Deleted The Office Scene That Would Have It Booed And Canceled Today

Even the final cut of The Office has aged in a way that makes both fans and the cast note that the show would have been "canceled," or at least frowned upon, these days. The iconic sitcom never shied away from potentially offensive humor and masterfully balanced between cringe and comedy gold.

However, one particular deleted scene would have certainly make a fuss if it was aired today... at least that's what OG The Office fans on Reddit believe.

The scene in question has Michael and the rest of his team in the conference room, discussing the inauguration of then-US President Barack Obama. Michael, however, picks a very questionable way to celebrate: he deliberately addresses Stanley and Darryl, who are Black, and "maybe Kelly" (who is Indian, but when on Earth did Michael Scott care?), asking them to "stand up" and assuring them "racism is dead."

He then proceeds to utter the most cringeworthy and uncomfortable things ever, pointing out how "you guys are the man" now that Obama is in office, and how they now have to "bite their tongues" very often.

The way Michael manages to insult absolutely everyone by not exactly meaning it (probably) is the staple of the show, but this scene seems to be the quintessence of it. Some people on Reddit even thought that it would be perfectly fine for The Office to leave the scene in; after all, it wouldn't be the first time the sitcom's fans had to wrap their minds around Michael's controversial sense of humor.

Others suggested that the scene was probably cut after the creators realized that early seasons had already established that Michael actually knew Kelly was Indian and not Black. So maybe it was the continuity and not censorship that robbed us of this embarrassing gem.

If you feel nostalgic and ready for your annual The Office binge, feel free to stream it on Peacock — by the way, the "superfan" versions of the episodes include the deleted scenes as well.