I really just have to take a moment of pause to give it up for The West Wing.
I started the show in May, right around the time when Netflix put The Social Network back on. I obviously watched that immediately, because (say it with me)… GREAT film. And after that, I thought, alright. Inject me with a little more of that inimitable Sorkin wit, why don’t you. How about the pilot of his magnum opus, I queried to no one but myself as I clicked on it— and here I am, seven seasons of 42-minute-episodes later, saying shit in Latin. The West Wing is indelible in so many ways— from the snarky one-liners, to the sometimes heart-wrenching truths brought to light—but what’s more than that is the impact of watching intelligent people debate difficult and substantial issues until someone’s got a silver bullet, a compromise, or an apology. And although that sounds a hell of a lot like a Sunday morning with my parents post-Meet The Press, there’s just something about watching the nature of politics play out through brilliantly crafted fictionalized scenarios, that proves to be a little easier for me to ingest. And I’m not suggesting that it should replace being aware of what’s actually happening over in Washington—just that it’s way more fun. Because if anyone can speak the words “campaign finance reform” and spark my curiosity, it’s Josh Lyman. Are we talking about Josh Lyman now? Finally. I love him; I really do. I find his acute sparring to be charming and disarming, and quite frankly, I think he’s a dreamboat. I also think this of Chris Cuomo, Barack Obama, and, cards on the table, Anderson Cooper, so this isn’t really out of left field for me. His and Donna’s ongoing flirtation is the main plot line of the show in my own personal opinion—one with which precisely no one would agree— and the president and the rest of his senior staff are just highly compelling subplots. Because I’m such a heathen, I googled “what happens with Josh and Donna” right around season 4, because I actually could no longer withstand the prolonging of their relationship without at least some confirmation of fruition. And once I pressed search, I really went for it. I watched YouTube videos. I read BuzzFeed articles. You cannot make me wait 7 seasons for that shit, I'm just not strong enough. However, did this stop me from absolutely screeching when I reached the episode when they finally kiss? Not a chance! Not! A! Chance! Jumping over to CJ Cregg’s realm. Never have I ever wanted to be the White House Press Secretary (one has to start getting creative with that game), but as what any Tom, Dick, or Harry might quickly describe as “just sad,” today I found myself watching a C-SPAN press briefing from 1994. I would say due to nostalgia, but I was in fact not born yet. It’s because I was perusing a list of speakers who will be paneling for Chapman students and alum in the coming weeks, and I read a blurb on Dee Dee Myers. A few sentences touched on her career as former Press Secretary for Bill Clinton, and the description was so uncanny to CJ that I looked her up—only to find out that she became a consultant for The West Wing. I've been enraptured by CJ’s jocular or sobering briefings, subject depending, and found as I watched Ms. Meyers rally with the press corps that she was just the same. A perfect professional that commands the room. I can’t wait to see what she has to say now. And it makes The West Wing that much more captivating, knowing that there’s surely more conversations based on reality than we could have ever imagined. The thing about Sorkin’s material is that it doesn’t just inspire me to get smart about the topics he chooses to write—it inspires me to get smart about writing in general. The level of research that’s necessary to spin a good story, and the depths of your own psyche you have to reach to create conflict where both sides are fierce and valid—it’s astounding. It’s super-human to me. When it comes to screenwriting, my instinct and great joy has always been to explore my own experiences and leak them onto the page in re-imagined ways, which I think any writer can relate to—but my goal is to expand. I would like to know more so I can write about more, to put it simply. I am humbly Aaron Sorkin’s student in this regard. So what, dare I ask, is next? (Either Sports Night or Newsroom, I’ll tell you that right now).
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