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Friday, November 2, 2007
You’ve Been an Uncle Remus to Me

Posted by: lain // Category: Uncle Remus, Good Questions // 12:07 pm

Did anyone else watch The Office last night?

Stanley, the only black employee of Dunder-Mifflin’s Scranton branch, tells everyone he’s gotten a better deal at the Utica branch and will be leaving them. Nobody wants him to go.

Ed Helms, Not Exactly Politically Correct, But Certainly Awesome

Andy, left, played by Ed Helms, explains, “You’ve been like an uncle to me. Like a kind, old …Uncle Remus.”

(I wonder if he ever visited the Wren’s Nest when he was a wee chap growing up in Atlanta.)

Later in the episode, Michael Scott bemoans the loss of his only black employee, and can hardly stand dictating a want ad–

Michael Scott takes out a want ad

“Wanted: middle aged black man with sass. Big butt. Bigger heart.”

The staff of the Wren’s Nest thought these scenes, and this particular episode, were hilarious. What did you think? Did you cringe? Or was it just funny?

I think a lot of the Joel Chandler Harris stuff, Uncle Remus in particular, strikes people in two very different ways.

I can’t tell you how many folks sheepishly ask about the Wren’s Nest, “Gee, well, is Uncle Remus …isn’t that racist?” I get just as many very angry-sounding phone calls telling me that the Uncle Remus stories are hilarious and about as far from racist as possible, gall durn it.

We tend not to dwell on this argument here at the Wren’s Nest, but I will point you to one earlier post, as well as a picture on our brochure–

Uncle Remus on the Wren's Nest Brochure

This illustration was from the first printing of Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings in 1880, and Joel Chandler Harris did not like the pictures his publisher chose at all. In fact, he believed that the depiction of Uncle Remus was demeaning and condescending.

It didn’t do his character the least bit of justice.

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6 Comments


  1. Jodi
    Comment // November 2nd, 2007 // 1:15 pm

    The Office is on my Tivo waiting for me to watch it this weekend! Now I’m looking forward to it even more. Wouldn’t be surprised if our website visits are up today after such a high profile mention…


  2. Tim
    Comment // November 2nd, 2007 // 1:26 pm

    I saw that last night. I thought that it was hilarious. Michael has no clue how he sounds, which is part of what makes it funny.


  3. Jennie
    Comment // November 2nd, 2007 // 1:28 pm

    Amy and Lain I saw it and thought of you!!! And directly before that I watched the South Park episode where Uncle Remus was mentioned again. Twice in one night, I can hardly handle it!


  4. Scotty
    Comment // November 2nd, 2007 // 1:50 pm

    Saw it. Definitely funny. When Andy said that, I actually thought to myself, “I wonder if we’ll hear about this on the blog. I hope so.”


  5. Scotty
    Comment // November 2nd, 2007 // 1:51 pm

    Oh, and speaking of Ed Helms, go wildcats!


  6. lain
    Comment // November 2nd, 2007 // 2:03 pm

    They let you watch television in law school, Scotty?

    I was under the impression that y’all were only allowed to (a) read; (b) get skewered in class; and (c) attend many, many cocktail parties.

    Also, in my investigation I think I found that Brian Baumgartner, who plays Kevin on The Office, also graduated from Westminster.

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