by Adam
Have you ever watched a tv series and wished you could “live a day in the life” of those characters? Or, somewhat similarly, have you ever seen a striking, perhaps eerie, resemblance between the situation portrayed on the screen, and situations you’ve encountered in your own life?
Well, you’re not alone.
There are many series that intentionally stretch the boundaries of our imagined existence. As I, a self-professed Star Wars fan nerd, typed that previous sentence, I was thinking about the intergalactic bounty hunters and force wielding heroes that inhabit the hit TV series The Mandalorian.
But, there are many more series that differentiate themselves, or even define themselves, by their relatability. That relatability can span all walks of life. Some focus on the dynamics of relationships between individuals of families. Some, on familiar stages in a person's life (adolescence, teenage years, college, etc.). For professional life, however, there is one TV series that stands alone, without equal, continuing its monopoly over the space long after the airing of its series finale.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, I am of course talking about The Office.
But… wait. This is a mentor blog, right? Did Kevin and Adam give up on that idea? Are they shamelessly “pivoting” to a new concept like a cash-strapped start-up grasping for a one last lease on life? Is this now…a pop-culture review blog?
Easy now. Deep breaths. We have not given up on mentoring. In fact, this post is a reflection of our doubling (tripling… quadrupling?) down.
If you're already on board with this new series: go ahead and read the first post. If you still stand ready to be convinced, read on, and I'll make my case for the value of this exercise.
While a good chunk of The Office traffics in shock humor and face-palming moments, its true genius is the relatability of most of the characters and, indeed, most of the situations they encounter. It’s not the punchlines that make the show what it is. It’s the backdrop--the incredibly relatable backdrop--that set the punchlines up for success.
Here, let me prove it to you. Which one of these videos is funnier?
This incredibly instructive and well-produced video on how to suspend things in jello.
OR
This classic scene from The Office
So what is it about that scene that makes it so funny? Is it the arbitrary and ad-hoc dispute settlement by Michael (the boss)? Is it the new guy (Ryan) trying to navigate the existing relationships in the office and “fit in?” Is it Dwight (whose stapler was jello-ed) digging himself in deeper by failing to have a sense of humor? Was it Jim knowing his colleagues so well, that he could anticipate these reactions, walking right up to the line of admonishment, but not crossing it?
It’s all of those things, and more.
But, why talk about it on the blog?
Luckily, the same manner by which The Office generates the foundation for its humor, gives us an opportunity to “mentor” Jim. By tying the show to a relatable professional background, The Office created a character with a professional arch that is interesting and instructive.
So, over a series of posts, we’ll be diving into the life, professional and personal, of Jim Halpert. You may be skeptical now, but trust me: there are many lessons to be learned in this exercise...not just how to suspend things in jello.