The West Wing Weekly 1.15: Celestial Navigation (with Jay Carney)
Jul 20, 2016
Former White House Press Secretary Jay Carney joins Josh and Hrishi to discuss the main character's secret plan to fight inflation, press briefings gone wrong, flawed behavior when interacting with police officers, the risky game and potential cover-up in the episode, discrepancies in closed captioning and scripts, challenges and responsibilities of being a press secretary, ranking past press secretaries, and CJ's qualities as a press secretary.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
West Wing Feels True To Real Work
- The West Wing captures the feel and rush of working in the White House more accurately than many shows despite some fictional liberties.
- Jay Carney says the show's tone and frenetic pace mirror real life even if details are dramatized.
Drama Polishes Everyday Chaos
- TV compresses and polishes political work; real staffers are less articulate but face similar pressures.
- Carney notes the show captured the right feel even though characters speak far more fluently than reality.
Co-Briefing Cabinet Officials
- Carney describes co-briefing with cabinet officials and sometimes having to speak for them mid-briefing.
- He recounts tailoring the briefing in real time to each guest's strengths and weaknesses.