The West Wing: Finding Deeper Meaning in our Comfort Shows

My favorite television show will probably always be The West Wing. Joshua Lyman’s declaration after a political victory will forever be one of my favorites: “I drink from the keg of glory. Bring me the finest muffins and bagels in all the land.” I connect with that statement. Any victory is bound to be sweeter with muffins and bagels. (Throw in some dark chocolate, and it’s a party.) From the first time I began watching The West Wing, I enjoyed the fast-paced dialogue and the walks-and-talks within the show as well as the dry, sarcastic humor. More than that though, I enjoyed the fair and open-minded approach to the opposition, the exposure of real issues, and educating the viewers about government and policy. Most of all, I loved the relationships that the characters had with each other, a family of sorts, and the value that was placed on each person’s talents and skill, the mutual admiration and respect. The characters came from different backgrounds, yet their common traits were their belief in humanity as well as their desire to become involved in the making of a brighter America. They made each other better. I recently began watching the show for probably the eighth time. (I’m pretty sure that number is soft.) The characters are familiar and much like old friends that I get to enjoy as they engage in conversation. I love the way each character is committed to what they believe to be the greater good and also committed in their loyalty to each other. I adore the dynamic between communications director Toby Ziegler and press secretary C.J. Cregg, so much so that I named two cats after them. I feel that the show makes me smarter, which I desperately need. That feeling is rare. The writing is clever, both the writing of the show itself as well as the speech-writing within the show. There’s a quote that, in my opinion, is ambitious and lofty, and so eloquently expresses the character’s opinion. In fact, this quote is posted in my classroom. While arguing about his position on education, Sam Seaborn replies:

Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don’t need little changes, we need gigantic, monumental changes. Schools should be palaces. Competition for the best teachers should be fierce; they should be making six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge to its citizens, just like national defense. That’s my position. I just haven’t figured out how to do it yet.

While watching the show again, I began to think about entertainment and the draw we feel to the stories of various characters, especially within television. I tend to gravitate towards shows such as Murder She Wrote, Matlock, and Designing Women, and I love a good docuseries, especially about a political figure or a cult. Prior to 2020, I enjoyed various crime series, especially true crime. However, my tastes have changed since then, mostly due to the darkness that I feel is so prevalent in the world. I no longer want to watch much television that deals with issues that feel dark and overpowering and too real. Like most, I need a bit of an escape at times. I want to escape to a world that seems a bit more idealistic. I still want a good story, or at the very least, characters with whom I can feel a connection. Isn’t that what we all want? A connection? We want to believe that while there is evil in the world, we won’t be overcome by it. We want to believe that those in power are motivated by a desire for the common man to succeed. We want the success of the relationships that we see in our favorite shows, whether it be romantic or familial. While we may be able to escape for a little while, basking in the idealism and romanticism of a storyline, inevitably, we have to return. Perhaps, though, we can return feeling a bit more light-hearted and a bit more motivated to face the challenges in our lives and in the world. After all, we should “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful individuals can change the world.”

~Elisabeth York