that's what she said! a couch potato's guide to all things tv.

blog post #5 (revised): the "office" fandom

2007-12-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

Original Post URL: http://philiana.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post-5-office-trend.html.

The popularity of the series coupled with a healthy internet presence has created a mass media phenomenon in which watching "The Office" and consuming everything "Office"-related is now the cool trend. It is an interesting observation and perhaps quite an obvious one since the simplicity of the premise and the diverse cast adds another element of realness that classic sitcoms like "Friends" and "Seinfeld" don't exactly have. More than two years ago, only a small niche of people were aware of the dysfunctional world of Dunder-Mifflin. But now, you will be hard pressed to last a week without hearing or seeing anything that is remotely connected to the show. "The Office" is so much of what American culture is that it is difficult to not feel connected to the fictional characters. It is no longer about the show itself, though "The Office" antics certainly played a significant role in the creation of the "Office" phenomenon.

In the four posts below, they each illustrate the significance of you, the viewer. No longer is select information dictated by an elite group of sources. No longer is content only created by the immediate creative group at the set everyday, but fans of the show as well. Below is a video of popular Christian band Relient K singing an "Office" rendition in the middle of their concert:

Michael Scott, Pam and Jim
You got me glued to the television
Angela, you're way too cute
To be messing around with someone like Dwight Schrute
Relient K and the Football Hall of Fame are in Canton
Won't someone please transfer us to Scranton

We just wasted ... one minute and 57 seconds ... of the show

Below is a video of Rainn Wilson's Saturday Night Live opening monologue:

This video is a perfect example of fan-created content. A friend of mine sent me this link to a YouTube video dedicated to "The Office" with Nelly's "Hot In Herre." Everything matches up perfectly and actually makes sense with what the lyrics are. It is absolutely incredible to watch.

blog post #4 (revised): the employees of dunder-mifflin

2007-12-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

Original Post URL: http://philiana.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post-4-dunder-of-dunder-mifflin.html.

In the previous blog entry, I touched on a fan-owned/maintained website. Unlike other television series, the actors and crew members on "The Office" use the internet to communicate and update fans with daily doses of behind-the-scenes information one would never ever hear about otherwise. Plus, it adds another layer of the character or the person portraying that character.

At the blogger's breakfast at the "Office" convention, Brian Baumgartner ruminated on the difficulties (or lack thereof) in blogging as the character of Kevin: "It's not difficult. And only because Kevin is such an idiot. ... One day I was sitting at the desk and went, 'Okay, the Emmys are done, the Golden Globes are not for six months, the show is in the middle of its run' so I sat there and described things that I was looking at on my desk and it was like 500 comments the first day." Other active blogs and pages include Jenna Fischer (receptionist Pam Beesly), Angela Kinsey (uptight accountant Angela Martin), and Kate Flannery (Meredith Palmer).

What many people should remember is the fact that the set of "The Office" is not necessarily like the set of "CSI" or "Ugly Betty." Much of the actors' time is consumed sitting at their desks acting as background players to a scene when they don't have any speaking lines so updating consistently on a daily basis while on set becomes part of their job and in some cases part of the storyline.

Creed Thoughts is a "blog" (really a Word document with the web link on top) that former-Temp Ryan Howard set up for Quality Assurance employee Creed Bratton with the fake address: www.creedthoughts.gov.www\creedthoughts. Creed, known for his unique perspective on life, blogs about everything and anything. What started as a simple, innocent ploy to add depth to the character and backstory of Creed has ironically turned into an official weekly blog that is updated with a true web link on NBC's official site.

Schrute-Space follows a similar story. In the first season, Dwight Schrute is recruited by incompetent boss Michael Scott to choose an appropriate health care plan for the office workers. In order to have enough space to "work," Schrute was given the conference room (or as he likes to refer to it as his workspace).

In both cases, if these were two blogs created by two people with personalities like Creed and Dwight, the hilarity of the content would not be as effective as they are now. One reason why these blogs are successful is because the character of Creed and Dwight have both been created and introduced to the viewers; in fact, they are both strong personalities in their own right. Since they are both attached to a show such as "The Office," the randomness that you often find in the blogosphere isn't quite as disturbing as it would be had you not seen them on television first.

blog post #3 (revised): dunder mifflin infinity

2007-12-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

Original Post URL: http://philiana.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post-3-dunder-mifflin-infinity.html.

Note: Watch the official Dunder Mifflin Infinity commercial before reading.

Have you ever watched an episode of "The Office" and wondered what it'd feel like to be an employee of Dunder-Mifflin? Or have you ever wondered how you could possibly kill a few hours of your night by being as unproductive as ever? The answer is Dunder Mifflin Infinity.

