Diversity Day
Encyclopedia
"Diversity Day" is the second episode of the first season of the American version of The Office. Written by B. J. Novak
and directed by Ken Kwapis
, it first aired in the United States on March 29, 2005, on NBC
. The episode guest stars Office consulting producer Larry Wilmore
as Mr. Brown.
When a corporate consultant is sent by Dunder Mifflin in response to a racially derogative impersonation made by Michael, the employees are subjected to a tolerance seminar conducted by Mr. Brown. In an attempt to upstage Mr. Brown, Michael decides to create his own racial tolerance seminar.
(Steve Carell
)'s controversial imitation of a Chris Rock routine
forces the staff to undergo a racial diversity seminar. Michael refuses to allow Mr. Brown to control the seminar, instead attempting to assist him in teaching, much to Brown's chagrin. However, when confidentially informed by Brown that the seminar was not meant for the staff, but instead only for Michael, he decides to create his own seminar.
Michael hastily fashions his own more ambitious and improvisational program, under the name "Diversity Tomorrow" ("because today is almost over"). He first asks the employees to detail their particular ethnicities, helpfully offering that he is a "virtual United Nations" of English, Scottish, Irish, German and "2/15 Native American Indian" origins.
Michael assigns each staff member an index card with a different race written on it. They are not allowed to read the card, wearing it on their foreheads for others to see. He then compels the employees to interact and "mix up the melting pot." Thus, Michael reasons, they will learn how it is to "be a minority" (Scott has no card for "Arab" or "Muslim", because, he explains, it would be "too explosive").
Salesman Jim Halpert
(John Krasinski
) desperately tries to close on an important annual sale that makes up about 25% of his annual commission. In the chaos of the day, it is Dwight Schrute
(Rainn Wilson
), another salesman, who closes the sale for himself. Nevertheless, when Jim's love interest, Pam Beesly
(Jenna Fischer
), falls asleep on his shoulder at the end of the meeting, he concludes that it was "not a bad day."
thought he was perfect for the role. However, because of stipulations with the Screen Actors Guild
, producers still had to have Wilmore formally audition with other actors for the role. Daniels was also not sure where to use Mindy Kaling
on screen in the series until the point came in this episode's script when Michael needed to be slapped by a minority. Her character in this episode, however, is far from the bubbly, chatty character that Kelly later becomes.
The second episode of the series was the first to feature predominantly original writing, as the "Pilot
" contained many jokes from the British series
pilot. During one of Michael's impersonations, a racial expletive spoken by Michael had to be censored by the producers for NBC.
gave the episode positive reviews, stating that "Think of the toss-off racism of the original, plopped into a PC-gone-wrong showcase that might be entitled The Accidental Bigot. As when the African-American diversity trainer introduces himself as Mr. Brown, and Scott assures him, 'I will not call you that.'" Ricky Gervais
, who was the lead in the British series, stated that, in comparison to the British version, "It is as good. I love the fact that, apart from the first one, the scripts are all original. You've gone back to the blueprint of what the characters are and you've started from there, as opposed to copying anything." The episode was nominated for the 2006 Writers Guild of America
Television and Radio Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Writing for a Comedy Series.
B. J. Novak
Benjamin Joseph Manaly “B. J.” Novak is an American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for being a writer and co-executive producer for and playing the role of Ryan Howard on the US version of The Office, as well as appearing in Inglourious Basterds...
and directed by Ken Kwapis
Ken Kwapis
Ken Kwapis is an American film and television director and screenwriter. He specialized in the single-camera sitcom in the 1990s and 2000s and has directed feature films such as Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and He's Just Not That Into...
, it first aired in the United States on March 29, 2005, on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. The episode guest stars Office consulting producer Larry Wilmore
Larry Wilmore
Larry Wilmore is an American writer, actor and television producer.-Early life:Wilmore grew up in suburban Los Angeles, the child of a Catholic family. His father is a doctor...
as Mr. Brown.
When a corporate consultant is sent by Dunder Mifflin in response to a racially derogative impersonation made by Michael, the employees are subjected to a tolerance seminar conducted by Mr. Brown. In an attempt to upstage Mr. Brown, Michael decides to create his own racial tolerance seminar.
Plot
Manager Michael ScottMichael Scott (The Office)
Michael Gary Scott is a fictional character on NBC's The Office, portrayed by Steve Carell, and based on David Brent from the original British version. Michael, the central character of the series, was the manager of the Scranton branch of paper and printer distribution company Dunder Mifflin Inc...
(Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
)'s controversial imitation of a Chris Rock routine
Niggas vs. Black People
"Niggas vs. Black People" is the title of one of Chris Rock's most famous and most controversial bits. This bit, which appeared as track 12 on his 1997 album, Roll With the New, as well as his 1996 HBO special, Bring the Pain, is widely considered to be the breakthrough routine that established...
forces the staff to undergo a racial diversity seminar. Michael refuses to allow Mr. Brown to control the seminar, instead attempting to assist him in teaching, much to Brown's chagrin. However, when confidentially informed by Brown that the seminar was not meant for the staff, but instead only for Michael, he decides to create his own seminar.
Michael hastily fashions his own more ambitious and improvisational program, under the name "Diversity Tomorrow" ("because today is almost over"). He first asks the employees to detail their particular ethnicities, helpfully offering that he is a "virtual United Nations" of English, Scottish, Irish, German and "2/15 Native American Indian" origins.
Michael assigns each staff member an index card with a different race written on it. They are not allowed to read the card, wearing it on their foreheads for others to see. He then compels the employees to interact and "mix up the melting pot." Thus, Michael reasons, they will learn how it is to "be a minority" (Scott has no card for "Arab" or "Muslim", because, he explains, it would be "too explosive").
Salesman Jim Halpert
Jim Halpert
James Duncan "Jim" Halpert is a fictional character in the United States version of the television sitcom The Office, played by John Krasinski. The character is based on Tim Canterbury from the original version of The Office...
(John Krasinski
John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski is an American actor, film director, and writer. He is most widely known for playing Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom The Office...
) desperately tries to close on an important annual sale that makes up about 25% of his annual commission. In the chaos of the day, it is Dwight Schrute
Dwight Schrute
Dwight Kurt Schrute III is a character on NBC's The Office portrayed by Rainn Wilson. He originally exactly resembled Gareth Keenan from the original UK version of The Office. Dwight is the top salesman and former acting manager for the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company and has won numerous awards for...
(Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
), another salesman, who closes the sale for himself. Nevertheless, when Jim's love interest, Pam Beesly
Pam Beesly
Pamela Morgan "Pam" Halpert is a fictional character on the U.S. television sitcom The Office, played by Jenna Fischer. Her counterpart in the original UK series of The Office is Dawn Tinsley....
(Jenna Fischer
Jenna Fischer
Regina Marie "Jenna" Fischer is an American actress and director. She is most widely known for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Pam Halpert on the NBC situation comedy and mockumentary The Office, and has also appeared in several films, including Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,...
), falls asleep on his shoulder at the end of the meeting, he concludes that it was "not a bad day."
Production
Wilmore, who plays the sensitivity trainer Mr. Brown, is a writer for the show. At the table-read for this episode, they had not cast the part yet and Daniels had Wilmore read for the role to fill in. After the read, producer Greg DanielsGreg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
thought he was perfect for the role. However, because of stipulations with the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
, producers still had to have Wilmore formally audition with other actors for the role. Daniels was also not sure where to use Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling
Vera Mindy Chokalingam , better known as Mindy Kaling, is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer who plays Kelly Kapoor on the NBC sitcom The Office. Kaling is also a co-executive producer and writer of several of the show's episodes.-Early life:Kaling was born Vera Chokalingam in...
on screen in the series until the point came in this episode's script when Michael needed to be slapped by a minority. Her character in this episode, however, is far from the bubbly, chatty character that Kelly later becomes.
The second episode of the series was the first to feature predominantly original writing, as the "Pilot
Pilot (The Office episode)
"Pilot" is the first-season and series premiere of American comedy television series The Office. It premiered in the United States on NBC on March 24, 2005. The episode's teleplay was adapted by Greg Daniels from the original script of the first episode of the British version written by Ricky...
" contained many jokes from the British series
The Office (UK TV series)
The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
pilot. During one of Michael's impersonations, a racial expletive spoken by Michael had to be censored by the producers for NBC.
Reception
While the pilot episode garnered over eleven million viewers, the second episode lost over half its viewing audience from the previous episode. Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the episode positive reviews, stating that "Think of the toss-off racism of the original, plopped into a PC-gone-wrong showcase that might be entitled The Accidental Bigot. As when the African-American diversity trainer introduces himself as Mr. Brown, and Scott assures him, 'I will not call you that.'" Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
, who was the lead in the British series, stated that, in comparison to the British version, "It is as good. I love the fact that, apart from the first one, the scripts are all original. You've gone back to the blueprint of what the characters are and you've started from there, as opposed to copying anything." The episode was nominated for the 2006 Writers Guild of America
Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
Television and Radio Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Writing for a Comedy Series.
External links
- "Diversity Day" at NBC.com