The Crackpots and These Women
Encyclopedia
"The Crackpots and These Women" is the 5th episode from Season 1 of The West Wing
.
Leo McGarry
encourages his staff to meet with fringe special interest groups that normally would not get attention from the White House
. Big Block of Cheese Day also is mentioned in "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail
."
The rationale for the day, as recounted by McGarry (much to the consternation of the Senior Staff), is that America's seventh president, Andrew Jackson
, had a two-ton
block of cheese in the White House foyer from which everyone was welcome to eat. This symbolized the openness of the White House to the American people. White House Communications Director
Toby Ziegler
derisively refers to the day as "Throw Open Our Office Doors To People Who Want To Discuss Things That We Could [sic] Care Less About Day", and Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman
refers to it as "Total Crackpot Day".
White House Press Secretary
C.J. Cregg meets with a group about building a highway for wolves, while Sam Seaborn
meets with a citizen, played by Sam Lloyd
, concerned about UFOs
.
Josh is given a card from the NSC with information about where he is to go in the event of a nuclear attack and becomes riddled with guilt after realizing that nobody else on the staff was given one. He visits his therapist and reveals that his older sister died in a house fire while babysitting for him, and that he survived by running out of the house.
Later, President Bartlet
hosts a reception in the Residence for his youngest daughter, Zoey
, who is scouting colleges in the D.C. area. (Earlier in the day, upon learning of her visit, the President announces to everyone that he will make chili
for them all.) In a private conversation, the President, Leo and Josh marvel at the extraordinary strength and integrity of the women in their lives. During the party, Josh returns his NSC card to the President, explaining that he just wants to be with his friends through everything and to be able to look them in the eye in the meantime.
was first made and presented to President Thomas Jefferson
on January 1, 1802 by John Leland
. Leland considered the cheese an act of "profound respect...to the popular ratification of his election." The book Real Life at the White House confirms that this story draws on actual events. Supporters of Andrew Jackson, not wanting Jefferson to outshine him, sent him in 1837 a 1,400-pound, four-foot-diameter, two-foot-thick (635 kg, 1.2 m diameter, 60 cm thick) block of cheese as a gift. After two years of aging, he held a public "cheese tasting". The event was heavily attended, and the cheese was consumed in two hours.
s and wildlife corridor
s to allow animals to cross highways without being struck by passing vehicles. In fact the entire program proposed has been implemented as the Y2Y initiative (Yellowstone to Yukon) which links the Yukon with Yellowstone National Park using a series of corridors and highway crossings. The story of "Pluie" the wolf is true and served as the inspiration for the program.
showing Aaron Sorkin his card issued by the NSC
showing him where he was to go in the event of an attack. In the script book, Sorkin reveals that former White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers
pulled him to one side and said that they didn't exist. However, unknown to Myers, the cards exist, but she wasn't issued one.
The West Wing (TV series)
The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
.
Plot
The staff participates in "Big Block of Cheese Day", a fictional workday on which White House Chief of StaffWhite House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
Leo McGarry
Leo McGarry
Leo Thomas McGarry is a fictional character played by John Spencer on the television serial drama The West Wing. The role earned Spencer the 2002 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. McGarry's character, the former United States Secretary of Labor, begins the series as the White...
encourages his staff to meet with fringe special interest groups that normally would not get attention from the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. Big Block of Cheese Day also is mentioned in "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail
Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail
"Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail" is the 38th episode of The West Wing.The title is a lyric from the Don Henley song "New York Minute," from the album The End of the Innocence...
."
The rationale for the day, as recounted by McGarry (much to the consternation of the Senior Staff), is that America's seventh president, Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
, had a two-ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
block of cheese in the White House foyer from which everyone was welcome to eat. This symbolized the openness of the White House to the American people. White House Communications Director
White House Communications Director
The White House Director of Communications, also known as Assistant to the President for Communications, is part of the senior staff of the President of the United States, and is responsible for developing and promoting the agenda of the President and leading its media campaign...
Toby Ziegler
Toby Ziegler
Tobias Zachary 'Toby' Ziegler is played by Richard Schiff on the television serial drama The West Wing. For most of the series' duration he is White House Communications Director.-Creation and development:...
derisively refers to the day as "Throw Open Our Office Doors To People Who Want To Discuss Things That We Could [sic] Care Less About Day", and Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman
Josh Lyman
Joshua "Josh" Lyman is a fictional character played by Bradley Whitford on the television drama The West Wing. For the majority of the series, he was White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the Josiah Bartlet administration...
refers to it as "Total Crackpot Day".
White House Press Secretary
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
C.J. Cregg meets with a group about building a highway for wolves, while Sam Seaborn
Sam Seaborn
Samuel Norman "Sam" Seaborn is a fictional character portrayed by Rob Lowe on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is best known for being Deputy White House Communications Director in the Josiah Bartlet administration throughout the first four seasons of the series.-Creation and...
meets with a citizen, played by Sam Lloyd
Sam Lloyd (actor)
Samuel "Sam" Lloyd, Jr. is an American actor and musician, perhaps best known for his portrayal of beaten down lawyer Ted Buckland on the American comedy-drama Scrubs....
