It is not, as some might guess, the name of a hobbit. Nor is it the given title of a piece of Ikea furniture. In fact, most of you have probably witnessed it in your everyday lives. And still more of you probably tune in to watch it on television every week. What am I talking about? I’m talking about fardo. Fardo is a fairly recent term that represents the feeling of extreme discomfort and embarrassment for those who do not experience those feelings for themselves. It’s amazing that there’s even a word for this awkward feeling. I am reminded of when I heard the term schadenfreude (the feeling of joy at the expense of another’s pain). Yet, as uncomfortable as fardo sounds, it is big business in comedy.
The most obvious examples of fardo exist in Seinfeld. It’s most definitely not the start of fardo, it just maximized its effect. Every single one of the four cast members was amazingly oblivious to his or her foibles. Every once in a blue moon they would realize how deep a hole they had dug, but it still wouldn’t stop them from shoveling extra dirt over their heads. I was never a big fan of Seinfeld. Sure, it would occasionally make me laugh, and had some good comedic premises, but I would just become infuriated with the characters and their horrific choices, especially George. This is also why I couldn’t stand Meet the Parents, even though I normally find Ben Stiller quite funny. It was a film that was a series of several bad choices, one after the other.
Despite my dislike of fardo, there is one instance in which I find myself drawn like moth to flame. The Office features one of the most blatant inciters of fardo ever in Michael Scott. I love watching The Office. In fact, I’ve rewatched the entire four and a half seasons multiple times. And yet, there are episodes so loaded with fardo that I find myself cringing. Sometimes, Michael Scott’s ineptitude, bluntness and low self-esteem make for very funny situations, but sometimes it’s just plain painful. One example is the Christmas episode, “Christmas Party,” in which Michael exceeds the Secret Santa dollar limit to impress Ryan, then gets vocally upset over his gift from Phyllis, a homemade potholder, resulting in his choice to institute ‘Yankee Swap,’ in which everyone gets to steal each others’ gifts. He makes a disaster of the whole thing, even ending up personally dissatisfied at the results, and seems completely unaware of the hurt feelings of others.
So, you can see that I’m conflicted over the idea of fardo. The character of Dwight is also usually in the dark about his own ridiculousness, but he is such a caricature that it’s easier to handle. He also has no real power and thus his mistakes are somewhat neutralized. However, Michael Scott, in a position of management over every other character, can often make me, as a viewer, quite uncomfortable, recalling my own experiences with inept management. Many viewers of the Office most likely identify with the real life parallels of their own work experiences, but in reality, these situations are not funny, they are incredibly frustrating and often damaging. So, on one hand, it’s therapeutic to be able to laugh at this kind of zaniness, but on the other, it can be painful to relive these situations. There is only one instance I can think of in which a character actually acts in an expected manner with Michael Scott, and that’s when Stanley loses it with Michael in the episode, “Did I Stutter?” Everyone else, including the HR representative, who would have probably had Michael fired years ago in real life, and his direct supervisors, seem to just let things go with uncomfortable stares and stammers, and there is never any real consequence. Hell, there’s even a blog created by an actual Human Resources employee, who writes about the events in the show, and how Michael’s actions would get him into trouble again and again.
The above might be taking it too far. It is, after all, just a comedic television show. It’s supposed to be over the top and exaggerated, thus the funny. But The Office can alternately make me laugh out loud and cringe. I don’t know if I can explain why I find some fardo unfunny and unwatchable (i.e. Seinfeld) and some hilarious (i.e The Office), but embarrassment and humor is a delicate balance. Maybe it’s the likeability of Steve Carell. Then again, maybe I’m not meant to understand. Maybe I should just lie back and enjoy it. That’s what she said.
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