Sensitivity Training

The video above is a scene from the hit television show The Office. It shows the workers of Dunder Mifflin undergoing "sensitivity training" run by their boss Michael Scott. Michael, who is known for making multiple borderline racist and homophobic jokes, claims that it is against the rules to make fun of something for things they can't control, but okay when it is something they can. He goes on to give examples using Oscar Martinez (a gay man in the office), claiming that it was his choice to be gay, and therefore making jokes about it are absolutely fine. Michael goes on to make a list of things that people can no longer be made fun of for, but ends up making lots of exceptions.

This particular scene in the video above makes use of verbal irony specifically. When Kevin asks to stop being made fun of for his weight, Michael claims it's too broad and instead writes "huge gut." While Michael claims the list is a way to keep his coworkers from being made fun of, he is really using it as a tool to continue making jokes.

While the scene is hilarious in multiple ways, there are certain aspects that are important to take note of. It is clear that things such as being gay are not a choice, but simply the way that a person is born. It is a joke in the show, but also provokes the audience to think about why they are laughing in the first place. Other items on the list include weight, height, and facial features. It's important to notice that a person has no control over these things, even though they are being treated as such for the sake of satire and comedy.