Dunder Mifflin Infinity, in the world of "The Office" is a website geared towards making the Dunder-Mifflin company sleeker and up-to-date with its big box competitors. In Season 4's "Dunder Mifflin Infinity" and "Launch Party" episodes, viewers saw the creation of former Temp and now Corporate rookie Ryan Howard's idea come to fruition. In the real world, Dunder Mifflin Infinity is a virtual community where people from around the world can be a part of the Dunder-Mifflin family. For a deeper look into Dunder Mifflin Infinity and its inner workings, let's take a look at my desk:

I am an employee of the Upland, California branch. My desk is quite bare but that's only because I haven't quite earned enough Schrutebucks to get anything else. Schrutebucks, a form of money created by salesman Dwight Schrute to motivate fellow employees, are earned when tasks are completed, profiles are updated, and the like. The Upland branch has 1,549 employees and it is ranked #9 for overall Schrutebucks with $1,614,405 earned since the inception of Dunder Mifflin Infinity in early October.

Like a real-life office, the Upland branch has a Regional Manager who oversees all employees. There are tasks that we can choose to complete in order to earn more Schrutebucks to purchase virtual items that range from toys to computers for our desks. There is the ability to upload photos and videos, and even participate in polls. Users of the site range in age from high school and college students like me to real people working in 9am to 5pm jobs in an office similar to the one portrayed on "The Office."

Like a real office where you would recruit employees via interviews and attractive offers, a similar approach is taken with Dunder Mifflin Infinity to get people to apply to a specific branch:

Task #5 ("Local Ad Campaign") coincides with the episode "Local Ad," where Dunder-Mifflin Corporate hires an ad agency to make commercials for every branch of Dunder-Mifflin in order to boost sales and maintain competitiveness with competitors. Below is an example of a local ad campaign submitted by an employee of the Duluth, Minnesota branch:

As far as they're concerned, you are a part of the company.

blog post #2 (revised): officetally.com

2007-12-06T11:42:00.001-08:00

Original Post URL: http://philiana.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post-2-officetallycom.html.

As the "Office" convention has solidified "The Office" as the premier fan-friendly show, internet bloggers have catapulted the series to a brand new high. One in particular is "Tanster" (her real name is Jennie Tan of Palo Alto, California) of OfficeTally.com, the largest website dedicated to "The Office." During the convention, there was a special bloggers' breakfast at the Hilton in Scranton, and Tan was honored for her work on the site. In an interview with WBRE News, Tan mentioned the obsession fans had on the show and the reason why the site maintains its popularity: "People are so information hungry for any new tidbit on the show."

Cast, crew, and fellow fans flock to the site on a daily basis for the newest interviews, articles, news, and reviews. It has become the #1 source for people who want to talk about the most recent episode as well as another forum for people to discuss anything "Office"-related. In fact, it was one of the first sources to post extensive information and photos regarding the special $1 "Office" merchandise (including mugs, magnets, notepads, post-its, pens, pencils, stress balls, mousepads, etc.) at Target, smoething that may not be of significance to the average person but for the daily visitors on OfficeTally.com, extremely beneficial.

Brian Baumgartner, the actor who portrays accountant Kevin Malone, believes that sites like OfficeTally.com help a show like "The Office" survive when it would otherwise fail to gain an audience in light of the competitiveness in the television industry. "The early online support that we got for the show was tremendously important in terms of growing ratings and getting the fanbase solidified," Baumgartner said to WBRE News.

The connectivity between the cast and crew with internet bloggers is incredible when you think about the lack of communication other shows have with the show creator, writers, and cast members. Tan has visited the set of "The Office" and maintained close relationships with actresses Angela Kinsey (Angela) and Jenna Fischer (Pam), along with much of the cast and crew. Kinsey and Tan have even met in Tan's hometown and hung out. Though Tan's site is only one in a hundred floating around on the internet, it is the most effective and fastest way for everyone from all facets to keep the news flowing. And in essence, you the viewer become an important asset to the television show.

Post-Writers' Strike: Tan's OfficeTally.com has played a prominent role in the writers' strike that has shut down production on many television shows, including "The Office." In fact, "The Office" was the first broadcast series to go off the air in light of the strike. On the top of her site, there are memorable one-liners and quotes that Tan has compiled throughout the season. To show support for the writers, Tan has elected to stop the popular feature. It is a small act, but a powerful one.

blog post #1 (revised): the "office" convention

2007-12-05T01:43:00.001-08:00

Original Post URL: http://philiana.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post-1-officetallycom.html.

Note: Here are clips from the October 26 broadcast of the "Today Show."

The scene is this: a large group of twentysomethings dressed in t-shirts with phrases in Courier New printed across their chests cheer as a heavier man walks across the open space and stops in front of them. A blond, petite woman waves enthusiastically at the crowd as she makes her way next to the other man, to loud screams and hollers of appreciation. Hooded sweatshirts emblazoned with "University of Scranton" are seen sporadically in the crowd. Al Roker, famed "Today Show" weatherman and sometimes host bellows into his microphone, the shouts of appreciation and joy drowning his every word.

