Emmy-winning writer-producer Mike Schur recently revealed his mixed feelings about Saturday Night Live's 2008 parody of The Office during an appearance on The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast.
The digital short titled "The Japanese Office," which aired when Steve Carell hosted SNL, didn't sit well with Schur, who had previously written for both shows. "It didn't scratch the itch of reflecting [The Office] in the way that I was hoping the show would be reflected," Schur explained.
The sketch featured SNL cast members speaking Japanese while portraying familiar characters like Michael Scott (Carell), Dwight Schrute (Bill Hader), Jim Halpert (Jason Sudeikis), and Pam Beesly (Kristen Wiig). The parody included elements like bowing, eating ramen, and karaoke, ending with Ricky Gervais declaring, "It's funny 'cause it's racist."
Schur expressed confusion about the premise, noting: "It's like, 'They stole the show from me, but I stole it from the Japanese version,' but then all the actors in the Japanese version are white people. It sort of didn't track to me somehow."
The sketch's director, Akiva Schaffer, acknowledged concerns about casting white actors but emphasized that the piece was driven by Japanese American writer Marika Sawyer's vision. Sawyer ensured authentic Japanese dialogue throughout the sketch and even included an Easter egg in the credits - Jason Sudeikis's character was credited as "Mike Schur" in Japanese.
In contrast, Schur praised SNL's handling of Rainn Wilson's 2007 hosting appearance, which included an Office parody during the monologue. "They're nailing this. Everyone's nailing it," he recalled thinking at the time.
The discussion highlighted the complex relationship between the two shows, including The Office's own earlier parody of The Lonely Island's "Lazy Sunday" with "Lazy Scranton," demonstrating how creative minds navigate the delicate balance of paying homage while maintaining respect for source material.