Creator and actor of The Office, Ricky Gervais, said that in modern day, the show would be pulled off the air due to "cancel culture." Gervais is an actor and comedian with several accolades, including BAFTA Awards, Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, among others. He's most well-known for co-creating and co-writing the original popular sitcom, The Office, which ran from 2001-2003 in the UK. The show went on to be remade for American audiences with remarkable success for both the show and the careers of its stars.
The Office is classified as a mockumentary sitcom that remains relevant in pop culture well after its US run from 2005-2013. It follows everyday office workers, where the ordinary becomes crazy due to office politics, egos, and erratic behavior. The original UK version was nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Meanwhile, the US version of the show went on to win 5 Primetime Emmys and remains on many lists as one of the best rated shows ever on television.
Sky News reports (via BBC) that Gervais believes that The Office would get cancelled in today's media landscape. However, he follows that up by joking that he wouldn't care if the show now falls victim to "cancel culture," as he's already received his paychecks for the show. Gervais explains that his character, David Brent, isn't meant to be relatable. See below for Gervais' comments:
"I mean now it would be cancelled. I'm looking forward to when they pick out one thing and try to cancel it. Someone said they might try to cancel it one day, and I say, 'Good, let them cancel it. I've been paid!"
"In The Office, the audience are encouraged to identify not with the ignorant Brent, but with the characters Dawn and Tim, and the victims of Brent's ill-conceived comments are never racial or gendered caricatures, rather they are ordinary, intelligent people."
While some of the humor in the show would be looked at from a different lens in 2021, legions of fans still rewatch and highly enjoy the show. Gervais is known for his humor that can sometimes cross the line. He hosted the Golden Globe Awards in 2010-2012, 2016, and once more in 2020. His act even occasionally referenced that he likely wouldn't get asked back again, due to the nature of his jokes. His roast-style humor generated a lot of chatter around the awards ceremony.
The nuances of jokes from 20 years ago won't all necessarily age very well, which includes The Office. The boundaries for what was socially acceptable to joke about on national television two decades prior may not be the same today. Some older television shows and films have been surrounded by controversy lately due to them not aging particularly well, including Little Britain, Gone With the Wind, and Breakfast at Tiffany's. While some folks both in and out of the entertainment industry believe that the concept of "cancel culture" has resulted in dull entertainment, others hold onto the belief that it's important to represent others in media with respect.
Source: Sky News