The West Wing: Ainsley Hayes - "I'm sorry, did I overreach?"

[@Arkhangel99]

“Ginger, get the popcorn!” One of Toby’s best lines!

[@AH-te5gs]

My favourite, next to his lines during the basketball game

[@fifthbusiness1678]

Yeah, to accompany others watching Sam “get his ass kicked by a girl.”

[@wesroberts1983]

Most underrated character in any television show ever.

[@andreasz7986]

Watching Josh running or prancing through the room is the FUNNIEST thing ever and what makes these few minutes of the West Wing one of the best

[@antourte1]

Love that the host just laughs when Ainsley asks if she overreached. "You clearly don't actually need any more advice from me, at ALL."

[@alexandersargeaunt2643]

I love that too. Clearly this is a guy that enjoys being surprised when filming another monotonous interview segment.

[@swyxTV]

he was condescending to her the whole time out of sheer experience but i like that he knew not to disrespect her again after that

[@downtown_abown]

"Toby! Come quick, Sam's getting his ass kicked by a girl!" "Ginger get the popcorn." Amazing

[@KikoJonesUSA]

That's a couple of evil mofos, enjoying their boy getting wrecked like that. hahahahahahahahahaha

[@bryansmith9431]

Popcorn line is fun. “By a girl” is cringeworthy.

[@RJPrahinski]

Mark Gottfried: "Is Sam Seaborn lying?" Ainsley Hayes: "Lying is an awfully strong word." Mark Gottfried: "Do you---" Ainsley Hayes: "---Yes. He's lying..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ainsley Hayes: "And we should tell the truth about this. Textbooks are important. And for no other reason than they'd accurately place the town of Kirkwood in California and not Oregon..." ~BOOM~

[@Ganurath]

"My show's not the place for you to become a star," he said to the woman about to get a job offer from the White House.

[@blairbrown4812]

To be fair to the man, he didn't know he was about to witness a historic ass-kicking.

[@misteroz]

"I'm sorry, did I overreach?" Superb.

[@tomsurber2293]

One of the greatest aspects of TWW is it on occasion showed everyone in the Bartlett administration we're familiar with getting beat, humbled or humiliated. Truly great stuff!

[@nottoomuch87]

Yepp, every single one of them. Even the President and First Lady.

[@rbyapok9158]

At The West Wing Fan Convention in 2017, Kim Webster (Ginger) showed up a day early to the opening ceremony carrying four shopping bags filled with small bags of popcorn and announced "I brought the popcorn!"

[@almostfm]

3:43 is Sam's patented "This is bad on so many levels" face.

[@shanekilpatrick3378]

Josh and Toby. You got to love friends who relish in your embarrassment. Toby’s line; “Don’t forget the popcorn!” Legend.😂

[@metarus208]

It's actually ... "Ginger get the popcorn."

[@MotownGuitarJoe]

To see Toby RUNNING out of his office is hilarious.

[@matthewbarton782]

I can still remember when this was a fresh episode and me and my parents and sister were busting out laughing at this scene. 🤣

[@Jmatt455]

This segment made me a fan of the show. I work nights, and for a while TBS, I think it was TBS, would re-run 2 episodes in the middle of the day. I watched it every day it was on. Great show.

[@thefeleapz4144]

I love the shot at the beginning of the debate where you see Ainsley is on a pillow. She's an awesome character.

[@sidp8031]

Oh how I miss this show.

[@punknhead23]

Best show ever televised!

[@phvangalen4310]

Me too, every year I watch at least the first 4 seasons again...

[@CaseyTianJ]

When I was a child and watching the west wing, Ainsley Hayes was one of my favorite. And I was shocked when I was watching CSI...

[@thingthang2904]

2:32 Watching this back, you realize she's picking up on his "Kirkwood Oregon" mistake

[@moreththerogue6218]

"... about to vote on President Bartlett's 1.5 billion dollar education bill." The good old days when a billion dollars actually meant something.

