English 101 - Imperfect Society

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We live in an imperfect society. Tainted by the inconveniences of bigotry, bias, discrimination and inequality, one lives their day-to-day life constantly questioning if their actions or judgments are going to be misconstrued, or perhaps even worse, someone will judge exactly how they truly feel. In an attempt to maintain constantly politically correct and inoffensive to all parties, we cover up our true feelings with silence. Comedy has become a release for our inner selves. It lets us exhibit the flaws and imperfections in society in a form that feels “allowed”. It has become obvious to me, that more than a form of entertainment, comedy has become a confrontational method, often aiding in the release of the feelings we are ashamed to admit to. The popular sitcom, “The Office”, is a show filled with utterly offensive phrases, racial slurs, and crude expressions. A majority of America’s viewers find it all utterly uproarious. The Emmy winning show portrays a day in the life of the employees of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Constantly bothered by a crude and often offensive boss named Michael Scott, the staff members portray the same struggles we face, in an often brutally honest form. For instance, to deal with the insecurities caused by racial difference, Michael holds a meeting called “Diversity Day”. Forced to bring light to the stereotypes that our society has formed, the employees were told to test each other’s boundaries, and ultimately were afraid to do so. This is a relatively relatable feeling. Though slangs and racially derogatory terms are spoken every day, they are most frequently muttered under our breath, in hopes that no one will actually know the feelings we truly feel. You see, it would be a falsehood to state that stereotypes don’t often affect our perceptions and that race does not often play a factor in our first impressions of people. However,
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