Diversity Day - The Office (Season 1, Episode 2)

Corporate has declared the day "Diversity Day". All the employees must attend a seminar on diversity sensitivity.

While Jim is trying to make sales calls, Dwight is shredding paper at his desk. The noise it too much for Jim, so he kills the power to the shredder. Dwight then pushes the button on Jim's phone thus hanging up on the client. Dwight claims it's Tit-For-Tit.

The phone call Jim was making was to his biggest client. Once a year, Jim calls, makes a big sale and it ends up being 25% of his yearly commission.

Once again, Jim tries to call the client to renew the account. This time he is interrupted by diversity training.

The diversity trainer, Mr. Brown, is trying to conduct the meeting but Michael keeps butting in. Michael decides that the group should go around and say what race each person is attracted to sexually. But after Dwight answers the question, the trainer takes back control.

Mr. Brown has each person write down an incident that they felt was offensive in the work place. And then they will be acted out.

It turns out everyone wrote down the same incident. This particular incident is also what prompted Diversity Day. The offensive incident is Michael's impersonation of Chris Rock's stand-up comedy routine. Michael is upset by the revelation.

In the reinactment, Michael is "guy listening" and Kevin is "Chris Rock".

Mr. Brown finished his training and must have every sign a paper stating that they learned something. Michael protets because he knew all the stuff already. Mr. Brown tells him that he is the reason for the training and can't leave until Michael signs the paper. After more protesting, Mr. Brown explains to Michael that it is his signature alone that Mr. Brown needs. Mr. Brown only made copies for everyone to not embarrass Michael. Corporate is demanding Michael sign the paper.

Michael signs the paper Daffy Duck.

Jim leaves a message for the client in hopes to get that commission. A little while later, he tries again with no luck.

Michael calls for another diversity training...his way.

Jim hears his phone ringing and jumps up to answer it, but when he gets there no one is on the line.

Michael's training begins by everyone taking a piece of paper and putting it on their forehead. Each paper has a different nationality on it. The staff is to treat each other like the race that is on their forehead. No one knows what their race is. Michael requests that they really "play it up".

Pam is Jewish. Kevin is Italian. Angela is Jamaican. Stanley is black. Michael is Martin Luther King Jr. Dwight is Asian. Meredith is Brazil.

Mostly people are just treating eachother with respect. Dwight however, is pressuring people to be stereotypical with him so he can guess his race. Michael is also pressuring people to be more stereotypical and even get ugly, down to the heart of it.

Kelly walks in after having been in another meeting. Michael trying to show people what he means by really getting into it, addresses Kelly in a totally racist way. She slaps him across the face, not realizing what was going on due to her late entry.

Michael declares their training a success.

Jim finally gets a hold of the client and learns that while in training, Dwight closed the deal and will be getting the big commission. Jim puts his celebratory bottle of wine on Dwight's desk.

Michael is wrapping up training as Jim re-enters the meeting and sits next to Pam. Pam falls asleep on his shoulder. Jim smiles. His day just got better.

It's after 5 and everyone is leaving the conference room and going home. Pam is still asleep on Jim's shoulder. He doesn't move. Instead he wakes her gentley and Jim tells the camera it was not a bad day, with a big grin on him face.

Best Funny Quotes from The Office - Diversity Day

Hey, uh, can I help you out in here?

Oh, I’m all set, thanks.

Gotcha. Good. I’d go with the rows. That’s a good idea.

Today is diversity day and someone’s going to come in and talk to us about diversity. It’s something that I’ve been pushing, that I’ve been wanting to push, for a long time and Corporate mandated it. And I never actually talked to Corporate about it. They kind of beat me to the punch, the bastards. But I was going to. And I think it’s very important that we have this. I’m very, very excited.

That’s the thing. It’s very sturdy paper and on the back it says, “100% post-consumer content.” What? Hello? Uh-huh. Wait. What? I’m sorry, Mr. Decker. I think I’m losing you. Shedder whirring Hello? Hello? Yeah. Hold on one second. I don’t know. Hold on one second.

Do you really have to do that right now?

Yes I do. I should have done it weeks ago actually.

Mr. Decker, I’m sorry about that. What were you… Can you hold on one second? Yeah, just one second. Thanks. Power off, silence Hello? That’s it. Perfect. So what I was saying… Dialing tone Hello? Thanks, Dwight.

Retaliation. Tit for tit.

That is not the expression.

Well, it should be.

