One ‘The Office’ Episode Which is a Huge Ugly Blotch on the Show’s Legacy Will Forever Haunt Steve Carell’s Dreams Due to the Heinous Actions of His Character
- Evolving perspective on humor has led to some episodes of 'The Office' being viewed as problematic today.
- Season 3's 'Gay Witch Hunt' had some scenes done by Steve Carell that are potentially offensive and homophobic at present.
- The 'Diversity Day' episode which was meant to mock racism, became a source of controversy as well.
The Office has been one of the most watched sitcoms ever. It’s mix of cringe and humor with heartfelt moments somehow managed to be liked by many viewers in one way or another. But sometimes, with time, the perspective on what is funny and what is not changes a lot.
Comedy has got quite tricky, especially in present times. A joke that was once considered funny might be considered offensive today. This shift is not just because people are oversensitive, but sometimes it is because society tends to learn how television programs affect the larger audience.
The Office‘s Discomforting Episode
The Office is not the only show that faced the impact of changes in cultures. For instance, in Friends, how Chandler’s transgender parent was portrayed is now often considered offensive. Even Seinfeld has some episodes that might be considered a bit controversial in contemporary society.
The Office was a popular show. But with time, people have developed a critical point of view, and some of its episodes that were once considered hilarious are now considered a bit offensive, there is one particular episode that might affect the show’s legacy in this context.
Season 3 Episode 1, Gay Witch Hunt, is particularly a bit problematic here. In this episode, Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell, calls out Oscar as “f**gy” for preferring Shakespeare in Love over Die Hard. He went on to make the situation much worse.
His actions became the topic of conversation in the office, and Scott exposed Oscar as gay. He then felt like identifying other people who were also gay in the office, and when he was confronted about his actions, he organized an emergency meeting.
He tries to justify whatever he did by saying that he wouldn’t have done that if he knew Oscar was actually gay. The highlight of the episode was when Scott forcefully kissed Oscar, which made the episode more bizarre.
The audience’s perception has shifted over time and it has its own flaws too. But it is not always about being politically correct. With time and social media, people become more aware of issues like racism, sexism, and homophobia, and some audiences don’t want to let go of such problematic portrayals, even in the name of comedy.
The Office Episode That Has Been Banned
There is one more episode in The Office that might be considered quite provocative. This episode was Diversity Day which was actually meant to express the absurdity of racism. However, it rather caused division.
On Diversity Day Michael Scott hosted a diversity seminar, and in his special way of initiating it, he offended several employees by addressing a twisted Chris Rock routine and dropping the n-word. Things only went downhill when he said, “say a race that you find sexually attractive.”
This episode was removed from the air by Comedy Central in 2021, not because of an actual protest or cancellation, but to prevent one. Moreover, the Diversity Day controversy highlights a larger issue in comedy.
Steve Carell’s character was initially presented as someone whose views were outdated and was meant to be mocked, not imitated. The audience was supposed to laugh at Michael Scott, not with him.
This became a bit complicated with time because Carell toned down the edginess of Scott later. He was less likable earlier but began to become likable later, which made his earlier behavior difficult to see for some people. Due to this evolution, some viewers find it hard to watch episodes like Diversity Day.
The Office is available to stream on Peacock.