No, this isn't your typical pep rally for a university football game. No, this isn't a special event with famous guest speakers. This is exactly what people experienced on the first day of the first official "Office" convention, held appropriately in the town of Scranton, Pennsylvania, a no-name city that has become an essential hotspot for tourists and diehard Dunderheads (aka hardcore "Office" fans), all thanks to the popularity of "The Office."

The "Office" convention, organized by true Scrantonians, is one of the greatest examples of "The Officesi" becoming more than just a television show. Unlike other running television series set in real cities, many of them do not have the distinct opportunity to visit the city and become more than just their characters on the show. It is comparable to a rock concert, as one article put it: "Mimicking the popular “Lazy Scranton” bit from last season, one side of the crowd belted out, “Scranton, what?” while the other side finished with, “The Electric City!”" “Lazy Scranton,” for those who are unfamiliar, was a two-minute video regional manager Michael Scott created for the new employees joining the Scranton branch from the defunct Stamford, Connecticut branch. Many find it to be humorous because of its familiar tune and video content, largely influenced by its forefather: a Saturday Night Live digital short titled “Lazy Sunday.”

If an event was held in Scranton without any talent to legitimize it, the convention clearly would not turn out to be the success that it was. On a daily brief on Conde Nast's Portfolio.com, it noted that an impressive 4,000 people showed up from different parts of the country (and world; a couple even flew in from Europe) just to participate in this annual event (the second "Office" convention is already in the planning stages). With makeshift events made famous from priceless episodes of seasons past like the Dunder-Mifflin Office Olympiad (Season 2's "Office Olympics") where employees compete in "athletic" competitions within the office setting or an official casino night (Season 2 finale), the reality of "The Office" world created on the small screen has become a world in which everyone can now be a part of.

you don't watch "the office"?!

2007-11-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

The moral of the story: "The Office" owns. :)

Side note: Obviously being the crazy "Office" fan that I am, I chose to continue with my research paper topic and analyzed aspects of "The Office" outside of the television show that cements it as the forerunner of interactive entertainment at its best. I couldn't include everything that I found, because we all know how bored people can get these days, but I did post a few videos that I thought would help in your understanding of the enterprise that is "The Office." Because when it all comes down to it, "The Office" isn't anything without devoted fans and its dedicated cast and crew.

If you do find something interesting, feel free to comment with the link to the video or article!

blog post #5: the "office" trend

2007-11-09T10:01:00.005-08:00

The popularity of the series coupled with a healthy internet presence has created a mass media phenomenon in which watching "The Office" and consuming everything "Office"-related is now the cool trend. It is an interesting observation and perhaps quite an obvious one since the simplicity of the premise and the diverse cast adds another element of realness that classic sitcoms like "Friends" and "Seinfeld" don't exactly have. More than two years ago, only a small niche of people were aware of the dysfunctional world of Dunder-Mifflin. But now, you will be hard pressed to last a week without hearing or seeing anything that is remotely connected to the show. "The Office" is now synonymous with American popular culture. It is no longer about the show itself, though "The Office" antics certainly played a significant role in the creation of what I will now call the "Office" phenomenon.

Michael Scott, Pam and Jim
You got me glued to the television
Angela, you're way too cute
To be messing around with someone like Dwight Schrute
Relient K and the Football Hall of Fame are in Canton
Won't someone please transfer us to Scranton

We just wasted ... one minute and 57 seconds ... of the show

They say parodies/spoofs are the sincerest forms of flattery.

EDIT: A friend of mine sent me this link to a YouTube video dedicated to "The Office" with Nelly's "Hot In Herre." Everything matches up perfectly and actually makes sense with what the lyrics are. It is absolutely incredible to watch.

blog post #4: the employees of dunder-mifflin

2007-11-09T10:01:00.001-08:00

In the previous blog entry, I touched on a fan-owned/maintained website. Unlike other television series, the actors and crew members on "The Office" use the internet to communicate and update fans with daily doses of behind-the-scenes information one would never ever hear about otherwise. Plus, it adds for another layer of the character or the person portraying that character.

At the blogger's breakfast at the "Office" convention, Brian Baumgartner ruminated on the difficulties (or lack thereof) in blogging in character as Kevin: "It's not difficult. And only because Kevin is such an idiot. ... One day I was sitting at the desk and went, 'Okay, the Emmys are done, the Golden Globes are not for six months, the show is in the middle of its run.' I sat there and described things that I was looking at on my desk and it was like 500 comments the first day." Other active blogs and pages include Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, and Kate Flannery (Meredith).

What many people should remember is the fact that the set of "The Office" is not necessarily like the set of "CSI" or "Ugly Betty." Much of the actors' time is consumed sitting at their desks acting as background players to a scene when they don't have any speaking lines so updating consistently on a daily basis while on set becomes part of their job and in some cases part of the storyline.

