The West Wing on Star Trek

[mepcolo]

I can't believe this needs to be said, but baseball, football, Jimmi Hendrix, Save the Whales? All real. Star Trek? TV show about fictional space travel. Fictional, you know, not real. Baseball, Jimmi Hendrix...real. Star Trek...not real. Get a grip! West Wing is a TV show. Not real. Becoming upset over policy in a fictional White House? Grow up.

[lordrosemount]

I could of course be mistaken, but I don't recall there ever being more than one galaxy featured in the entire Star Trek cannon.

[Minderrt]

Its all about fair and balanced application of policy. If there is a policy where no Fan affilitation of any kind is allowed in the whitehouse (eg. No sports fan, no music fan, no TV/movie fan) then this is perfectly acceptable. I personally do not understand why there would be that rule, but there are lots of things I dont understand.

If however others are allowed to wear Baseball team pins, or Jimmi Hendrix pins then this is totally out of line, and totally out of character for the show

[smielrya2962]

@Minderrt There's a difference between having something in your office, where people expect to see items of a personal nature, and having something visible and on your person at all times, walking around for anyone to see. It's absolutely inappropriate for Sam to wear a baseball cap, or for Toby to have a Yankees tie. However, if Toby has a Yankees mug in his office, no one would care.

Or maybe they just didn't really put that much thought into it, and we're all overanalyzing. That's my pick ^^

[stringerboi]

take the damn pin off because thats our policy. Leave your star trek cheerleading at the door of your home. BTW i am a huge star trek fan but wearing a pin is kinda ridiculous

[GusF]

Personally, I don't think that having a fetish. It's just being a big and knowledgeable fan. Does someone who can name who played in every World Series have a fetish or are they just an enthusiastic fan? It annoys me that a series as intelligently written as "The West Wing" is so quick to mock and derogate people for having a pastime. While wearing a "Star Trek" communicator into the White House might be a bit much, his personal comments are really uncalled for. I'm disappointed frankly.

[brandondash]

YOUTUBE STAR TREK FAN RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE

[sedeyus]

Seriously, this was incredibly idiotic. Aaron Sorkin got into online argument on a message board and wrote this story in order to criticize members of that message board for spending too much time discussing their hobbies. Which by the way, included his show.

[scottadler]

He's right, but he's also a tight-ass.

[BetterThanAThesis]

My two favorite shows.

[mecotterill]

Reminds me of that case where the juror showed up to court in her starfleet uniform. She got told to go home and change, but she maintained that the uniform represented honour and integrity, like any other military uniform.

[doktorzoom]

@mecotterill Not just any jury; it was an alternate juror for the Whitewater trial in Arkansas--and as I recall, the actress here looks just a little like the notorious juror, who was eventually dismissed from the panel for speaking to the media, violating the judge's gag order.

[dudds6699]

You missed the best part when joss says "except on star trek hollidays" and she says "there isn't any" and joss goes "work harder and we will make one up"

[castlecolten]

With this economy, no one need worry about taking things to a nonexistent place.....

[uglyduckling89]

but Josh brings his hobbies into work ALL OF THE TIME! how many times have we listened to him talk about sports and obsess over them while wasting valuable work time? oh, wait, i forgot the rule that says that all hobbies are equal except those that are not so mainstream. idiot.

[BjoernarEricSven]

"Favourite galaxies"? Actually, 'Star Trek' takes place in THIS galaxy.

I absolutely love 'The West Wing'. But if they sniff at something, they should at least get the details right.

[bbmcrae]

@BjoernarEricSven Amazing. You just did the kind of pointless fanboy obsessing the scene was talking about. So, he said galaxies. I love Star Trek, but big whoop.

[BjoernarEricSven]

@bbmcrae

His remark was off by a considerable magnitude. It's like saying columbus went to the moon instead of America. You may consider it "pointless fanboy obsessing", I consider it precision.

[bbmcrae]

@BjoernarEricSven Right. Which is what he's spoofing here. Because what he's actually talking about is a make-believe TV show where the actors never left a set in the middle of LA or wherever they were and the words were written by TV writers. They made a great. classic show, but getting one's tricorder in a twist over minutiae like this misses the actual point of what Sorkin's saying. And underlines it, at the same time. So, really, well done.

[psychoticchaos]

Well that's a shame, you cut off the rest of the speech. It ended on a higher note that went like this:

"...you can't bring your hobbies into work, okay. . . . Except on Star Trek holidays."

