‘The Office’ Writer Criticizes SNL’s Japanese Office Parody: “All actors are white people”
Mike Schur, a talented writer known for his work on “The Office,” recently reflected on a 2008 “Saturday Night Live” sketch called “The Japanese Office,” which left him feeling uneasy.
The parody, aired during an episode hosted by Steve Carell, has since gained millions of views online but didn’t sit well with Schur, who shared his thoughts on “The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast.”
Schur explained that while he appreciated “SNL” as a cultural tastemaker, this particular sketch didn’t capture what he had hoped it would. He admitted feeling “a little bit rankled” by how the parody represented “The Office.”
The sketch opens with Ricky Gervais, creator of the original British “The Office,” introducing a fictional Japanese sitcom that supposedly inspired his show. In the clip, Steve Carell reprises his role as Michael Scott alongside other “SNL” cast members like Jason Sudeikis, Bill Hader, and Kristen Wiig, portraying Japanese versions of iconic characters.
The parody, aired during an episode hosted by Steve Carell, has since gained millions of views online but didn’t sit well with Schur, who shared his thoughts on “The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast.”
Schur explained that while he appreciated “SNL” as a cultural tastemaker, this particular sketch didn’t capture what he had hoped it would. He admitted feeling “a little bit rankled” by how the parody represented “The Office.”
The sketch opens with Ricky Gervais, creator of the original British “The Office,” introducing a fictional Japanese sitcom that supposedly inspired his show. In the clip, Steve Carell reprises his role as Michael Scott alongside other “SNL” cast members like Jason Sudeikis, Bill Hader, and Kristen Wiig, portraying Japanese versions of iconic characters.
- 12/27/2024
- by Robert Milakovic
- Fiction Horizon
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