Date of Award

6-20-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

First Advisor

Hector Garcia-Chavez

Second Advisor

Susan Grossman

Abstract

NBC's U.S adaptation of The Office is one of the most well-known sitcoms to come out of modern television, surpassing its original British counterpart’s two seasons with its own nine. It is a representation, as well, of the time it aired (2005-2013), reflecting on the modern American workplace and the everyday person. Within it, The Office also reflected how society was constructed at the time with its humor surrounding gender, homosexuality, and race – as a tolerant but not welcoming atmosphere to people who were not white, heterosexual, men. More specifically, The Office presents multiple adaptations of masculinity to teach which of these is wrong and which is right. The character Andy Bernard serves as a multi-use example of both how men should and shouldn’t be, with his start as a stereotypical angry man and his arc to try and undo his toxicity, with the show and writers forcefully feminizing him to send him back to his initial self. This effectively sends the message that the only way to be a man is to be a toxic man. It also suggests that men are unable to change and grow and conceive new ways of presenting masculinity. In this thesis, I will examine Andy’s arc and consider how this message about masculinity plays out. Throughout my analysis, I will be using bell hooks’ The Will to Change to unpack Andy’s six season arc as well for understanding the psychological and sociological construction of men, alongside Jack Halberstam’s transgender theory to further examine the cycle of male-female-male that the narrative sends Andy on. Chapter One will focus on the construction of maleness, highlight the prevalent toxic male stereotypes Andy showcases, such as anger and unhealthy relationships to fathers. Chapter Two will be a more theory-based evaluation of how The Office showcases failed masculinity through feminization and punishing Andy with what I will refer to as his transgenderization, though I am not arguing he is identifying as a transgender woman. With evaluating the historical context of when The Office aired as well as a literature review examining other work surrounding masculinity and comedy, it will provide understanding of how The Office contributed to the phenomenon of U.S hegemonic masculinity and the unattainable ideal man.

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