In my day I have watched my fair share of quality TV shows. Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Beef, Cowboy Bebop, there are too many to count. However, one of the biggest disappointments I have seen is certainly, The Office. I first watched this unfunny dumpster fire of a television program in highschool, where I was convinced by a teacher to give it a try. I sat on my bed and readied myself for a good TV watching experience. I watched the first episode- and it sucked. “Not a big deal”, I thought to myself, “Most TV shows take a second to get their
footing. I continued watching.
I ended up watching until around the middle of the 3rd season, and I did not laugh asingle time. The humor is cringey and uncomfortable, the characters are just jerks to each other,and everything else about the show is incredibly boring. When the funniest part of your TV show is when a character drops a bowl of chili, your show is simply not funny. I don’t care about anybody else’s opinion about this show, it is awful. I would rather watch grass grow than watch any episode of The Office, and I can promise that the grass would be far more entertaining and fulfilling in my life.
Michael Scott is the embodiment of cringe. He is a black hole for any kind of charisma or charm that this show could have. Jim is a massive jerk and viciously pranks his coworkers toimpress his crush, WHO IS LITERALLY ENGAGED. Every other character is equally insufferable and I don’t understand the parasocial relationships that fans have created with these characters. All of them have the character traits of a cardboard box.
Fans of The Office baffle me. People act as if it’s quirky or unique to watch the most bland and unfunny show on television. Perhaps people relate to the characters’ work and frustrations. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think people in highschool can relate to these characters “struggles.” The merchandising is incredibly annoying too. I can understand a Funko Pop here and there, but if I go to game night and have to play “The Office Monopoly,” I’m going to turn on the gas stove and leave.
The Office is mediocrity condensed into a 22 minute format. It makes us worse as a society. Its only existence is background noise while a sedated population scrolls away on their phones, wasting the time until their inevitable death. The total runtime of The Office is about 90 hours. In that time, your average person can learn the beginnings of a new language, go outside and play a sport, or even watch a TV show that isn’t absolutely awful (suggestions at the beginning of the article). We should be better as a society, rise above the mediocrity that is thrust upon us. We should only watch the best shows and movies, and quit giving our precious time on earth to this garbage.
