01What happened
The story, straight
Rainn Wilson told Fox News that The Office could not be made today because it was too 'politically incorrect.' The Dwight Schrute actor specifically cited the Season 1 Episode 2 'Diversity Day' as an example of the kind of humor he believes would no longer be greenlit, saying Michael Scott's lack of self-awareness was 'the whole point' of the show. His remarks, published June 15, 2026, by Dexerto, drew immediate backlash online.
Rainn Wilson went on Fox News and said The Office couldn't get made in 2026 because it's too 'politically incorrect.' He pointed to Diversity Day — Season 1, Episode 2 — as the kind of thing networks wouldn't touch now. His take: Michael Scott being an oblivious idiot was the whole point, and you can't do that anymore. The internet immediately said 'yes you can, and also Abbott Elementary exists.'
02Spread timeline
Where it actually started
03Source receipts
Every claim, linked
04What's solid, what isn't
What's solid and what isn't
- Rainn Wilson told Fox News he believes The Office could not be made today.
- Wilson specifically cited the Diversity Day episode as an example of content he considers too politically incorrect for modern television.
- The specific nature and scale of the online backlash — the Dexerto article references backlash but the cluster contains no direct links to social media reactions.
05Why it matters
The editorial take
Wilson's comments tap into a recurring cultural debate about whether 'edgy' comedy is being suppressed or whether audiences simply expect more from their sitcoms now. The backlash reflects a growing fatigue with the 'you couldn't make it today' framing, especially as shows like Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia continue to push boundaries on network and streaming platforms. It also highlights how legacy sitcom stars navigating the nostalgia economy can inadvertently reignite culture-war cycles.
The 'you couldn't make it today' take is a genre unto itself at this point, and the backlash follows the same script every time. What makes this one land is that The Office is still one of the most-streamed shows in America — it's not exactly being suppressed. Wilson is probably doing press rounds, but the quote hit Fox News, and that's catnip for the discourse machine.