PICSPAM: The West Wing - Gender-Flipped
OH LAWD. Um, this post is ridiculous. Fair warning. And that said, I feel the need to preface this picspam with a disclaimer: I am of the personal belief that The West Wing is practically perfect in every way as is. Well, maybe minus Season Seven (TOBY!), but whatever. Seasons One through Four are solid proof that drugs are not always bad if they inspire this level of creativity and awesome (I kid, I kid, though sober!Aaron Sorkin a la Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip really only furthers this point...). Basically what I am trying to say is this: no one could ever be these characters or play them as amazingly as the actual cast has and did. No one but Martin Sheen could ever embody President Bartlet and John Spencer will always be Leo McGarry and omg Bradley Whitford as Joshua Lyman is perfection in every 'verse (and don't even get me going on Richard Schiff as Toby or Allison Janney as CJ). But sometimes it's fun to imagine things a little differently. Hence, this post, or what I like to call Tina Fey's presidential edict that BITCHES GET STUFF DONE taken to heart.
And so. I gender-flipped The West Wing. Yeah. First female president! (Sit down, Geena Davis). So without further ado:
Because I'm tired of it: year after year after year after year having to choose between the lesser of who cares. Of trying to get myself excited about a candidate who can speak in complete sentences. Of setting the bar so low, I can hardly bear to look at it. They say a good woman can't get elected President. I don't believe that. Do you?
KATEY SAGAL AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES JENNIFER BARTLET
(HEAR ME OUT: Yo, if you've ever seen Sons of Anarchy you know this woman can get shit done. Also, she's only a handful of years younger than Martin Sheen was when he started the show back in 1999, and guys. I can't rationally explain this decision other than IT WOULD BE AWESOME, and I feel that she would be able to accurately capture the humanity and faith as well as the stubborn determination that made Jed Bartlet who he was).
GLENN CLOSE AS WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF LEAH MCGARRY
(HEAR ME OUT: This was sort of a no-brainer for me? I originally considered her for the President, but felt she embodied in my mind more of the one who keeps the wheels going, who eggs "Jennifer" to run, etc.)
MARY-LOUISE PARKER AS DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF JOANNA LYMAN
(HEAR ME OUT: LOL, I feel like this one requires the most ardent defense? But I have always felt like Amy Gardner was the female equivalent of Josh Lyman, so who else could ever play the gender-flipped Josh? I also feel like she would be perfect to get all the little nuances and tics of that character down, the sort of stunted emotional growth yet genius political gamesmanship. Pretty much, once the thought entered my head, it refused to leave. Ergo, this).
ASHTON HOLMES AS SENIOR ASSISTANT TO THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF DONALD MOSS
(HEAR ME OUT: FYI, there are basically zero good pictures of this dude on the internet. I had to use one of the myriad caps of The Pacific I had saved, and this was the only one where it wasn't blatantly obvious it was WWII and he was on a beach somewhere. ANYWAY. He has totally proven that despite being, what? 32? he can play the naive barely legal kid from Mobile, AL. I am pretty sure he can also play the naive dude from Wisconsin who proves his worth and rises through the political ranks. And, you know. Like, marries "Joanna" or at the very least jets off to Hawaii with her).
JULIANNE MOORE AS WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR TABITHA ZIEGLER
(HEAR ME OUT: So, I tried to be vaguely realistic about choices here, and I doubt it's likely Julianne Moore would ever do network TV --- oh wait, that's right: she's on 30 Rock right now, lol. But in all seriousness, choosing a gender equivalent for Toby was impossible. No one will ever capture what Richard Schiff did with that character, no way, no how. And maybe it was my recent re-viewing of Children of Men, but I felt she could serve as a good corollary, getting that peculiar combination of having such a huge heart tempered by such a mighty dose of cynicism and doubt. That's my story).
AMANDA PEET AS DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR SAMANTHA SEABORN
(HEAR ME OUT: Do I even need to explain this one? LOL. I really loved her on Studio 60 and I think she's got a knack for that screwball charm that made Sam so endearing.)
