Editor’s be aware: This story is a part of the annual Mosaic Journalism Workshop for Bay Space highschool college students, a two-week intensive course in journalism. College students in this system report and {photograph} tales beneath the steerage {of professional} journalists.
My title is Cuitlahuac, I’m 18 years previous, and I’ve an dependancy. My dependancy isn’t a standard one, I’m not ashamed of it, and I’m ready to make my confession.
I’ve watched the American tv present, “The Workplace” 9 occasions.
You learn that proper: 201 episodes, the equal of about three days or 74 hours of viewing time, 9 occasions. Put collectively with out sleeping, that may be practically a month (27.8 days) of watching “The Workplace.”
For some diehard followers, a measly 9 renditions of probably the greatest tv sitcoms of all time might sound like rookie numbers, however to the common Jim, 9 occasions is kind of the feat.
For these of you leaving your home for the primary time within the twenty first century from beneath what have to be the world’s largest rock, “The Workplace” is an American tv present that follows the office antics of the workers of the fictional paper firm, Dunder Mifflin Inc. The present is made in a documentary fashion, aptly known as a mockumentary, and was an adaptation of the British tv collection by the identical title.
For eight years, the characters Michael Scott, Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly, and Dwight Schrute, performed by Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and Rainn Wilson respectively, together with their workplace co-workers, entertained American audiences in some 22 million properties at its peak reputation.
Regardless of the present having ended over a decade in the past, I’ve continued to observe it up until just lately when NBC eliminated it from Netflix and positioned the present by itself streaming service, Peacock. And me being cheaper than Creed was together with his Christmas present for Jim, I haven’t watched it since.
I’ve seen Jim pull numerous pranks on Dwight, Michael make a whole bunch of over-sexualized jokes, and Meredith get a bit too tipsy at work a bit too usually. I’ve seen Jim and Pam fall in love again and again by way of their “will they,” “received’t they” romance, Stanley obsess over Pretzel Day for 9 consecutive years, and Dwight by no means change into assistant regional supervisor.
Regardless of solely being a month previous when “The Workplace” aired its first episode in March of 2005, I in some way turned infatuated by the overtly sarcastic mockumentary relic that is aware of not of a 3rd wall; and to be trustworthy, I’m not solely positive why.
I’ve by no means even labored in an workplace!
It may need been one thing within the water, or one thing within the Kool-Support as Ryan would say, throughout my time in center faculty that pointed my uneven teenage thoughts within the route of this present and caught with it.
Don’t ponder whether or not I may have been doing one thing higher with my time than sitting down and mindlessly watching episode after episode of subpar jokes and workplace humor, I’m positive I may have. However one thing concerning the lovability and quirkiness of the workers on the Scranton, Pennsylvania, department of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Co. captured and retained my consideration for episode after episode.
Regardless of turning into so conversant in the present within the two years or so I spent repeatedly watching it that I may recite characters’ strains in real-time, I used to be in some way all the time entertained by Jim placing Dwight’s stapler in Jell-O within the first episode as I used to be disheartened with the finale of the collection.
Possibly it was the cycle of feelings the present introduced forth from its viewers or the capturing storyline stuffed with the wealthy backstory and persona of every character that made “The Workplace” as addicting because it was for me.
No matter what it was although, every time I consider this present and the time I spent watching it, I’ve nothing however optimistic reminiscences of it. The underside line is I had a totally pleasing expertise watching “The Workplace,” and I preferred it a lot, I saved watching it. Over and again and again.
Not each present goes to be a research of the traits of American society or a deep reflection of the internal machinations of the human psyche. Some reveals are simply enjoyable to observe, and for me, “The Workplace” is one in all them.
And sure, if “The Workplace” ever returns to Netflix, I’ll watch it for the tenth time.
Cuitlahuac Ramirez Borrego is a 2023 graduate of Downtown School Prep Alum Rock Excessive College in San Jose.
