Blog Posting - Representation

 The Office is more than just a show about the lives of people that work at a paper company (Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pennsylvania), it’s a comedic sitcom about how people survive everyday office life. When you look at Jim Halpert, Dwight Schrute, and Michael Scott, you see three very different types of men navigating their workplace. The way they’re represented says a lot about how the show tackles leadership and individuality. It subtly highlights dominant ideologies in the workplace and how people deal with them.

Let’s start with Jim Halpert. He is depicted as the cool guy on the show. Jim has emotional awareness and a laid-back attitude that gets along with everyone. He’s smart enough to be the boss but he is content to just stay at the job he knows well. It’s almost like he is stuck in rut and he’s not even aware of it. Since his job is too easy, he uses his extra time and brain power to prank Dwight, his co-worker, constantly. In a way, his mockery of Dwight is a way of him pushing back on the office’s hegemonic culture. Jim’s character constructs a different version of a successful male that has very little to do with power or titles - it’s about him being relatable.

Then there’s Dwight Schrute, who is the exact opposite of Jim. Dwight is the definition of the rule follower. He believes in the dominant ideology that if someone works hard and follows every single rule they will be rewarded. However, the funny thing is that no matter how hard Dwight tries, he rarely get the respect he’s after. His character is a stereotype of the overachiever who believes the system will work for him, but it’s a bit of a joke because since he is so over-the-top it backfires on him and he is constantly mocked by Jim and others.

Michael Scott is the kind of boss who makes you cringe and laugh at the same time. He is the unaware boss whose cluelessness has the audience constantly feel second-hand embarrassment for him. He’s not your typical strong and competent boss stereotype. Instead, he’s more focused on being everyone’s friend, and that almost always backfires on him. Michael challenges the traditional idea of what a boss should be. He’s part of a shift in social representation, where leaders aren’t just shown as emotionally distant people, but as people who care about their employees. The problem is, Michael’s a bit too needy. Instead of leading people he genuinely cares about, he’s just seeking some sort of approval. He always means well but he is more focused on being liked and having his employees think he the “best boss.” This does not lead to the best workplace dynamic. However, Michael’s character does reflect a change in how bosses are usually portrayed – just in more of a “Michael Scott” way.