The Space Force Scene That Aged Poorly According To Fans
Comedy is a tricky business for all sorts of reasons, but one of the toughest challenges is the way that certain jokes just don't age well. Like all art, comedy is a product of its time. Problem is, times change. A joke that might have been perfectly acceptable in 2007 might be considered offensive today.
No sitcom is immune from jokes aging badly, not even "Space Force." As far as sitcoms go, it's about as zeitgeist-y as a sitcom can be. The Netflix workplace sitcom is set at a fictionalized version of the newest branch of the armed forces, one that was created in 2019 during the Donald Trump administration. "Space Force" isn't explicitly political, but it definitely satirizes the way government functions. Even if the show isn't taking shots at real-life political figures, government and politics are inherently controversial issues, and some jokes are going to sting more than others.
With Season 2 of "Space Force" arriving on February 18, 2022, let's look back at one joke from "Space Force" Season 1 that's already well past its expiration date.
This joke about slashing the Postal Service budget hit a bit too close to home
On Reddit, Redditor u/realspiderwater posted a meme version of a scene from "Space Force," with the caption "This age like milk" [sic]. In the scene, Dr. Mallory (John Malkovich) and General Naird (Steve Carrell) are discussing the Space Force's budget. Mallory tells Naird that the United States Postal Service no longer exists, because its budget was reallocated to the Space Force.
It's obviously a joke. The real Space Force didn't take over the Postal Service's budget. The Space Force is part of the United States Air Force, and its budget is included as part of the Air Force's budget (via Space Force).
Still, these days the Postal Service isn't exactly thriving, which is why the joke hit close to home. The first season of "Space Force" dropped in its entirety on May 29, 2020, which was about two months after COVID-19 reached pandemic conditions in the US. The Postal Service had already been experiencing yearly budget deficits by that point — as reported by Reuters, the Postal Service has lost over $100 billion since 2007. But the coronavirus made the budget deficit even worse, to the point that the Postmaster General warned the Postal Service might cease to exist (via CNN).
However, the financial situation at the Postal Service might be improving soon. In February 2022, the House of Representatives passed a budget reform bill that, among other changes, removes the Postal Service's requirement to pre-fund employee retirement. That's estimated to save $27 billion over the next ten years (via NPR). Hopefully one day the Postal Service will be so flush with cash that jokes like this will no longer make sense.