The Office (U.S. Version)

Introduction
''“Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you are getting the best possible information.” -Michael Scott''

Online Communities
Technology and the internet have facilitated the growth of online discussions and interpretive communities. Forums, blogs, and other discussion websites are able to function on the principles of participation and

collective intellect.  Supporters and enthusiasts voluntarily share and discuss prominent issues of mutual inte rest. Members distribute news, engage in discussions, and have the potential to leak “forbidden knowledge” to other participants. Just as Prometheus endowed Man with the fruit of his knowledge, by giving him fire and a n upright stature like the Gods, knowledge communities explore similar unknown bounds of their material interests. These online communities aim to foster information from various members in order to reach a more profound understanding of a certain television show, novel, film, etc. where all members benefit and rejoice. The online audience stretches from limitless bounds. Technology assists people in using this virtual space, which is shared amongst those who have access to it. It also enables us to experience, share, and relive real-world culture in a relatively new manner.

Understanding Remediation
The online fan-base conjures reinterpretations and additions to their favorite issues of interest by employing the technology of blogs, forums, and wikis. Some of these electronic portals, such as fanfiction.com, allow the fans to become authors and carry stories further to places where the producers and writers of the original material, due to lack of resources, could have never imagined. The internet allows remediation by amateur writers to become easy. As Keith Phipps puts it, fans can “reach a potentially limitless audience with the push of a button.”   Furthering the fictional world of shows, books, and movies, the fans are empowered to construct an artificial reality involving the characters from their beloved shows and the internet, as the medium of sharing and communication. Enthusiasts of the show become authors and dictate the characters’ actions, like a simulation. In addition, the community is able to share information about actors’ and protagonists’ personal lives and discuss their implications.

Understanding Virtual Space
Technology has redefined the traditional virtues of physical space and fostered them into virtual space. Virtual space has become a boundless area where people of all backgrounds are enabled to convene and discuss matters of particular interest. For many, the virtual world is even more interesting and amazing than the real physical world. The conventional book club, essentially a group of people discussing and celebrating a particular

type of literature that they all possess interest in, has become a dying tradition within modern culture. People have realized the potential of the internet and have manipulated virtual space by establishing weblogs, wikis, and message-boards to replace the physical aspects of the book club. On the one hand, the format of this final project also demonstrates the changing nature and the power of literature. As students,we are required to post our final products in virtual space (wikis) instead of, say, traditional tri-fold presentation boards (made of cardboard). On the other hand, the progression of time, contribution of knowledge, and discussion have led to the rise of specific knowledge and interpretive communities, essentially online book clubs that are much larger, in virtual space, allowing for extensive contribution. We describe this form of social interaction, with the application of varied online platforms, as the Web 2.0. The Wikipedia Web 2.0 page describes this new term as a fundamental shift in the way people communicate. In the beginning of the course, we discussed how the reader gives the text life and meaning. Walter Ong was very adamant about this when he stated that the deadness of a text:

"assures its endurance and its potential for being ressurected into limitless living contexts by a potentially infinite number of living readers." .

As a result, we redefined the qualities of literature and constructed a very broad spectrum of what constitutes a “text.”

