Friday, December 05, 2008

My Weekend Crush

I never watched “The West Wing.” Sure I caught parts of it here or there, but I don't think I ever sat down and watched an episode start to finish. It's not that I thought the show was bad, it's just that when it comes to politics I find the real thing provides all the drama I can handle. So, as a result, much of the unparalleled badassery that was C.J. Cregg was largely lost on me. Luckily, my dubious television watching habit did not preclude me from tapping into the awesomeness of Allison Janney.

An imposing figure at “5 feet 12 inches,” as she once told the New York Times, Allison's impressive array of roles have taken her from comedies (“Juno”) to dramas (“American Beauty”) and Broadway (“9 to 5”). Heck, she even got to kiss Meryl Streep. All that and she delivered what has to be one of my most-repeated movie quotes of all time as Peach in “Finding Nemo.” “Find a happy place! Find a happy place! Find a happy place!” What I love about Allison is that she always comes across as infinitely capable. Yet with that aura of utter competence comes a delightfully goofy streak – not to mention a competitive streak. Smart, funny, willing to cheat – now that's my kind of lady. Happy weekend, all.


21 comments:

Cal said...

Hello Dorothy,
Could you please tell me what's that movie with Streep and Janney? Thanks.

Cal said...

I'm stupid. The Hours. ;o)

Slym said...

Allison is nothing short of magnificent. I love her.

Anonymous said...

Hilarious! My 7 yo son watched this with me and now he wants a sumo wrestling brithday party.

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute, wait a minute. I'm still stuck on this part: I never watched "The West Wing."

GASP!

Should I put my DVDs in the mail for you Ms. Snarker?

How anyone survived the Bush administration without being able to escape to the fantasy land in which Jed Bartlet is the President and the immutable CJ Cregg is White House Press Secretary (and later Chief of Staff) is beyond me.

And I don't just say that because Bartlet was a Democrat...it's that he was smart.

Anonymous said...

It's funny to me that you said you never watched the west wing, because that Prop 8 musical you posted was basically a scene from the west wing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHaVUjjH3EI

There are a lot of great things about the west wing. CJ Cregg is a big part of it, but seeing the way politics could be done is another. I think the crux of the whole show is the line "They say a good man can't get elected president. I don't believe that, do you?"

Anonymous said...

goddess! i love this place.

let me dance said...

wa~ DS!
i can't stop laughing.
ellen seems really good at game.

some people do well and some people do not. (^-^)

anyway, superman always wear that
way so? i think it's fine.
but don't do it in real.

Dianna said...

You just made my morning!! I have been telling everyone about Ms. Janney for years.

Megan said...

After seeing Prop 8 the Musical a couple of days ago - I decided she was my everyday crush! She's so great. You really captured it about her well balanced airs of competence and goofiness.

Anonymous said...

Oh my, Miss Dorothy, The West Wing was so much more than politics. Take it from someone who is not a politics junky and yet watched The West Wing from beginning to end and who still watches the repeats on Bravo for a warm fuzzy. Thank goodness for The West Wing who gave us CJ and Allison.

It is coming out now that the character of Matt Santos in the last two seasons of the show was based on Barack Obama by a writer for the show who was a former writer for Al Gore.

Now I give you The Jackal...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7H_L5cYkg8

I suggest you start with Netflix and if you seriously fall in love with the show then buy the series.

:)

Dianna said...

Enjoy this little snippet from her guest appearance on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

http://s191.photobucket.com/albums/z234/UHSFRIENDS/?action=view&current=b7053f6f.flv

Good call Pyewacket on The Jackal!

Anonymous said...

I heartily second those above. You must watch it. It's like liberal porn. It got us through the Bush administration, and, in all candor, through the Palin days of this last election. When I fell in love with C.J.? Her performance of The Jackal. When I fell in 100% love with the West Wing? (1) Bartlett dressing down the Dr. Laura character, and (2) Charlie and the carving knife.

CJ said...

Oh Allison is just wonderful. And your right; Smart, funny and willing to cheat! hehe

Anonymous said...

@twoladies- oh my god! charlie and the carving knife! charlie and the bar... charlie and the ambassador. Charlie doing anything!

TheWeyrd1 said...

Heeeee

Shazam! said...

Oh yes. Allison Janney is amazing. Get onto the West Wing, Snarker. You've been missing out. CJ Cregg for President!

Anonymous said...

A few years ago (maybe the last season or two of TWW) I was asked to meet a City Councilman in his office on some business. On his desk were a few (unframed) family snapshots that Allison Janney had apparently mailed him. It turns out that he and she had gone to school together in Ohio. "She's done very well," I said. "And she's making an obscene amount of money right now," he replied. Good for her.

Gender Blank said...

I fucking love Allison Janney. She's been on my crush list for years, and it all started with The West Wing. But unlike a lot of my celebrity crushes, my lust for her increased after seeing her be herself on talk shows. Lots of people play great characters but are either duds or douchebags in real life, and it's such a disappointment. But Allison Janney? She gets better the more she gets to be herself. And that is so sexy! Rowrrrrr...

E. said...

Quite an old post now, but Allison Janney never gets old. The woman is beeeeeautifully sexy. Particularly in TWW. And even in ridiculous roles, such as Hairspray, she pulls it off! Pah <3

Anonymous said...

Bumping this post to say The Janney is phenomenal. To say I love her would be an understatement.

Great blog!