The Office, an adored American sitcom, achieved extraordinary cultural prominence throughout its nine-season tenure spanning from 2005 to 2013. It unfolded within the mundane realm of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company’s Scranton branch, artfully intertwining humor and genuine emotion. Anchored by Steve Carell’s portrayal of the well-meaning yet clumsy boss, Michael Scott, the show boasted a diverse ensemble cast whose eccentricities etched them indelibly into memory.
Fueled by its astute lampooning of corporate life, cringe-worthy social interactions, and the birth of iconic catchphrases like “That’s what she said,” The Office endures as a timeless masterpiece, captivating viewers across the globe and transcending generations. However, there’s a lot that goes behind the camera.
Mindy Kaling Accused The Television Academy Of Racism
Mindy Kaling, a key figure in the production of The Office, shared a striking anecdote about being uniquely targeted and excluded from the producers’ roster. Following the show’s Emmy nomination for outstanding comedy series, the Television Academy informed Kaling, the sole woman of color among the writing team, that her name would be omitted from the list.
Kaling told Elle:
“They made me, not any of the other producers, fill out a whole form and write an essay about all my contributions as a writer and a producer. I had to get letters from all the other male, white producers saying that I had contributed, when my actual record stood for itself.”
The Television Academy issued a statement to the Los Angeles Times, asserting that they had not targeted any one individual. In a sharp rebuttal via Twitter, Kaling pointed out that despite being the most junior member and a woman of color, she felt singled out, as her fellow producers didn’t face the need to defend their contributions.
She elaborated that while she cherished her time working on The Office, she initially hesitated to broach the subject but ultimately decided to share her feelings through a series of tweets, describing the experience as both “hard” and “humiliating.”
Mindy Kaling Was Disappointed With The Television Academy
Mindy Kaling expressed how she had contributed extensively to the show, having written numerous episodes and invested significant time in the editing process. She conveyed her disappointment that the Academy seemed to doubt her capabilities, but she credited her fellow producers for coming to her rescue during this situation.
Kaling continued:
“I had written so many episodes, put in so much time in the editing room, just to have the Academy discard it because they couldn’t fathom I was capable of doing it all. Thankfully I was rescued by my friends, the other producers.”
Kaling emphasized that women of color shouldn’t find themselves in a position where they require assistance from their more influential white male counterparts. She went on to explain that she felt compelled to share her experience, as avoiding the topic would feel like downplaying her own narrative. She also acknowledged that this incident occurred approximately a decade ago and expressed hope that such a situation might be less likely today, but she couldn’t ignore that it had happened to her.
The Office can be rented or purchased on Apple TV.
Source: Elle
