A consultant arrives to teach the staff about tolerance and diversity but Michael insists on imparting his own knowledge. Meanwhile, Jim struggles to keep hold of a lucrative contract extension.
WAR
90.4
Wins Above Replacement
“Diversity Day” ranks #22 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 92.4 — Elite. The episode packs 65 scored jokes at 3.0 per minute, averaging 7.4 on craft and 7.4 on impact, with Michael landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Michael: Michael's post-exercise confessional: 'That was great. She gets it. Now she knows what it's like to be a minority.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael's video: '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.'
Michael Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael to camera: 'You'll notice I didn't have anybody being Arab. I thought that would be too explosive. Uh, no pun intended. But I just thought, 'too soon' for Arabs. Maybe next year. You know, the ball's in their court.'
Michael Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Kelly · Michael: Kelly slaps Michael across the face. Michael: 'All right, yes.'
Michael: Michael asks 'Where was my Oprah moment?' after complaining the diversity seminar lacked heart
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Standout Moments
Michael: Michael's video: '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.'
Michael Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael to camera: 'You'll notice I didn't have anybody being Arab. I thought that would be too explosive. Uh, no pun intended. But I just thought, 'too soon' for Arabs. Maybe next year. You know, the ball's in their court.'
Michael Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael's post-exercise confessional: 'That was great. She gets it. Now she knows what it's like to be a minority.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback All Jokes — 65 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Michael: Michael claims diversity day was his idea and he's been pushing for it, then immediately admits corporate 'beat him with the punch' and he never actually talked to them about it
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: Michael mid-confessional accidentally reads the back of a paper and says 'That's the thing, it's a very sturdy paper, and on the back it says: 100% post customer contempt'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Dwight · Jim: Dwight: 'Retaliation. Tit for tit.' Jim: 'That is not the expression.' Dwight: 'Well it should be.'
Dwight Jim Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jim: Jim's confessional: 'This is my biggest sale of the year... I make one call 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 and celebrate.'
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Observational Jim · Dwight: Jim and Dwight playing Solitaire/Freecell at work. Dwight: 'A 6 on 7.' Jim: 'I know, I saw that.' Dwight: 'So then why didn't you do it?' Jim: 'I'm saving that cause I like it when the cards go...' Dwight: 'Who doesn't love that?'
Jim Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael · Oscar: Michael introduces Oscar to the documentary crew by his first name, Oscar barely tolerates it, then Michael is surprised to learn his last name is Martinez — 'first name basis'
Michael · Mr. Brown: Mr. Brown: 'You know what? This is a color-free zone here. Stanley, I don't look at you as another race.' Mr. Brown: 'See, this is what I'm talking about, we don't have to pretend we're colorblind.' Michael: 'Exactly, we're not colorblind.' Mr. Brown: 'That's fighting ignorance with—' Michael: 'With intolerance.' Mr. Brown: 'No, with more ignorance.'
Michael: Michael suggests everyone go around and name a race they're 'attracted to sexually' as a diversity exercise, adding 'I will go last' and 'I have two: white and Indian'
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael's ground rule suggestion: 'Can we steer away from gay people? I'm sorry, it's an orientation, not a race. Plus, a lot of other racists are also intolerant of gays, so — paradox.'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael · Mr. Brown: Mr. Brown introduces himself as 'Mr. Brown.' Michael: 'Oh all right! First test, I will not call you that!' Mr. Brown: 'Well it's my name, it's not a test.'
Michael: Michael's confessional: 'How come Chris Rock can do a routine and everybody finds it hilarious and groundbreaking, and I go into the exact same routine, same comedy timing, and people file a complaint to corporate? Is it because I'm white and Chris is black?'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Kevin · Michael: Kevin attempting the Chris Rock reenactment: vague, stumbling, completely butchering the material to the point of incoherence — 'Every time the one type wants to have a good time, then the other type comes in and makes a real mess.'
Michael: Michael's confessional about Kevin: 'Kevin is a great guy. He's a great accountant. He is not much of an entertainer.'
