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Gunshow Poophole posted:do a new thing, maybe? Sir, this is America, not some sort of leftist utopia where people come up with new ideas. I mean, we're talking about a guy who's most genius idea was to re-litigate news stories from a few years ago. I'm sitting at my desk looking over the movies coming out from now through the end of summer and more than 2/3rds of them are sequels and/or remakes. Probably there are more that I'm just not recognizing. It's very depressing when people complain to me about there being so few original films as if I should call up Hollywood and tell them to knock it off.
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Mar 4, 2019 22:01
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MonsieurChoc posted:My guess is that oil was found in that African cuntry and some corporation bankrolled the rebels. Oh for sure. I 'love' the way Bartlet lectures them all about the situation as if he's dealt with this sort of thing a hundred times and it's just the sort of thing that happens in those sort of countries; of course with no relation to his lovely policies and the lovely policies of all the presidents before him.
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Mar 12, 2019 18:46
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Maybe I'm just thinking about this episode too much, but I loved John Larroquette on the West Wing because he chews all the scenery. So these two idiots in the council's office know their boss is a crazy guy who is not going to put up with any of their poo poo, I mean this is the one thing the show has told us about him, and they just flush their careers because they assume Hayes is too much of a wimp to ever tattle on them? Or are they banking that she is 'too strong' to report to their boss that these two shitbags aren't doing their jobs? I'm really looking forward to the end of end of season 4 as I have never re-watched it, but my memory is that it is 100% pure distilled  which I just can't get enough of in the year of our lord 2019.
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Mar 19, 2019 20:45
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Maybe Bradley's beliefs about sexual harassment mirror his character? In a show of problematic characters, Josh stood apart. On an unrelated note, I am very jealous if you were doing field work in a place where knowing what my user name is would be relevant. My only field work seasons were in Vermont and the middle of nowhere MI. Maybe that's why I got out of the biology game; I missed out on Sierra Nevada and Kenya.
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Apr 2, 2019 01:53
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It was so strange to watch The Newsroom take these moments and play them up like they mattered. I think at one point someone says that if they could report on Osama's death five minutes faster than the other networks their whole career will have been worthwhile. It's like Sorkin read the critiques of the West Wing, and said 'You think that was masturbatory, you haven't seen anything!'
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Apr 4, 2019 15:11
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It's quite irrational, but the part I hated the most was where Neil called everyone in for an emergency Sat meeting to show them his cryptozoology powerpoint. If a coworker of mine had done that I would have murdered them and I don't think any jury in the land would convict. Later in the show's short run, this same fuckwit is lecturing people about the sacred duty of 4th estate to uphold decorum.
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Apr 4, 2019 20:17
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I wish I was 35... lol. Also, I've been down to only one podcast trashing The West Wing per week and my hate levels are so dangerously low that I thought about actually re-watching an episode of this poo poo. You guys need to get back to work!
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Jun 4, 2019 20:27
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All of his shows are the same stupid poo poo. Sports Night tries to have the same gravitas surrounding two idiots anchoring Sports Center. The Newsroom is the worst of the bunch because it is the preachiest, while also attempting to attach the highest importance in the world to idiots doing a bad job at reporting the news while being colossal poo poo heads about it. I can't think of a single news event in my life time where the particular coverage from a specific station mattered at all. I'll mess up the quote, but at one point they speachify about how if they can announce the death of Bin Ladin a minute earlier than their whole careers have been worth while. Even in the show it doesn't matter even a little bit, and of course we know in real life the timing didn't matter. Hell, my memory is that that story was broken by superior newsman The Rock on twitter.
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Jun 9, 2019 04:49
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I will take a controversial stand here, but the worst scene in The Newsroom is where the idiot brings the gang in on a Saturday to lecture them about his bigfoot nonsense, and not only does no one break a chair over his head before throwing him out a window, but they all sit and listen. I know in my heart that Sorkin has done this, probably with something dumber than bigfoot, probably loaded to the gills with coke.
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Jun 10, 2019 19:29
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Toby is poo poo but at least he believes in something (lovely) enough to fight for it. I'd rank Bartlett as the worse because he's a completely empty suite wrapped in credentials and he's so god drat smug about it.
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Jun 16, 2019 00:06
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I'm a little sad you didn't link to the Garfunkel and Oats sports song.
