Gotta point out that, as an actor, Rainn Wilson seems to not be on the side of subtlety. Everything awful about Dwight Shrute was right in your face (in fact, The Office's biggest flaw was that its successors abandoned subtlety for a decade or so), and he recently decided to play Star Trek's Harry Mudd as a stone-cold psychopath. It did not come out of nowhere. Roger Carmel's Mudd was not a lovable rascal, he was just good at pretending to be one...but you would have to PAY ATTENTION to notice that. It makes sense that Wilson's Mudd would decide that, being in a time loop and having no reason to be concerned about appearances, he would go, "well, I didn't start this time loop in order to murder an enemy of mine over and over and over again, but it's an awesome fringe benefit!"
What I'm sayin' is that I'm not exactly shocked that Rainn Wilson's hot takes don't have a lot of insightful nuance.
"I wouldn’t say they’re more ignorant so much as they pine for the days when they were that ignorant and no one would judge them for it."
Yes, this! I know people like that. They are feeling like they can voice their ignorance and get away with it now but then get mad because people outside their bubble call them out on it.
Some people I've known for years have also, fortunately, grown out of their ignorance
You hit the nail on the head: "Today, that ignorant character might look different, because society is different." It's not that the world suddenly became "woke" and humor is now off-limits; our norms around workplace behavior and etiquette have just evolved. The Michael Scott extreme-but-plausible archetype just isn't believable anymore..
Humor doesn't disappear into the woke ether, though -- if it's clever, it adapts. Every era produces its own cast of extreme-but-recognizable characters, and comedy finds them.
That said, I'd be cautious about coming down too hard on Rainn. He's consistently struck me as a thoughtful, curious, and engaged person, and generally someone who deserves the benefit of the doubt when his wording is... not great. He's not a Tim Allen, whining at the slow retreat of a world that once centered his brand of... whatever he is.
Wow, Rainn Wilson is stupider than I thought! Nobody bothered to fact check him to remind him that The Office ran during 4 yrs of the Obama administration. Maybe it's not "the libs" that are the problem but the idiot MAGAts who didn't and wouldn't get the jokes.....
Not to mention that it was first a British sitcom anyway.
And there are moments in “Blazing Saddles” that are even funnier than they were originally, because their truth is more self-evident. I’m thinking of the “people of the land” scene.
The fun part about cancel culture is the way it never even has to happen for people to be just *sure* that it's lurking around every corner!
It's not that they *couldn't* make this show nowadays, it's that they *wouldn't*. Amazingly, a show about a boss who constantly annoys and abuses his workers all the time is no longer treated as funny...yes, even when they have an episode every eight or so that shows that he just wants to be loved. The amazing thing is that they were ever able to spin Michael Scott's antics as an enjoyable thing to watch.
Most of the things I hear that we can't do anymore, I was never really comfortable with at the time either. I didn't need anyone to tell me that exploiting the homeless wasn't funny. I never considered racism, domestic violence, or sexual assault funny either.
Looking forward to the era when we will never again be able to "elect" (IT WAS RIGGED!!!) a White House trashing, dipshit cage fight on the grounds having, algae farm creating, mega-grifting, hoax-war starting but never finishing, innocent people murdering, smooth brained, corrupt as fuck, pedo protecting, piggy, be-tiny-mushroomed jerkowitz as president.
warner bros cartoons have dated quite a lot, and they simply stick a 'this was considered acceptable at the time it was made, view at your own discretion' label on it - cos you can't make some of those cartoons nowadays
I actually used to enjoy James Bond movies. Then I rewatched this one and I haven't seen another since. Did you just punch Diana Rigg in the face? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7OMv7MdolA
Gotta point out that, as an actor, Rainn Wilson seems to not be on the side of subtlety. Everything awful about Dwight Shrute was right in your face (in fact, The Office's biggest flaw was that its successors abandoned subtlety for a decade or so), and he recently decided to play Star Trek's Harry Mudd as a stone-cold psychopath. It did not come out of nowhere. Roger Carmel's Mudd was not a lovable rascal, he was just good at pretending to be one...but you would have to PAY ATTENTION to notice that. It makes sense that Wilson's Mudd would decide that, being in a time loop and having no reason to be concerned about appearances, he would go, "well, I didn't start this time loop in order to murder an enemy of mine over and over and over again, but it's an awesome fringe benefit!"
What I'm sayin' is that I'm not exactly shocked that Rainn Wilson's hot takes don't have a lot of insightful nuance.
"I wouldn’t say they’re more ignorant so much as they pine for the days when they were that ignorant and no one would judge them for it."
Yes, this! I know people like that. They are feeling like they can voice their ignorance and get away with it now but then get mad because people outside their bubble call them out on it.
Some people I've known for years have also, fortunately, grown out of their ignorance
A reboot of The Office should be called/set in The Oval Office.
You hit the nail on the head: "Today, that ignorant character might look different, because society is different." It's not that the world suddenly became "woke" and humor is now off-limits; our norms around workplace behavior and etiquette have just evolved. The Michael Scott extreme-but-plausible archetype just isn't believable anymore..
Humor doesn't disappear into the woke ether, though -- if it's clever, it adapts. Every era produces its own cast of extreme-but-recognizable characters, and comedy finds them.
That said, I'd be cautious about coming down too hard on Rainn. He's consistently struck me as a thoughtful, curious, and engaged person, and generally someone who deserves the benefit of the doubt when his wording is... not great. He's not a Tim Allen, whining at the slow retreat of a world that once centered his brand of... whatever he is.
I really appreciate a writer who can put into words, feelings that I have…thank you.
it is well known that the cringiest episodes of The Office are 'Scott's Tots' and 'Dinner Party'
Wow, Rainn Wilson is stupider than I thought! Nobody bothered to fact check him to remind him that The Office ran during 4 yrs of the Obama administration. Maybe it's not "the libs" that are the problem but the idiot MAGAts who didn't and wouldn't get the jokes.....
Not to mention that it was first a British sitcom anyway.
And there are moments in “Blazing Saddles” that are even funnier than they were originally, because their truth is more self-evident. I’m thinking of the “people of the land” scene.
Honestly, at this point we should remake blazing saddles, word for word, just so they will shut up about it. I bet Mel would go for it.
Insightful-well written, too. 👏👏👏
The fun part about cancel culture is the way it never even has to happen for people to be just *sure* that it's lurking around every corner!
It's not that they *couldn't* make this show nowadays, it's that they *wouldn't*. Amazingly, a show about a boss who constantly annoys and abuses his workers all the time is no longer treated as funny...yes, even when they have an episode every eight or so that shows that he just wants to be loved. The amazing thing is that they were ever able to spin Michael Scott's antics as an enjoyable thing to watch.
"I'd buy that for a dollar!"
Most of the things I hear that we can't do anymore, I was never really comfortable with at the time either. I didn't need anyone to tell me that exploiting the homeless wasn't funny. I never considered racism, domestic violence, or sexual assault funny either.
Looking forward to the era when we will never again be able to "elect" (IT WAS RIGGED!!!) a White House trashing, dipshit cage fight on the grounds having, algae farm creating, mega-grifting, hoax-war starting but never finishing, innocent people murdering, smooth brained, corrupt as fuck, pedo protecting, piggy, be-tiny-mushroomed jerkowitz as president.
warner bros cartoons have dated quite a lot, and they simply stick a 'this was considered acceptable at the time it was made, view at your own discretion' label on it - cos you can't make some of those cartoons nowadays
I actually used to enjoy James Bond movies. Then I rewatched this one and I haven't seen another since. Did you just punch Diana Rigg in the face? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7OMv7MdolA
So much truth. Thanks