Creed Thoughts is a "blog" (really a Word document with the web link on top) that former-Temp Ryan Howard set up for Quality Assurance employee Creed Bratton with the fake address: www.creedthoughts.gov.www\creedthoughts. Creed, known for his unique perspective on life, blogs about everything and anything. What started as a simple, innocent ploy to add depth to the character and backstory of Creed has ironically turned into an official weekly blog that is updated with a true web link on NBC's official site.

Schrute-Space follows a similar story. In the first season, Dwight Schrute is recruited by incompetent boss Michael Scott to choose an appropriate health care plan for the office workers. In order to have enough space to "work," Schrute was given the conference room (or as he likes to refer to it as his workspace).

blog post #3: dunder mifflin infinity

2007-11-09T04:25:00.000-08:00

Note: Watch the official Dunder Mifflin Infinity commercial before reading.

I work at Dunder-Mifflin. Really, I do. This is my desk. I am an employee of the Upland, California branch. My desk is quite bare but that's only because I haven't quite earned enough Schrutebucks to get anything else. The Upland branch has 1,549 employees and it is ranked #9 for overall Schrutebucks with $1,614,405 earned since the inception of Dunder Mifflin Infinity in early October.

Like a real-life office, we have a Regional Manager who oversees all employees. We have tasks that we can complete to earn more Schrutebucks to purchase virtual items that range from toys to computers for our desks. We can upload photos and videos, and even participate in polls. Users of the site range in age from high school/college students like me to real people working in 9am to 5pm jobs in an office similar to the one portrayed on "The Office." Like a real office where you would recruit employees via interviews and attractive offers, a similar approach is taken with Dunder Mifflin Infinity to get people to apply to a specific branch:

Task #5 ("Local Ad Campaign") coincides with the episode "Local Ad," where Dunder-Mifflin Corporate hires an ad agency to make commercials for every branch of Dunder-Mifflin in order to boost sales and maintain competitiveness with Staples and Office Depot. Below is an example of a local ad campaign submitted by an employee of the Duluth, Minnesota branch:

As far as they're concerned, you are a part of the company.

blog post #2: officetally.com

2007-11-09T03:26:00.000-08:00

As the "Office" convention has solidified "The Office" as the premier fan-friendly show (more on that in a later post), internet bloggers have catapulted the series to a brand new high. One in particular is "Tanster" (her real name is Jennie Tan of Palo Alto, California) of OfficeTally.com, the largest website dedicated to "The Office." During the convention, there was a special Bloggers' Breakfast at the Hilton in Scranton, and Tan was honored for her work on the site. In an interview with WBRE News, Tan mentioned the obsession fans had on the show and the reason why the site maintains its popularity: "People are so information hungry for any new tidbit on the show."

Cast, crew, and fellow fans flock to the site on a daily basis for the newest interviews, articles, news, and reviews. It has become the #1 source for people who want to talk about the most recent episode as well as another forum for people to discuss anything "Office"-related. In fact, it was one of the first sources to post extensive information and photos regarding the special $1 "Office" merchandise (including mugs, magnets, notepads, post-its, pens, pencils, stress balls, mousepads, etc.) at Target. Brian Baumgartner, the actor who portrays accountant Kevin Malone, believes that sites like OfficeTally.com help a show like "The Office" survive when it would otherwise fail to gain an audience. "The early online support that we got for the show was tremendously important in terms of growing ratings and getting the fanbase solidified," Baumgartner said to WBRE News.

The connectivity between the cast and crew with the internet bloggers is incredible when you think about the lack of communication other shows have with the show creator, writers, and cast members. Tan has visited the set of "The Office" and maintained close relationships with actresses Angela Kinsey (Angela) and Jenna Fischer (Pam), along with much of the cast and crew. Though Tan's site is only one in a hundred floating around on the internet, it is the most effective and fastest way for everyone from all facets to keep the news flowing.

blog post #1: the "office" convention

2007-11-08T01:39:00.001-08:00

Note: Here are clips from the October 26 broadcast of the "Today Show."

The scene is this: a group of twentysomethings dressed in t-shirts with phrases in Courier New printed across their chests cheer as a rather overweight man walks across the open space and stops in front of them. A blond, petite woman waves enthusiastically at the crowd as she makes her way next to the other man, to loud screams and hollers of appreciation. Hooded sweatshirts emblazoned with "University of Scranton" are seen sporadically in the crowd. Al Roker, famed "Today Show" weatherman and sometimes host bellows into his microphone.

No, this isn't your typical pep rally at a university. And no, this isn't a special event with famous guest speakers. This is exactly what people experienced on the first day of the first official "Office" convention, held appropriately in the town of Scranton, Pennsylvania, a no-name city that has become an essential hotspot for tourists and diehard Dunderheads (aka hardcore "Office" fans) because of the popularity of "The Office."

The "Office" convention, organized by true Scrantonians, is one of the greatest examples of "The Office" becoming more than just a television show. Unlike other running sitcoms or series set in real cities, many of them do not have the distinct opportunity to visit the city and become more than just their characters on the show. It is comparable to a rock concert, as one article put it: "Mimicking the popular “Lazy Scranton” bit from last season, one side of the crowd belted out, “Scranton, what?” while the other side finished with, “The Electric City!”