The Office Online Community
Online communities and interpretive discussion erupt whenever there are issues of contention about relevant shows. The fictional world of NBC’s sitcom, The Office, is an example in this regard. After premiering in 2005, The Office, has earned numerous Emmy, Golden Globe, and even international awards and nominations, and has generated a considerable audience of fans following over the years. The show has completed eight successful seasons and there are viral reports that the ninth season is already in production. The fan community has discovered the internet as a medium for expression and discussion on show and episode related matters. Reactions and ideas from the show’s fans and enthusiasts are prominent in the online community that supplements the show and have even received the serious attention of the show’s producers and writers. The Halpert Baby Blog was developed by the producers at NBC and documents the life of Jim and Pam's baby in blog format where visitors can comment and interact. The show reached a potential wall, after Steve Carrell, the show’s key comedic element, decided to part ways with the production in order to focus his acting on more character-based realism roles. There was a surge in mixed attitudes towards his decision and the potential impact it would carry. Rainn Wilson, who plays the “hard-working, alpha-male, jackhammer, merciless, and insatiable” role of Dwight Schrute in the show describes Carrell’s departure as “heaviness hanging over the proceedings.” An interesting point to ponder is what would be of this online community if the show suddenly begins to disappear? Would it be able to revive itself? Fan blog sites, such as lifeintheoffice.com (LITO), which is run by blogger Brian Stucki, expressed discontent and fury towards Carrell’s withdrawal from the show’s cast. In a clear and straightforward reaction, Stucki has since stopped blogging about the show. I will introduce a variety of interactive online platforms from websites, including fanfiction.net, Wikia, personal-blogs, and other message-board sites, to demonstrate how the internet has become such a powerful tool for knowledge communities, remediations, and interpretive disputes to flourish. New media allows fans to react to the show and also enables the production team to interact more directly with the show's fan base community.The study of this online community helps to explain how and why the style, ideas, aims, or forms of The Office have evolved.

Knowledge Communities
NBC’s hit television show, The Office,  is such an attention-grabbing “text” that has developed a profuse online community. Its web presence is a testament to the validity of Ong’s statement. Virtual space has been allotted to the show’s fan-base where they post information concerning episodes, leak special information, and even confer news about the personal lives of the show’s cast. Henry Jenkins discusses spoiler culture in Spoiling Survivor  and how members of online communities depend on one another for hints, tips, and news that the  producers of the show, most of the time, do not want the public knowing. For instance, Officetally.com, a fan-site in blog format, reveals that “Mindy Kaling [is] returning to The Office season 9.” The site features a page titled spoilers and  a red and gray icon displaying “Spoiler Alert.” Spoiler culture has become huge within online communities as people convene to try and decode the future of a particular show. The spoiler page of Officetally.com is centered on the future seasons of ''The Office. '' Following Steve Carrell’s departure from the cast, many fans began to fear the end of their beloved show. One critic endowed The Office season eight as a “disaster” and claimed that the producers continued filming it “out of pride.” Nonetheless, spoilers on Officetally.com have revealed that NBC will carry on the show’s existence into its ninth season. There are several sources that leak information on the spoiler page. Some of these sources include members of the online community. For instance, a tipster that goes by the web-name “ivanARG” posted a quoted response to a question:

“Question: What can we expect from season 9 of The Office?

''Ausiello: You can expect to meet Dwight’s kooky clan in this season’s fourth episode. According to sources, that it when NBC is planning to air the Schrute-centric planted spin-off, The Farm.” ''

Fans have leaked that NBC is planning on airing a new show, centered on Dwight Shrute’s farm, concurrently with The Office’s ninth season. This could signal a potential end to the show and the beginning of a new one as NBC’s attempt at assuaging dissatisfied fans. In addition, fans anonymously post tweets the actors have sent out on Twitter. Jenna Fischer, who plays Pam on the show, was quoted, tweeting:

''“I so wish I could take a photo of what we are doing today on set. So cool and insane!!!!Ahhhh!!!''

After doing a search on The Office Wikia, also referred to as “Dunderpedia” which includes forums and message-boards, several posts containing the phrase “spoiler alert!”, appeared. After The Office’s sixth season, there was widespread speculation that Holly Flax, a past love-interest of Michael Scott, would return to the show. A blogger named A-Punk posted:

''“SPOILER ALERT! Holly is to return to The Office for 8 episodes!”''



Other instances include the speculation leading up to Jim and Pam's relationship, and later on, their wedding. A show like The Office, which incorporates surprise aspects, is bound to inspire online spoiler culture. This demonstrates the changing fashion of how people enjoy television shows and how some prefer to know how the show ends before it even airs. If further research were done, I am certain one would be able to discover a Chillone figure that represents authority in the knowledge community, although A-Punk seems to be a possibility.