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Kevin: Kevin's mangled, sanitized, vague Chris Rock impression — 'there are two types of black people... and black people are actually more racist because they hate the other type of black people'
Kevin Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael: Michael interrupts Kevin, takes over the Chris Rock reenactment, and does the full bit including 'some biiiip ass biiiip, I take care of my kids! Always want credit for something they're supposed to do!'
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Dwight · Mr. Brown: Mr. Brown's H.E.R.O. acronym: Honesty, Empathy, Respect, Open-mindedness. Dwight immediately challenges: 'A hero kills people. People that wish him harm. A hero is part human, part supernatural, a hero is born out of a child with trauma or out of a disaster that must be avenged.'
Mr. Brown: Mr. Brown's response to Dwight's hero definition: 'Ok, you're thinking of a superhero.' Then immediately: 'We all have a hero in our heart.'
Dwight: Dwight refuses to sign the diversity pledge: 'I don't think I can sign this... It says here that I've learned something, and I knew all this stuff already.'
Dwight Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Dwight: Dwight's counter-offer: 'You know, I could sign something that says that I taught something, or that I helped you teach something, so...' [looks at Pam]
Dwight Character Comedy Escalation Callback Mr. Brown · Michael: Mr. Brown reveals to Michael that only Michael's signature was needed — he made copies for everyone 'so you wouldn't be embarrassed'
Michael · Mr. Brown: Michael to Mr. Brown: 'This office 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.'
Michael: Michael's reaction to learning he's the only one who needed the training: 'Well here I am thinking that you actually cared about diversity training, and you don't.'
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Mr. Brown · Michael: Mr. Brown: 'Don't worry about dating.' Michael: 'I won't.'
Michael: Michael's confessional pledge: reads the H.E.R.O. pledge earnestly, then pauses on 'open-mindedness' — 'is that a word?' — then signs it 'Daffy Duck'
Michael Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Jim: Jim's reaction confessional after seeing Michael sign as Daffy Duck: 'He's gonna lose it when he reads that.'
Jim Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Callback Michael: Michael's confessional: 'I do believe in that part of the pledge that I just read. But a pledge, come on. Who are we? The Girl Scouts? No.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: Michael: 'Well no, I got us talking. It got us nothing. He insulted us and he abandoned us.' ... 'Where was my Oprah moment?'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael asks 'Where was my Oprah moment?' after complaining the diversity seminar lacked heart
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael announces to the office: 'Ok, get as much done as you can before lunch, because afterward, I'm gonna have you all in tears.'
Michael Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Michael: Someone asks 'We are not all gonna sit in a circle, are we?' Michael: 'Get out! ... No, this is not a joke, ok? It was offensive and lame, so double offensive. This is an environment of welcoming and you should just get the hell out of here.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael's homemade video: 'I'm Michael Scott, I'm in charge of Dunder Mifflin... but I'm also the founder of Diversity Tomorrow, because today is almost over.'
Michael Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Jim · Michael: Jim's question after the video: 'Uhh, is that it?' Michael: 'Yes, I only had an hour to put it together, but I'm gonna add onto it later on.' Jim: 'It was kind of hard to hear.' Michael: 'Yeah that probably has something to do with the camera work.'
Michael: Michael lets Jim leave early, saying 'Yes, enjoy, absolutely. Namaste.'
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Michael: 'I am Michael, and I am part English, Irish, German, and Scottish — sort of a virtual United Nations.'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael · Jim: Michael reveals he is 'also part Native American Indian' — '2/15ths.' Jim: 'That fraction doesn't make any sense.' Michael: 'Well, it's kinda hard for me to talk about. It's suffering.'
Michael · Oscar: Michael asks Oscar if there's 'a term besides Mexican that you prefer. Something less offensive.' Oscar: 'Mexican isn't offensive!' Michael: 'Well, it has certain connotations.' Oscar: 'Like what?' Michael: 'Like... I don't know.'