This is my biggest sale of the year. They love me over there for some reason. I’m not really sure why but I make one call over there every year, just to renew their account, and that one call ends up being 25% of my commission for the whole year, so I buy a mini bottle of champagne, celebrate a little. And this year I’m pushing recycled paper on them for one percent more. I know. I’m getting cocky. Right?

Solitaire?

Yeah, Freecell.

Six on seven.

I know. I saw that.

So then, why didn’t you do it?

I’m saving that ’cause I like it when the cards go T-ts-ts-tch-tch-tch.

Who doesn’t love that?

Hey, Oscar! How are you doing, man?

All right.

Did you have a good weekend going there?

It was fine.

Oh yeah, I bet it was fun. to Mr. Brown Oh, hey! This is Oscar—

Martinez.

Right. See? I don’t even know, first-name basis!

Great. We’re all set.

Oh hey, well, diversity, everybody, let’s do it. Oscar works in… here. Jim, could you wrap it up, please?

Yeah, uh, Mr. Decker, please.

It’s diversity day, Jim. I wish every day was diversity day.

You know what? I’m actually going to have to call you back. Thank you. Sorry about that.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Great.

Come on people, let’s get ’em in. Get in the cards! Get in the cards!

Thank you. Thank you very much. OK. Thanks for filling these out and I promise this’ll be quick. At Diversity Today, our philosophy is about honesty and positive expectations. We believe that 99% of the problems in the workplace arise simply out of ignorance.

You know what? This is a color-free-zone here. Stanley, I don’t look at you as another race.

Uh, see this is what I’m talking about. We don’t have to pretend we’re color-blind.

Exactly, were not…

That’s fighting ignorance with more ignorance.

With tolerance.

No. With more ignorance.

Ignorance.

Right. Exactly. Uh, instead, we need to celebrate our diversity.

Let’s celebrate.

Right. OK.

Celebrate good times. Come on! Let’s celebrate diversity. Right?

Yes, exactly. Now here’s what we’re going to do. I’ve noticed that…

You know what? Here’s what we’re going to do. Why don’t we go around and everybody… everybody say a race that you are attracted to sexually. I will go last. Go.

I have two. White and Indian.

Actually, I’d prefer not to start that way. Michael, I would love to have your permission to run this session. Can I have your permission?

Yes.

Thank you very much. And it would also help me if you were seated.

OK.

Thank you. OK. Now, at the start of the session, I had you all write down an incident that you found offensive in the workplace. Now, what I’m going to do is choose one and we’re going to act it out.

A few of the ground rules?

Hey, hey why don’t you run it by me and I’ll run it by him.

OK, can we steer away from gay people?

Um…

I’m sorry. It’s an orientation. It’s not a race. Plus a lot of other races are intolerant of gays, so…paradox.

Well, we only have an hour.

I figured it would save time.

OK. Why don’t we just defer to Mr…

Mr. Brown.

Ah. Oh, right! OK. First test. I will not call you that.

Well, it’s my name. It’s not a test. OK? Um, so looking through the cards, I’ve noticed that many of you wrote down the same incident, which is ironic, because it’s the exact incident I was brought in here to respond to. Now, how many of you are familiar with the Chris Rock routine? Very good. OK.

How come Chris Rock can do a routine and everybody finds it hilarious and ground-breaking and then I go and do the exact same routine, same comedic timing, and people file a complaint to Corporate? Is it because I’m white and Chris is black?

So we’re going to reenact this with a more positive outcome.

I will play the Chris Rock guy. I would like to see someone else pull this off.

Well, let’s have someone who wasn’t involved in the reenactment.

OK, I will play guy listening.

Great. Guy listening. Ok, anyone else remember?

I remember.

Great. You’re the Chris Rock guy and you’re guy listening.

OK.

Kevin is a great guy. He’s a great accountant. He is not much of an entertainer.

Basically, there are two types of black people and black people are actually more racist because they hate the other type of black people. Every time the one type wants to have a good time, then the other type comes in and makes a real mess.

OK. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. He’s ruin… He’s butchering it. Could you just let me… As Chris Rock Every time… Every time black people want to have a good time, some ignant ass… Bleep I take care of my kid!

Wait a second.

Bleep They always want credit for something they supPOSED to do!

Stop it!

As Chris Rock What you want a cookie?

Now, this is a simple acronym. HERO. Uh, at Diversity Today, we believe it is very easy to be a HERO. All you need are honesty, empathy, respect and open-mindedness.

Excuse me, I’m sorry, but that’s not all it takes to be a hero.

