Class and Gender Representation Task

 For this assignment I chose to analyze The Office: season 3, episode 17 “Business School”.

This episode covers several plotlines with one of the main being Pam Beesly, a receptionist working at the Office, trying to pursue a future in an art career. 

Throughout the show she expresses how she doesn’t want to stay as a receptionist and isn’t a big fan of working as one. Art is her true passion, but she doesn’t have the financial support nor the stability to take that leap of faith into an unstable career like art. Because of her family and herself’s social class she is limited to pursuing her dreams and is “stuck” working at an office in fear of failing. In the episode we see Pam symbolize her true desire by drawing a tape dispenser that is sitting on her desk at the office, showing  how mundane her job is compared to her dream due to her quality of life.

Meanwhile this is all going on, the office’s upcoming big shot, Ryan, invites his boss, Michael to speak at a presentation of his in business school. Michael is immediately out of place. Michael is a business man however he did not go to business school, he is explaining entry level business terms to business majors in a distinguished college. The college students started off at a better entry level than Michael due to their social classes and ability to go to/afford college. Due to this fact Michael makes himself look like an idiot despite the fact that he is the branch manager of a major paper company. Take this quote as an example:

Business Student #3: How far has your Herfindahl index declined since the merger?
Michael: Nice try, how’s your Pollack-says-what index?

Business Student #3: …What?

Near the end of the episode Pam is having some of her art placed at an art show and asks her co-workers to come check it out. Her dreams are almost entirely shot down as one co-worker comes and unintentionally calls it “motel art” and even Pam’s boyfriend, Roy comes and has barely any respect for her art. Roy feels that he has to support her due to her being his girlfriend (gender) but truly shows no deep appreciation for her art. Roy even says “It’s cool if I go, right? I mean, I looked at all of them.”