Michael Brown: “The Office” Come to Life
Nice. By now, we've all heard that under-fire FEMA head Michael Brown's most recent non-government gig was the much-ridiculed, "commissioner of judges and stewards for the International Arabian Horse Association."
The official FEMA bio doesn't mention his 11 years in the horsey biz. Or say anything about his having been "asked to resign" from that job, "after a spate of lawsuits over alleged supervision failures." (Boston Globe)
What it does say is, "his background in state and local government also includes serving as an assistant city manager with emergency services oversight and as a city councilman."
Turns out 'ol Mikey has a bit of a Dwight Schrute complex. On NBC's version of "The Office", Shrute claims to be the "assistant regional manager", and is constantly reminded he is actually the assistant to the regional manager.
Brown had a similar prepositional problem. Yesterday's Time.com article says,
In fact, according to Claudia Deakins, head of public relations for the city of Edmond, Brown was an "assistant to the city manager" from 1977 to 1980, not a manager himself, and had no authority over other employees. "The assistant is more like an intern," she told TIME. "Department heads did not report to him." Brown did do a good job at his humble position, however, according to his boss. "Yes. Mike Brown worked for me. He was my administrative assistant. He was a student at Central State University," recalls former city manager Bill Dashner. "Mike used to handle a lot of details. Every now and again I'd ask him to write me a speech. He was very loyal. He was always on time. He always had on a suit and a starched white shirt."
See, also:
- The Daily Kos 2 September 2005
Technorati Tags: Michael Brown, FEMA, Hurricane Katrina, The Office
NBC’s “The Office” Goes Out With a Hot Girl
The Office is the best comedy show on US television in recent memory. And it may become the shortest lived: only six episodes were ordered for this season, and now that they've aired, its future may be dim. The preview broadcast on Thursday, March 24 made a splash with over 11 million viewers, but since then, its Tuesday night ratings has been luke-warm.
The humor comes not in the overt sitcom format comedy people may be used to, but in the quiet nuances of self-realization (or lack thereof) and embarrassment. It's something regular people face everyday, and is well represented here: saying dumb things without thinking; and doing stupid things because you get caught up in the moment. We're all idiots from time to time, in our own way, and The Office illuminates that particular brand of idiocy that goes on in the white-collar world. There's no laugh track, and we're not even really sure why there's a "documentarian" recording the goings-on for this seemingly dull office.
In stark contrast to NBC's many other office comedies-- most notably Newsradio and Just Shoot Me-- The Office is not about goofy over-the-top schemes gone awry, where employees don't seem to do any actual work. Here the corporate world is shown in its environment: bored, often pointless, and frequently demeaning. The subtlety of the humor may get lost on Americans expecting slapstick and pratfalls.
What I particularly like about The Office is that it straddles the line from absurdism to insightfully droll commentary on human behavior.
The latest (and possibly last) episode "Hot Girl" is directed by the ever-talented Amy Heckerling, who is best known for Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Clueless.
In it-- among the various character vignettes-- is Dwight Shrute, so taken by the arrival of an attractive woman, and with mounting frustration, storms into the room and demands to make a date with her-- then slinks off when she says "No" to his advances. It's a reaction of someone emotionally and socially stunted; and in rougher hands, could have been played more for laughs, than realism.
Also look for Pam (Jenna Fischer) putting on lipstick and getting embarrassed at being seen making herself look more attractive. It's a small moment of character development, that speaks volumes about how she (an "average" woman) views herself when suddenly losing the attentions of the office males.
For those who can't get enough of the little bit we've been given. Check out the extra deleted scenes at NBC.com
Some worthwhile (positive) reviews of The Office:
"The Office'' has the potential to be a hit, though perhaps not overnight. It remains to be seen whether NBC finds the nerve to keep it on the air long enough to build an audience, the way ''Seinfeld'' did. - The New York Times
It is ironic that this series, though an adaptation, is one of the most unique and creative new comedies on NBC in years. - Hollywood Reporter
It runs the risk of being "too hip for the room" but for those that are willing to change what they expect from a network comedy, it may be one of best surprises of the season. - IGN Filmforce Review