Oh, great. Well, what is a hero to you?

A hero kills people, people that wish him harm.

OK.

A hero is part-human and part-supernatural. A hero is born out of a childhood trauma, or out of a disaster that must be avenged.

Ok, you’re thinking of a superhero.

We all have a hero in our heart.

Now, I need you to take these forms. This kind of expresses the joint experience we had today. And I need you to look ’em over and sign them as kind of a group pledge.

Clears throat I don’t think I can sign this.

I can’t leave until you do.

Well, OK, it says here that I learned something and I knew all this stuff already, so… I know, I could sign something that says that I taught something, or that I helped you teach something, so… Pam! Where is she? Pam, could we change something on this?

Michael, can I talk to you candidly?

Sure.

We both know that I’m here because of the comments you made.

Here’s the thing. This office, I think this is very advanced in terms of… racial awareness and it’s probably more advanced than you’re used to. That’s probably throwing you off a little bit.

Um, it’s not throwing me. I need your signature.

OK, well I know. You told me that several times.

Yes, but you’re not listening to me. Yours is the only signature I need.

OK.

Those are my instructions from the Corporate offices to put you through this seminar for the comments that you made. The reason I made copies for everyone was so you wouldn’t be embarrassed.

Well, here I am thinking that you actually cared about diversity training. And you don’t.

Don’t worry about dating.

I won’t.

OK. Thank you.

Yeah, yeah.

“I regret my actions. I regret offending my coworkers. I pledge to bring my best spirit of honesty, empathy, respect and open-mindedness…” Open-mindedness, is that even a word? “…into the workplace. In this way, I can truly be a hero. Signed, Daffy Duck.” Laughing He’s going to lose it when he reads that.

Yeah, hi. Is Mr. Decker around? Oh, well, could you just have him call me after lunch? Thank you.

“I pledge to always keep an open mind and an open heart.” I do believe… in that part of the pledge I that just read. But a pledge? Come on. I mean who are we, the Girl Scouts? No. Look… the guy, “Mr. Brown,” he got us halfway there. He got us talking. Well, no. I got us talking. He got us nothing. He insulted us and he abandoned us. You call that diversity training? I don’t. Were there any connections between any of us? Did anyone look each other in the eye? Was there any emotion going on? No. Where was the heart? I didn’t see any heart. Where was my Oprah moment? OK, get as much done as you can before lunch because, afterward, I’m going to have you all in tears.

All right? Everybody pretty? Come on. Here we go. It’s time. Let’s do some good.

Hey, we’re not all going to sit in a circle Indian style are we? Laughing

Get out.

I’m sorry.

No, this is not a joke. OK? That was offensive and lame. So double offensive. This is an environment of welcoming and you should just get the hell out of here. OK, let’s go. Let’s do it. Come on. Let’s have some fun, everybody. Here we go. Take a seat. Cop a squat. And um… thanks for coming in. Um… Diversity… is the cornerstone of progress as I’ve always said. But don’t take my word for it. Let’s take a look at the tape.

on the tape Hi. I’m Michael Scott. I’m in charge of Dunder Mifflin Paper Products here in Scranton, Pennsylvania but I’m also the founder of Diversity Tomorrow, because today is almost over. Abraham Lincoln once said that, “If you’re a racist, I will attack you with the North.” And those are the principles that I carry with me in the workplace.

OK. Questions? Comments? Anybody? Jim?

: Uh, is that it?

Yes. I only had an hour to put it together but I’m going to add on to it later on.

It was kind of hard to hear.

Uh, yes. That probably had something to do with the camera work. Anybody else? Um…

I have a customer meeting.

Yeah, well, if you leave we’ll only have two left. Yes. Enjoy. Absolutely. Namaste. Ok, well since I am leading this, let’s get down to business and why don’t I just kind of introduce myself, OK? Um. I am Michael and I am part English, Irish, German and Scottish. Sort of a virtual United Nations. But what some of you might not know is that I am also part Native American Indian.

What part Native American?

Two fifteenths.

Two fifteenths, that fraction doesn’t make any sense.

Well, you know what, it’s kind of hard for me to talk about it. Their suffering. So who else? Let’s get this popping. Come on. Who’s going? Who’s going? Let’s go here. Oscar, right here. You’re on.

OK, Michael, um… Both my parents were born in Mexico.

Oh, yeah…

And, uh, they moved to the United Sates a year before I was born. So I grew up in the United States.

Wow.

My parents were Mexican.

