Lessons I’ve Learned from Workplace Comedies
by Arwen Tag
I am going to be fully transparent here – I spent a good chunk of time brainstorming a serious topic to write about for the iconic YNPN-TC blog. After much hemming and hawing about not having anything profound to say, I took a break and turned to my tried-and-true comfort medium - sitcom television. In my languid state it occurred to me that these lighthearted shows I turn to actually contain a good bit of workplace wisdom. Plus, there are so many insightful blog pieces already in the YNPN-TC blog archive, such as The Future Is Organized (yes, please!), that I am confident a fluffier piece wouldn’t completely ruin the reputation of this distinguished platform. I make television for a living (documentary, unscripted), and I love to watch it (mostly scripted comedy). If that’s not your thing, here is your early out to skip reading the rest of this boob tube-infused blog post. To thine own self be true!
Now, for my fellow sitcom enthusiasts, here is a non-exhaustive list of workplace comedies from which we can surely learn a lesson or two. When I need a little fantasizing during the doldrums of inbox organization, I like to imagine my life as a working girl comedy à la Mary Tyler Moore. Anyone else?! In reality, there is a lot more drama and darkness in work and life, and I’m getting incrementally better at acknowledging the complexities of being a human and feeling challenging emotions. But, I can save that fodder for my therapist, and more importantly, all the fear mongering in the world still isn’t going to motivate me to watch American Horror Story. No surprise, I like my Ryan Murphy a bit more upbeat.
Let’s get something else out of the way…The Office is a classic, but awkward comedy is not everyone’s cup of tea. So before you go wringing your hands in the air about the lack of Michael Scott quotes, there are about ahghaaazillion other articles on this very subject. Eat your heart out on Buzzfeed, folks. The tech/media startup shows (Silicon Valley, Mythic Quest), and slacker comedies (Workaholics, Always Sunny In Philadelphia) also get my goat, but none of these resonate with my actual day job. I assume that those reading this are also inexperienced with corporate negotiations over their intellectual property resulting in a pay out of millions of doll hairs, or simply sitting stoned and/or drunk out of their minds in the middle of a Wednesday when you were supposed to be emailing your boss. But I guess I don’t know you, so maybe these scenarios do actually resonate with you. In that case, what are you doing reading this blog post?! For everyone else kind enough to read this far, this is the moment where we look to fresher, more relevant shows. You came here for MOTIVATION! INSPIRATION! TRUTH IN ART! Am I right?!
You were promised some light-hearted blog fare, and I intend to deliver. Next time you’re looking for some easy watching, consider one of the following shows to provide a smile and maybe even a soft, head-tilting ‘awwww.’ Without further delay, here are a few pseudo-realistic, workplace comedy favorites to draw lighthearted wisdom from:
Loot – Be open to learning from others while trusting your expertise and lived experience.
This new show starring Maya Rudolph as a billionaire ex-wife named Molly is more than a story of a rich woman. Thank goodness. The heart of the show lives in the ensemble playing the staff of Molly’s philanthropic nonprofit. The staff is led by the driven, no-nonsense director of the organization, Sofia, who is played by the extremely talented Michaela Jaé Rodriguez. There are some relatable scenes in the show where the hubris of the wealthy gets in the way of real work being done. If reading about this dynamic is getting you worked up, might I recommend a break from the telly and a read through Edgar Villanueva’s relevant book, Decolonizing Wealth that contains great ideas about wealth redistribution for those working in philanthropy.
My favorite part of Loot is seeing how the non-billionaire characters (i.e. almost everyone else in the cast), brings Molly back down to Earth. Here’s hoping some actual billionaires watch the show and are reminded that people, and how we relate to and take care of one another and this planet, are immensely more important than material goods and money. Sofia and her staff teach Molly how the system really works and how frustratingly slow change can be. But they also teach Molly how to celebrate the small wins, and she teaches them about how the rich do self-care…spas. Lol.
Lastly, since drafting this blog, Nonprofit AF recently shared an excellent post by Vu Le about Loot, going into more detail than the above brief summary. Read about what the show gets right and wrong when it comes to philanthropy and nonprofits here.
Abbott Elementary – Sometimes you have to do it yourself…but not forever.
I love this show. I come from a family of teachers, and so much about the way our education system is portrayed in Abbott Elementary feels accurate, especially the impossible struggles teachers across the U.S. face daily. Whether it’s not enough money for supplies, or not enough money for necessary building repairs, or not enough money for fair wages, it makes abundantly clear we really need to spend more on education. Teachers are constantly being praised for doing the most with the least, and this is not how it has to be. But as we all know as people working in the nonprofit industry, doing a lot with a little is all too familiar.
