Popular media is one common way in which we learn how to spot a deviant. While watching the popular scripted comedy “The Office” I saw many covert ways in which deviance was portrayed and policed on the show. For my sample I watched the first four episodes of the first season of the show.
When determining who on the show is considered deviant and who is considered normal I looked at both overt and covert messages. I looked at who the main characters were compared to roles that were more supporting or background characters. The main characters in the four episodes that I watched were Michael Scott, a middle aged white male. Dwight Shrute, a middle aged white male. Jim Halpert, a younger, but not too young, white male. Pam Beasely, a white female about the same age as Jim. Supporting characters were; Phylis, an overweight white female, Stanley, an overweight black man, Kevin, an overweight white man, Oscar, a latino man, Angela, a white female, Meredith, an older white female, and Jan, a white female. The show gave more importance to the four main characters and set them apart also by giving them last names. With the choice of main characters and with the interactions between the characters reiterated the exercise we did in class “The Ideal Man/Woman”. In this exercise the class listed on the board what is considered by U. S. society to be ideal. The common theme for both men and women were white, thin, English speaking, employed, able-bodied. The characters on the show “The Office” fit most of the characteristics on the list. Those characters in the show that deviated from the ideal slightly were not considered main characters.
The show “The Office” also supported some of the ideas expressed by Allan Johnson in his article “Privilege, Power, Difference and Us”https://lms.wsu.edu/section/content/default.asp?WCI=pgDisplay&WCU=CRSCNT&ENTRY_ID=4D7B825544754CD0BEBB07AB3AD38946. Johnson explained that the reason corporate America is mostly white men is because of paths of least resistance. It is more comfortable to mentor those who look like us. Therefore if white men are in power they are going to continue to be in power because it is harder for a white man to mentor a woman of color. (Johnson 81) The manager of the branch office is Michael Scott a white male, and his assistant or number 2 is Dwight Shrute also a white male. The only female in power is Jan who is Michael’s supervisor. However, the show sends the covert message that women in power are less than their male counterparts by having Michael Scott’s character make jokes about Jan and not take her authority seriously.
In William Chambliss’ article “The Saints and the Roughnecks” he looks at how two different groups of teenagers can engage in very similar activities but one group is seen as deviant and the other group is not seen as deviant.https://lms.wsu.edu/section/content/default.asp?WCI=pgDisplay&WCU=CRSCNT&ENTRY_ID=CB4E62B2969B4A8DA423CE3ADE7F28F6 When watching “The Office” I thought about this article. In “The Office” Jim and Pam play pranks on Dwight and it is seen as just a good time by Michael and the others. However, I can’t help but think that if the minority characters Oscar or Stanley were engaging in these activities they would be seen as trouble makers and distracting to the work environment.
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