NBC's The Office has well and truly set itself as a comedy staple over the years. Though the show served up plenty of memorable moments, especially with Steve Carell's Michael Scott at its helm, there is one episode that keeps on causing controversy: Diversity Day, the second episode of the series.
This episode, aired in 2005, proved to become perhaps the most cringeworthy, yet discussed episode after the well-intentioned misguided attempts of Michael Scott regarding workplace diversity.
This made Diversity Day sit in the middle of a recent war surrounding cancel culture, as many resurfaced their nostalgia for viewing the series on their beloved Netflix, to now streaming and watching the series exclusively at Prime Video. Then there's the controversy of Comedy Central canceling the airing of that infamous episode due to likely offending the audience.
So, what is the controversy behind Diversity Day?
Michael Scott creates an insensitive reenactment of a Chris Rock routine in racial stereotypes and carries on with his fumbling efforts to host a diversity seminar.
“How come Chris Rock can do a routine, and everybody finds it hilarious, but when I do the exact same routine… people file a complaint?”
As of 2024, The Office fans watch it with a fresh perspective on the characters and the humor that defined early 2000s comedy across nine seasons.
The cringe factor of Diversity Day is Michael Scott’s most offensive moments on The Office
In this The Office episode, Michael Scott reveals his utmost ignorance and insensitivity to the topic. As the show goes on, Michael's attempts to carry out a "diversity seminar" fail, both laughably and painfully. Larry Wilmore guest stars as Mr. Brown, the representative for Diversity Today, who takes over and speaks with the employees on the subject.
However, Michael's insecurity propels him to hijack the meeting and his ill-conceived activity is where employees wear racial identity cards on their foreheads and interact with each other based on stereotypes. For instance, Michael himself wears a card labeled "Martin Luther King Jr." as he tries to break down racial identities using humor, which misses the mark spectacularly.
As Greg Daniels, the mind behind the American adaptation of The Office, puts it, Diversity Day was supposed to bring tension and more intimate comedic humor, that would let each character's uniqueness and defects shine through.
“Michael Scott is desperate for approval, but he’s clueless,” Daniels explained.
He further clarifies that this episode traces the whole character development of Michael - a very good-willed, but slightly flawed fellow, who strongly craves appreciation despite inappropriate behavior.
In a great deal of ways, the episode becomes a satirical comment extended into understanding complications regarding the dynamics of a modern workplace. According to Collider, Michael became more of a sympathetic character only during the series. His earlier awkwardness and abrasiveness had the intent of symbolizing Michael's lack of self-awareness.
The Office episode Diversity Day is a touchpoint in cancel culture discussions
It is precisely the controversy around the Diversity Day episode that has made it a highly referenced element in the general discourse on cancel culture. In fact, in 2021, Comedy Central chose not to air it during their re-runs. This sparked people into the question of censorship. According to Newsweek, this led to a huge social media backlash from The Office viewers.
Daily Caller contributor Bradley Stein said,
"It was only a matter of time. Just wait until they get to the episode where Michael dons an Afro wig to mock Darryl."
This outcry perfectly exemplifies the tension between maintaining intent in comedy and responding to changing sensitivities in modern times. The makers and the artists, like Steve Carell, have also touched on the issue with the risqué humor that The Office features in an episode or two.
As Carell himself said during a 2018 interview, The Office would probably not make it onto the air today, how things have changed since then.
“The whole idea of that character, Michael Scott, so much of it was predicated on inappropriate behavior,” Carell noted.
Ricky Gervais, who created the original UK version, shared similar views that satire in The Office would never gain appreciation in today's environment.
Emily Jashinsky, The Federalist's cultural editor, further added,
“It’s pathetic that a network dedicated to comedy lacks the courage to air an episode that satirizes ignorance rather than promotes it.”
The controversy regarding Diversity Day has been very much about changing attitudes about the appropriateness of comedy regarding social issues. Many have claimed that in this regard, The Office does not support offensive stereotyping, but rather represents the threats of ignorance and insensitivity.
As Bobby Burack of Outkick noted,
“The brilliance of comedy is that it not only makes us laugh, but it’s powerful. Diversity Day doesn’t promote racism. Instead, it mocks the wrong-mindedness of racism.”
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For fans who wish to revisit Diversity Day and other unforgettable episodes, The Office is available for streaming on Prime Video.
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