If an event was held in Scranton without any talent to legitimize it, the convention clearly would not turn out to be the success that it was. On a daily brief on Conde Nast's Portfolio.com, it noted that an impressive 4,000 people showed up from different parts of the country (and world; a couple flew in from Europe) just to participate in this annual event (the second "Office" convention is already in the planning stages). With makeshift events made famous from priceless episodes of seasons past like the Dunder-Mifflin Office Olympiad (Season 2's "Office Olympics") or an official casino night (Season 2 finale), the reality of "The Office" world created on the small screen has become a world in which everyone can be a part of.

cnf/blogging assignment

2007-11-08T01:28:00.000-08:00

The Prompt

Write, illustrate and include in-text hyperlinks in five blog postings on one theme. Posts should be approximately 150 words. Include at least one link and at least one image/video/audiofile per posting.

The purpose of your blog is to speak about an area of your expertise and interest. This may be an extension of the one which you developed in your research paper. Remember that your job is to show the foundations upon which this phenomenon is built.

For my next assignment, I would like to analyze "The Office" phenomenon in more depth. There have been many events and random occurrences that have fed the obsession everyone seems to have on this show. For instance, there was the official "Office" convention on the weekend of October 26 through 28 in Scranton, Pennsylvania that prompted thousands of people to attend. It was comparable to events/conventions you would see for business people at annual functions like MacWorld. Just a few nights ago, I came across a YouTube video (see below) of the popular Christian rock band Relient K singing a brief two-minute song about "The Office" during a concert in late October.

It is no longer about the show exclusively, but rather it has become a question and vision of community. Perhaps I can even touch on how "The Office" has utilized the itnernet in such magnificent fashion with several different projects that have bolstered its online/real-life existence. Some of these projects include Dunder Mifflin Infinity, Shrute Space, Creed Thoughts, various MySpace blogs, actor/character blogs, and dedicated fan sites.

relient k does "the office"

2007-11-05T00:09:00.001-08:00

An adorable rendition by the Christian rockers. Clearly they love "The Office" as much as I do.

"the office" blogs

2007-10-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

It is difficult to find blogs geared towards "The Office" and humor. However, here are a few blogs that I thought was worthy of mentioning.

The Office TV Blog
Office Tally
Perhaps the most popular fansite and blog on "The Office" on the web.
Life In The Office
Jello Stapler
If you watched "The Office" since the beginning, you'll understand the humor behind this site. It is absolutely genius!
Flonkerton
Again, if you watch the show, you'll understand the title of the blog. Hint: it's coming up next year. It has some interesting theories about which employee started first, etc.
The Office Alliance
A daily podcast that covers everything about "The Office" from the night's episode, the characters, the cast and crew, and other topics. Very very impressive upkeep.

finished

2007-10-26T04:48:00.000-07:00

It has been a whirlwind, but after a night filled with caffeine, distractions and interesting run-ins at Starbucks, my 10-page research paper on "The Office" humor is done. There are still parts of sources that I bookmarked that I wished I could use throughout the 10-page paper but unfortunately, due to the amount of stuff I had already, putting in a few random quotes and passages here and there wasn't going to help my case.

I hope that for the portfolio revisions, that I will be able to make this paper even better because I know what I will turn in is just scratching the surface. Just today, I realized there were so many more valuable sources that I could have used had I found them in a timely manner (preferably before my annotated bibliography was due two Fridays ago).

On a lighter note, excellent "Office" episode tonight. It was great to see Jim finally wear a different colored shirt. :)

progressing

2007-10-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

As I sit here working on this draft for the last few minutes before my writing conference at 1:40pm, I find myself feeling slightly overwhelmed with the amount of information I want to include. I wrote up a brief 3-page rough for Wednesday's peer review and though it helped to a certain extent, I realized that what I had written had nothing to do with my actual topic at hand. It was more of a history of "The Office" and how it came to be, which is also important to the overall topic but not necessarily the main nugget.

So last night, after finishing all the midterms and papers that I had due this week, I started a fresh new rough draft. I originally wanted to open up my paper with a specific scene from "The Office" so that the reader could visualize the office to a certain extent, but Kar-Wai noted that it might actually lose the reader before I even get to the crux of my argument. I still want to do that, but maybe later on in the paper when I have established my argument (although right now, I feel like my thesis is more like a refined hypothesis which I suppose is fine for now). I wrote up an outline after I typed up my 3-page rough on Tuesday night and it's funny that the outline actually helped me see where I wanted to go with the paper, more so than me just typing out facts and not being very confident in the product that I created. I'm trying to follow the outline but like I mentioned above, there is just so much information and so many places I can go with it that it's difficult for me to even fathom a decent starting place.

