# West Wing: Poet Laureate **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 28, 2002, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525 "2002-03-28T06:04:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/21 "2002-03-28T21:30:01Z")
I guess I’m in the minority but I don’t really like CJ’s character. In her press conferences she always has this look on her face like she’d rather be anywhere else in the world and that it’s an inconvenience to be there. She gives her answers in a tone as if she’s repeating herself for the fifth time. I know it’s only a TV show but I think she’s given too much power on the show for a Press Secretary. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/22 "2002-03-28T21:32:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flyboy88 \* > \*\* > > Ok, then why did CJ point out the deliberate use of the gun calibers when she was talking to the Pres at the end? I thought she was making a connection to Philly there, which totally lost me. Either way, why point out the gun theme? \*\* Good question. Let me take a stab. Bartlet is anti-gun, which CJ mentioned. So I would guess that any true slip-of-the-tongue by Bartlet would never have a gun reference. Ergo, this was no spontaneous slip-of-the-tongue - it was premeditated. CJ wasn’t making a connection to Philly, she was making a connection to it being premeditated. ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/23 "2002-03-28T21:59:42Z")
Is it just me or was that Beth Littleford (once of the Daily Show) as the reporter from Philadelphia? Oh, and the best part of CJ’s rant was her little summary of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” “Yes, in this scenario, I am Chief . . .” ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/24 "2002-03-28T22:30:35Z")
Great episode. I figured out that it was a premeditated comment about 15 minutes in and was just waiting as all the clues came tumbling down. What was wonderful about it was the end, Martin Sheen’s reaction to Bartlet being discovered: absolutely nothing. A stone cold poker face. Great scene. As for LemonLyman, I can’t believe that any site devoted to Josh, with members that swoon over him and make up fantasies about him would completely turn based on one post. He had no supporters, either before his post or after? Hmmm… So where can I find the juicy gossip about television without pity? This is the first I’ve heard about it. ---
**Author:** ![Mondeo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Mondeo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mondeo)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/25 "2002-03-28T22:40:43Z")
Well where I live we are a year behind on the episodes, so obviously I am going to have to keep reading here for the scoop! What day in the states does the show play? ---
**Author:** ![king\_of\_spain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@king\_of\_spain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/king_of_spain)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/26 "2002-03-28T23:02:26Z")
Sorkin posted on TWoP under the username **Benjamin** - just go to the site’s West Wing forum and dig around in the archives, particularly the “Dear Mr. Benjamin…” thread. ---
**Author:** ![king\_of\_spain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@king\_of\_spain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/king_of_spain)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/27 "2002-03-28T23:06:02Z")
**Mondeo** (didn’t see your post before, sorry) it airs Wednesday nights at 9pm eastern time on NBC in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![king\_of\_spain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@king\_of\_spain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/king_of_spain)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/28 "2002-03-28T23:07:54Z")
Ack, I keep thinking of stuff right after I post. Last one, I swear. Just wanted to clarify that some of you might know TWoP from when it was called MightyBigTV. They changed the name recently. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/29 "2002-03-29T07:03:47Z")
Finally caught this episode on tape. See sig 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sapphire\_Bullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Sapphire\_Bullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapphire_Bullet)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/30 "2002-03-29T07:44:08Z")
Normally I _hate_ the silly little love interest stories, but I really enjoyed Toby and the pushy poet. And I don’t care if it is realistic or not- Charlie pushing CJ’s buttons about the Arctic drilling was hilarious! I wanna be CJ when I grow up! ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/31 "2002-03-29T14:41:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Oblong \* > \*\*I guess I’m in the minority but I don’t really like CJ’s character. \*\* Actually, I find her inexplicably alluring. ---
**Author:** ![Aleq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@Aleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aleq)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/32 "2002-03-29T15:07:49Z")
I couldn’t see this ep until last night due to local B-ball game preempting on Wednesday, but when I did, oh boy! I thought I was going to cough up a kidney laughing over Josh and the website! And CJ threatening him that she’s gonna “shove a motherboard SO. FAR. UP. YOUR. ASS” I almost died, I swear. Oh, and Bartlet is da man, I’d vote for the whole slate of them for Prez & Co in a hot NY minute… .22 caliber mind in a .357 world, heh heh… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/33 "2002-03-29T17:15:05Z")
Toby is so cute when he’s interested in someone - he gets so bashful, like a little kid with a terrible secret. I think the issue about C.J. not wanting Josh to respond to the website was that he was saying something about the GAO that wasn’t clear or could be misinterpreted and would then cause the WH trouble. She said “This is really my area,” as if WH staffers are to regard fan websites as public as anything else in their job duties. Interesting. Josh acts like he’s never seen a chatroom/discussion list before. I thought the whole website thing was funny but geez, don’t paint the whole Internet as a bunch of socially retarded nerds, 'kay? ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/34 "2002-03-29T19:13:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Josh acts like he’s never seen a chatroom/discussion list before. I thought the whole website thing was funny but geez, don’t paint the whole Internet as a bunch of socially retarded nerds, 'kay? But aren’t we all a bunch of socially retarded nerds? Isn’t that what made that scene so funny? 😉 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/35 "2002-03-29T20:14:34Z")
I always enjoy _ **The West Wing** _. This week’s episode was especially entertaining – CJ’s rant on Josh in particular this week. But nobody so far has mentioned how really easy it is to look at Laura Dern for a few minutes. That alone was worth tuning in for. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/36 "2002-03-29T20:21:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spooje \* > \*\*Actually, I find her inexplicably alluring. \*\* I think her allure is quite explicable. She is the tall guy’s fantasy woman. Or at least mine. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/37 "2002-03-29T21:59:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BobT \* > \*\* > > I think her (Allison Janney’s) allure is quite explicable. > > She is the tall guy’s fantasy woman. > > Or at least mine. \*\* I thinks she’s very attractive. I’m a short guy, but I can dream, too. Hell, these days that’s all I do.☹ ---
**Author:** ![stankow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@stankow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stankow)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/38 "2002-03-29T22:05:29Z")
Average-height guy weighing in here on the source of Alison Janney’s “allure”: _She is hot._ I’ve seen her in person, and she looks about seven feet tall, and absolutely owns any room she walks into thanks to her height and hotitude. You think she’s something on TV, you oughta see her IRL. Holy smokes. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/39 "2002-03-29T22:26:26Z")
I believe she claims to be exactly 6’ Women around that size who are attractive can be quite intimidating. See Kidman, Nicole. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525/40 "2002-03-30T01:24:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BobT \* > \*\*I believe she claims to be exactly 6’ > > Women around that size who are attractive can be quite intimidating. See Kidman, Nicole. \*\* I’m 5’5" (well, used to be…before “normal settling”) and I’d go for Janney any day. Nichole leaves me cold. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-poet-laureate/100525.md?page=3)