‘The Office’ Writer Michael Schur Recalls “Racist” ‘SNL’ Japanese Sketch

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As a cinephile with a soft spot for classic sitcoms and a keen eye for cultural sensitivities, I must say that the comedy scene of yesteryears, while often hilarious, can be a minefield of questionable jokes and controversial moments. Shows like Saturday Night Live and The Office, which have left an indelible mark on our collective memory, are no exception to this rule.

Even die-hard fans of “Saturday Night Live” and “The Office” must concede that some jokes from these classic shows no longer hold up as well as they once did. Both “SNL,” approaching its 50th anniversary, and the sitcom version of “The Office,” USA, have a history of questionable moments and humor. The 2008 crossover sketch on “SNL” between these two shows stirred up significant controversy. Michael Schur, who penned sketches for “SNL” before creating the US “Office,” admitted he was caught off guard by the controversial sketch and understands that it doesn’t hold up well today.

In an interview on The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast, Schur brought up a contentious pre-recorded sketch that was part of an episode where Steve Carell served as host for the popular comedy series. This episode poked fun at the American adaptation of ‘The Office’ copying the original British version. Ricky Gervais, the creator of the original show, started the sketch by explaining how the British version was actually inspired by a Japanese show called ‘The Office’. Schur humorously reminisced, “It felt like, ‘They took the show from me, but I took it from the Japanese version.’

However, isn’t it unusual that all actors in the Japanese version of SNL are Caucasian? This seemed odd to me, especially given that the original show often casts actors who match the ethnicity of the characters they play. The sketch, which can be found below and is as problematic as one might expect, could have been even more troubling if the actors had changed their appearances to better represent the characters. Fortunately, they only used exaggerated Japanese accents, sparing us from another layer of potential issues.

‘The Office’ Is No Stranger to Controversy

For nine seasons between 2005 and 2013, the hit sitcom “The Office” graced NBC’s airwaves. This show has earned a special place among some of the all-time great sitcoms, such as “Friends,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “Parks & Recreation.” It wasn’t until its second season that the show truly hit its stride. Though the first season wasn’t poor in quality, it has certain issues that long-time fans might find difficult to overlook, and newcomers may struggle to ignore.

The Season 1 episode, “Diversity Day,” is easily the most problematic in the entire show — the episode’s title should hint at why it’s controversial. After making an insensitive remark, the office undergoes sensitivity training. But, Michael Scott, being Michael Scott, takes things into his own hands. Scott organizes his own diversity and inclusivity training exercises for the office to partake in, including guessing the ethnicity based on their stereotype, and asking his staff to “say a race that you are attracted to, sexually.”

2021 saw several episodes from popular shows being taken down from syndication by Comedy Central and streaming platforms like Netflix, including Community’s “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons,” where Ken Jeong donned an offensive costume as a Dark Elf. Similarly, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6” was removed due to the repeated use of blackface, and The Mighty Boosh’s “Journey to the Center of the Punk” faced censorship for a similar reason.

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2024-12-27 18:31