The Office (2005-2013)

What can I say that already hasn’t been said? The Office has become one of the biggest comedy TV shows of all time, thanks, in part, to the rise of streaming platforms like Netflix. Set in a typical office workplace, this show follows a group of quirky office workers that work for a paper mill company, which is in the midst of coping with a decline in demand due to the overtaking of the internet and mobile phones. Despite all of this, office manager Michael Scott spends his days trying to make the workplace ‘fun’ for his workers, sometimes in appropriate ways, but mostly in completely inappropriate and unprofessional ways. This sets the stage for a wonderful comedy, but it also makes a great show for anybody wanting to feel better about their life on the job. Many of the formalities of working in the workplace are made fun of and mocked in a way that shows how work can be more enjoyable and lighthearted. Work doesn’t always have to be this serious activity! We can also find community at work, through our relationships with our coworkers and even our managers. It should be a place where we value the work we do and grow as individuals, surrounded by others with similar interests. Watching shows like The Office teaches us to not take things too seriously, because it’s okay to relax and have fun at work instead of being stressed out all the time.

Bryson Landriault, 4th Year Sociology Student