[@veramae4098]

Yeah. Born in 1952 I'm starting to deduct "zeros" from money to get a grasp of the cost, that I understand. Do you know that during the California Gold Rus days, $50,000 was equal to about $1 million ... in 1952?

[@pattygioffre2366]

I loved this show & scenes such as this are 1 of the many, many, many reasons why.

[@xhighone]

This is one of my favorite Josh and Toby moments all time, I'm not sure there is a scene where Toby is more excited than this one.

[@michaelperrin2531]

Sam's getting his ass kicked by a Republican, who happens to be a well informed patriotic blond. "Sorry Sam"

[@CJ-im2uu]

Michael Perrin IQ45 won't hire Aiinsley that is for certain. Especially the we shold tell the truth part.

[@jimmy2k4o]

@@CJ-im2uu I’m sorry can you elaborate on what you mean? It appears your weren’t impressed with her arguments, I’m curious which part did you object to and why? (With respect)

[@crucisnh]

While what you said, Micheal Perrin is true, I think that if the parties were reversed but the situation remained the same, I believe that the White House guys would have had the same reaction (though in this politically correct age, perhaps not). I think that the reality is that the veteran WH spokesman getting his butt whupped by an unknown blonde woman from the other party would have been cause for his WH buddies to get some chuckles at his expense.

[@briesullivan883]

@@CJ-im2uu are you referring to Trump or Biden?

[@briesullivan883]

@@jimmy2k4o I think C J means that either Trump or Biden wouldn’t hire Ainsley because they wouldn’t like the truth telling bit.

[@travisjohnson6676]

probably my absolute favorite scene from The West Wing UPDATE - Actually, this is the most fun but In Excelsis Deo is magnificent

[@ilahmaecunanan2629]

“Toby, come quick! Sam’s getting his ass kicked by a girl. “Ginger, get the popcorn.”

[@katie2893]

The best part about Sam is how he doesn't harbour resentment; he recognizes Ainsley as an equal and defends her.

[@ugtrckrlld2p2]

I hope this was sarcasm.

[@mightymacaque]

​@@ugtrckrlld2p2

[@ugtrckrlld2p2]

@@mightymacaque goes back about a decade ago when i rickrolled bbv on 2+2 poker forums. I set up a fake video about online poker being legalized (shortly after it first got shit down) and had the rick toll attached. "U got rick rolled 2+2" or ugtrckrlld2p2

[@NahualliUoxtitla]

The glee in Josh's voice was palpable 😂

[@willenholly]

“You’re wearing my shirt, Gordon.”

[@stephen2583]

Nothing better than watching a friend get humiliated on national TV :)

[@jerrymichaels8447]

Ainsley Hayes! Up against a wow! stellar regular cast of characters on a wow! great series.Maybe my most favorite character of the entire series..

[@pauldockree9915]

Kirkwood, Oregon I think they know EVERYTHING. That bloke Mark Gottfried was in Happy Days. Big fan. Over Under.

[@dlc1119]

Damn I love that girl!

[@Coco-qz7fn]

LOL...and it's all true in real life as well, the president works for the Teacher's Unions.

[@ShankarSivarajan]

Only the ones opposed to vouchers.

[@Kinlochbervie50]

No-one else pick up that they use the ITN News theme at 1:45? A major evening news programme in the UK.

[@Michaelcamps]

Didn't spot that one, thanks!

[@jimmy2k4o]

Trevor McDonald dislikes

[@chidiky8]

Tottally missed that!

[@zippyzipster46]

Get the popcorn! Love that.

[@Tarotgal8205]

I love the defeated looks on the guys' face.

[@katiekitchen895]

Ainsley was the funniest character on TWW. This scene and the one meeting The President the second time from Leopold’s cupboard always make me laugh out loud. Although my favourite episode was the one they broadcast on the first run in the UK S1E18 Six meetings before lunch, before it got edited. The jackal etc

[@kevinkatz7027]

Outstanding...

