So, I've recently stumbled across this little web series by Jerry Seinfeld called "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee". A recent issue of EW (Entertainment Weekly) featured the series in an article, prompting me to pull up the site out of curiosity. The series features comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld driving around in classic/vintage cars, picking up fellow comedians and taking them out to little cafés/diners/bistros/coffeehouses and talking about nothing. The first season consists of ten webisodes, ranging from 8-17 minutes in length, and the second season is currently on it's fifth episode (available 07/11 at noon).
Personally, I've found the series to be more interesting than actually funny, as Jerry's selection of companions ranges widely (from the young and liberal Sarah Silverman to the aging comedy trailblazers Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks). Comedians, it would seem, can get pretty philosophical when they're not shooting off one-liners and ragging on the nuances of pop culture. Episode five of season one (watch it here) features Mystery Science Theater 3000 creator Joel Hodgson, who, during his chat with Jerry at a retro-themed diner, noted something that struck me as both darkly funny and true. Here is a transcript of that portion of their conversation:
Jerry: "But the other thing that's an object of fascination is that I've found that comedians of all kinds, and this goes back the Mad Men thing... the corporate environment. The idea of bosses and employees is just hilarious to us. Why is that so funny?"
Joel: "When we don't have to do it. Right?"
Jerry: *laughs* "It's such a typically human attempt to organize what is unorganizable. Life."
Joel: "You're right."
Jerry: "We just see the helplessness of trying to organize human endeavor into a building."
Joel: "We like to be in a system."
Jerry: *inserts* "That works."
Joel: "If you can agree with me that I'm you're boss and you do what I say, everything is gonna be fine."
I had to smile at what Joel noted at the end of this exchange because it's both ridiculous and true at the same time. In any workplace environment where there is a tiered structure of authority (bosses and employees), you're essentially taking a group of people who--outside of that building/workplace and under any other given circumstances--are equals or peers, and saying, "Hey, while we're in this building, we are all consenting to the fact that I have authority over you and you have to do whatever I tell you to do, no matter how pointless or senseless you may think it is." At the end of the day, I may be smarter than this individual, I may have a higher education, more experience, more common sense, a better handle on life, but... because of a few figures on a paycheck, when I walk into this building and put myself "on the clock", they receive this magical boost in power and authority. And if I want to continue to have a place to live and put food on my table, I must acknowledge this authority and comply with whatever mandates it sends my way. How non-sensical it is when you really think about it.
Maybe I'm just anti-authority, or maybe I just feel that authority is something that should be earned and not just given. It can be a little difficult to respect an authority that's assigned when some schmuck in an office decides that another schmuck in an office should get more money and a bigger office because they're more "qualified". Maybe this person truly is more qualified to do whatever it is they're doing, but if I'm at a restaurant eating dinner and some guy walks up to me and asks me to move over to another table, and to wait until after I leave to finish my dinner, I'm gonna look at him like he's crazy and tell him to bugger off. But if the same guy, who just happens to be my "boss", comes up to me at work and tells me I need to relocate to three cubicles over, and that all foods and beverages must now be consumed outside on a tiny patio, I have to comply because this person has authority over me while I'm in that building. In both cases, the reasoning behind the requests is likely to be equally pointless in the grand scheme of things, but because I signed a paper saying that I would adhere to this age-old structure of workplace authority, in one case, I am required to comply.
Perhaps it's the attitude of authority that I find ridiculous, moreso than the idea of a tiered "command" system within the workplace. Of course there have to be levels of authority within that kind of environment, or nothing would ever get done. The vast majority of what your average employee does at their workplace on a daily basis is not done because they see any real value in the work, or any point in doing it. It's done because they're made to do it by an authority figure who says, "Hey, you may think this is stupid (and it probably is), but you have to do it because I said so, and because you wanna keep getting paid." Granted, in some cases, the differing levels in experience, education, and work ethic between boss and employees does truly warrant an attitude of authority that must be forced upon workers in order for anything productive to occur. It's unfortunate, and cannot possibly promote a happier workplace environment, but sometimes it's necessary. In so many cases, though, this self-righteous attitude of, "I'm more successful, I'm more powerful, I have greater ambition, I make more money," only leads to a broken, ineffective system full of unhappy, oppressed employees who don't understand how this person without an ounce of sense or people skills has been able to gain so much authority over so many people.
In the end, as with all things, it's not the system itself that's broken, it's the people within it. Those that are able to accept their position of authority without adopting an attitude of authority will ultimately be more successful and more effective with more satisfied, productive employees. Those that can look at those employees they've been given authority over and say, "Hey, I may be your "boss", but we're ultimately just peers working towards the same goals, and we all have valuable knowledge and experience we can bring to the table. At the end of the day, I may be making the final decision, but I respect every single one of you as smart, hard-working individuals whose thoughts and input are just as important as mine."
Positions and paychecks are ultimately just indicators of responsibility and seniority, not authority. An attitude of unity and respect, and a willingness to both teach and learn from others creates its own authority, no promotion or fancy office required.
If you can agree with me that, at the end of the day, we're all just working Joes trying to earn a living, everything is gonna be fine.
