Michael makes a “that’s what she said” joke or says something weird, the camera pans to Jim, and he gives one of his signature bemused smiles.
This is a recurring joke format found on NBC’s The Office. Jim stands in for the viewer, providing a subdued but amused reaction to Michael’s antics. What makes this style of joke so unique to The Office is that Jim stares directly at the camera, breaking the fourth wall. It’s almost if he’s looking right at the viewer as if to say, “You see this guy?”. This creates a common link between the viewer and the character, creating a more personal connection than a viewer might have to characters in other types of TV shows.
In The Office, the existence of a documentary crew is front and center. The documentary is a named part of the story, making it central to the plot. Characters often speak right to the camera in “talking head” interviews, and the use of camera pans is utilized to give the show an authentic documentary feel.
While The Office may be the most popular and well-known mockumentary, it’s not the only one. Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation and Modern Family are also popular comedies that take on the mockumentary format, but it is less explicit. While they use many of the same joke styles and camera techniques, there is no mention of a documentary crew like in The Office. Therefore, viewers are still connected to characters and the sense of reality is preserved, but the link between the style of the show and its content is less obvious.
These comedies all parody a less serious style of daily life documentaries. On the other hand, Netflix’s American Vandal spoofs it’s own Making a Murderer and other true-crime shows. It stays very true to the documentary format, using not only one-on-one interviews but also models of events, suspensful music, and evidence to allow the audience to follow the documentary makers, who are also characters in the show, to a conclusion. By taking a silly high-school prank and examining it to the level of a violent crime or mysterious disappearance, the show parodies the true-crime genre in a humorous way.
Overall, the mockumentary genre provides a way for audiences to feel more connected to the characters they see on screen, allowing for increased realism of the show. In addition, the use of parody makes these shows entertaining to watch.
I love the office. I have watched every single episode on Netflix at least twice. This is true that you feel connected to Jim when he looks at the camera after Micheal has said or done something ridiculous, which is extremely often. As you said in the blog, it is almost as if you are there in the moment with Jim as he see this nonsense going down. I wish i could work in a place that has the same atmosphere as the office. The way that it is portrayed as a documentary makes it feel more real than if it was shot as a normal tv show.
I am a huge fan of The Office and Parks and Recreation. TV series like these do have a way of engaging me, and the realism is one of the things that draws me in. I often watch TV to distract myself from my own problems, and the fact that these characters seem so real and relatable allows me to really detach from myself and immerse myself in their lives. The existence of the camera crew also adds to the comedy because of the way that scenes are viewed, especially when it comes to Jim’s signature look. Great job in identifying what makes these mockumentaries so comedic; I think I might see things in a slightly different way next time I watch the Office or Parks and Rec!
What I’ve enjoyed most, though, is meeting people who have a real interest in food and sharing ideas with McDonald’s menu. Good food is a global thing and I find that there is always something new and amazing to learn – I love it!
Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.