I currently have close to four pages done for the conference, although I did rewrite all of my 3-page rough last night and today. I think I need to sit down and dedicate a day, probably Saturday (or maybe even today if I feel scholarly tonight), to going through all my sources and taking quotes and parts of the articles and readings I wish to incorporate into my argument. That will definitely prove to be helpful. I always find myself with research papers straying from the topic near the middle so if I do this, maybe it will help me visualize my argument a lot better.

official annotated bibliography

2007-10-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

"The Office" is a phenomenon, that much is clear. There are now hundreds of different versions of "The Office" around the world in their own language (not dubbed). Though the premise is simple - a documentary crew follows the employees at a paper company, the social and cultural perspectives are not. The original "Office," created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (and lasted just 14 episodes), follows the Brits as they go about their daily lives. A few years after "The Office" (UK) ended on December 27, 2003, the American version of "The Office" came to fruition. Like they say in show business, the rest is history. Currently, "The Office" (US) is in it's fourth season.

By following the same general plotlines, story arcs and even the same dialogue, what are the differences in humor between "The Office" (UK) and "The Office" (US)? Why isn't "The Office" (UK) as effective with an American audience than the American version, and vice versa?

Exemplary Sources

Alden, Dana L., Wayne D. Hoyer and Chol Lee. "Identifying Global and Culture-Specific Dimensions of Humor in Advertising: A Multinational Analysis." Journal of Marketing Vol. 57 (April 1993): 64-75. JStor. 11 October 2007.

Alden, Hoyer and Lee examined humor appeals across national cultures, in this case four different countries (US, Thailand, Germany and Korea). They wanted to find the root cause of what made content universally funny and also explored differences between cultures in order to understand why there were distinctions in the content of the same commercial. Although this research study speaks to television advertising, the researchers concluded that humor content must be modified for that particular nation/culture in order for it to resonate with that particular target audience.

Brabazon, Tara. "What have you ever done on the telly?: 'The Office,' (post) reality television, and (post) work." International Journal of Cultural Studies 2005. 7 October 2007 <http://ics.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/8/1/101>.

Brabazon, Associate Professor in the School of Media, Communication and Culture at Murdoch University in Australia, provides deep analysis of the British satire "The Office" and its usage of comedy by commenting on the distinct changes between work culture and television. Brabazon delves into specific examples as to how "The Office" has changed the way the typical and utterly boring has turned into comedy. She also makes the observation that "The Office" continues with the British tradition in, as she says, "apalling men directing the narrative." Brabazon observes that "The Office" does not speak to universal truths, thus not having much of an effect as it would in countries of different cultures and perspectives. This last point supports my argument that each "Office" series is molded in a way (through the dialogue, pop culture references, etc.) that is only nationally relevant.

Friend, Tad. "The Paper Chase." The New Yorker 11 December 2006. 8 October 2007 <http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/12/11/061211crte_television>.

This article compares and contrasts the original British version of "The Office" created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, with the American version. Friend, an entertainment critic at The New Yorker, gives reasons as to why the U.S. version of "The Office," set in Scranton, PA, is immensely popular here and while it follows the general plot lines and story arcs of the Gervais and Merchant creation, set in Slough, England, the British show is simply just too British for an American audience to understand. Friend notes that the characters in the U.S. version are much more complex and three-dimensional while there is a lack of in-depth character studies on the original "Office." Friend also harps on the distinctions between the two bosses, David Brent of Wernham Hogg (UK) and Michael Scott of Dunder-Mifflin (US), and their distinct mannerisms.

Schillinger, Liesl. "Foreign Office." Slate 20 September 2006. 8 October 2007 <http://www.slate.com/id/2150015">.

Schillinger, an arts writer for Slate, investigates why localized versions of "The Office" in two European nations (France and Germany) gained positive reception in their respective countries. France dubbed "The Office" in French failing considerably, but once they debuted with their own version of "The Office" (UK) called "Le Bureau," critics immediately called it a success. Schillinger explores why original "Office" is unable to act as a "global office," instead forcing countries willing to jump on the bandwagon to create their own "Office" series. She points out that each "Office" series is specific to their own culture and perspective; it is difficult to appeal to another country especially when you are unaware of what is going on there. Schillinger explains why the UK "Office" does not represent the American workplace as she is familiar with. (Note that she is a New Yorker and not British.) In the piece, she also compares the differences in personalities of the characters in the original "Office" and the US version. Though she does not explicitly state it, she is commenting on how different cultures affect the way we perceive things. An American certainly would not understand a Brit's humor to its fullest extent and vice versa.

Yarwood, Dean L. "Humor and Administration: A Serious Inquiry into Unofficial Organizational Communication." Public Administration Review Vol. 55, No. 1 (January-February 1995): 81-90. JStor. 11 October 2007.

