Tragedy & Comedy
Using Morreall's (1999) concepts of tragedy and comedy and applying some of his characteristics to The Office, Michael Scott appears to simultaneously contradict and support the comedic nature of the show, making his character fascinatingly complex.
COMEDIC ENVIRONMENT...
It's no doubt that The Office is funny. With an 89% average critics and audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the vibrant yet mundane ensemble drive the plot and create some absurd and some relatable interactions with one another.
Many of Morreall's comedic elements could be applied to The Office, however, four stood out for us. The main appeal of the show is how it is about everyday white-collar workers (and blue-collar when the characters from the warehouse become more prominent) and the relatable element of a repetitive office job. This ties into the element of anti-heroism, stating that the characters are normal, rather than a super-human. Also, anti-heroism tends to mock authority and they do this very well with Michael Scott. He represents the ignorant bosses that we all have had to deal with at some point, and due to their position of power and their seniority, they often get away with many antics the average worker would not.
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Body is another element that is evident. In addition to the show's cringe-worthy humor, jokes that relate to sex and bodily functions still play an important role. Michael makes hundreds of sex jokes throughout the show, his most notable one being "That's what she said," and many fat jokes related to the character Kevin Malone.
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The third element is Situation-Based Ethics, stating that characters "tend to make up rules as they go along," (Morreall, 1999). Being a sitcom (situation comedy) this element is more than appropriate, and all of the characters have to go with the flow of whatever weird situation they are put in, usually by more eccentric characters like Michael and Dwight Schrute.
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Being a "mockumentary," the characters in The Office are experiencing a version of real life, which gives them a High Tolerance for Disorder. There are many loose ends in the show, and not everything gets a perfect story arc and tied neatly in a bow. It mimics the improvisational ways we all have to go about life, making it relatable for all the things we see as random in our own lives.
...TRAGIC CHARACTER.
Michael Scott is a very sad man despite his goofy exterior. He longs for friends, love, and a family throughout the show and his hilariously moronic actions pushes others away, especially in the earlier seasons.
Morreall's (1999) elements of a tragedy do not apply to The Office as an artifact alone, but they can be applied to Michael Scott. Being the main character, he is the comedy's tragic hero who has an inner longing to be the comedic hero. The most prominent element of tragedy that Michael carries is Emotional Engagement. He responds to most situations in a very emotional manner. He takes everything personally, especially when people don't like him, because that contradicts with the image of the comedic hero that he views himself as. In season 2, episode 18 ("Take Your Daughter To Work Day,") Michael shows a video of him when he was a child. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, he says "I want to be married and have 100 kids so I can have 100 friends, and no one can say no to being my friend." This moment showed how truly lonely Michael is, and throughout the show, his behavior confirms this by staying in a toxic relationship with his then-boss Jan so he would at least have someone. Take Your Daughter To Work Day" had great reviews as critics felt this moment of catharsis with Michael and his yearning for companionship (Wikipedia, 2019). Michael Scott's character is so adored by audiences because of this feeling of catharsis. Though it may be sorrowful, we as humans love to experience this empathetic emotion affiliated with tragedy, and we always have throughout history with works like and including classic Greek tragedies (Viswanathan, 2018).
Michael Scott is a very simple man, and according to Morrell, simplicity is a tragic characteristic. He defines it as approaching problems and situations directly and often following binaries. The Office's use of Michael's simplistic nature for comedic value is very unique in the sense of having the audience pull humor from a tragic component. Michael views the world in binaries and mostly from a culture-centric and often ethnocentric perspective, which we go more in-depth on other pages of this website.
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Michael's preference for the familiar goes hand-in-hand with his simplistic nature. With a low tolerance for cognitive dissonance, he often struggles when life throws him with, or even the idea of change occurring, whether that be leaving Dunder Mifflin, losing his position as Regional Manager, moving away from Scranton, or the losing/hiring process of new subordinate staff members. His friction with change most likely stems from him having a fear of losing those he knows and holds dear, and having to be alone as a result of that, linking back to his longing for companions.
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"I LOVE INSIDE JOKES. I HOPE TO BE A PART OF ONE SOMEDAY" - Michael Scott
Finally, Michael is very idealistic. He has an obvious view of the world that is driven by principle. He sees the world through a rose-colored lens that as long as you are nice, work hard, and have everyone like you, good things will come. An example of this is in the infamous episode "Scott's Tots," where Michael has to face the consequences of a promise he made years ago to ten third-graders that he would pay for their college tuition once they graduate high school. That time approaches, the kids are teenagers now and are about to graduate and are expecting a free ride to college, and Michael forgot about them, not having the money. He proceeds to give them laptop batteries instead, but that obviously does not pan out well. Michael had good intentions when he made this promise, thinking that if he were to set altruistic goals like this one, he would have the money because he is a nice person.
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