Thanks to my kid,
I’ve watched every season of The Office several times and there are
instances which fans debate regarding changes in direction, writing,
and other topics which I don’t notice. However, I can say the
change in the feel of the show from the initial three episodes to
“The Alliance” are obvious to me. The first three shows focus on
serious topics more closely, in my opinion, than the fourth. Don’t
interpret this observation as criticism, however. Had the show
continued as the first three had, I suspect things would have turned
out much darker and more intense. Adding more levity, pop culture
commentary, and character development benefited the viewers.
In “The Alliance,”
we find Dwight, worried about downsizing and loosing his job, seeking
to establish an alliance with Jim. The reality show, Survivor, was a
pop cultural focus at the time (according to the Office Ladies podcast, the two shows had close ties) and it’s established Dwight
is looking to somehow “eliminate” his fellow workers he feels
threaten his employment. While Dwight’s antics are pretty naive and
silly, it does raise the issue of competition versus cooperation.
In Dwight’s view,
the only way to succeed is to, somehow, defeat those around him. He’s
looking to “win.” Regrettably, this is the perspective of
competition many those raised in capitalist-dominated societies hold.
How often have people heard of one company “dominating” another?
How about the soda “wars?” Hell, Gordon Gekko’s repulsive greed
in “Wall Street” was idolized and celebrated! Is it any surprise
someone might believe success is determined by who “wins” or
“looses?” It’s a false dichotomy which abolishes other
alternatives. In our case, Dwight is more than willing to toss his
fellow workers under the bus to protect his job.
There is an
alternative to competition. Instead of working to defeat one another,
workers can work cooperatively with a sense of solidarity. From a
Utilitarian perspective, isn’t it better to maximize everyone’s
benefits? I’d say it is. Doing the most good should be the
objective. From an argument from Egoism, isn’t it best to
ensure your individual well-being by protecting everyone else's as well? I’d
argue it is. If we were discussing vaccines, this would be called
“herd immunity.” We’re talking about work, however, so call it Solidarity. (To be honest, getting your shots is a form of solidarity with your neighbors and community.) By working together, the workers in the office could,
both, protect everyone’s job and, in so doing, protect themselves
as well. This is the essence of Unionism. While often obfuscated with
discussions of pay, benefits, or contracts, a union’s reason for
existence is to improve the working conditions for all its members.
Dwight, however, is
the reactionary buffoon he is so the idea of working with others
would be entirely foreign to him. Similarly, shows like Survivor
would flop if all the contestants refused to compete with one another
and, instead completed their tasks cooperatively and then shared the
rewards. Take a moment, though, and ask yourself how much of this
desire for conflict through competition is taught and how much is
instinct. With television shows, professional sports leagues,
schools, and corporations constantly reinforcing the narrative of
conflict and competition, I get the inkling we’re more cooperative
than we give ourselves credit and certain powers-at-be need to
continually reinforce the win/loose message to maintain their
preferred hierarchy. Time and time again people have come together
and accomplished great things. It’s by separating us, through
competition, isolation, and emphasizing our differences that the
ruling capitalist class maintains its unquestioned authority. Divide and conquer, it's one of capitalists' favorite weapons. One against which we can defend. There
really is power in a union – Solidarity, our ultimate superpower!
Downsizing has
lowered morale in the office. Aware of this problem, Michael turns to
an old (at least in the U.S.) management stand-by – the party. In
what I like to call “pizza-party-ism,” or the tendency of
management to try to distract from a problem with a cheap perk –
like a pizza party.
I know there are a lot of workers out there who know exactly to what I’m referring. Hell, you might be reading this on your smartphone at some pizza lunch provided by your boss. Are they doing it out of the kindness of their heart or are they hoping to improve morale for a little while because they aren’t paying a living wage or because on-the-job injuries are still a problem? Doing nice things should be encouraged. But using things like a party to cover for unacceptable conditions is disingenuous. So, enjoy that slice but keep an eye on the boss and their motivations.
In this episode,
Michael is aware of the impact downsizing is having on the workers
and he decides to throw a surprise birthday party for Meredith,
Supplier Relations, a full month before her birthday. Naturally, she
is surprised and the party is initially a success but eventually
fails. After realizing this, Michael then tries to impress everyone
by bragging about a donation he (accidentally) made to a walk-a-thon
in which the Accountant Oscar’s nephew is participating. Activities
like these, as absurd as they are on television, are common place in
reality and, like the show, they really don’t fix anything. What
does? Fellow workers acting together.
Love The Office?
Think I’m missing something or noticed other labor-related topics?
Let me know! You can reach me at @unionlegion on Twitter,
@I_Will_Wobble on Mastodon, or union [dot] legion (at) nym {dot}
hush [dot] com.
Previously:
Health Care