The Office

The television series The Office is one of the most iconic television shows in modern time. It has a cast of many eccentric people which makes the show even more hilarious and unique. There are several jokes and comments throughout the show that poke fun of certain types of people or gender stereotypes. The Office uses satire to show certain issues that might occur in office buildings in the US, such as sexism, gender, race and other stereotypes that coincide with the different story lines of the characters. The Office represents a very diverse cast and reinforces jokes about gender and common stereotypes for the cause of humor. The shows mockumentary style not only makes it a funny tv show, but allows for it to be a successful satire by exaggerating societal issues. One episode that clearly shows the difference in gender roles in the workforce is "Boys and Girls".

In this episode, Jan takes the women aside to have an "equality meeting". The purpose of the meeting is so she can discuss with the women issues that the might have in the work force, but also aspects of their job that they are strong or good at. Meanwhile, Michael is not allowed to go in and gets upset he's not "included", so he decides to join and talk about "men things", making Jan very upset and frazzled. Michael refers to the women as the "Ally McBeal women" referencing the show Ally McBeal, who is a successful careen woman, but also yearns for a family. They address this common conflict that women who work have. He also tells them that the break room used to be a lactation room, which is "disgusting" and he hopes that is not their intention. 

The Office successfully captures the societal issues and views presented in the work force, especially for women. The episode "Boys and Girls" does a good job of humoring gender differences that exist in society and specifically in the work force. Women were not fully accepted in the work force until about the 70' and into the 80's, after the second wave of feminism had hit, so their roles in the work force are less developed than men. Women have also faced discrimination, which the show pokes fun of these issues through satirical humor.