I loved The West Wing’s Josh – 25 years on he’s given me the ick

The West Wing is regularly heralded arsenic 1 of the champion TV shows of each clip – and arsenic it turned 25 this year, I would reason that’s decidedly inactive the case. 

Except for 1 glaring contented that’s go progressively evident to maine arsenic I’ve got older – sexism. This is particularly the lawsuit for 1 of the show’s astir fashionable characters.

Josh Lyman, played by Emmy-winner Bradley Whitford, was easy 1 of my favourite men connected tv erstwhile I archetypal watched the amusement arsenic a teenager.

Smart, funny, passionately nerdy and (generally) superb astatine his occupation arsenic Deputy Chief of Staff for President Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen), Josh was an casual crush – adjacent erstwhile helium ended up horrifically hungover and wearing a fisherman’s suit astatine enactment aft a raucous nighttime out.

Then adhd to this immoderate calamity and plentifulness of guilt successful his backstory implicit the decease of some his sister erstwhile they were kids and his begetter much recently, arsenic good arsenic stellar acting from Whitford successful the occurrence wherever Josh’s subsequent PTSD is revealed, and he’s instantly idiosyncratic you tin sympathise with.

There’s besides his speedy wit and neuroses that marque him precise overmuch similar the Chandler Bing of the amusement (always my favourite Friends character) – positive his long-suffering adjunct Donna Moss (Janel Moloney) is intelligibly successful emotion with him.

A fun, slow-burn imaginable bureau romance. Swoon.

Josh is besides a maestro of erstwhile showrunner Aaron Sorkin’s celebrated walk-and-talk sequences, quipping a mile a infinitesimal arsenic the camera follows him and his castmates done the warren of White House corridors.

The West Wing was a wide haven and phantasy during the years of George W. Bush’s presidency, wherever Sorkin created a satellite filled with decent, idealistic radical – much often than not compelled to bash the close thing.

It besides showcased a partisanship among characters from other sides of the governmental spectrum that would present beryllium considered laughably rare: it’s unsurprising that fans person been crying retired for a caller mentation of the show, arsenic good arsenic (consistently) Sheen to tally for President successful existent life.

However, I would not beryllium the archetypal to remark connected Sorkin’s unfortunate proclivity towards sexism 25 years ago, arsenic good arsenic successful much caller enactment similar The Social Network’s (2010) shrill and underdeveloped pistillate roles and The Newsroom’s (2012-14) deficiency of susceptible women.

Although I thigh up thing helium writes similar the optimistic, banter-loving instrumentality that I am, I tin inactive bespeak upon characters and relationships I antecedently saw done my young, rose-tinted glasses.

I’ve rewatched The West Wing again successful fits and starts implicit the years, but it was New Year’s Eve past twelvemonth erstwhile I settled down, sick connected the sofa, to statesman a afloat rewatch of 1 of my favourite shows for comfort. And it painted the issues I had with Josh successful brighter colours than ever before.

While Sorkin wrote the genuinely superb portion of Press Secretary CJ Cregg for the arsenic fantastic Allison Janney (who bagged 4 Emmy wins) and had the President’s woman beryllium a doctor, helium inactive excessively often utilized CJ arsenic a somewhat clueless assemblage surrogate. This simply means that if determination was a analyzable concern that viewers needed to grasp to travel the episode’s storyline properly, it was much often than not CJ who would beryllium magnanimously filled successful connected the finer governmental points by her antheral colleagues.

He besides had Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) compliment a pistillate workfellow by telling her she ‘could marque a bully canine interruption his leash’. And portion it’s existent that elder White House staffer Sam’s behaviour is pulled up successful this occurrence arsenic perchance misogynistic, it’s not slammed astir arsenic fiercely arsenic it would beryllium today.

In fact, Ainsley Hayes (Emily Procter) is simply a cleanable illustration of Sorkin fumbling 1 of the champion pistillate characters connected the show. A clever Republican lawyer who thoroughly embarrasses an overconfident Sam during a statement conception connected TV, she ends up with a White House occupation acknowledgment to her awesome performance.

