Response to Chris's Blog Post

Contrary to Chris's comment, I am definitely not tired of reading about The Office nor do I think I ever will be. The show has cultivated one of the largest followings in TV history and that is in no small part due to the level and consistency with which it brought and still brings laughter. I agree with Chris in that The Office heavily relies on Incongruity and Superiority as its main sources of humor. That isn't to say that it doesn't use relief humor, but the main jokes that viewers tend to remember subscribe to the former two theories. As Chris stated, the episode in which Dwight begins the episode by setting a fire in the office and trapping everyone inside was a fantastic example of incongruity. The sheer chaos that descends on the office and constant stream of events that occur, such as Oscar climbing into the ceiling, Angela throwing her cat in after him, and Kevin breaking into the vending machine to steal snacks and then tackling the cameraman, are all perfect examples of incongruity as nobody in the audience knew what to expect next. The foundation of incongruity humor is the factor of not knowing what to expect. 
As for Jim's pranks on Dwight, this captures the essence of Superiority perfectly. We view Dwight having his possessions being deposited into a vending machine and then being forced to purchase them all back with haughty condescension. Hobbes would truly watch the viewer with delight during these scenes. Watching Jim belittle the ego of Dwight, which could honestly do with a little trimming, fills the viewer with a sense of arrogance but not necessarily in a mean sense. We feel slightly bad for Dwight, but the pranks are all so creative that the viewer cannot help but laugh. Pam's role as cohort to Jim and Stanley's role as the office curmudgeon 
Overall I feel as though Chris hit the nail on the head with his discussion of Incongruity and Superiority in The Office. These theories of comedy are part of what make this show one of the greatest to ever grace television. 

Comments

  1. Shane HerronSeptember 12, 2018 at 10:02 AM

    I wonder if Dwight is funny precisely because he seems to resist and not give in to the joke. Would it be less funny if he laughed along with it, or simply brushed it off like an adult as an example of inappropriate office hazing?

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    Replies
    1. UnknownSeptember 13, 2018 at 10:32 AM

      I think that would remove some of the humor from the show. Part of what makes the show so funny is Dwight's reactions to the pranks. Although in the instance where he retaliated to one of Jim's pranks, which was throwing a snowball at him, Dwight completely humiliated Jim and set Jim on edge.

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  2. UnknownSeptember 14, 2018 at 11:12 AM

    I'm glad you enjoyed my lead blog post as well as my persepctives of incongruity and superiority theory in The Office. Also, after our discussion in class on Wednesday I can definitley see how relief humor takes on a big role in the show.

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  3. Kaitlin RamsdenSeptember 16, 2018 at 1:35 PM

    I love how you stated that you aren't tired of reading these blog posts on The Office because I couldn't agree more. I also liked how you brought Hobbes into your post giving an extra inside into what we have discussed in class while still relating it to your love for this brilliant televison show.

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