Thomas Pennachio

“Diversity Day,” an episode aired on NBC's The Office during its second season, touches base on the sensibility of people when it is related to race.  Michael Scott initiated this day by doing a stand up routine that many of the workers found offensive, and finds the instructor to be not useful, so he creates his own version of Diversity Day; Diversity Dat- Take Two.
     Michael Scott, portrayed by comedic actor Steve Carell,decides to take matters into his own hands by creating Diversity Day- Take Two, where he plays a game in which everyone takes a card and they must treat other people like the race that is on their forehead, which further minoritizes discourse, insisting everyone “relies on fixed and predictable meanings” (Transgeneration). Through one instance, Pam, who has Jewish , which coincidentally is not a race, and Dwight, who has Asian, are attempting to have a conversation as these races. Dwight walks up to Pam and says, “Shalom, I would like to apply for a loan,” which reveals the common stereotype that Jewish people are good with handling money. Dwight then insists Pam gives him an obvious clue to what his card says so he can figure it out quickly, and she responds with saying that she "likes his food." Michael encourages Pam to go further with the norms that have been represented by the media, and Pam states the he might not be a very good driver, followed by Dwight then saying, “Oh man, am I a woman?!” infering that woman are not good drivers and further minortizing. Thereafter, Michael goes up to Kelly in a terrible Indian accent acting as a stereotypical restaurant/convenience store owner, and Kelly slaps him, and Michael claims that Kelly, “knows what it’s like to be a minority!” All the stereotypes that The Office represents are brought on by the social influence of the media that is “not always recognized... and can easily go undetected” (Lull, 63). Just about everyone from the office, except for Dwight and Michael read the world from a universalizing lens, because they view race as open to interpretation, and not set in stone stereotypes (Transgeneration).
     Because of a comedic reenactment of a Chris Rock stand up about racism that was taken offensively, Michael introduces Diversity Day. Since he believes in everyone viewing the situation from his perspective, he does not realize that “the routines of stand-up comedians performing live and on television… reinforce ideological consequences,” and that are turned into popular culture and seem okay, but are really offensive (Lull, 63). Similarly, this routine represents African Americans in a negative view, and creates a negative stereotype, as stated by Mayne: “Representations both reflect the culture from which they emerge, and have the ability to shape that culture in turn” (Mayne, 163).
    This episode focuses the discourses that are created through different races, and Michael Scott attempts to universalize these discourses through several unsuccessful attempts that actually end up minoritizing them. When the instructor first arrives, Michael introduces him to Oscar Martinez, and “accidentally” forgets his last name, because they are such good friends, and because Michael does not notice his race. Similarly, when Mr. Brown, the instructor, states his name, Michael automatically assumes it’s a test, and refuses to call him by his name, because he is African American. Michael views life through a minoritizing lens, where he views people for exactly the race that they are, not what type of person they are. Michael continues to push this idea of not noticing race in the diversity session, because he believes that all people are “represented on a continuum, everyone is included,” (Transgeneration) but he does not understand that a “color-free zone” is enforcing the minoritizing discourse where everyone is exactly the same. Michael continues to minoritize other races by asking everyone in the office to claim a race that they are sexually attracted to, making the assumption that the norm is people are only sexually attracted to their own race, and “deviant or freakish” exception to be attracted to another race (Transgeneration).
     Because of a comedic reenactment of a Chris Rock stand up about racism that was taken offensively, Michael introduces Diversity Day. Since he believes in everyone viewing the situation from his perspective, he does not realize that “the routines of stand-up comedians performing live and on television… reinforce ideological consequences,” and that are turned into popular culture and seem okay, but are really offensive (Lull, 63). Similarly, this routine represents African Americans in a negative view, and creates a negative stereotype, as stated by Mayne: “Representations both reflect the culture from which they emerge, and have the ability to shape that culture in turn” (Mayne, 163).
      The emphasis of minoritizing discourses in this episode made it obvious to all the viewers that the stereotypes of race are wrong, offensive, and inaccurate.  It is not a coincidence in my opinion that this matter of race was portrayed through a comedy, similar to homosexual portrayals.The universalized discourse shatters the hegemonic norms created by society and the media, and even exposes the powers that created this norm which are used in everyday society.

Lull, James. “Hegemony.” In Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Text-Reader. Eds. Gail Dines and Jean M. Humez. Sage Publications. 2003. 61-66.
Mayne, Judith. “Women, Representation, and Culture.” In Reading Women’s Lives.
Trangeneration Power Point Slide