Tuesday's office moment

"Usually the day we talk about sexual harassment at work is the day everyone harasses me as a joke."

Pam Beasley, "The Office"

________________________________________________________________________

Anyone who works in an office setting has probably had to endure some of those oh-so-enjoyable mandatory training sessions on riveting topics such as what you are allowed to look at on your computer, what you can and can't buy with the company credit card, and everyone's favorite little gem....sexual harassment. 

It's one of those topics that is just ripe with low grade humor, and yet sadly is a situation that men and women experience all the time in the workplace. 

Today it was my turn to sit through sexual harassment training.  And as I sat there going through "hypothetical" situation of discrimination and harassment with our moderator, all I could think of was the sexual harassment episode of "The Office."  The inappropriate email forwards, Michael's infamous "that's what she said," the sexual harassment training video, Pam's mom coming to visit.....I seriously could have laughed out loud.  I know, I know, not my most mature moment. 

Part of me is afraid that sitcoms have officially ruined my ability to take anything serious, but deep down I don't feel that's the case.  

Because sitcoms like The Office are priceless in their ability to take something like working in a normal, oftentimes boring office setting, and expose the humor that lies just beneath the oh-so-mundane surface.  I'm not sitting here trying to argue that sexual harassment itself is a hilarious subject, but training on the subject will never be the same thanks to Steve Carell.  

It seems to me that sometimes you just need to take a break from the seriousness and professionalism that working in an office more or less implies.  For instance, in "Office Space," when Peter has to endure an onslaught of reminders when he fails to use the correct heading on his TPS report.  One would think this was literally a life or death situation.  (I realize both of these examples are based on television and movies, but they actually bear very similar resemblance to real world situations). 

In other words, sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself and the things you are supposed to take seriously because of where you work.