, concerned about UFOs
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
.
Josh is given a card from the NSC with information about where he is to go in the event of a nuclear attack and becomes riddled with guilt after realizing that nobody else on the staff was given one. He visits his therapist and reveals that his older sister died in a house fire while babysitting for him, and that he survived by running out of the house.
Later, President Bartlet
Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is President of the United States for the entire series until the last episode, when his successor is inaugurated...
hosts a reception in the Residence for his youngest daughter, Zoey
Zoey Bartlet
Zoey Patricia Bartlet is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Moss on the television serial drama The West Wing. Zoey is the youngest of President Josiah Bartlet and Abbey Bartlet's three daughters, and is more prominently featured in the series than either of her sisters.Zoey and...
, who is scouting colleges in the D.C. area. (Earlier in the day, upon learning of her visit, the President announces to everyone that he will make chili
Chili
-Food:* Chili pepper, the spicy fruit of plants in the genus Capsicum* Chili powder, dried, ground red chili peppers, sometimes with cumin and other spices* Chili con carne, often referred to simply as "chili" a stew-like dish...
for them all.) In a private conversation, the President, Leo and Josh marvel at the extraordinary strength and integrity of the women in their lives. During the party, Josh returns his NSC card to the President, explaining that he just wants to be with his friends through everything and to be able to look them in the eye in the meantime.
The Cheshire Mammoth Cheese
The Cheshire Mammoth CheeseCheshire Mammoth Cheese
The Cheshire Mammoth Cheese was a gift from the town of Cheshire, Massachusetts to President Thomas Jefferson in 1802. The cheese was created by combining the milk from every cow in the town, and made in a makeshift cheese press to handle the cheese's size...
was first made and presented to President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
on January 1, 1802 by John Leland
John Leland (Baptist)
John Leland was a Baptist minister in Massachusetts and Virginia. He was an important figure in the struggle for religious liberty in the United States. Leland was also an outspoken critic of slavery...
. Leland considered the cheese an act of "profound respect...to the popular ratification of his election." The book Real Life at the White House confirms that this story draws on actual events. Supporters of Andrew Jackson, not wanting Jefferson to outshine him, sent him in 1837 a 1,400-pound, four-foot-diameter, two-foot-thick (635 kg, 1.2 m diameter, 60 cm thick) block of cheese as a gift. After two years of aging, he held a public "cheese tasting". The event was heavily attended, and the cheese was consumed in two hours.
Animals on highways
According to the West Wing Continuity Guide fansite, there have been efforts to construct wildlife crossingWildlife crossing
Wildlife crossings are structures that allow animals to cross human-made barriers safely. Wildlife crossings may include: underpass tunnels, viaducts, and overpasses ; amphibian tunnels; fish ladders; tunnels and culverts ; green roofs .Wildlife crossings are a...
s and wildlife corridor
Wildlife corridor
A wildlife corridor or green corridor is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities . This allows an exchange of individuals between populations, which may help prevent the negative effects of inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity that often occur within...
s to allow animals to cross highways without being struck by passing vehicles. In fact the entire program proposed has been implemented as the Y2Y initiative (Yellowstone to Yukon) which links the Yukon with Yellowstone National Park using a series of corridors and highway crossings. The story of "Pluie" the wolf is true and served as the inspiration for the program.
NSC Card
Josh's dilemma with the card given to him was inspired by George StephanopoulosGeorge Stephanopoulos
George Robert Stephanopoulos is an American television journalist and a former political advisor.Stephanopoulos is most well known as the chief political correspondent for ABC News – the news division of the broadcast television network ABC – and a co-anchor of ABC News's morning news...
showing Aaron Sorkin his card issued by the NSC
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
showing him where he was to go in the event of an attack. In the script book, Sorkin reveals that former White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers
Dee Dee Myers
Dee Dee Myers served as White House Press Secretary for the first two years of the Clinton administration, from January 20, 1993 to December 22, 1994.-Early life and education:...
pulled him to one side and said that they didn't exist. However, unknown to Myers, the cards exist, but she wasn't issued one.
Inaccuracies
- Factual errors: Bartlet mentions that his daughter will be starting at Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGeorgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
soon and "is scouting for off-campus housing". Georgetown requires all first- and second-year undergraduates to live on-campus, providing an exception only if the student is married, over the age of 21, has dependents, or is living with his/her parents.
- Factual errors: When Josh is listening to "Ave Maria" he claims that SchubertFranz SchubertFranz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
was crazy. Medically speaking, this was untrue and it's more than likely that the writers were thinking of composer Robert SchumannRobert SchumannRobert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
, who did in fact end up in an insane asylum towards the end of his life.
See also
- "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to JailSomebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail"Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail" is the 38th episode of The West Wing.The title is a lyric from the Don Henley song "New York Minute," from the album The End of the Innocence...
", the next Big Block of Cheese Day
External links
- http://wiki.monticello.org/mediawiki/index.php/Mammoth_Cheese
- History textbook illustration of Andrew Jackson's big block of cheese