TV - Movies
Moments In
The Office That
Didn't Age Well
By JARON PAK
One of the longest-running jokes on “The Office” is the seething hatred Michael Scott has for Dunder Mifflin’s resident gloom magnet and HR rep: Toby Flenderson. While this dynamic produces many hilarious moments, some of the Michael/Toby interactions cross the line into poor taste and feel more like bullying than comedy.
Poor Toby
In the last few years of the show, the reality of the virtual workspace was already changing the physical office paradigm, and once the coronavirus hit, many businesses began to embrace working remotely as a general practice. The show remains mired in the "ancient" ritual of full-time employees driving to work every day, no matter what kind of tasks they're engaged in.
Working Remotely
The way Katy is treated in the episode "Hot Girl" is the perfect example of how often the women of Scranton are objectified by their fellow men, especially in the earlier seasons of the show. It's a pattern of behavior that would be a tough sell coming from "the good guys" in any modern piece of entertainment.
Hot Girl
The tenth episode of season 2, "Christmas Party," features Michael Scott ignoring the $20 gift limit for Secret Santa by splurging on a $400 video iPod for Ryan. Back in 2005 when the episode aired, the gift was enough to elicit gasps from viewers. Now, though? Does anyone even know what an iPod is anymore?
What’s an iPod?
A big hit with the first wave of “Office” fans, this episode still has some pretty deep truths and perfectly showcases the concept of a color-blind, entitled white male boss making a trivial attempt to come across as both racially inclusive and aware. However, in the modern climate with racial inequality at the front of everyone's minds, it has become a bit of a cringe-fest.
Diversity Day