Wow. That is… That is a great story. That’s the American Dream right there, right?

Thank… Yeah…

Um, let me ask you, is there a term besides Mexican that you prefer? Something less offensive?

Mexican isn’t offensive.

Well, it has certain connotations.

Like what?

Like… I don’t… I don’t know.

What connotations, Michael? You meant something.

No. Now, remember that honesty…

I’m just curious.

…empathy, respect… Phone ringing Jim! Jim!

Hello? Hello?

I have something here. I want you to take a card. Put it on your fore… Don’t look at the card. I want you to take the card and put it on your forehead and… Take a card, take a card, any card. Um… And I want you to treat other people like the race that is on their forehead. OK? So everybody has a different race. Nobody knows what their race is, so… I want you to really go for it, cause this is real. You know, this isn’t just an exercise. This is real life. And… I have a dream that you will really let the sparks fly. Get ‘er done.

Why? Because Martin Luther King is a hero of mine. There’s this great Chris Rock bit about how streets named after Martin Luther King tend to be more violent. I’m not going to do it but it’s…

Oh this is a good one.

Um, hi. How are you?

Fine. How are you?

Great.

Push it.

I admire your culture’s success in America.

Thank you.

Good. Bom bom bom-bom bom. Come on Olympics of Suffering right here. Slavery versus the Holocaust. Come on.

Who am I supposed to be?

No, that was inadvertent. We didn’t actually plan that.

Lots of cultures eat rice, doesn’t help me.

Um… Shalom. I’d like to apply for a loan.

That’s nice, Dwight.

OK, do me. Something stereotypical so I can get it really quick.

OK, I like your food.

Outback steakhouse. Australian accent I’m Australian, mate!

Pam, come on. “I like your food.” Come on stir the pot. Stir the melting pot, Pam! Let’s do it. Let’s get ugly. Let’s get real.

OK. If I have to do this, based on stereotypes that are totally untrue, that I do not agree with, you would maybe not be a very good driver.

Oh, man, am I a woman?

You’ll notice I didn’t have anybody be an Arab. I thought that would be too explosive. No pun intended. But I just though. “Too soon for Arabs.” Maybe next year. Um… You know, the ball’s in their court.

What are you watching?

Chappelle’s Show.

Really?

I downloaded it on her computer. I hope she doesn’t mind. She just had a lot of extra space.

No way. I think she likes this stuff.

Great. She’s cute, huh?

Yeah, you know, she’s engaged, but…

Oh, no, the girl in the… sketch.

Oh, yeah. She’s hot.

Hey.

Hey.

You wanna go to the beach?

Sure.

You wanna get high?

No.

I think you do, mon.

Stop…

OK. All right. No. It’s good. You just need to push it. You need to go a little bit further. All right. OK.

Voice raised, Indian accent Kelly, how are you?

I just had the longest meeting.

Oh! Welcome to my convenience store. Would you like some googi googi? I have some very delicious googi, googi, only 99 cents plus tax. Try my googi, googi. Lowering voice Try my googi, googi. High-pitched voice Try my googi, googi. Try my… slap!

trying not to cry All right! All right! Yes! That was great, she gets it! Now she knows what it’s like to be a minority.

on the phone Mr. Decker, we didn’t lose your sale today, did we? Excellent. OK. Let me just get your… what’s that? No, we didn’t close last time. I just need your… Oh. W-What code were you given? Oh, OK. That’s actually another salesman here. I can redo it if you want to do that. Oh, he gave you a discount? No, I don’t blame you.

I just hated it when that guy was in here. Mr. Brown, if that was his real name. I mean, he had never met any of us before, and here he was telling us how to do our thing. I just wanted… I just wanted to do it our way. You know? On our own. Man I should have gotten some food.

Itialian accentMaybe some spagh-etti.

Okay, Kevin. You can take that off that thing, OK? That would really, really have shown him up, wouldn’t it? If I’d brought in some burritos or some colored greens. Or some pad Thai. I love pad Thai.

It’s collard greens.

What?

It’s collard greens.

That doesn’t really make sense. Because you don’t call them collared people, that’s offensive. Hmmm… OK, well, it’s after five. So… Thank you very much. Buena vista Oscar. Thank you. Good job. Oh, my man. Thank you Brazil. Nice.

Pam is asleep, resting her head on Jim’s shoulder Um… Hey.

stirs Mmmm.

Hey.

Oh.

We can go.

Sorry.

That’s fine.

Uh… Not a bad day.