They don't get no respect.

This week I watched the "Wedding Episode" of The Office. Of course, for those of you who don't watch The Office, it's the comedy about the local outlet for a fictious Dunder Mifflin Paper Co., and especially Michael Scott, the manager. It has a whole host of interesting characters who work at the company. When the series first started, I could hardly watch. It was like voyeurism, like watching a train wreck. Each week Michael would embarrass himself and as many of the other characters as humanly possible. It was absolutely painful to watch, in my opinion. But, like many things, the show grows on you.

Michael Scott:

Mema, I think you just need to chill out about this whole Pam getting pregnant thing. It's not 1890 anymore.

In this latest episode, "The Office Wedding", Pam and Jim finally get married. She's pregnant and doesn't want anyone to know, especially her crotchety old grandmother, Mema. By most standards it was extremely entertaining and well done. My only concern was the same thing that bothered me when I first started watching The Office. Rodney Dangerfield said it well, "I don't get no respect." That is what the entire series is based upon- not giving respect to anyone at any time. The wedding scene was the ultimate case in point. If there is ever a time someone deserves respect, it is at their wedding. Even then the employees at Dunder Mifflin are staying in character. They can only think of themselves, with no thought for Pam and Jim. And not only is the show built on this premise, I think I can say without hesitation, modern day comedy is built on this same premise. No one get's any respect.

There is a huge difference between comedy in 2009 and when I was growing up in the 1960s. THEN comedy would usually make light of something we all had in common. NOW it seems to be built on the embarrassment and denigration of the individual. THEN there was a general sense of respect for all people. NOW there is none.

My favorite comedian growing up was Red Skelton. He played a warm-blooded, kind, but rather slow "bum on the street". His name was Clem Kadiddlehopper. Maybe you've heard of him. If you want to see some old footage, I could recommend this scene on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F-jeIdQwKY

Clem was a bungling fool, but not a fool. He made tons of mistakes, but never hurt or criticized anyone. He frustrated others, but they loved him just the same. I remember watching him as a child and sometimes I would tear up, it was so touching and poignant. I don't even know where to start in comparing Michael Scott to Clem Kadiddlehoper. Michael is self-centered and rude, to a fault. It's always about him. He is likable on a certain level, but you want to kick him in the butt most of the time, and you wonder why everyone puts up with him the way they do. But I digress.... back to the point. The face of comedy reveals the heart of culture.

I actually went looking for old footage of opening monologues from various talk shows, and if you care to look at them, I think you will see what I'm talking about..one from The Red Skelton show (around 1955), then The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (1975), finally the David Letterman show this week (Oct 2009). I'll admit that the Letterman cut is unique, because he is in all sorts of hot water with the recent slew of infidelities and affairs that have emerged from his show, but it still makes the point.

- Red (1955) is cracking a few current events jokes, then does a portrayal of an old man and a young boy at a ball game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAkZSiBI1LM&feature=related

- Johnny (1975) makes some cracks about current events, then jokes about actual people living at the time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8xl3lHP09I

- Letterman (Oct 2009) is self deprecating in light of his recent failures, but goes on to bring up a "who's who" of unfaithful men as part of his self defense mechanism. Funny but awfully inappropriate and disrespectful of those he mentions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCGH0n3BcvE

Well, that is the point I'm trying to make. Comedy is like the blood pressure of the culture. It is a unique window into our soul. Things have changed dramatically, and particularly in the realm of respect. We don't respect our leaders, each other, not even ourselves. There is a deep sense of despising one another that is really scary, and not worth laughing about. It is only worth laughing at, because it's hard to know how else to respond to it. But it's not a belly laugh, it's an embarrassed smirk. The kind of smirk you make when you turn red and try to change the subject.