Michael: Michael tries to escape the 'Mexican' connotations question by pivoting: 'Honesty, Empathy, Respect...' then calling on Jim to deflect
Michael Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael introduces the index card exercise: everyone puts a card on their forehead with a race on it, and they must 'treat other people like the race on their forehead' without knowing their own
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael's Martin Luther King invocation before the exercise: '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 gonna do it but it's...' [trails off admiringly]
Michael Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: The index card exercise begins. Two employees interact: 'Hi, how are you?' 'Fine, how are you?' Michael: 'Push it!' Employee: 'Great.' Employee: 'I admire your culture's success in America.'
Michael: Michael: 'Come on! Olympics of suffering right here! Slavery versus Holocaust, come on!'
Michael Dark/Subversive Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Unknown Employee: An employee trying to guess their race card: 'Lots of cultures eat rice. That doesn't help me.'
Dwight: Dwight: 'Shalom, I'd like to apply for a loan.' Mr. Brown (or another character): 'That's nice, Dwight.'
Dwight Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael · Pam: Michael to the group: 'OK, do me. Something stereotypical so I can get it really quick.' Pam gives her clue: 'I like your food.' Michael: 'Uh, Outback Steakhouse, I'm Australian, mate!'
Michael: Michael: 'No come on, stir the pot. Stir the melting pot, Pam! Let's do it, let's get ugly, let's get real.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Pam · Michael: Pam: '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.' Michael: 'Aw man, am I a woman?'
Jim · Dwight: Jim and Dwight watching something on the office computer — apparently a show Jim downloaded. Dwight: 'I downloaded it on her computer, I hope she doesn't mind, she has a lot of extra space.' Jim: 'No way, I think she really likes this stuff.' Dwight: 'She's cute, hein?' Jim: 'Yeah, she's engaged but—' Dwight: 'Oh no, the girl on the... sketch.' Jim: 'Oh yeah, she's hot.'
Jim Dwight Character Comedy Awkward Silence ★ Rewatch Jim · Dwight: Jim and Dwight discuss whether the girl in the video is 'cute' — Dwight says 'She's engaged but... oh, no, the girl on the sketch — oh yeah, she's hot'
Jim Dwight Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Unknown Employees: The Jamaican card role-play: 'Hey. You wanna go to the beach?' 'Sure.' [pause] 'You wanna get high?' 'No.' [pause] 'I think you do, mon. Stop it.'
Michael: Michael encouraging someone: 'You need to push it, you know, you could go a little bit further.'
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Irony/Sarcasm Michael · Kelly: Michael approaches Kelly with an Indian accent: 'Welcome to my convenient store. Would you like some gookie cookie? I have some very delicious gookie cookie, only 99 cents plus taxes. Try my gookie cookie.'
Michael · Kelly: Michael's race card interaction with Kelly — he approaches her convenience store counter character and asks for 'gookie cookie' at '99 cents plus taxes'
Kelly · Michael: Kelly slaps Michael across the face. Michael: 'All right, yes.'
Jim: Jim on the phone with Mr. Decker: realizes mid-call that another salesman has already taken the account, offering a bigger discount. Jim's expression/silence as he processes this.
Jim Reaction Beat Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael's confessional about Mr. Brown: 'I just hated it when that guy was in here. Mr. Brown? If that was his real name!'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael's monologue: 'He had never met any of us before, and here he was telling us how to do our things. I just wanted to do it our way, you know? On our own.'
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Kevin · Michael: Kevin: 'Man, I should have gotten some food. Maybe some spaghetti.' Michael: 'Ok, Kevin, you can take off that thing, ok? That would have really showed him up, wouldn't it?'
Michael: Michael's multicultural lunch: 'I've brought some burritos, some collard greens, some pad thai — love pad thai.'
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Michael: 'It's collard greens.' [pause] 'Doesn't really make sense, cause you don't call it colored people. That's offensive.'
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael sends Oscar off with 'Buena vista, Oscar. Thank you.' Then to another employee: 'Good job, oh my man!' Then: 'Thank you, Brazil. Nice.'
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael says goodbye to another employee with 'Good job, oh my man!' and to yet another: 'Thank you, Brazil, nice.'
Jim: Jim's final confessional: 'Not a bad day.'
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Top Episodes — The Office
