West Wing was center-left and as fair as I could expect a show to be. Newsroom, which I was like a kid on Christmas morning excited for, is just straight up dishonest. Its like Sorkin took the eight years of anger he built up during the Bush administration and put it all in a television script. I'm not even mad about it, just profoundly disappointed.
Yeah, supposedly Schlamme or whatever kept him in check and on task with West Wing. He has total control of Newsroom. Shutdown just gave me the biggest America boner.
Also, if I'm running meetings in a future job, "what's next?" will instinctively come out my mouth due to this show.
Its sad the amount of things I say that can be traced back to Sports Night, West Wing and to a lesser extent, Studio 60. My life is essentially one big recitation of Aaron Sorkin lines.
I think the fact that he got so bogged down in trumpeting his politics is what hurt the story telling and character development.
west wing sports night studio 60 newsroom can't argue with the ranking of his tv shows movie rankings are up for more debate
It was great. It got replaced by a very good show in The Black Donnelly's, which then got canceled. That was the most frustrating year of television.
I tried to get into Sports Night at one point, didn't make it real far. Not even sure why, just didn't grab me. It that good? It's a punch line for many TV critics. I have such a back log of shows I try and only watch really good stuff. Especially since in the coming years my time to watch TV is only going to decrease.
he really is a great writer but i think i'd go with social network as his best movie work. never thought a movie about facebook could be so intense
West Wing was the best but Sports Night is just special to me. I was in 8th and 9th grade during its two seasons and it was the first time I heard what smart sounded like, and its name was Isaac Jaffe.
Studio 60 is a punchline because it failed, not because it wasn't good. And TV critics can lick my undercarriage.
If I had watched West Wing when it was on TV I'd probably be finishing up law school right now. I almost went down that road anyways, but that would have been a push.
The show is the reason I worked on the Hill after my freshman year of college, which in turn is the reason I went to law school. So you wouldn't have been the only one.
The first WW episode I saw was "Proportional Response". Bartlett's Civis Romanus speech had me speechless and wanting to work in politics in the worst way.
Its the reason I fell in love with government and history, the reason I majored in political science, the reason I went to law school and ironically enough probably the reason I dropped out and became a teacher. I'm sure my worldview was already shaped before I saw the show but it put a lot of things in context for me.
When I was at AU I told my Con Law prof that I wanted to be a Republican Josh Lyman because I wasn't smart enough to be a Republican Leo McGarry.
It's kind of weird that I thought being the Marley Matlin character wouldn't be that bad either right? Stats and polling are interesting as hell to me. Probably psych research background bleeding through.
That's funny, the other day my wife asked me how much longer I was going to teach. I told her I only had another 3-4 years left in me. She asked me what I was going to do after that, I said I was going to start getting people elected to the city council until I found good enough to for run county executive and then Congress (you could actually go from county executive to Congress in my district). Really couldn't think of anything more fun than that.
Best plan is time, the growth of the tech sector bringing in young people should be a big boost. Better future than SC, seriously was peripherally attached to groups lobbying for a Human Trafficking Bill and against required drug screens for welfare recipients. Would prefer to live in a state where the latter isn't even being thought about and the former was already done ten years ago. Spoke with a guy who is a basically retired political consultant, was the most DGAF guy I've maybe ever met.
That's why, despite whatever else they can say about me, no one can question my bona fides as far as ideology goes. I grew up in a Democratic town, with apolitical parents, immersed myself in Aaron Sorkin shows, attended a liberal university and became a public school teacher. And I'm as conservative as the day is long.
between the west wing and the ides of march there was a period where i thought getting someone elected and running a campaign would be fun as hell
We just elected a new State Chair who can hopefully help turn things around. We were shellacked this past November by McCrory and Art Pope
Being in the political world seems intriguing, but the work seems insanely draining and not conducive to a good home life. So I'm going to be a social worker and therapist, only one of the highest burn-out rate fields in the country.
I know zero about NC state politics except for some hilariously bad TV ads that bled over into SC where I live. The gist was "such and such is in cahoots with Obama, don't let him make the same mistakes Obama did, OBAMA, Vote whoever of the Republican party, the other guy is like Obama, *blows racist dog whistle*".
My sister's a social worker. Really smart woman. Caring, compassionate and good at her job. She's also been married three times, goes to mass every Sunday and votes Democrat. She's an odd bird.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/10/10/111010fa_fact_mayer Really good (and long) story from the New Yorker about Art Pope and NC politics. Worth the read whenever you can find a free 15 minutes. From 2011, but it sums up the current situation nicely.
Will have to read after ASG. May be living in NC starting next fall. Wherever my lady ends up having rotations.
I grew up in Boone (Appalachian State), went away for undergrad, and then came back to Raleigh for grad school, so I have pretty deep ties with the state. Your best bet is to hope she lands somewhere in the Research Triangle though. Easily the best place in the state to live.
Yeah, most likely going to be outside Charlotte or near Asheville if we don't stick in the Upstate of SC.
does anyone else say to other people while at work when they have nothing to do, I'm just going to go wander around and try and get into a pickup-meeting? because I do.
amy gardner hands down. complete bitch but so hot and smart. and all that crazy means she had to be crazy in bed
"Happiness is my default position" is the phrase I use whenever someone comments surprisingly that I'm in a good mood.
Sorkin Dialogue @sorkinese –Do you think I could take George Washington? –Take him at what, sir? –I don't know... a war? Expand Reply Retweeted Favorite More
I finally started watching this in December and I've burned through 4 seasons in way too short a period of time. Big fan of what I've seen. Some great characters. Wish Sam hadn't left during season 4, but oh well. I can't help but combine Dule Hill's character with Gus from Psych as I watch, which I think it makes Charlie even better. Only complaint for me was Mandy in season 1. She might be the worst character I've ever seen on a TV show. Was so happy she just stopped existing after season 1.
fully agree with every fucking point you make. Mandy was sucky unnecessary deadweight. Wouldve liked a bit more of Ainsley Hayes, she was a fun second line character. Was she also the girl from cruel intentions 2 btw?
Ainsley was supposed to be involved for the rest the show, but the actress left to get crazy $$$ in a CSI franchise
Even if Mandy wasn't written so poorly, her voice would have made it impossible to like her. I don't know anything about the actress who played Ainsley. Big fan of that character, though.