"There are no Star Trek holidays"

"Stick around long enough and we'll make one"

[TheFPSChannel]

You're all forgetting that in the SAME episode Sam takes down a baseball pennant from his wall as he packs to leave(!). Substitute anything Josh said about the obsessiveness of Star Trek fans and how they spend their time and replace it with hypotheticals about team sports and the whole monologue is filled with hypocrisy. (That said I'm a huge WW fan..but this speech pissed me off)

[uglyduckling89]

@TheFPSChannel fair point!

[ukanian]

@TheFPSChannel except for the original point about inspiring confidence.

[ohioiran122]

he told her.

[42underscore]

If it wasn't for those kinda of "fetishists" shows like the WW would have been cancelled before they developed an audience.

[gtafan47]

Star Wars is better...

[Serai3]

You guys have to remember one important thing: Josh is and always was a DICK. He's the Boss From Hell. Seriously, would any of you actually want to work for that guy? He was based on RAHM EMANUEL, for gods' sakes, who is one of the biggest assholes in Washington. I'm not in the slightest surprised that he was such a DICK about such an innocuous thing.

She should have worn an IDIC pin. He'd never have recognized that.

[TheFrogger15]

If Josh was the Boss from Hell he would have just told her to take off the pin and if she didn't like it she could find a new job. Remember their working in the White House you can't wear strange looking pins. I'm sure the rule is the same in all Administrations,

[MrJohnnySharp]

So according to Josh, it's not ok for so many people in offices to have decorations in their own office of whatever character they like, like garfield, or mugs, or pins to wear such as those for religious purposes. I'm a fan of my own faith, would I not be allowed to wear a cross? I also like literature. would it be wrong to have a book on a shelf in the office, or a mug with my favorite title or book on it?

[txmoney]

@ MrJohnnySharp: The rules of office decorum are enforced because such a place of work lives and dies (in many instances) by public opinion. There was another episode where the President had an old map framed and hanging in the West Wing. But he was advised to remove it because Israel did not appear on it (the map was made prior to 1948). Should all forms of expression be allowed in the office? How about a visible tattoo of a swastika? A garfield mug...sure. A satanic bible...not so much.

[MrJohnnySharp]

I understand that, however a star trek pin is no satanic bible. The garfield mug you and I both agree would be ok, is the same concept as the star trek pin, both are items of a trademark or symbol from the entertainment industry. There are things considered more high profile, such as religious artifacts like a pin of a cross or rosary, those are allowed (still, though might change). I guess I was just wondering what the theme or idea behind this scene was. To me, it just didn't make sense

[watkinsonatdal]

Two things, first I figure that it was a take on the star trek juror from the Clinton Grand Jury Investigation. Gooogle it, its quite funny. Second a star trek mug would be ok, but not on the person. Eg. a soldier can have a garfield mug, but can't pin a garfield pin on his uniform. Dress code is dress code, work space is a different thing all together.

[gagothesith]

Anything not necessary to the performance of one's duties at the workplace--let us remember that the very reason one comes to the workplace is to perform those duties--is precisely that: not necessary.

And if forgoing those "expressions" do not cause damage to anything but one's ego--if their being kept out of the workplace in turn does not hinder the performance of one's duties in that same workplace--then there should be no battle on behalf of such "expressions".

[JD1010101110]

i have favourite episodes and characters of west wing

[VCat2006]

Top tens and fan fiction, too?

[nicklebackfan]

Josh saying he has interests outside of work is a joke. When you work at the White House, you have no time for hobbies or outside interests.  I suspect that's true in real life as well as in the WW universe.

[VaportrailFilms]

The world would be a better place if more Trekkies watched the West Wing.

Her "You don't like Trek so you must not be very smart" attitude... gah. Lighten up, lady.

[NoirMusic]

How do you get "not very smart" from that?

[VaportrailFilms]

"But I wouldn't expect you to understand those kind of things" is pretty much shouting it from the hills.

[NoirMusic]

No it isn't. She says it is about "honor, loyalty and civic duty" Saying someone doesn't understand those things doesn't say they are stupid, it says they are disloyal, self-serving and without honor. None of those are similar to "smart" or "dumb"

[VaportrailFilms]

If you're a literalist, perhaps. I give the show more credit than that.

[NoirMusic]

Oh come on the show had a sense of humor. This was obviously the equivalent of a lawyer or politician joke. Honesty "you wouldn't know anything about THAT"... Her calling him stupid would be...well stupid.

[VaportrailFilms]

Don't get me wrong, I love the show.