As Henry Jenkins puts it, technology and online community have empowered the “collective intellect” by offering the "ability to expand your individual grasp by pooling knowledge with others."   Fans can share Tweets sent out by the show’s cast members that others may not have seen. They report news, such as the production of season nine, that others may not have heard. Lastly, they collaborate together in order to find out what future episodes will incorporate, thus making The Office online communities, as a whole, more knowledgeable.

U.S. vs. UK
Many fans of the popular U.S version are surprised to hear that it is actually based off Ricky Gervais’s BBC version of The Office. I know that one time when I saw an odd DVD version of the show lying around my friend’s room, I asked him if this was just a bad rip-off of the U.S. version. I was surprised to learn that it was a much older and original version of the show. There are people that discuss their views on the internet with regard to which version is the better one, but the point here is that the Michael Scott’s office is a remediation of David Brent. It is not a copy, it is an interpretation. There is room for interpretive dispute, but I draw focus to the qualities that qualify it as a remediation. These include both shows’ nearly identical plot structures and character roles, which are mirrored by the U.S. edition. However, some characters are mediated differently, such as Michael Scott, who unlike David Brent’s arrogant persona is more infantile and exploited.

Fanfiction.net
is a technology that enables a show’s audience and fans to continue a particular storyline left off by an original episode or season. One of my favorite fan-fiction remediations of The Office is titled “Moldemort” by an author that goes by the web-name of “booktaker”. A lot of the themes that are prevalent in the show are captured in the prologue. For instance, Dwight Schrute’s Harry Potter allusions are highlighted when the prologue commences with Dwight rejoicing the release of Harry Potter Seven:

''"Whoopee! Whoopee!" Dwight skipped through the office with a book in hand. "Hey, Dwight they wrote How to Be an A*shole for Dummies?" Jim asked from his nearby desk. Dwight paused. "No. They finally made the 7th Harry Potter. We'll see who's laughing when Voldemort defeats Harry Potter and reveals his exsistence to us muggles."''

It is evident that the writing style is amateur and not professional, but this intro pulls the reader in since they can relate to Dwight’s childish fascination with the book series. Fans of the show do not know much about the character of Creed Bratton, except that he is really old and mysterious. “Moldemort” touches on Creed’s strange nature by employing humor that the story’s audience can relate to:

'' "Hey, Pam can I borrow a stapler?" ''

'' "Sure Creed. Where are the papers you need to staple?" ''

'' "Umm...I'm not using it for paper." ''

'' "Then what are you using it for?" ''

'' "None of your business." Creed said as he took the stapler from her desk. ''

'' "Hmmm, well that was odd." ''

This example qualifies as remediation in the same manner The Office U.S. version is a remediation of the UK version. The stories on fanfiction.com take on the characters and some parts of the show's storyline to create a reinterpretation and fans are able to relate to it. These fan fiction remediations are fan responses to many of elements, references, and allusions made in the show.

Fan Art
People have b een able to create remediations of The Office, not just through literary interpretations, but in art-form as well. This painting of Dwight Schrute in a bear/wolf suit, by Sam Spratt, alludes to Dwight’s self-percieved “alpha-male” characteristics, constant references to bears throughout his dialogue, and it also captures a particular moment in a Season Four episode when he boasts a three-wolf shirt to Michael. Here is another example with Michael Scott being portrayed as the Godfather of The Office. This photo was submitted on Fanpop.com and is a humorous take on the seriousness of Michael Scott’s job. The humor stems from the fact that Michael does not actually take his job that seriously.

The Office  episode “The Merger” features the infamous rap video, “Lazy Scranton”, sung by Michael and Dwight, which is itself a remediation of SNL's "Lazy Sunday". This clip can be watched here. I found numerous remediations by fans on YouTube such as this one:



The Office is filled with plenty of remediations itself. Michael does terrible, yet hilarious, interpretations of Michael Jackson, Jack Sparrow, or Bill Cosby. Some of these can be viewed here''. ''Furthermore, Dwight makes Battlestar Gallactica, and Harry Potter references a whole lot. Fans respond by creating their own interpretations of these allusions that are shined attention on throughout the storyline fiction.

