‘The Office’ Writer Says ‘SNL’s’ Japanese Office Parody With Steve Carell ‘Didn’t Feel Right’ and Left Him ‘Rankled’: ‘All the Actors Are White People’

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As a seasoned movie critic with a keen eye for cultural nuances and a soft spot for comedies, I find myself torn between two perspectives when it comes to the “The Japanese Office” digital short. On one hand, Mike Schur’s sentiments resonate with me. Having spent years in the industry, I too have felt that sense of discomfort when my beloved creations are parodied without fully grasping their essence. However, as someone who appreciates the intricacies of comedy writing and the delicate balance between humor and sensitivity, I can’t help but admire the audacity and creativity behind this sketch.

Prior to crafting the cherished sitcoms “The Good Place,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and “Parks and Recreation,” I, Mike Schur, garnered Emmys for my work as a writer on “Saturday Night Live” and “The Office.” In an intriguing twist of fate, these two series intersected in May 2008 when “The Office’s” Steve Carell graced the stage to host “SNL” and collaborated on a viral digital short titled “The Japanese Office,” which has amassed over 17 million views on YouTube. Interestingly, I, Mike Schur, have admitted on “The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast” (via Entertainment Weekly) that this parody left me feeling somewhat displeased.

Personally, I had hoped that the show would mirror ‘The Office’ in a way that truly resonated with me, but it didn’t quite scratch that itch. You see, I’ve worked on ‘SNL’, and at some point, you feel like ‘SNL’ serves as a cultural benchmark. When Steve Carell did ‘The Japanese Office’, I must admit, I felt a little miffed.

Ricky Gervais presents a digital clip titled ‘The Japanese Office’, which he explains was the inspiration behind his British sitcom ‘The Office’, which in turn inspired the American version starring Steve Carell. This short features snippets from the show with characters portrayed by Japanese actors, including Michael (originally played by Carell), Dwight (played by Bill Hader in this instance), Jim (portrayed by Jason Sudeikis) and Pam (Kristen Wiig’s role is taken over). The characters converse in Japanese, eat ramen noodles, and so on. Gervais concludes the short with a humorous twist: ‘It’s funny because it’s stereotypical.’

Regarding that sketch, Schur admitted he felt a bit perplexed at first, almost as if to say, ‘Well, alright.’ It didn’t sit well with him somehow, and he confessed he hasn’t quite grasped its underlying concept yet. Essentially, it was like they surpassed me in the performance, but I took the idea from a Japanese version – however, the actors in that version are all white. Somehow, it didn’t seem to make sense to him.

Akiva Schaffer, a member of Loney Island, directed “The Japanese Office” and shared during a past episode of “The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast” that he initially felt apprehensive about creating the sketch due to the fact that Saturday Night Live’s cast was predominantly composed of white actors at the time. However, it was SNL writer Marika Sawyer who had the idea for the sketch, and Schaffer followed her guidance. Sawyer is of Japanese American descent.

Schaffer expressed, ‘I would simply smile at her and say, alright, I’m here to make your dreams a reality.’ It seemed everyone was encouraging Marika as if to say, ‘This is your project. Let’s move forward. We’re here to support you.’ However, it was all about her vision.

According to Schur, “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) was particularly effective at poking fun at “The Office” during Rainn Wilson’s hosting, as he joked in his monologue about the contrasts between the two comedic shows.

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2024-12-27 01:17