JASON BATEMAN AS WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY C.J. CREGG
(HEAR ME OUT: Um, imagine him doing the infamous root canal scene. It would be Michael Bluth Goes To Washington. Both he and Allison Janney have such great comedic timing, and IDK, maybe I am overestimating his acting abilities, but I think it'd be really interesting to see his take on the role).
KATERINA GRAHAM AS PERSONAL AIDE TO THE PRESIDENT CHARLOTTE "CHARLIE" YOUNG
(HEAR ME OUT: She would be charming! Don't you think she'd be charming? I think she'd be charming).
AND ALL THE OTHERS
JOAN ALLEN AS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES JEANNE HOYNES
REBECCA MADER AS WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORRESPONDENT DANI CONCANNON
ALAN ARKIN AS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY DEREK LANDINGHAM
JEFFREY DONOVAN AS POLITICAL CONSULTANT MAXWELL HAMPTON
PETER GALLAGHER AS THE FIRST HUSBAND DR. ALEXANDER BARTLET
HUNTER PARRISH AS ZACH BARTLET
BENJAMIN MCKENZIE AS EDDIE BARTLET
JOSH CHARLES AS ARTHUR "ARTIE" GARDNER
JON HAMM AS CONGRESSMAN ANDY WYATT
JUSTIN BARTHA AS ASSOCIATE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL ALAN HAYES
DREA DE MATTEO AS CAMPAIGN MANAGER BREANNA GIANELLI
LAURA HARRIS AS MAJORITY COUNSEL FOR THE HOUSE GOVERNMENT REFORM & OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CLAIRE CALLEY
VERA FARMIGA AS WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL OLIVIA BABISH
MICHELLE MONAGHAN AS SECRET SERVICE AGENT SIMONE DONOVAN
LAUREN GRAHAM AS ASSOCIATE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL JULIE QUINCY
CAROLINE DHAVERNAS AS WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR BILLIE BAILEY
ADAM BRODY AS DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY ARNOLD SCHOTT
MATTHEW FOX AS DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR COMMANDER KEITH HARPER
AND
JULIANNA MARGUILES AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES MADELINE SANTOS
&
This was a ton of fun to make, and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! I'd love to hear what you think (ie., how freaking hot is the idea of Julianne Moore and Jon Hamm together, huh? I dig it). I also had a whole host of other characters and their gender-bent matches picked out - Matthew Davis as Secret Service Agent Gene Toscano, Benjamin Bratt as Hector Santos, Polly Walker as Lady Jane Marbury, Robin Wright as Dr. Stephanie Keyworth, Portia de Rossi as Lila Tribbey, Michael Vartan as Matthew McGarry, etc., etc. - but goddamn, I am beat, lol.
And so. I gender-flipped The West Wing. Yeah. First female president! (Sit down, Geena Davis). So without further ado:
Because I'm tired of it: year after year after year after year having to choose between the lesser of who cares. Of trying to get myself excited about a candidate who can speak in complete sentences. Of setting the bar so low, I can hardly bear to look at it. They say a good woman can't get elected President. I don't believe that. Do you?
KATEY SAGAL AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES JENNIFER BARTLET
(HEAR ME OUT: Yo, if you've ever seen Sons of Anarchy you know this woman can get shit done. Also, she's only a handful of years younger than Martin Sheen was when he started the show back in 1999, and guys. I can't rationally explain this decision other than IT WOULD BE AWESOME, and I feel that she would be able to accurately capture the humanity and faith as well as the stubborn determination that made Jed Bartlet who he was).
GLENN CLOSE AS WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF LEAH MCGARRY
(HEAR ME OUT: This was sort of a no-brainer for me? I originally considered her for the President, but felt she embodied in my mind more of the one who keeps the wheels going, who eggs "Jennifer" to run, etc.)
MARY-LOUISE PARKER AS DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF JOANNA LYMAN
(HEAR ME OUT: LOL, I feel like this one requires the most ardent defense? But I have always felt like Amy Gardner was the female equivalent of Josh Lyman, so who else could ever play the gender-flipped Josh? I also feel like she would be perfect to get all the little nuances and tics of that character down, the sort of stunted emotional growth yet genius political gamesmanship. Pretty much, once the thought entered my head, it refused to leave. Ergo, this).