Teachers, like some of you readers, are often driven to their work for the purpose of helping others. This is not something to be taken for granted, and again, exploiting those who are mission-driven with low wages is another conversation unto itself. In offering yourself up to a career of service, there are times when the thing that needs to happen will have to be done on top of the standard work week. The pay-off here is whether this will lead to something fulfilling for yourself. That may sound selfish, but hear me out.
In Abbott Elementary, a couple of the teachers recognize that the cafeteria isn’t offering enough nutritional food for the kids who attend the school. They decide to take it upon themselves to plant a garden next to the school. Spoiler alert: it’s not nearly enough produce and the garden project is a bust. However, the teachers keep gardening because they find that the simple act of having something for oneself is grounding. In a workspace surrounded by squirly kids, spending a few minutes away from the boogers and glue seems worthwhile, if not overly-ambitious and impossible, right?! Doing something extra because you care is admirable, and sticking with it because it brings you joy is terrific. It’s okay for mission-driven work to also be personally beneficial. You are giving so much of yourself to your work, you deserve to find pockets of joy and meaningfulness in the process.
Sort Of – Set boundaries and take care of yourself when work and personal life get mixed up.
I wouldn’t say Sort Of is a tried and true “workplace comedy,” but I’m standing by it as a suggestion for a binge-watch that shares stories of self-empowerment. The work and personal lives of the main character, Sabi, played by Bilal Baig, are interwoven in a blurry mess of boundaries. Sabi works as a bartender and also as a personal nanny to two children in Toronto. The bartending gig is predictable and provides a sense of joy and stability to Sabi, whereas the nanny gig is much more complicated. The relationships with the family members go beyond professional boundaries and Sabi is asked to sacrifice a lot of personal time and energy to caring for the children when ideally they would be “off the clock.” As Sabi finds themselves doing more for the family they nanny for than originally agreed-upon, they are forced to consider internally whether they’re living for themselves or others. Is there a balance to the self-sacrifice or is it purely one-sided?
Despite a strained relationship, Sabi’s mother advises them “to keep at least one thing for yourself.” As far as advice goes, this is solid. We all need something for ourselves that isn’t answering to others and their dreams or expectations of us. However, Sabi’s mother doesn’t understand and agree with Sabi’s identity as nonbinary. What Sabi ultimately keeps for themselves is their sense of femininity, despite familial pressure to dress more masculine-presenting. Ultimately, Sabi finds a way to be honest with themselves about their grief, their self-expression, and where to give their time and energy.
The Bold Type – Make community and make mistakes .
Last but definitely not least - the sappy, soapiest of the shows on my list - The Bold Type follows three friends working in the very fashionable, fast-paced, publishing world for a fictional magazine in NYC (yeah yeah, print is dead-ish and they address this in the show). But the big lesson you can take away is two-fold: make mistakes and make community. Work can be solitary and isolating, especially as you rise to the top. But in this show there are healthy examples of mentorship and support –no Succession-style ruthless, dehumanizing climb up the corporate ladder in sight.
Over the course of five delightful seasons, the three main characters all end up reporting to the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Jaqueline, at some point during the show. Jaqueline is played by, in a workplace comedy twist of fate, Melora Hardin, known for playing Jan Levinson in The Office. (Okay, you get one Office reference, but that’s it!) The relationship between Jaqueline and her subordinates shows that it’s absolutely possible for women to support one another in the workplace. Lifting each other up and trusting each other is essential for individual wellbeing, but also benefits the company/organization at large. Yay corporate growth! Seriously though, the mentorship relationships these characters model is enviable, if not annoying at times. Like, it’s okay to keep your personal life and work separate.
If the mentorship storylines don’t speak to you, then perhaps the festival of friendship at the heart of the show will do the trick. Kat, Sutton, and Jane - our three intrepid heroines - navigate promotions, new career paths, and shifting values, all while supporting each other’s successes and comforting each other through various challenges. They all make mistakes, some professional and some personal. But they persevere by checking in with each other and helping each other move forward. As friends and colleagues they build trust in being each other’s sounding board, and it is big-time #squadgoals. Find your people, people! This is the takeaway. They do not have to be your current colleagues, but forming relationships that nurture peer mentorship can be essential when navigating big career moves, or even just day-to-day things like figuring out if you should send a particular email to HR, when you might be doubting yourself. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll meet your new professional bestie at the next YNPN-TC event! Who knows?!
Disclaimer: I do not represent any of these shows or the platforms they are on. I do support finding a friend or family member and sharing those logins (*insert winky face here*…hehehe).
Happy viewing!
Arwen Tag is a producer, writer and director of television and film, living and working mostly in The Twin Cities. She believes storytelling can help us understand ourselves and the world around us, resulting in a more compassionate and just world. You can find her in her free time at a local concert, browsing antique stores and trying new food. She served on the YNPN-TC board from 2020-2021. Connect with Arwen on LinkedIn.