I just think the girl is an honest portrayal of a hardcore fan who assumes the non-fans are morons.

It's all in the tone, not the wording.

[NoirMusic]

To each there own. Maybe we are both 100% right. Maybe she is being holier than thou and self-righteously intellectual....

[VaportrailFilms]

Haha, that's probably what it is.

[ReX342]

So I can't bring my West Wing fetisj into the workplace?

Oh man! I had just finished my favorite sates, districts and countires versus my favorite episodes and seasons and a crosstabulation of which is in which.

[grapesofwraith1066]

Haha, Josh is knowledgeable about Star Trek too!  Never would have thought that...

[intorainbowz]

Well I think I'll leave my Kate Mulgrew autograph proudly displayed in my government provided office.

[arnout23]

Joshua a Trek fan, That's so cool.

[HiThereILoveU]

Josh is a Star Trek fan that is so....... lmfao

[irishmastermind13]

1 i love star trek, and yes, it is nerdy.

2. shut up you skumbag republican bastards

[arnout23]

i'm a trekfan and WW-fan and also republican.

What's next

[SCI78]

spot on !!!!!!

but then who says that the feds are all honour and honest - theres something slyness about the federation

[caseyburk]

lmao. I loved the way that was edited. It was hilarious.

[brucevdk]

I'll bring my hobbies into work if I damn well please Mr. Josh 'Jackass' Lyman.

[ermineermine]

1 You can do that in some countries, and cannot in some.

2 Being employed, by definition, means someone else is boss--and a boss, barring in some countries, can get rid of any 'jackass employees if he damn well pleases'.

In which case or before which, you may exercise your right to work in another company, or in another country where, well, the rules are different.

[ParaDyne82]

Except on special Star Trek Holidays

There are no special Star Trek Holidays.

Work harder around here, we'll make one.

[t1984t]

your right. international respect, budget surplus, booming economy, low unemployment. what a fuck up he is, why looking at his horrible eight years makes you realize how truly lucky we are to have king asshat mcdipshit on the throne. I voted for regan. i'm no liberal. i'm a Marine Corps vet. i don't even like clinton, hell i hate his wife but you got to be a special kind of stupid to think america wasn't stronger in 98 than 08.

[ermineermine]

T1984T:

> america (was) stronger in 98 than 08

True.

I

That is because the first Pres Clinton realised that *reality* is more important than *'(Liberal)-ism in its purest form'*.

And yet his fellow Democrats now villify *triangulation* as a 'betrayal'--how else can a Democrat President get a second term? why do they think no Democrat President has ever won a 2nd term since FDR?

. . .

[ermineermine]

II

Bush Jr won in 2000 because the Democratic Party nominee

1 was so uninspiring that he could not even get his and his father's state to support him (which, if he had managed, would have made FL irrelevant and the Supreme Court ruling unnecessary);

2 ran on his record as VP during eight successful years, while all-but-denying the one who was President during the same period.

. . .

[ermineermine]

Bush Jr won again in 2004 because the alternative

1 from the time he returned from Vietnam

2 throughout his time in the Senate

3 and throughout the campaign

acted and talked in a manner which made many see him as an even more alarming prospect than the incompetent incumbet.

Sure, there were better people than Bush Jr-or-Gore in 2000 and Bush Jr-or-Kerry in 2004--but they weren't candidates.

[ermineermine]

(ERRATUM: 'incumbent')

[t1984t]

When you're right, your right. Well stated.

[WylldSpirit]

Last I checked Clinton served two terms. Actually, EVERY Democrat President except Carter and JFK has served more than one term since Grover Cleveland, with FDR serving a record 4. Whereas approximately HALF of all Republican Presidents since Cleveland served only one term.

Check your "facts" before spewing misinformation

[ermineermine]

( ERRATUM:

21 Presidents--

[] 8 Democrats

[] 13 Republicans )

[ermineermine]

Of the above Democrats

[] 6 out of 8 SERVED multiple terms

but

[] only 4 out of 8 WON a second election.

NOTE: The remaining two out of the six--HS Truman and LB Johnson--

[] SUCCEEDED to the Presidency upon the death of the previous incumbent

[] subsequently won the first election which followed

but

[] failed to WIN a second one.

. . .

[ermineermine]

Of the above Republicans

[] 5 out of 13 SERVED multiple terms

out of whom 4 WON multiple elections

while

[] 1 succeded to the 1st term and won one election but failed to win another

[] another 1 succeeded to the 1st term and never again ran

and

[] 1 resigned.