ASHTON HOLMES AS SENIOR ASSISTANT TO THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF DONALD MOSS
(HEAR ME OUT: FYI, there are basically zero good pictures of this dude on the internet. I had to use one of the myriad caps of The Pacific I had saved, and this was the only one where it wasn't blatantly obvious it was WWII and he was on a beach somewhere. ANYWAY. He has totally proven that despite being, what? 32? he can play the naive barely legal kid from Mobile, AL. I am pretty sure he can also play the naive dude from Wisconsin who proves his worth and rises through the political ranks. And, you know. Like, marries "Joanna" or at the very least jets off to Hawaii with her).
JULIANNE MOORE AS WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR TABITHA ZIEGLER
(HEAR ME OUT: So, I tried to be vaguely realistic about choices here, and I doubt it's likely Julianne Moore would ever do network TV --- oh wait, that's right: she's on 30 Rock right now, lol. But in all seriousness, choosing a gender equivalent for Toby was impossible. No one will ever capture what Richard Schiff did with that character, no way, no how. And maybe it was my recent re-viewing of Children of Men, but I felt she could serve as a good corollary, getting that peculiar combination of having such a huge heart tempered by such a mighty dose of cynicism and doubt. That's my story).
AMANDA PEET AS DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR SAMANTHA SEABORN
(HEAR ME OUT: Do I even need to explain this one? LOL. I really loved her on Studio 60 and I think she's got a knack for that screwball charm that made Sam so endearing.)
JASON BATEMAN AS WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY C.J. CREGG
(HEAR ME OUT: Um, imagine him doing the infamous root canal scene. It would be Michael Bluth Goes To Washington. Both he and Allison Janney have such great comedic timing, and IDK, maybe I am overestimating his acting abilities, but I think it'd be really interesting to see his take on the role).
KATERINA GRAHAM AS PERSONAL AIDE TO THE PRESIDENT CHARLOTTE "CHARLIE" YOUNG
(HEAR ME OUT: She would be charming! Don't you think she'd be charming? I think she'd be charming).
AND ALL THE OTHERS
JOAN ALLEN AS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES JEANNE HOYNES
REBECCA MADER AS WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORRESPONDENT DANI CONCANNON
ALAN ARKIN AS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY DEREK LANDINGHAM
JEFFREY DONOVAN AS POLITICAL CONSULTANT MAXWELL HAMPTON
PETER GALLAGHER AS THE FIRST HUSBAND DR. ALEXANDER BARTLET
HUNTER PARRISH AS ZACH BARTLET
BENJAMIN MCKENZIE AS EDDIE BARTLET
JOSH CHARLES AS ARTHUR "ARTIE" GARDNER
JON HAMM AS CONGRESSMAN ANDY WYATT
JUSTIN BARTHA AS ASSOCIATE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL ALAN HAYES
DREA DE MATTEO AS CAMPAIGN MANAGER BREANNA GIANELLI
LAURA HARRIS AS MAJORITY COUNSEL FOR THE HOUSE GOVERNMENT REFORM & OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CLAIRE CALLEY
VERA FARMIGA AS WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL OLIVIA BABISH
MICHELLE MONAGHAN AS SECRET SERVICE AGENT SIMONE DONOVAN
LAUREN GRAHAM AS ASSOCIATE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL JULIE QUINCY
CAROLINE DHAVERNAS AS WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR BILLIE BAILEY
ADAM BRODY AS DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY ARNOLD SCHOTT
MATTHEW FOX AS DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR COMMANDER KEITH HARPER
AND
JULIANNA MARGUILES AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES MADELINE SANTOS
&
This was a ton of fun to make, and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! I'd love to hear what you think (ie., how freaking hot is the idea of Julianne Moore and Jon Hamm together, huh? I dig it). I also had a whole host of other characters and their gender-bent matches picked out - Matthew Davis as Secret Service Agent Gene Toscano, Benjamin Bratt as Hector Santos, Polly Walker as Lady Jane Marbury, Robin Wright as Dr. Stephanie Keyworth, Portia de Rossi as Lila Tribbey, Michael Vartan as Matthew McGarry, etc., etc. - but goddamn, I am beat, lol.