Interpretive Disputes
Interpretive argumentative discussions arise from varied interpretations concerning certain ambiguities. There are several issues of contention prominent in The Office community and the Web 2.0 has facilitated ongoing online debates. People can express their views by posting on a blog, starting a fan club, or by commenting on posts and videos. Here are some of the highly contested issues regarding The Office that have generated online disputes all across the web.

U.S. vs. UK
Since Michael Scott’s office came into the spotlight, British Office enthusiasts have held its American counterpart with resentment. Others have come to the defense of NBC’s remediation. It has become a perennial point of ferocious contention, gaining only more ambiguity with the continued success of Steve Carell’s American iteration of Ricky Gervais’ brainchild mockumentary show. Interestingly, Ricky Gervais, who created the British comedy, co-produces the NBC’s show, and has even made a guest appearance on it. This clip can be seen in this YouTube video. In the comments section below the video are several comments that dispute which version is better. Some of these comments are derogatory and odious. However, some users like “LukeSimpsonOregan” claim that Ricky Gervais’s BBC version is far more superior due to:

“Quality not '﻿quantity, that's what made it so genius.”

“Redeem147” responds with:

“I AM british and i hate the office (british one) ricky gervais﻿ just ISN'T FUNNY.”

On his personal website/blog, Bill Doty gives his take on the superior version. He states:

“I've officially given up on NBC's The Office, and for this I am sad.” <span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#444444;background:white"> <span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#444444;background:white">

<span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";color:#444444;background:white">His page is set-up so that viewers can comment and interact with him. Many point out their personal views and Doty responds to some. Other message-board platforms continue their own discussions over this debate. Members of forums,such as English Forum, can start a thread with a generic title, such as Office: U.S. vs UK, and are able to interact and debate on which version, in their eyes, is superior. Members can respond to other posts by quoting them into their own posts. Within the forums lies also the possibility of creating a voting poll to engage members in an interactive and participatory manner. New media gives Office afficionados a large table where they can all sit and discuss why one series is better or funnier than the other. What determines an interpretation’s validity is not the identity of the reader or the norms of aesthetic theory but the ideals and methods of the reader’s interpretive community.

Steve Carrell's Replacement


<span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";color:#444444;background:white">Another contested topic was who would replace Steve Carrell’s role of Michael Scott as office manager. Many eagerly searched to find someone with similar qualities and humor as Carrell. Interpreting Carrell was no easy task. Knowledge communities circulated rumors of Will Ferrell and Jim Carrey taking on the part, but they instead ended up with short cameos. YouTube is a renowned venue for the interpretive disputes that take place frequently in the comments section. There is an ongoing debate within this YouTube channel. A viewer by the name of “ADDNYU715” responded to the manager-replacement issue:

''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:#333333">“Not bringing on an outside high profile replacement would just be robbing viewers﻿ of a great opportunity. It would just be losing Steve Carrell. I'm not opposed to expanding Andy's role on the show, and Ed Helms may be as good as whoever becomes manager, but it's just pointless to expect fans to lose Steve Carrell and get nothing in return. Will Arnett is far and away the best possibility, but James Spader would be better than nobody. ”''

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";color:#333333">His response was voted as a “Top Comment” by other viewers and is certainly a good example of a particular type of dispute where fans can “like” a post; a political way of getting your voice heard on a specific online issue. On The Office Wikia page, ”Dunderpedia,” A-Punk gives his vote to Rhys Darby. Producers and writers of the show are not blind to the discussions that develop in the wired world. These discussions resonate and are influential in the casting decisions made by the producers. They are able to directly hear fans' interests while in search of cast members. <span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"; color:#444444;background:white"> Technology and the power of Web 2.0 are changing the way by which audiences interact with the producers of these programs, thus enriching the quality of the final product. Interprative communities are the new "book clubs" where people discuss and dispute themes and other relative information regarding texts. Commenting posts, liking them, or creating a blog are just some of the techniques that online communities are using to get their views across. The wired-world and new media have fostered very accesible discussions and disputes that anyone can take part in.

Additional Links
Dunderpedia

The Office Fanfiction

Office Tally

Life in The Office

The Office U.S. vs. UK English Forum