The popular sitcom that is now one of today’s pop culture`s favorites, is based on the original British sitcom The Office and later began to air on NBC. With characters that are relatable to any office environment, The Office does cause many to question the violation of ethics in this sitcom. The show features Michael Scott the manager at Dunder Mifflin, who is the center of many questionable actions. Because every show needs a good love story; Pam and Jim are introduced as the office lovers who win the award for “relationship goals”. Besides the main characters, the cast consists of unmotivated employees.
The many ethical and HR violations in The Office are caused by Michael Scott. In the show, Michael Scott refers to his employees as
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Phyllis then calls out Michael for making fun of them every day. His insults consist of fat shaming his employees and mocking them on their appearances. He is abusing his role and as a manager, he is using irresponsible dialog to communicate with his employees. By humiliating his employees he is satisfying his own self-worth and ego. Michael shows lack of empathy towards his employees and he is unwilling to recognize or even take into consideration what their thoughts and feelings are. When he starts his “training” he makes his main focus on himself and his feelings, even though the main focus was geared towards everyone. Michael Scott stated in the Kai pod episode “ you cannot make fun of a person for something or action they have no control over” he then continues on by saying it is only acceptable to make fun of something they have control over. He calls out Oscar and tells everyone it's okay to make fun of him because he chose to be gay; on the other hand, it was not okay for Michael’s employees to make fun of him because he did not choose to fall in the Koi pond. He is concerned more about what others see in him rather than helping the situation. He is using his authority and displaying his authority as manager to persuade the others to think it’s okay if someone else gets made fun of but not
Family comedies have evolved throughout the past century. What was once revered as classic has completely changed forms and turned into the comedic experience we witness today. Family sitcoms in particular have been converted to show a broader picture of how family’s interact in today’s world. This greatly appeals to today’s audiences and is what people want to see. Modern family specifically has tapped into what nontraditional families are all about and even with being so alternative has resonated with every type of family, making it one of the most popular shows on TV at the present moment. The pilot episode of Modern Family uses hyper-irony, allusions and uses references to technology to enforce comedic impact.
McCarthy, Tyler. “Sitcom success a reflection of changing society.” Daily Campus. 29 Jan. 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Seinfeld was a sitcom from NBC that was very popular during the ’90s, and is often referred as “a show about nothing.” It consisted of the life of a fictitious Jerry Seinfeld and his friends in New York City (IMDb). Seinfeld reached a Nielsen rating of 21.7 percent and number one in the United States ranking during its ninth and final season (“Appendix 3: Top-Rated Programs by Season”). It was unique in the way that it portrayed social life during the ‘90s, and this inspired shows such as Friends, Ellen, and Mad About You (Pierson 49). In Seinfeld episodes, the viewer can observe social customs, fads, social standards, and family portrayals of ‘90s semi-young adults.
NBC network’s The Office is definitely a show that a lot of youth watch nowadays or well, used to at the least. Some people are amused by the show’s style of humour, however many are not so entertained. Personally, I find that the style of humour in this particular show is used to depict hegemonic relationships and stereotypes that exist in modern culture. Thus, for this specific reason, I will attempt to apply and analyze the theme of cultural hegemony to The Office.
Whistle blowing is a controversial topic in the professional industry. Whistle blowing is the act of speaking out against a fellow colleague or even a friend that has done something non-ethical or illegal in the workplace. A whistleblower raises concerns about the wrongdoing inside of the workplace. Employees hesitate to become a whistleblower because of the idea of becoming a snitch on fellow employees and having a bad rep around the office. This concern was lowered in 1989 with a law called the Whistleblower Protection Act that protects federal government employees in the United States from retaliatory action for voluntarily disclosing information about dishonest or illegal activities occurring at a government organization (whistleblowers.gov).
“The sitcom is a jumble of mixed metaphors: the repetition compulsion of eternal sameness conjoined to a desire to overturn the established order; a profound aesthetic conservatism bundled with an ingrained desire to shock. Every sitcom possess not just a routine that it perpetually seeks to overturn but also a particular style of fomenting that chaos.”
The negative way that Sammy describes his place of work and some of the people that he works with
In the artcle, “Is Seinfeld the Best Comedy Ever?”, author Jay McInerney agrees with Seinfeld the best comedy on television. Seinfeld is a real life show. The behaviors of Jerry, Kramer, George and Elaine, the failed communication, and the everyday embassassment represent “nothingness” but a peculiar everyday life. These “nothingnesses” happen to all of us, but when it is put on TV, people will laugh at these. Besides, the author appreciates the fact that Seinfeld is a New York story but it is filmed in Los Angeles. “The lumpy texture of life in the city, the random looniness of the street, the idioms and speech inflections of Manhattan, and the claustrophobia of New York apartment living” in the show fascinates the New Yorker as it is so real and funny. Seinfeld takes those little nothings and combines them to create something realistic. Nothingness and reality give the author the reasons to believe that it is the best comedy ever.
Soon after the story begins we get an insight into who Michael truly is. One could easily describe him as a Meek young man, as the narrator states Michael is very unsure of himself while asking the townspeople questions on the subject of the whereabouts of the Hangman. Though, his insecurities do not stop him from his ability to do his job. To be a decent writer you have to be observant, which fits Michaels personality perfectly. While describing the Hangman's appearance he notices small details that most people would skim over. Describing him as “a little fellow, without
The outrageous events create a contrasting tone. The typical office orientation situation is invaded by shocking situations such as Amanda Pierce’s. Pierce’s husband “subjects her to an escalating array of painful and humiliating sex games.” Describing very personal aspects of an employee’s life creates a very uncomfortable feeling in this situation. This type of information is not supposed to be talked about in an office
This Code also contains guidelines to assist employees and directors in acting and making decisions on behalf of Knox consistent with these standards and avoiding conflicts of interests. No guidelines can be all-inclusive, however, responsibility for proper conduct rests with each Employee and Director. If you are faced with making a difficult decision or have questions about the applicability of the Code, you are encouraged to discuss the matter with your supervisor.
Ethics in the Workplace "Ethics are personal and, at the same time, a very public display of your attitudes and beliefs. It is because of ethical beliefs that we humans may act differently in different situations" (University of Phoenix, 2007). Poor ethical choices in the workplace can truly hurt people. Poor ethics can damage their career, happiness, and quality of life. Not only can these actions hurt the individual who has made the bad choices, but also most often it hurts the innocent.
Ethics in the workplace is a very important thing to have. Without a sense of ethicality in the workplace there are many things that could go wrong. You could even end up losing a job because of a lack of ethics, or other consequences could be felt due to a lack of caring or morality. The workplace is a place that you should show respect and dignity, and a deeper sense of ethics is very important in order to uphold these senses of morality. Workplace ethics, which include such things as behavior, integrity, commitment, teamwork, and other things, are important, if not required, in most workplaces and can help to improve performance and morale for workers and employers.
When I think of ethics, I think of the angel on my left shoulder telling me to do the “right” thing, and the devil on my right, tempting me to join the dark side. This scenario deals with what is “right” or what is “wrong” and where my morals will lie in the end. But who is to say what is right and wrong? Ethics is such a trivial word because every person, company, and culture has a different idea of what is considered ethical or what is considered unethical. Throughout this paper, I will address my personal view on ethics, and how I believe it effects the workplace and today’s society.