The Office Was Once Fined $60k For What Could Be Its Least Offensive Joke
Diversity Day was okay, Prison Mike was cool, but only this line had The Office creators forking out cash.
The Office is remarkably offensive in the most inoffensive way possible: while it doesn't shy away from controversial topics and plays with questionable punchlines, it clearly does it in a way that lets us know the show means to poke fun at stereotypes, not celebrate them.
Still, many people believe that should The Office air today, it simply wouldn't fly: the Diversity Day episode alone would immediately have it canceled. While it doesn't prevent the studios from teasing a potential US reboot, the general agreement is that The Office's humor would be too offensive to be greenlit today.
However, even back in the 2000s and 2010s, when the iconic sitcom blossomed, it stumbled upon some problems. For instance, one of its lines led The Office to being fined; ironically, it was probably its least offensive one.
Remember A Benihana Christmas episode, which is number 10 in season 3? At some point, Steve Carell's Michael Scott is seen waving his airplane tickets while singing the lyrics from Two Tickets to Paradise by Eddie Money.
As Jennifer Celotta, one of The Office's writers, revealed at the Office Ladies podcast with Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, none of her jokes had ever cost that much. Because of course, The Office's creative team got fined for creative rights.
"But I remember not so long after that we had some of our music budget pulled away from us, and I can't help but think. I mean, I was sitting at the mix and had no idea that because we sang that song the song had to be cleared, and that joke was $60,000," Celotta recalled.
However, this was a good lesson in making sure such fines don't happen again. In the same chapter, there was also a reference to a song by John Mayer — and only two things saved the creative team from getting a complaint. The first one was B.J.Novak's friendship with the singer; another one was that Mayer received... a Dundie. At least someone appreciates the true value of the award!
Source: Office Ladies podcast