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Jul 12, 2019 01:02
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So this episode starts the story line where we are supposed to think Hoynes running in the primary is a huge betrayal. But like, do we ever know why Bartlett even ran? I haven't watched the show recently, but I can't remember a single piece of legislation or foreign policy that we are supposed to think is important or historic as the viewers. People are just supposed to feel safer with President Dad in charge than someone less credentialed?
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Jul 16, 2019 19:09
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FDR had an agenda and did things. I don't see how this relates to Bartlett at all.
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Aug 16, 2019 19:32
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Zenithe posted:I in particular like it more than the other left critique podcast of the West Wing with a co-host named Dave. It is better, and WAY more listenable. I appreciate that you guys actually seem to know how microphones work and the sound levels remain steady vs that other West Wing podcast where they oscillate between shouting and inaudible as they move towards and away from the mics repeatedly.
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Aug 21, 2019 20:42
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Imagine being Lawrence and thinking that plot made sense pre-trump. Oh no, you have offended these loving lunatics; the decorum of it all! Meanwhile no one has ever given a poo poo if a conservative says some wild poo poo that offends Democrats. You have to be Steve King level crazy to get even mild consequences as a Republican (because he finally started offending Republicans).
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Aug 25, 2019 02:54
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Now that we're into the arc where our big strong dad is running for re-election, we'll finally learn something about his agenda! Oh wait, nope, he's still the most centrist, useless, decorum infested poo poo and has no actual motivation beyond ego.
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Sep 5, 2019 01:19
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So I was treasonous-ly listening to the West Wing Thing podcast and they go off about how the actual people working in the White House are very competent and a plot where Leo's assistant is an idiot is not believable. How could anyone think that in the YOL 2019? If anything we have learned that the people working in the Obama WH were also idiots, W's admin was full of idiots, Clinton, H.W., Reagan, and so on. Remember when Rahm Emanuel was touted as some sort of high level brain genius for example? Jebuz...
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Sep 17, 2019 19:37
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Gunshow Poophole posted:really? Many otherwise intelligent people suffer from extreme decorum poisoning. I mean, what percent of Congress people can articulate a coherent policy position about ANYTHING without notes or an aid whispering into their ear? 5%? The concept that we are ruled over by a bunch of loving dipshit failsons, real estate grifters and transparent con artists is too horrifying to be directly contemplated. It is easier to cling to the fiction that these people are actually competent no matter the evidence to the contrary.
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Oct 2, 2019 19:07
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Gunshow Poophole posted:Because it's really spectacular. This is true, but even for someone who reads way too much hell world related media, this is depressing af. Not sure how many of you have read 'Herland' but that is probably the only achievable utopia for a reason. Yikes. I hope that you guys are just real busy and didn't die or something.
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Nov 21, 2019 21:00
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What percentage of these people had hot, takes about anyone daring to question the health of Clinton when she kept passing out? 100% 110%?
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Feb 19, 2020 22:47
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I think the most important tie in to Season 6 will be the story coming out about Bernie and Jane smashing a hotel bed with their love making.
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Feb 21, 2020 17:46
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I just watched 'I, Tanya' and Janney is really great in that. On the other hand, what was Schiff good in? It's not 'The Good Doctor', 'House of Lies' or 'Ballers' which are the places I've seen him. He's the same grumpy, shouty Boomer in all of them.
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Feb 21, 2020 19:21
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What was the website you were referencing? Bread and something? I was listening while driving and couldn't write it down. I'm glad you guys didn't die yet, I was running low on podcasts!
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Apr 14, 2020 14:27
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I made the mistake of looking at the West Wing imdb to see which episode it is that the Santos' destroys a bed, and even scrolling past episode summaries was brutal. If they had regular network drama level actors, this loving show would be utterly unwatchable. I had also forgotten entirely who they dreamed up for Santo's VP. Holy gently caress...
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Dec 4, 2020 21:28
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Sad to hear that people are having bad things; glad to hear that you guys will reach the end of s4 so you'll get to what I believe is the absolute peek idiocy of the series.
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Mar 1, 2021 15:11
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This poo poo was even worse than I remember. I don't know why, but the 'boy friend' getting off the hook entirely was the part I had the hardest time with. The cross over potential was just lost when Jack Bower didn't show up to get the info about the dealer. Clearly they didn't have the Patriot Act in the Sorkinverese... that kid would have ended up at a black site in Egypt or something.
