Five Worst Companies on Television
Written by Oprah Fangirl on Thursday, December 23rd, 2010 in Wayward Thoughts.
Workplace comedies are some of the hottest shows on television right now. They speak right to viewers’ experiences, and sometimes even make you feel better – at least your boss isn’t as bad as Michael Scott, right? We rounded up five of the worst offices on TV – just to make you feel better about your own office.
Trump Industries (The Apprentice)
Donald Trump might have made millions of dollars by being a ruthless businessman, but he certainly didn’t get that way by being a good boss. Whether or not you care for reality television, you have to admit that this long-running series draws in viewers – but it’s certainly not because its good business practices. Any real business that pit its employees against each other and encouraged in-fighting to determine who would next be fired would collapse in on itself. I don’t care what signing package Trump Industries offers the winner on The Apprentice, there’s not enough money in the world that could make me work there!
Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency (Mad Men)
This AMC show about a 1960′s advertising agency has been a huge hit – the ultimate “water cooler” show. This show does an amazing job of showing how life was changing in the 60′s, and how different life is now. No matter how well done this show is, the only take-away message I can get is that if I had been a woman in the 60′s, I probably would not have made it. The rampant sexism and misogyny makes it clear that advertising agencies in the 60′s were no picnic – and makes Sterling-Cooper one of the worst TV workplaces.
Dunder Mifflin-Sabre (The Office)
This hit NBC show has been an audience favorite because of its loveable characters and infinitely hateable boss – Michael Scott. He’s an ineffectual leader, doesn’t understand boundaries, and has no concept of political correctness. Setting aside Michael, the leadership at this fictional paper company was so terrible it had to be bought out by Sabre, a printer company. This show one of the best “pick me ups” if you, too, have obnoxious co-workers and feel ignored by corporate.
Veridian Dynamics (Better Off Ted)
Veridian is the ultimate corporate monolith. Better Off Ted was cancelled far too soon, and we never really got to explore the workings of the evil company. In the two abbreviated seasons alone, Veridian infected workers, played extensive mind control games, and would randomly shuffle the hierarchy – all to keep their workers afraid and efficient. Fans were happy to stick around to watch the antics of Ted, a corporate drone with morals, as he tried to navigate the sticky situations the company put him in, but there was always a question in the back of viewers mind – what was keeping anyone at such an evil company…besides the health benefits and great salary.
GE (30 Rock)
General Electric is, obviously, a real company, although fictionalized for the TV show in sort of the same manner as SNL has been revised as TGS. The GE of the show is both a corporate overlord and a patsy for parent companies, and often forces the character to jump through hoops and incorporate unwelcome product placement into their skits. The effect is hilarious and hits strangely close-to-home.
Jillian Gile is a guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement and a writer on the subject of technical schools for the Guide to Career Education.
