Comments on: More Michael means less funny “Office”

By: Vivi

Vivi — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 05:20:54 +0000

I found an video about this here: http://bit.ly/fNc5Vl

By: Sean H.

Sean H. — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:06:14 +0000

Though this article is nearly a year old and deals with last season, I’ll address it nonetheless. Regarding the Prince Family Paper episode, you only pointed out one thing Michael said that you didn’t find funny (Vietnam…), while you seemed to have found the rest of the episode, along with Michaels line about IHOP rather funny. You point out a fantastic episode where Michael plays a minimal role, but I’m sure you could just as well point out fantastic episodes where Michael plays a larger role. (Casino Night, Booze Cruise, Stress Relief, Dundies, and even from season 6, Scott’s Tots and Gossip). Your main point or grievance seems to be that you like the incompetent boss yet lovable person Michael Scott more than the downright stupid Michael Scott, which lead to your disgust over the Vietnam line. I have to agree with you on that note, as I like Michael when he’s socially unaware and pleasantly awkward more than when he’s plain dumb. So stick with that point, because this nonsense about less Michael means a funnier Office is a baseless claim. Give me other examples where a Michael overload has hurt an episode. What you should be arguing is that you want to see more of the socially awkward, unpleasant and blindly ignorant Michael, moreso than the idiot, grade school level intelligence Michael.

More correctly written and characterized Michael = laughs.
More plain dumb Michael will begin to create a character the fans will no longer be able to sympathize with.

That’s your argument.

Sean

By: Janna

Janna — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:32:26 +0000

You have no idea what you are talking about. Michael Scott makes this show and if you cannot see that maybe you should start watching some show that sucks like 30 Rock or Two and a Half Men. Have fun with that. The point is that he is a ridiculous boss who does not make sense, but somehow things get done and everything is okay.

By: junkieface

junkieface — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:59:26 +0000

you’re about as dumb as Michael Scott’s character… making distinctions between “idiot” and “imbecile.” ReallY?

By: canesrule

canesrule — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:16:22 +0000

This article is funnier than the show, which I appreciate but sometimes cringe while watching, particularly the Michael scenes. No I have never had a boss that was that stupid and disconnected from …reality, I guess is the word I can come up with. The Vietnam vacation response belongs in the classic file and will someday be replayed when Steve Carrell casts off his mortal coil.

By: you're a jerk

you're a jerk — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 10:33:17 +0000

what a horrible piece of writing
im not surprised almost everyone who commented hates you

By: vik

vik — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:19:52 +0000

Ryan is in Thailand on a trip, isn’t he? B.J. Novak is still part of the show, I think we wrote this episode.
I agree that Michael is sometimes too stupid. To the point where it’s just not realistic and it immediately breaks the illusion.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 01:22:54 +0000

Ryan left at the end of an episode – he broke up with Kelly and asked her to be an adult about it – have one last night and if she had any extra cash that would be great. He was going on a trip with some high school students.

By: Alice

Alice — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:20:50 +0000

No, it was Michael Scarn the whole time, imbecile. It’s his alter ego…from improv? Get with the program, internet blogger.

By: Monday Casualties: CSI, The Amazing Race, Lost and more - TV Casualty

Monday Casualties: CSI, The Amazing Race, Lost and more - TV Casualty — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:47:27 +0000

[...] — Over at TV Talk, Rick Ingebritson makes a very good point that even though Steve Carell is awesome, the best episodes of The Office include very little Michael Scott. [...]

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:24:56 +0000

Man, people really hate you on this site.

I don’t really know why though, because your argument makes sense.

The best episodes, in my opinion, are the ones where Michael has his own seperate storyline, but the plot doesn’t focus on him. Think about The Casino, Booze Cruise and the Ryan’s on Cocaine episode you referred to. Those are some of the best, and it’s because Michael adds humor with his idiocy, but the plot is driven by the other characters.