Yarwood, Frederick A. Middlebush Professor of Political Science at the University of Missouri-Columbia, examines the various sources, types and consequences of using humor in organizations. Yarwood states that humor of employees and managers of an organization can have positive ("cute") and negative ("offensive") effects. In this article, he defines various types of administrative humor, one of which is incongruity humor (relies heavily on irony and contradiction). Yarwood also describes the functions of these different types of humor and the trends in organizations. He concludes that the study of organizational humor is a significant aspect of business organizations and should be of priority to managers and scholars.

researching 'tis fun

2007-10-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

Alden, Dana L., Wayne D. Hoyer and Chol Lee. "Identifying Global and Culture-Specific Dimensions of Humor in Advertising: A Multinational Analysis." Journal of Marketing Vol. 57 (April 1993): 64-75. JStor. 11 October 2007.

Alden, Hoyer and Lee examined humor appeals across national cultures, in this case four different countries (US, Thailand, Germany and Korea). They wanted to find the root cause of what made content universally funny and also explored differences between cultures in order to understand why there were distinctions in television content. Although this research study speaks to television advertising, the researchers concluded that humor content must be modified in order for it to be an effective tool for that particular target audience.

Fisher, Anne. "Be smarter at work, slack off." Fortune 17 March 2006. 11 October 2007 <http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/16/news/economy/annie/fortune_annie0317>.

Fisher, senior writer at Fortune, makes the observation that doing less in a work environment may prove more beneficial than working non-stop. She makes the argument that it is difficult for employees to be creative with innovative ideas when they are being overworked, thus making them tired and less likely to be as productive.

Kuipers, Giselinde. "The Globalization of Humor: The Translation, Acculturation, and Reception of American Television Comedy in Four European Countries." Research proposal for NWO. 11 October 2007.

In this research proposal for the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), Kuipers from the Department for the Study of Culture and the Arts at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, has outlined supported facts about the globalization of American comedies in other countries. She lists four main factors (cultural, political and economic, relationship and perception of the US, and the nature/content of the actual product) that have adverse effects on non-Americans perceptions of US comedies.

McKinley, Jesse. "Making Yanks Laugh? It's a Bit Dodgy, Mate." The New York Times 8 Oct 2003, Late Edition (East Coast). ProQuest. 11 Oct 2007.

McKinley observes that British shows and comedians rarely find an American audience. Of course, there are the exceptions like Eddie Izzard and in some sense Ricky Gervais, where there are the occassional success story there must be ten times more failures. McKinley, having written this article in 2003 prior to the American version of "The Office" actually in production, also mentions the relatability of the British "Office" to American audiences because of its similar premise that McKinley says Americans have seen before with "The Drew Carey Show" and the comic strip "Dilbert."

Selinger, Carl. "Anatomy of the Office." IEEE Spectrum January 2004: 82-84. 10 October 2007 <http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/6/28150/01259380.pdf?arnumber=1259380>.

This is an interesting but brief breakdown of an office setting by Selinger. He describes aspects of the daily ins and outs of an office, most specifically geared towards engineers, but is general enough that his descriptions can be taken out and used to describe "office culture," what to do if you're in a "turf battle," and even why it is unhealthy to eat lunch at your desk alone on a daily basis. This could prove to be a helpful opposing resource to have when I put in specific aspects of "The Office" into the paper.

exemplary annotated bibliographies

2007-10-10T23:22:00.000-07:00

I liked Alex Herbach's, Julia Wong's, and Tammy Chan's annotated bibliographies because I could follow where their research questions were going.

Alex's sources yielded some interesting finds and I am inclined to read more about them since I remember watching the Academy Awards the year Benigni won that Oscar.

I thought Julia's sources really helped mold her question and I can see where she is going with her research. Since I am a Communication major like her, I am much more interested in reading about the effect media plays in religion and how journalists (especially) manipulate/gloss over religion like they know what they're talking about when in actuality, they aren't the experts by any means.

I also think Tammy's explores the influence one piece of art has had for a century. Reading her bibliography, I was curious to read about why certain people felt they way they did about Picasso's painting. Looking at a photo of it in class today, I actually thought it was a beautiful piece of artwork but during the 1900s, it probably had a negative effect on the majority of the public ... it's comparable to new inventions and advancements in technology. When something innovative comes along, people's first reaction is to be fearful of it and to shun it. Then, they learn to love and embrace it. It's a very interesting circle we live in.

"comedy connections: the office"

2007-10-10T01:36:00.001-07:00

Basically how it all started ...

"the office" bosses dance showdown

2007-10-10T01:31:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't love watching horrible dancing?!

"the office" uk vs. us #2

2007-10-10T01:24:00.001-07:00

Another "Office" comparison via clips.

"the office" uk vs. us

2007-10-10T01:21:00.001-07:00

ricky gervais interview

2007-10-10T00:17:00.000-07:00

To be honest, I haven't watched the entire interview but scrolling down the different subjects touched on - and the fact that it's 50 minutes long!, this should be of good use.

