Lead Blog Response 11/9

I totally forgot about this scene! It perfectly represents how Dwight’s character operates in the show. He’s the character who fights for control in unconventional ways and this fight is viewed as comic. I agree that Dwight’s comedy often stems from the incongruity theory. He utilizes the shock factor in his weird way. I think that everything about this scene is hilarious. Dwight says “Today, cigarettes are going to save lives.” He’s such an odd person and he’s trying to use a witty slogan to make himself look cool but since it’s him lighting up a trash can, it’s just weird. There is also this awkward tension in the room that is so typical of the Office. Dwight is trying to call attention to the fire and when no one will pay attention to him (probably because they are so used to his shenanigans), he does the awkwardly loud cough in order to get Pam to see the “fire”. This scene definitely revolves around Dwight and how he reacts to the fire. He’s the only one not panicking because he is the only one with the full extent of knowledge as to what’s going on. This is in part of what makes this scene so funny. As the omniscient audience, we know that there is no danger of a fire and this makes the reactions of the other members of the Office shocking as well as hysterical.