Your conclusion that the most recent episode was a bad one is 100% correct, because the ending to the Hillary Swank argument was obvious from the beginning of the storyline. Of course Michael was going to come back and say that she’s hot because she thinks everyone is hot and Dwight doesn’t know who the hell Hillary Swank is. And as is the case in most arguements, people simply don’t budge.

So that storyline was a dud. But I do think that the Dwight-Michael storyline was somewhat interesting, simply because it sets up the next run of episodes with Michael doing well at work. I like where the show is subtly going.

By: Fug Yew

Fug Yew — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:49:12 +0000

I don’t understand your argument. Oh, right, you don’t have one. But I guess you know what you’re talking about because you’re kid likes the show, too. Jesus, this kind of stuff is why we should shut down the internet.

By: AmS

AmS — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 05:01:36 +0000

“Idiot Michael is, well, an idiot, but not to the point where he would confuse Vietnam with a vacation destination.”

Vietnam’s tourism board obviously didn’t get the memo, nor did I when I decided to go there on holiday…to bad, such a lovely place…

By: Mike C

Mike C — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 03:26:52 +0000

Dan in Real Life was one of the worst movies i’ve seen in the last year. Nobody talks or acts like anyone in the film. I found myself yelling at the tv for the half the movie. Truly awful. People, please don’t add it to your Netflix queues.

By: Tego Livi

Tego Livi — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:12:34 +0000

I agree that they have to walk a careful line where Michael’s stupidity is concerned. He is incompetent and un-self-aware, but he’s not so stupid that he can’t function. And I like the occasional touches when he shows flashes of understanding.

One thing I have to disagree with most strongly, however, is the criticism of the Boris Becker joke. It has become common in recent years for people to criticize references that are more than a year or two old. It’a slmost automatic. But the fact that Boris Becker hasn’t been a prominent public figure for quite some time is exactly what made that line funny. Lots of us not only don’t keep up with state-of-the-art pop-culture references–we aren’t ashamed of it. Being trendy for the sole sake of trendiness is shallow and pathetic. Like things because you like them, not because others do.

By: angelina

angelina — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:52:25 +0000

I thought I saw an earlier episode where Ryan says he’s going to Thailand with some friends…
I thought the blog was insightful, but you have to remember- it’s this one person’s opinion. His own opinion isn’t fact people!

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:21:33 +0000

When Michael refers to Vietnam as a lovely place, I believe it’s because of his social awkwardness, not knowing how to react when somebody says they were there (during the war), and not because he’s an imbecile.

Angela’s talking about Boris Becker is also in character, because – well, look at her – is she the epitome of what’s cutting edge and contemporary?

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:28:10 +0000

It was always Michael Scarn. Michael Scarn is the name of his thinly veiled alter ego from his screenplay, Threat Level Midnight. You heard wrong. And B.J. Novak, who plays Ryan, is off filming Inglourious Basterds. I’ve read that the characters absence was explained in a deleted scene, which is unfortunate.

By: devin mahoney

devin mahoney — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:06:14 +0000

aj Says:
“…BTW the intern is a writer (not a great one) and wrote last night’s episode.”

You obviously have no idea how television works, AJ

By: devin mahoney

devin mahoney — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:04:00 +0000

you know what? nobody cares what you think cause you’re just some hack writer from palm beach who gets paid to take a dump on the work other, talented people have done.

By: Pierre

Pierre — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:46:29 +0000

The Vietnam line was priceless.

By: MFIELDS1

MFIELDS1 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:35:06 +0000

wrong, wrong, wrong, with out michael scott there would be no show. last night was the funniest episode all season,

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:18:28 +0000

Look at all the blog space I filled with my weird opinion and long plot summary!

By: aj

aj — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:02:09 +0000

Last night’s episode wasn’t funny, but it wasn’t because of Michael. They sometimes go off on tangents and it doesn’t work. Unfortunately, when it misses it misses badly.
BTW the intern is a writer (not a great one) and wrote last night’s episode.

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:24:54 +0000

Nothing like a dry 1,000-word recap of a television show to brighten my Friday morning.

Michael Scott may not be funny all the time, but you’re certainly boring all the time, Rick.