I work at a radio station that carries Janeane Garofalo (Air America) and we were informed that she will be co-starring in this season of West Wing, but it will not effect her radio show.


DAMN IT...like I really want that annoying women on West Wing.

Admit it. You do.

Hooray! I love Janeane.

ditto that.

Another reason why this year won't suck: Winnie Cooper

I find JG to be one of the most annoying women ever. Danica on the other hand,

well considering this is probably the last year, i guess i can handle it alhtough i don't like JG at all. winnie on the other hand...

Don't watch then.

Well, there goes any chance whatsoever of a shift away from the liberal slant of this show. It had promise with the chance to see Alda the Republican take over, but with this liberal annoying chick, it is all but over. Too bad.

If the show made an atheist, pro-choice Republican into the POTUS, it would signal a move away from a liberal slant towards a surrealist slant.

Yeah because the "liberal annoying chick" won't be an actress playing a fictional character. It's amazing to me how people can't get past the remarks & views of a private citizen when looking at their work as performers. And the "liberal slant" of The West Wing? What, it was just liberal enough in its first six years to be watchable but the presence on the show of a "liberal" activist means the show itself will become too "liberal" to watch?
I'd also be curious to see how people define "liberal" these days. Growing up in a family of moderate to conservative Republicans I think a lot of the policies of the current administration & the Republican lead Congress don't look real conservative but rather pretty liberal. Hell, the spending policies alone of the current President would be enough to make a real life Jed Bartlet blush.

Well said.

Don't misunderstand me. I am not ripping on JG, perse, I am commenting on the decision by the people on the WW to hire her. Also, I am fully aware of the differences between actors and the characters they play, however, I am also fully aware of what the crew of the WW is saying by bringing said actress in what I'm sure will be a, for lack of a better term, "dangerous" season of WW.

The people in control of the West Wing (i.e. casting, producers, etc) make their decisions based on the proper direction of the show (i.e. what goes well with the new storylines. Casting JG is a sign of that direction. She as an actress (and as a person) fits the mold that they envision the next season to be. Do you honestly think they hired her to play a character that completely different from any other character she has protrayed in the past?

If they cast her as a conservative Republican (i.e. Ainsley Hayes), I will appluad, and admit I was wrong. However, much like the AH character, I am sure if they did this, that they will use that opposing viewpoint as a point of jest more then any other.

When it comes to the politics at hand, what has kept me on the show is the fact that they do make an effort to show both sides of the issue (obviously slanted to the left due to the political persuasions of the administration protrayed), so there is not outright push to the left, for the most part. More then anything else, it is an entertaining show to watch. Not for the politics, but for the sheer entertainment value. If I want politics I'll watch O'Reilly or Scarborough, not a one hour drama.

You asked about the definition of liberal. Most politicians are liberal nowadays, it seems. I can only speak for myself, of course, which I will admit is a very slanted view, as I consider myself extremely right wing. Bush is most certainly not my favorite President by any means, due to his strong liberal tendencies. Reagan was not nearly as right wing as people make him out to be either. Buchanan and Goldwater are closer to what I like in a candidate, but still have some tendencies that I fund unfavorable. Very few if any perfect candidates.

Getting back to the West Wing. I will still watch it, despite what I'm sure will be a dissapointing season (and most likely the final). I am confident (unfortunately) that the slightly uneven balance of both sides will become more unbalanced, but as I said previously, I watch the show for entertainment, not politics.

I just wish the show would treat politics a little more like Sorkin's wonderful show Sports Night treated sports.

Here is the actual words from the email


"Janeane got word over the weekend that she has been cast in NBC's “The West Wing” to co-star in approximately 8-12 episodes. She will portray Jimmy Smits' campaign advisor in the upcoming season. She flew out yesterday to Los Angeles for taping, and will likely be there for about 10 days. In her absence, Sam will host the show by himself."

I love her too. If you have ever seen her in Romy and Michelle, you'll know why.
Maybe I'll start watching The West Wing now.

I too have been a fan of Janeane for a long time and I'm really glad to hear she'll be on the show. I've been catching up with some of the seasons I skipped on bravo and the shows aren't as bad as everyone has been saying (though not near the greatness of seasons 1-3) and this is even more of a reason for me to watch.

I don't really follow her politics views (I know she's liberal, but that's about it), but I've always enjoyed her comedy and acting. Plus I kind of have a bit of a crush on her.

"I don't know where monkeys come from, I don't know how they reproduce, I don't know how they eat. But I do know one thing: they were born to clean bathrooms."

das