MM
E Pluribus unum:
political reality and The West Wing
Much loved by idealists, liberals and lovers of high-end US TV drama, The West Wing used ex-White House consultants, characters based on rising political stars, authentic protocols and a realist style to represent US government more convincingly than ever before. But how accurate is its portrayal of the US political environment – and how far does its optimism and idealised president blur the boundaries between fiction and political reality? Journalism student Laura Dunn casts her vote.
There has been no other television drama as politically groundbreaking as The West Wing. It is the most successful and globally viewed political drama on television, spanning seven series and providing an inside glimpse into the most powerful democracy in the world. The series has won three Golden Globes and 27 Emmies, holding the record for most award wins by any television series. The series has also featured many of the acting world’s finest talent including Rob Lowe, Glenn Close, and Kristin Chenoweth. Created by Aaron Sorkin and first broadcast
in 1999, the political drama centres on the administration of Democratic President, Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen). The television series addresses the three branches of the American government: executive, legislative and judicial, as well as the devotion of Bartlet’s staff to public service. Inevitably, the lines between fiction and political reality are often blurred. Sorkin hired former White House Press
Secretary Dee Dee Myers, Reagan speech writer Peggy Noonan and Democratic political consultant Lawrence O’Donnell to serve as
46 MediaMagazine | December 2009 | english and media centre
consultants for the series, advising the creators on both political and social issues. Many former White House staff members spoke of how realistic the programme was, particularly members of the Clinton Administration who, upon visiting the set, asked to have a photograph taken behind the Resolute desk. The programme presents an idealised view
of public service and liberal presidential politics whilst touching on key domestic and foreign issues. The episode ‘Isaac and Ishmael’ (Season 3), broadcast after 9/11 was solely devoted to issues of racism and racial profiling, breaking the show’s trend of several issues unravelling alongside each other in a single episode. It highlighted the producer’s flexibility to cover current events, the episode being filmed in just two weeks. The series also addressed situations which mirror issues in our current political climate. Episodes have featured nuclear disputes with North Korea, the genocide of an African country, information leaks by senior staffers and the personal scandal of a President. Chris Lehman argues that The West Wing presents a:
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67