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Mar 9, 2021 22:26
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The show is so unmoored from reality in a way that has nothing to do with time. Remember when they joined the league or ordinary nations? The whole thing is the fever dream version of American history and politics that middle school textbooks endorse. I've had discussion with my boss along the same lines because he is very positive about the idea/aspirations of America which is only possible if you ignore or are supremely ignorant of actual America and its history. I think Sorkin would make the same show now as then. His vision of America has nothing to do with history, events, or information.
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Mar 11, 2021 04:47
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No one should watch The Newsroom. I did so that I could warn you how loving bad this poo poo is. There is a character that calls the whole team in on a Saturday for an emergency meeting... to tell them about his bigfoot theories. I work at a pretty laid back place, but if I was ever called in on a Saturday to hear some rear end in a top hat prattle on about bigfoot, the meeting would end quickly due to violent defenestration and I don't believe any jury would vote to convict. Later in the series this character lectures some new characters about professionalism. I wish I was making this up and had not actually watched this 'show'.
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May 27, 2021 14:58
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I almost want to rewatch some of Studio 60 because it probably aged even worse than the West Wing. SNL is SOOOOOO IMPORTANT GUYS! You have NO IDEA how IMPORTANT!!!! Also, a Gilbert and Sullivan riff is the height of comedy. The West Wing is at least relevant in that it depicts a lying sack of crap president doing as little as possible and negotiating against himself; which is every Dem president in my life time.
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May 28, 2021 21:07
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All of his shows and movies pretend that whatever the subject matter is 'the most important thing, discussed by the most serious and credentialed people' even when its an insipid SNL or Sports Center knock-off.
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May 31, 2021 17:55
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Can't wait to listen to this on my ride home. This was the second most anticipated episode for me, first obviously being the election one where we learn that Jimmy Smitts fucks so good it breaks beds.
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Aug 23, 2021 21:13
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It's explained if you watch Studio 60 (don't watch Studio 60). The writers room is a bunch of writers standing around watching the Big Brain White True Genius Man actually write the show. They are always in awe. Also, Sorkin spent his whole run of the show loving writers out of story credits/money. I'm not sure how many good writers would sign up for or stay in that sort of situation.
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Aug 28, 2021 15:26
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Echo Chamber posted:
They couldn't even commit to that as they had to have him married to the whitest white lady. Also, his positions are basically Republican talking points.
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Jun 1, 2022 16:39
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Ya, he's also against immigration. He has nothing but Republican ideas, but with an exciting identity. Very third way.
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Jun 2, 2022 02:14
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pokeyman posted:ok it is from this episode, had to double-check. the most egregious line to me is vinick watching the democrat handshake on tv and saying "If one of those guys had Jed Bartlet's political instincts, I'd be 20 points behind." I dunno why it sets me off, I guess it feels like such a transparent "ah, see, the good character agrees with me, your humble writer" line? there's a dozen people total who give a poo poo about that photo op and they're all employed by a presidential campaign, get outta here with political instincts The most egregious line is when someone asks a Sorkin character who his favorite writer is and he answers that it is a different Sorkin character. The show is so bad at politics that they can only have a character tell the audience that something is a master stroke or that some character is the best at politics or a speech has changed everything, because there would be no way that the audience could come to these conclusions from watching this stupid show.
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Aug 15, 2022 15:45
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Is there a better example that people don't actually get canceled than Rob Lowe?`
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Sep 2, 2022 15:03
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Thank you for suffering through this again so that we didn't have to. Sorkin has this rep for being a smart guy and everything he's done is just the most lib brained trash. At least West Wing had some really good actors, so they were able to carry it. His other stuff really suffers in that regard, especially The Newsroom; which marries truly terrible dialog and politics with mostly mediocre to bad performances.
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Sep 1, 2023 14:55
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WampaLord posted:the actors help a lot, the show really did have excellent casting, and much like I said in our second part of this episode, Sorkin's hyper-dramatic style works really well when the setting is "the highest halls of power, with actual lives on the line" and not so much when that setting is "behind the scenes at SNL" or "behind the scenes at SportsCenter" or "behind the scenes at Network News Show" I wonder if you could even do a show with that sort of theme after the Trump years. The myth of the best and brightest workaholics keeping the ship of state on course has got to be shattered at this point? It's the same no nothing dipshits and war criminals as before/usual; Elliot Abrahams, Victoria Nuland, Larry Summers, and on and on.
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Sep 8, 2023 14:19
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