Unpopular Opinion: The Office is Overrated - Isabella Sportelli

          If one sentence could start a war, it would be this: The Office is overrated. I don’t hate the Office, but I also don’t love it. However, the fandom raves about it like it’s the best comedic show out there and with that, I have to disagree. 

          Don’t get me wrong, the show has its funny moments here and there, but other than that, it’s just background noise. A lot of people constantly talk about it and make liking The Office a personality trait, but in my opinion, it’s just not that deserving. It has been one of the most popular shows on the internet with countless memes that are generally loved by most. Even those that haven’t watched The Office most likely know what it is and the gist of the plotline through the internet. But I find it seemingly unfunny, as the actors look like they’re trying too hard to crack a joke, oftentimes giving me secondhand embarrassment. The jokes feel very forced and most of them childish. 

          I also think the show dragged on for a little too long. Nine seasons for a comedic show that is virtually the same every episode is just unnecessary. I would rather a high-quality show over a few seasons than a boring one that is too drawn out. After the main character Michael Scott left, the show should have ended. Although he was a bit extreme and over the top, Michael was the one that made all of the other characters interesting. He was the glue, with good quotes and arguably one of the most memorable TV characters out there. He was basically the heart and soul of the show and when that was taken away, it became nearly unwatchable. I would also go as far as to say that some of the characters are plain unlikable, although, this goes for most shows. There were maybe three characters that I liked out of the entire cast. One of the characters named Andy, for example, purposely drops hot coffee on himself to make his new boss laugh and is honestly just cringey more often than not. 

          Another reason as to why The Office is overrated is that it lacks depth and character development. Aside from the back and forth with Jim and Pam's relationship, none of the episodes really had a purpose. Usually a series, especially one that's nine seasons long, would have a plotline. And with a plotline, means each episode should contribute to the plotline, but in this case, it doesn't. When watching The Office, you always know what to expect and can probably predict what's coming next, as a majority of the episodes are extremely similar. 

          However, one of the things I did like about The Office was that they didn’t hold back and used satire to make fun of things like gender, race, culture, etc. Nowadays, this upcoming generation seems to be a lot more sensitive and this crude sense of humor will not age well. If Dr. Seuss got canceled, a show like The Office doesn’t stand a chance. A lot of things are taken literally and out of context, almost always leading to outrage. For example, in one of the earliest seasons, there was an episode called “Diversity Day” that used stereotypes to poke fun at different groups of people. Basically, the characters get labels of different races and religions on their forehead and then have to figure out who they are based on stereotypical clues from others. If you’ve seen the episode, you’ll know what I’m talking about. And this is just one of the countless examples I could have picked. But now, one poke in the wrong direction and cancel culture attacks. People take things way too seriously and it’s a growing problem that will lead to our downfall as a society. Everyone is looking to be a victim. Michael Scott’s whole character is based on inappropriate behavior and uncensored comments and when you take this literally, it doesn’t work. The show would not survive in this modern-day climate. In my opinion, there should be more shows like The Office in regards to this aspect as long as they are actually funny and worth watching. High-quality comedy and likability are two separate things. For me, I think this show could be likable if I found it funny. 

          Overall, I would say The Office is a show of lost potential. It was generally boring and overrated. I don’t hate it, but it’s definitely overhyped. If you want a funny show, I suggest binge-watching Friends.