It is disconcerting to acknowledge that ‘The Office‘ did not age well. The show ended two decades ago, leaving an iconic trademark of “That’s what she said“, but when viewed from the contemporary lens, the series has faced scrutiny due to cultural and comedic evolutions that make certain aspects of the show difficult to swallow today. Despite its flaws, ‘The Office‘ still remains one of the most-watched shows of all time, taking the crown for the most-streamed show of 2020 with a staggering 57,000,000+ minutes streamed for the entire year.
That being said, the creators of the show never really paid attention to the mental disorders few of the characters suffer from, instead it was taken as a joke and brushed off. Here’s an introspection of the few crucial issues about the show starring Steve Carell, Jenna Fisher, John Krasinski, and Rainn Wilson.
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5. Michael Scott Was A Terrible Boss
It goes without saying that Michael Scott played by Steve Carell was the show’s most beloved character and his absence from the show from season seven, instantly affected this viewership. That being said, it is important to accept that Michael Scott was a terrible boss who made the workplace an extremely toxic environment to work in. Scott believed his subordinates to be his family, and often got involved in their personal lives without their consent and ended up offending them.
During the work therapy session with Toby, Michael Scott reveals the need to be accepted and liked. His parents divorced when he was young, and he displays clear resentment towards his stepfather and sister, whom he once didn’t talk to for fifteen years. Some of Scott’s behaviors fit with the description of histrionic personality disorder, meaning that he likes to be the center of attention, uses impressionistic speech, considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are, and even shows self-dramatization at times.
4. Angela Became A Morally Grey Character
Out of all the people in ‘The Office’, Angela was the toughest nut to crack. She was the most self-centered and shrewd character. Angela was pretty condescending to the point where she was portrayed as homophobic. She is obsessed with maintaining order and structure.
Being the head of the party planning committee she could not handle the inevitable last-minute changes that occur, ultimately resulting in full breakdowns as she does not know how to properly cope. All of these erratic behaviors point toward obsessive-compulsive disorder. Also, she never regretted cheating on Andy with Dwight while they were planning for a wedding which is totally a gray area.
3. Dwight Is Actually Terrifying When Noticed From A Microscopic Lens
Dwight Schrute is the idiosyncratic oddball who provides many of the laughs in ‘The Office’, but unfortunately, no one pays attention to how mentally disturbed he is. Dwight has brought several weapons into the Dunder Mifflin office and has behaved strangely enough to warrant suspicion, even setting the office on fire in one episode.
Noting his feelings of superiority toward himself and his responsibilities alongside his delusion that there is always someone out to get him, it is only appropriate that Dwight be diagnosed with paranoid personality disorder. Along with that, there are chances that he might also have Aspergers Syndrome, as to how little empathy or sympathy he had towards his colleagues. To compensate for the deficiency of empathy he memorizes social patterns, communicates in a pretty peculiar way, and has presumptions and preoccupations equally asocial to the degree of antisociality.
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2. Todd Packer Was An Unnecessary Character
The character Todd Packer would likely have never been created in the first place if ‘The Office’ aired in the current climate. Packer was such a problematic character who had no sense of respect or boundaries towards his co-workers. Passing inappropriate comments and unconventional actions, Packer’s character would be facing several lawsuits on the grounds of violating office ethics.
Throughout the series, Todd Packer was seen as an antagonist. He pops up as a traveling salesman and creates havoc at the office. Although not the main character, he created many issues among his colleagues, and he could have been suffering from narcissistic personality disorder.
1. Tobey Is A Creep
In the beginning, the fans wondered why Michael Scott hated Toby, but eventually even the fans started disliking him. That pity is quickly lost when his desperation is revealed in his relentless pursuit of Nellie in ‘The Office’, which ultimately exposes him as a bit of a creep. Also, he was obsessed with Pam in a very unhealthy way.
Not being accepted by his colleagues and being a single parent who went through an unappealing divorce, Toby showed clear signs of depression. With the signs of fatigue and unwillingness to work and often being ignored by their co-workers, Toby struggled to ask for help.
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