The Office’s “Diversity Day” Episode Removed from Syndication: Understanding the Controversy

The episode titled “Diversity Day,”which is part of the first season of the U.S. version of The Office, has sparked discussions regarding its potential removal from syndication. Showrunner Greg Daniels was exploring ways to distinguish his adaptation from the highly acclaimed British series during this inaugural season. While the pilot episode closely mirrored the British version, the subsequent episodes featured original storylines, maintaining essential character traits from the original show.

In season one, Michael Scott, portrayed by Steve Carell, exhibited an uncomfortable blend of his own awkwardness along with elements reminiscent of David Brent, played by Ricky Gervais—particularly Brent’s unsavory demeanor. This fusion resulted in an exceptionally unlikable character. It wasn’t until the second season that Michael transitioned into a more endearing, albeit misguided, figure, which helped solidify the unique identity of the American The Office. Today, many fans tend to overlook the first season when revisiting the series, which seems to be a sentiment supported by Comedy Central in one notable instance.

Why “Diversity Day”Sparked Controversy

Michael’s Most Ignorant Moments in “Diversity Day”

Michael Scott and Kelly Kapoor in Diversity Day

Kelly Kapoor looks at Michael Scott in Diversity Day

The second episode of season one, “Diversity Day,”features the employees of Dunder Mifflin participating in diversity training initiated by Michael after he delivers a comedic routine inspired by Chris Rock during work hours. By the episode’s conclusion, team members are seen with notecards on their foreheads indicating different ethnicities.

During this episode, Michael and Dwight (Rainn Wilson) make a series of insensitive and uneducated remarks, leaving their coworkers visibly alarmed and distressed. Although “Diversity Day”may initially seem to ridicule racial issues, it becomes apparent that Michael is the ultimate target of the humor. His astounding ignorance and self-absorption blind him to how offensive his actions are, even as colleagues plead for him to cease his antics. This culminates in a memorable slap from Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) at the end of the episode, underscoring the situation’s absurdity.

Comedy Central’s Removal of “Diversity Day”in 2021

No Official Statement from Comedy Central or NBC

In August 2021, a blog on Barstool Sports noted that during a marathon of The Office, the “Diversity Day”episode had been discreetly omitted. The blog attributed this to “cancel culture,”and Snopes verified the episode’s removal from that marathon. However, it reported a lack of evidence supporting a formal petition for its exclusion or any comment from Comedy Central or NBC explaining the decision. Moreover, Snopes noted that other episodes, notably “Halloween”and “Christmas Party,”were also not included in the broadcast.

The character Mr. Brown (Larry Wilmore), who leads the diversity training, later appears in season three, episode one, titled “Gay Witch Hunt,”where he conducts a seminar for the Stamford branch after Michael makes inappropriate comments about Oscar (Oscar Nunez).

It seems Comedy Central might have opted to bypass holiday-themed episodes, and it’s entirely possible that “Diversity Day”was removed solely because the word “Day” suggested a holiday episode. This explanation seems as plausible as the notion that it was censored due to controversy, especially given that some sites do not classify it amongst the top episodes of The Office that have poorly aged.

At the time of this discussion, other series, such as Seinfeld, 30 Rock, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, were experiencing similar removals from syndication and streaming services due to perceived offensiveness. Thus, while “Diversity Day”remains available for viewing on Peacock, its absence from Comedy Central’s lineup may not be entirely unexpected.

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