Essay: The Weakness is the Strength

The Office, with its 9 seasons, has brought a new amusing light to the work field. With the overdramatic boss and exaggerated workers, the show had a connection to each person who would watch. Author Kevin Craft, with his article, “The Thing That Made The Office Great Is the Same Thing That Killed It”, believed in 2013 the negativity behind the show. However, The Office, having been renewed eight times, released a more positive outlook on life with its overall sense of humor, relation to the audience, and stereotypical circumstances.
Craft creates an argument about how the best part of The Office was also the worst part as well in the sense of the struggles the series faced during its air time. The Office did have a rough beginning, however, once it began receiving more views for its humor and office “mockumentary” (Craft), the show took off. The show would use comedic relief through cut interview cut scenes as a way to reduce the seriousness of a situation. The characters especially the boss, Michael Scott, would use irrelevant and illogical reasonings behind their motives for certain actions on the show. The Fire episode, for example, Michael gave a foolish excuse for his failure of common courtesy by using an unnecessary explanation for his actions. The character used comedic relief as a way to lessen the severity of the situation.
The Office, as Craft states, was at a constant struggle to “produce diminishing returns” and would only succeed if the “characters never grow” and their stories would slowly overtake the “show’s focus on survival in a corporate setting”. Craft explains that the development of the characters only decreased the overall likeness of the show. The development of the characters piloted the general lessons in life to give a meaning to the audience as not only a humorous standpoint but also a connection between the characters and the audience. The Office showcased many occasions that a viewer could relate to on a similar basis. The relationship development between characters Jim and Pam is a simple basis that viewers could, in some aspect, relate to. Michael’s character development changed in various areas as the show continued especially in his toxic relationship with another character. Michael learned towards the end of the show to not allow others to change his personality or life which lets the viewers who are in similar circumstances to not be influenced by the parasites in their lives.
Stereotypes are a typical basis for many tv series. The Office is a similar case. The show is based on a stereotypical working environment that is made for “its audience feel better about their professional lives by showcasing a workplace with even drabber décor and more grating coworkers” (Craft). The stereotypes bring in a sense of humor and displays a simpler version of a standard business working environment. Michael Scott with his standard white male appearance and superiority has a belief everyone’s lives evolved around him. Pam Beesly with her standard female appearance is the office assistant with a generally shy and patient personality and ensures an organized work space. The stereotypes portrayed in the series is made to add humor and poke fun towards the viewers about the situations they face on a daily. Rather than negatively ridiculing the people who work in those places as Craft explains, The Office wanted to laugh with their audience as a way to ease the stress and allow the viewers to relate to parts of the show in an amusing standpoint on the standard stereotypes of the working community.
The Office, ending in 2013, had various sections of humor, learning, and stereotypes that kept the show growing into its ninth and final season. Article writer Kevin Craft generated powerful views about the weaknesses of the show, also known as the strengths. Craft’s viewpoint on the negatives brought the positives of the show into a new analyzing perspective.