You may have seen this meme going around the interwebs, in which people illustrate their jobs using a series of photos to depict the perceptions various people have about them. I’ve seen a couple of humorous ones for stage managers, but had stayed away from doing my own, until I somehow realized my ideas could be expressed entirely in terms of West Wing characters. That made it fun for me, and also a bit enlightening, as this exercise requires you to be able to articulate how other people perceive you, what your job truly is, and how you feel about it.
If you haven’t seen West Wing, I’m sorry. Also, get thee to a DVD store. You’d only need Season 1 to get these references.
If you insist on depriving yourself of the best season of television ever made, I will supply a little cheat sheet to give some context:
1) Mrs Landingham, the President’s secretary. She makes sure he always has a pen and keeps him on schedule. She also has cookies.
2) Jed Bartlet, President. The most powerful man in the world.
3) Charlie Young, the President’s personal aide. Sometimes outsiders mistake him for the President’s bitch.
4) Gina Toscano, Secret Service agent. Always on the lookout for danger, and willing to sacrifice herself if necessary to get the job done.
5) Admiral Fitzwallace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. When he says the word “Go,” he can cue some serious pyro.
6) Leo McGarry, White House Chief of Staff. The President sets his agenda, and Leo’s in charge of making it happen.
