Comedy Central Inspires Backlash By Canceling The Office’s Cringy Diversity Day Episode

I’m a big fan of The Office, but there are some cringe-worthy episodes. The second episode, where the branch decides to hold a painfully insensitive “Diversity Day,” is definitely one of them, so on some level it makes sense that Comedy Central made the call not to air it. The move has created an uprising among fans, though, because the episode is actually a brilliant commentary on everything that workplaces often get wrong about diversity. Like many others, I always saw it as a clever cautionary tale that could actually help many managers and leaders to get diversity right by watching just how hilariously and obviously the show gets it wrong.

This is exactly the kind of education about diversity that we need because it’s memorable and likely to inspire change. Alongside other great moves from brands in support of equity, such as Michelob Ultra’s announcement they will commit $100M to support women’s sports, it is more important than ever to bring more visibility to these topics. Canceling an episode is the wrong response. We need less fear and more conversation and commitment to action.