Satire In Diversity Day

The American television series The Office thrives off of its audience’s understanding of workplace policies and social norms. One of the most critically acclaimed episodes, “Diversity Day,” addresses race by satire, or the use of humor and hyperbole to criticize. Stereotypes are one of the most popular strategies to marginalize social groups: intentionally or unintentionally. The language applied in “Diversity Day” toys with racism and demonstrates how minorities are marginalized in the workplace and society through satire. The linguistic exaggeration of the script cleverly disregards standard office mores to a degree that viewers can find it comical. The writers include stereotypes pertaining to African Americans, Mexicans, Indians, and Jews

As the visiting African-American diversity trainer introduces himself as “Mr. Brown,” Michael laughs, “OK. First test. I will not call you that” (Novak 8). The word “test” is typically associated with an assessment in which answers are explicitly correct or incorrect. The use of this word within the script conveys that racial sensitivity is solely a guideline; there is no deeper meaning. Although this is the explicit interpretation of the protagonist’s speech, the writers actually uncover an unexpressed message within the words of Michael’s line: this kind of language is inappropriate. This line is an example of the use of hyperbole in the “Diversity Day” script to expose the ignorance directed at African Americans as they work to avoid social

The language of Michael Scott and his employee, Dwight, disregards every unspoken rule concerning racial prejudice. Their speech deliberately creates an uncomfortable tension for the other characters and the audience. The focus on interracial problems in the corporate setting of The Office is indicative of the same issues prevailing in the United States. There is a persistent presence of biased ideals and attitudes that marginalize minorities. The script of “Diversity Day” derides the stereotypes and conveys the inappropriate nature of their use inside the workplace. The language of the episode is highly attractive to the American working class because of its applicability to the reality of societal customs and polemical issues that lie within workplace culture. The writers of The Office effectively capture the racial disparities through their use of satire and