One of the things I like about The Office in comparison to other sitcom, is it's complex and challenging. Most sitcoms even smart ones like Peep Show, clearly signal when a gag's coming. And you can find your self laughing almost like a Pavlovian response.

But The Office demands you engage, comedy lies in subtle gestures and character identification. It lies in empathising with people living very ordinary lives and the comedy within.

To not find it funny is understandable. But I have to say to not understand the humour, is to confess to having an extremely primitive or fearful sense of humour.

It isn't anything to be proud of.

Th Vicar Of Dibley- started off funny, but got very self important and big-headed.
The Mighty Boosh - I'm sorry, but my friend made me watch three hours of this and I found it boring and pointless. I'm all for fantasy, but just sticking a polo on your face isn't remotely funny.

Quote: sootyj @ September 21 2008, 10:46 AM BST

To not find it funny is understandable. But I have to say to not understand the humor, is to confess to having an extremely primitive or fearful sense of humor.

It isn't anything to be proud of.

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I think you're being a bit simplistic in your labeling of what is smart comedy. But I understand where you're coming from. There are a lot of people who can't even watch a smart comedy like 30 Rock that does include gags who can't even find it funny. And that I think is what is becoming worrisome.

Sooty's right on that front; The Office is engaging and compelling because its not "easy" to watch. The humour is subtle and the style is almost hyper-realistic, in a way that can unnerve people.

Interestingly, even supposedly "silly" comedy like Father Ted doesn't get through to a lot of people. We once watched it at school and about three people found it funny. Personally, I think FT is not just "silly"; it is a bitingly satirical commentary on organised religion (primarily Catholicism), Irish society, and human nature. Among the most consistently funny sitcoms I've seen, and certainly a favourite.

Quote: zooo @ September 20 2008, 9:55 PM BST

Even your typical six year old has grasped the fact that people have different tastes and opinions. Jolanta doesn't seem to have reached that intellectual level just yet.

Unless she's just bullshitting us of course. Which is, one would hope for her sake, more likely.

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Now, now, everyone is entitled to their opinions.

Quote: sootyj @ September 21 2008, 10:46 AM BST

To not find it funny is understandable. But I have to say to not understand the humour, is to confess to having an extremely primitive or fearful sense of humour.

It isn't anything to be proud of.

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Someone who considers Terry And June and On The Buses to be "sinister", really shouldn't be lecturing others on their understanding and interpretation of comedy.

Quote: Charly @ September 21 2008, 3:13 PM BST

Now, now, everyone is entitled to their opinions.

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I'm starting to disagree....

Quote: zooo @ September 21 2008, 3:37 PM BST

I'm starting to disagree....

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Well, as the Great One, your opinions are law to us followers.
Die zauberhafte Aura von Laura!

Hmm.

Wooops. I've annoyed her. Must sacrifice self as mark of respect!

Just a small bloodletting will suffice.

Kingsley Amis used to split people into "berks" and "wankers", where a "berk" is someone who cares less about English than you do, and a "wanker" is someone who cares more.

It's a similar situation with appreciating art, isn't it.

People who see more in a piece of art than we do, we tend to consider as pretentious twits, reading in meanings that aren't actually there, just to sound clever. Jolanta thinks 'Office' fans are in this category.

People who see less in a piece of art that we do, we tend to consider as thick and uncultured because they cannot interpret the art "correctly". The 'Office' fans on BSG consider Jolanta to be in this category.

But it's mostly subjective, EXCEPT where there is a genuine objective test - which is whether your understanding of the art matches the artist's intention.

So if (to pick an obvious example) Armando Ianucci intends his Malcolm Tucker character to be a spoof of Alistair Campbell, and 90% of his viewers understand that, then the 10% who interpret it as a spoof of Dale Winton are definitively wrong. (However, if Armando Ianucci intended Malcolm Tucker to be a spoof of Alistair Campbell, and 0% of his viewers interpreted it that way, then it is Ianucci who has got his art wrong.)

What's the situation with the Office? Who knows. I've no idea if for every viewer who watches it and "gets it", there's another ten who don't. All I know is I "get' it, and it works for me. If it doesn't work for Jolanta, well, she's got plenty of other shows to watch, like Balamory or Dick And Dom In Da Bungalow.

Quote: Griff @ September 21 2008, 3:45 PM BST

Kingsley Amis used to split people into "berks" and "wankers", where a "berk" is someone who cares less about English than you do, and a "wanker" is someone who cares more.

It's a similar situation with appreciating art, isn't it.

People who see more in a piece of art than we do, we tend to consider as pretentious twits, reading in meanings that aren't actually there just to sound clever. Jolanta thinks Office fans are in this category.

People who see less in a piece of art that we do, we tend to consider as thick and uncultured because they cannot interpret the art "correctly". Office fans consider Jolanta to be in this category.

But it's mostly subjective, EXCEPT where there is a genuine objective test - which is whether your understanding of the art matches the artist's intention.

So if (to pick an obvious example) Armando Ianucci intends his Malcolm Tucker character to be a spoof of Alistair Campbell, and 90% of his viewers understand that, then the 10% who interpret it as a spoof of Dale Winton are definitively wrong. (However, if Armando Ianucci intended Malcolm Tucker to be a spoof of Alistair Campbell, and 0% of his viewers interpreted it that way, then it is Ianucci who has got his art wrong.)

What's the situation with the Office? Who knows. I've no idea if for every viewer who watches it and "gets it", there's another ten who don't. All I know is I "get' it, and it works for me. If it doesn't work for Jolanta, well, she's got plenty of other shows to watch.

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Exactly. Now, who wants a jelly baby?

Quote: Griff @ September 21 2008, 3:45 PM BST

If it doesn't work for Jolanta, well, she's got plenty of other shows to watch, like Balamory or Dick And Dom In Da Bungalow.

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Why did you have to spoil an otherwise perfectly reasonable point with that?

Quote: Aaron @ September 21 2008, 4:07 PM BST

Why did you have to spoil an otherwise perfectly reasonable point with that?

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I missed that bit. I take back my jelly babies!