The Office is easily one of the most beloved shows of members of our generation – and for good reason. The Office is hilarious, heartwarming and filled with dynamic characters. That being said, there are moments that are seriously painful. The following is a list of the most cringe-worthy episodes of The Office (and quite possibly of any show ever aired on television).
âDiversity Dayâ (Season 1, Episode 2)
As The Office progressed, Michael Scott went from seriously cringey to awkwardly relatable. Diversity Day, however, falls right in Michaelâs uncomfortable phase. In this episode, Michael gets in trouble for mimicking a racist Chris Rock routine. Thus, a consultant must come in to conduct a diversity seminar. Instead of letting the consultant do his job, Michael creates his own seminar. Talk about awkward.
âMichael’s Birthdayâ (Season 2, Episode 19)
Some people love birthdays â Michael Scott included. But when a friend or co-worker is awaiting a cancer diagnosis, most people can pull back their excitement and narcissism. Unfortunately for Kevin, Michael does not. This certainly isnât the most uncomfortable episode of the show, but I canât help but feel for Kevin.
âGay Witch Huntâ (Season 3, Episode 1)
Michael outs Oscar and kisses him against his will. Enough said.
âDiwaliâ (Season 3, Episode 6)
Imagine showing up at a cultural festival dressed as a âslutty cheerleaderâ because you were told it was A COSTUME PARTY. And to make it worse, then the man youâve been on THREE DATES WITH PROPOSES. Carol Stills experienced this horror firsthand in the Season 3 episode Diwali.
âDinner Partyâ (Season 4, Episode 13)
Jan Levinson is easily one of the craziest characters on the US version of The Office. Dinner Party features Janâs peak crazy: smashing her boyfriendâs TV in front of a room full of people. Luckily this episode somehow manages to be hilarious, despite how uncomfortable the situation is.
âScott’s Totsâ (Season 6, Episode 12)
I canât accurately describe how uneasy Scottâs Tots makes me. In this episode, we find out that Michael offered a class full of children scholarships if they finished high school. When Michael canât afford to follow through on his initial promise, he has to go the school and essentially break the hearts of a room full of children *shudder*.
âNepotismâ (Season 7, Episode 1)
Not only did Michael hire his nephew and not tell anyone (uh, kind of weird), but then he SPANKED HIM in front of an office full of people. Why, Michael. Why.
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