. . .

[WylldSpirit]

Learn the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. "1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once." The 22nd amendment was ratified in 1951. Therefore since both Truman and Johnson couldn't run a second campaign

[ermineermine]

1 Has it ever occured to you that some people's disagreement with your views may not necessarily be born of ignorance?

2 Has it ever occured to you that you need to accurately grasp the flow of the argument hitherto before you add anything to or dispute any part of it--if only to avoid embarrassing yourself?

[kiwiting]

The 22nd amendment was passed when Truman was president, so he is not barred from a third term by it. Also, Truman has been running for president in 1952 and not dropped out after poor showing in the New Hampshire primary. As for Johnson he is not barred from a third term because he serve less than two years of JFK's term, that made him eligible for reelection in 1968, again, he has to dropped out of poor result in primaries.

I also don't like republican, I just wanna straight out the record

[Jermbot15]

"why do they think no Democrat President has ever won a 2nd term since FDR?"

Actually you're wrong on semantics and your point is without merit. Truman and Johnson both won 2nd terms, they just didn't win 1st terms.

This would be splitting hairs except the context of your point seems to be that it shows a weakness in the Democratic party brand but in the case of Johnson and Truman we had Democrats who were elected, Roosevelt and Kennedy, and then Democrats elected again 4 years later.

[ermineermine]

I

"serve a 2nd term" is not the same as "win a 2nd term"/"get elected twice".

II

THE FACT REMAINS: While it is easy to win the election following a popular President's death while in office, THE TEST comes when the successor has served a full term and the electorate decides whether to give the same Party another term--a VERDICT ON PERFORMANCE.

. . .

[t1984t]

by the way your quote from cicero, its a bad thing you facist twink...Ben Franklin said : those would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

[wingnutrules]

Horrible edit. Really took away from the context of the actual scene.

[Song1324]

What episode is this?

[mattbcl]

Yech. Sorry, man, but the editing on that last bit of the clip wasn't necessary. I believe you when you say you're a sci-fi fan, but the way it's presented, one might think you're taking a jab. I'd say just let the clip speak for itself, unedited.

[treborsf]

Nicely edited.

[mwtrek]

OMG Two great shows come together

[theSeeker7]

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate this being done and it's cool and all, but with all due respect, I think it could've been done quite a bit better. There's significantly more to Josh's interaction with this girl that's pretty funny, it might've been better just to let the entire rest of that scene play out as is.

[prometheus59650]

It's plenty funny unedited. The editing does take a swipe at fans, though I'll take you at your word that it was unintentional. You go directly from the descriptives to, "It's a fetish."

[prometheus59650]

drattedcat is quite correct. Seems the poster is doing some selective edititing to take a swipe at sci-fi fans.

[capierno]

Actually, not. If you saw my other videos, you'd know I'm an avid sci-fi fan. Trek fan specifically. :)

I posted it because I thought it was hillarious.

[spudnutsncoffee]

@capierno Amen. People like this lady who live in a fantasy world have always amused me. The White House is no place for Trekker Conventions. There is no more honor in Star Trek than there are vitamins and minerals in plastic fruit. It represents something good, but in the end it is fiction and fantasy, and will not save the world. :) Trouble is, Obama and his minions are plastic fruit. And we need people in the White House that will actually make this country and the world a better place.

[MyNamesNotLuke]

@spudnutsncoffee Fiction=/=Reality

And then you go on about some idiotic analogy based off of a false point with no substance whatsoever. I love how people always say things, but in no way back it up at all. They don't even try throwing in some fallacious argument in an attempt to support their beliefs. You're just throwing analogies and subjective crap around like it was your own feces and you were a deranged animal in a cage.

Oh, wait...

[thatdrattedcat]

augh. the video doesn't have the rest of what josh was saying. actually, as i remember it, his explanation to janice is one of the less assholic things he's done on the show. people watching this should see the whole exchange.

[undetected2]

I agree. The editing changed the meaning of the clip.

[emdog2564]

yesh i liked him

[tweetypie100]

he was one of the most popular characters on the show, apart from martin sheen...

[mystwoman]

i hated his character. Lost has the same disease with jack and guess what's its fan base has sailed

[DashX13]

I would n't compare the West Wing to Lost.

[tweetypie100]

lol, sorkins obviously been visiting the television without pity's west wing forum...

[Yecats17]

lol I think he posted there.

[filegirl]

Sorkin's snarky little ode to the internet community. LOL