thetvcritic.org/the-office/) hardly gives any show above a 70%! I also then noticed that most of the public's reviews of The Office where much brighter, like in this link where almost all the people who reviewed it on Yahoo! gave it five stars. (http://tv.yahoo.com/office/show/36001/reviews;_ylt=Al9.Os6pNfsDynzo11y.I.JnXdMF?start=10&count=5&sort=4) When it comes to The Office I think I have to agree with the fans and not with the professional critics because I believe there is a lot more to The Office then they recognize. In regards to me:
I watch this show regularly, it is one of the four shows that I make an effort to stay in touch with. Almost all my friends watch it and I do have a few family members who also are interested in it. I am a fan on Facebook, I think, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good laugh.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, I believe that The Office is a really great example of how TV today can be a cultural mirror that reflects what we do, how we act, and what we say. I learned a ton more about The Office from this assignment, especially concerning the stereotypes and racism that are present in the program. I payed attention to the stereotypes before but never to the degree that I have now accomplished. It was really surprising to me that The Office is able to cover so many different aspects at once, and that the producers are able to keep up with our ever changing culture so quickly and are so hip to what is "new". Lastly, I would just like to say that in the end, it is all good to enjoy some quality entertainment that is provided by a show like The Office, but, it is important to keep in mind that racism and social stereotypes are not usually joking matters like in The Office, and it is a subject that it best treated carefully.
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