During this episode. Michael sees that the warehouse, something that he is the manager of, has a basketball hoop up. After realizing this, Michael assembles a team to play the warehouse in a friendly game of basketball. There are many examples of how Michael is assuming his male sex role throughout the episode.
Masculine Traits-
- Michael is yet again delegating his work that he is supposed to do to his right hand man, Dwight Schrute. Dwight is handling the holiday and weekend work calendar.
- After Michael is telling Dwight that he is going to be doing this, he said something along the lines of this is why you have an assistant regional manager”which Michael quickly responds with “Assistant TO THE regional manager” which he then defines as a lower position. Just to make sure that Dwight knows his position under him
- He later gives this responsibility to Jim
- After Michael is telling Dwight that he is going to be doing this, he said something along the lines of this is why you have an assistant regional manager”which Michael quickly responds with “Assistant TO THE regional manager” which he then defines as a lower position. Just to make sure that Dwight knows his position under him
- After giving Ryan, the temp, a tour of the warehouse, he introduces him to Roy, Pam’s fiancé. Upon the introduction, Michael says “Are you still getting it regular, man? I can tell her its apart of he job!”
- During the basketball game, Michael gets hit in the face. Milking the injury a tad bit and knowing that his team was in the lead, he says he can no longer play and whoever was winning was the winner of the game and the loser had to come in on the weekend and work.
- ultimately, the larger more intimidating guys from the warehouse surround him and basically threaten him to not have them come in on the weekend to work.
- He asks Pam if she wants to be a cheerleader for the team. He asks her to wear pigtails as well as a halter top and tie it up. As well as saying “something youthful for a change, just once.”
- Then as a joke, Jim says that he will wear that outfit to Michael. Michael responds with “I’m sure you would, just try and not be to gay on the court.”
Feminine Traits-
- In the end of the episode, we see that Michael ends up telling the office workers that nobody is coming in on the weekend to work. something that is very nice to do.
This episode is loaded with ways in which Michael is fulfilling his male sex role for the worse.
Shared by: Ian Chomeau
Image Credit: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/the-office-basketball-game-episode-trivia-details/ibcpo1hurcav11kxg9i1j20gy