"office" articles of note

2007-10-09T23:53:00.000-07:00

Some interesting takes on "The Office" that may be of use:

Blankenship, Mark. "'Office' Songs in the Unhip Keys of Life and Karoake." The New York Times 25 January 2007. 8 October 2007 <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/25/arts/television/25song.html?ex=1327381200&en=f3a542d14c9a9bc1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>.

Bolonik, Kera. "Defending NBC's 'The Office.'" Slate 9 February 2006. 9 October 2007 <http://www.slate.com/id/2135824>.

McFarlane, Mhairi. "I prefer the American version of The Office." Guardian Unlimited 18 May 2007. 8 October 2007 <http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/tv/2007/05/i_prefer_the_american_version.html>.

Paluck, Elizabeth L. "Diversity Training and Intergroup Contact: A Call to Action Research." Journal of Social Issues Vol. 62 Issue 3 (September 2006): 577-595. Blackwell Synergy. 7 October 2007.

Ryan, Maureen. "'The Office' gets a promotion; Dwight - not so much." Chicago Tribune 8 December 2005. 7 October 2007 <http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2005/12/the_office_gets.html>.

Stanley, Alessandra. "When the Boss Thinks He's Funny." The New York Times 10 October 2003. 7 October 2007 <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9906E5DD173FF933A25753C1A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1>.

unofficial annotated bibliography

2007-10-09T22:53:00.000-07:00

Brabazon, Associate Professor in the School of Media, Communication and Culture at Murdoch University in Australia, provides deep analysis of the British satire, "The Office" and its usage of comedy by subtlely commenting on the distinct changes between work culture and television. Brabazon delves into specific examples as to how "The Office" has changed the way the typical and utterly boring has turned into comedy. She makes the observation that "The Office" continues with the British tradition in, as she says, "apalling men directing the narrative." Brabazon observes that "The Office" does not speak to universal truths, thus not having much of an effect as it would in countries of different culture and perspective. This last point especially supports my argument that each "Office" series is molded in a way that it is only nationally relevant and not universally funny.

Friend, Tad. "The Paper Chase." The New Yorker 11 December 2006. 8 October 2007 <http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/12/11/061211crte_television>.

This article compares and contrasts the original, British version of "The Office" created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant with the American version. In it, Friend, an entertainment critic at The New Yorker, gives reasons as to why the U.S. version of "The Office," set in Scranton, PA, is immensely popular here and while it follows the general plot lines and story arcs of the Gervais and Merchant creation, set in Slough, England, the British show is simply just too British for an American audience to ever have the same effect. Friend analyzes the ways in which the characters in the U.S. version are more complex and three-dimensional instead of the lack of in-depth character studies on the British show. Friend also harps on the distinctions between the two bosses - David Brent of Wernham Hogg (UK) and Michael Scott of Dunder-Mifflin (US).

Tyler, Melissa and Laurie Cohen. "Management in/as Comic Relief: Queer Theory and Gender Performativity in The Office." Gender, Work & Organization (OnlineEarly Articles) 6 June 2007. Blackwell Synergy. 7 October 2007.

Tyler, from The Business School at Loughborough University in England, and Cohen analyze the way the British "Office" uses gender for comic relief.

researching for something as contemporary as "the office"

2007-10-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

My first thought was that finding sources for something so culturally and socially relevant and influential would be easy as there are many many articles out there about "The Office." However, once I dove into the depths of my research, I found that many of the things that were popping up were either too broad, unusable or catered towards the casual reader. Which isn't to say that some articles of deep analysis didn't pop up.

The most popular fansite about the American version of "The Office" is Office Tally and as a regular visitor (Sadly, I visit at least once or twice a day. My "Office" love cannot be compared to anything else in the world.), I began my research by scrolling through the hundreds and hundreds (because there are hundreds) of article links posted throughout the months, many of which provided some interesting backstory to the characters and/or actors but weren't necessarily helpful for my research paper in the long run.

I started at Google Scholar and found some very random articles and some that were not relevant to my subject matter at all, which discouraged me a little. Then I tried my hand at some of the eJournals that USC subscribes to and there I found a few interesting sources that could prove helpful. One of the articles I stumbled across talked about diversity day workshops in the office workplace and used the "Diversity Day" episode as an introduction to that. Another source I found described office dynamics, I believe, which was interesting. It was a lot more technical (and sadly, a bit boring) than I expected but it definitely had some good points that could be related to what is shown on "The Office."

I know everyone thinks Wikipedia is the plague (I love using it to find random facts about bands, actors and shows) but I decided to give it a try once the night wound down. And funny enough, I found the most relevant source in a link that was all the way at the bottom of "The Office" (US) entry! It basically compared both the U.K. and U.S. versions and had some rather detailed explanations as to why they are so different. Perhaps my best source!

I have yet to find more but spending hours trying to find articles is always fun ... sort of. It should be an interesting few days.

testing testing 1 2 3

2007-09-30T00:47:00.001-07:00

Hello. Just seeing if this blog will look pretty since the default layouts that they have are always so ... amateur-looking. Sad.