Ainsley is shown to connection invaluable counsel to her caller colleagues arsenic good arsenic support her opposing values successful absorbing ways – and yet her antheral colleagues often can’t assistance but absorption their comments connected her looks. Hell, adjacent the President refers to her having a estimation arsenic a ‘sex kitten’.

And that’s 1 of the much high-ranking pistillate characters connected the show. The secretaries are often berated and blamed by their antheral bosses – adjacent if it’s classified arsenic banter – contempt them ably handling a tsunami of meetings, engagements and deadlines connected a regular basis.

And let’s look it, you don’t precisely autumn into a presumption astatine the secretarial level successful the White House. These women are susceptible and ambitious successful their ain rights, adjacent if Sorkin often reduces them to sideline characters oregon the butt of jokes.

And truthful past we travel backmost to Josh and his caput Donna. I’m embarrassed to admit that I thought she was fortunate to person him erstwhile I archetypal watched the show, but it’s present perfectly the different mode around.

There’s the mediocre moving hours and a transgression deficiency of respect, for starters. His inclination towards smugness would besides infuriate maine – particularly erstwhile he’s gone to convoluted oregon adjacent ethically dubious means to beryllium a point, specified arsenic bullying congressmen for votes and leaking accusation that yet results successful a authorities shutdown. Although his committedness to his occupation can’t beryllium questioned, immoderate charm successful his assurance decidedly wears thinner with maine present that I’m older.

When she yet leaves to prosecute a better, much influential occupation suited to her talents – and by extension, Josh, who ne'er came done decently connected his committedness of a promotion – I was cheering. He was fortunate to person her – a fiercely competent, intelligent and comic woman.

That realisation is rather galling for maine though, arsenic I look backmost connected what nine was suggesting Donna (and by extension, me) should enactment up with successful our emotion of Josh.

The teasing sometimes oversteps into belittling.

Like erstwhile helium tells her she has ‘terrible sensation successful men’ and castigates her due to the fact that her ‘desire to beryllium coupled up volition ever and everlastingly drown retired immoderate tiny consciousness of aforesaid oregon self-worth that you whitethorn have’.

Or comments connected her dropping retired of assemblage oregon overly-interested and alternatively judgemental remarks astir her dating beingness and boyfriends (many of whom would person been a amended campaigner than him) implicit the years – nary convey you.

Even though it’s wide to galore it comes from a spot of jealousy and repressed feelings, I americium overmuch clearer connected what I volition and won’t enactment up with from a imaginable spouse present I’m decently grown up. And it’s not teasing from Josh – it’s embarrassing and beauteous exhausting successful a nonrecreational enactment setting.

Aside from my idiosyncratic absorption to Josh, Sorkin’s issues with penning women are not precisely news. The Oscar and Emmy victor has had his pistillate characters criticised arsenic needy, irrational and excessively reliant connected the praise and enactment of the men astir them implicit the years.

In 2022, Sorkin adjacent acknowledged his occupation with penning women himself, admitting during an onstage talk: ‘I perceive the criticism. I perceive it and I don’t privation to reason with you. I don’t privation to support it. I’ll bash better.’

It’s refreshing to perceive a antheral fêted successful Hollywood debar making excuses for himself and vow to instrumentality disapproval onboard.

I inactive emotion The West Wing and would perfectly promote anyone to springiness it a spell for its amusement and fascination value.

Yes, immoderate things astir it person not aged good successful the past 25 years, arsenic with galore of its TV contemporaries – specified arsenic Friends. But it taught maine an atrocious batch – and beyond the intricacies of the US government, to what I look retired for successful relationships. 

I besides inactive emotion Josh – if not plentifulness of his actions – but I’m surely not successful emotion with him arsenic immoderate benignant of fellow perfect anymore.

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