[@lunes-1]

🎸Great 🎬📽🎞television series 👈👈

[@flankspeed]

The theme tune to that show is taken directly from ITN's News at Ten 😂😂😂

[@Matt-cz6ti]

Ainsley Hayes is what you’d get if Tomi Lahren learned some common decency

[@jessmorgan6732]

If she learned anything, really. Tomi Lahren would never be able to speak this intelligently about any single piece of legislation.

[@talisa222]

Besides the female factor, Ainsley has very little in common with Tomi...

[@Matt-cz6ti]

@@talisa222 Young, blonde Republicans. But Ainsley is far cleverer and much, much nicer

[@Bayougirl78]

She would also need to learn quite a bit more about the law, the government, and the Constitution to be even close to Ainsley, lol!

[@moriellymoproblems7842]

Ainsley Hayes is what you get if Tomi Lahren wasn't a vapid, pseudo-intellectual, hate mongering narcissist whose only qualifications to have her own show was being blonde, white, and Republican.

[@ariqarisya]

Production Companies: Disney-ABC Domestic Television (current owner) Buena Vista Television (Distributor) Touchstone Television (Presentation) NBC Originals (copyright holder) Bartlet Presidency Limited (copyright holder) John Wells Productions (production) John Wells Finance II (financement) John Wells Finance III (financement)

[@mobiz711]

Like Sam of all people would not know the state that the city he is referencing is in. He's repeatedly touted as a genius in the show, it doesn't pass the sniff test that he'd make a mistake like that.

[@scottmarquiss7941]

Wow Jefferson Darcy MOONLIGHTING!

[@uofc57]

I guess even liberal Democrats can be sexist and chauvinistic - who knew? (I’m referring to the host, just FYI)

[@jerodast]

Nah Sam was definitely in on it too.

[@LuisMartinez-rw2lj]

Yeah that’s the thing in the 90s both Democrats and Republicans were sexists as fuck, just one group knew how to keep it on the downlow

[@ufotalk9434]

Well the host is Jefferson Darcy

[@partyguy101ify]

To be fair, we don't know what political affiliation Mark Gottfried is. He's just a guy who respects Ainsley Hayes and the Bartlet administration, yet he doesn't let either go easily.

[@ericsteel173]

Just the host? What about Sam’s response? Or what about “Toby come quick. Sam’s getting his ass kicked by a girl.”? Every guy in that scene was sexist and chauvinistic. But they’re allowed because they are Democrats talking about a Republican.

[@jcfra420]

They should have never taken Ainsley off the show, Matt Perry had no chance to fill her shoes.

[@bobs.9315]

There creators get asked this a lot. They knew but simply couldn't afford to keep all the smaller parts, specifically Emily proctor who they knew was going to take off. They would fight for them but network execs at the time really didn't value the show they way they value shows now. It was all about ratings and the now and not about owning signature prestige properties that live in syndication forever and can launch services. The west wing had a crazy history and it's amazing it's as good as it is. Rob lowe and his executive buddy went up against sorkin with the idea he should be the lead and should be getting paid as much as martin sheen. Sorkin got fired/quit over this.

[@briesullivan883]

That’s why I am writing a fanfiction series about what it would look like if she stayed for the rest of the series.

[@eileenkelly327]

Classic. I miss this show. Always hated when Rob left. I wanted to see him become President.

[@jimmy2k4o]

Never lose hope…. It could come back with josh as his chief of staff, Donna as the deputy, Toby as a friend/adviser since he’d never get security clearance again. CJ as VP (but closer relationship than usual) Maybe ainsley as the speaker of the house. Will Bailey as director of comms Bartlett could be in it as an older statesmen who Sam calls for advice in times of trouble. Zoey (public hero) could be a congresswoman and Charlie her husband and law school Grad as White House counsel.

[@nofirstgonzalez7888]

I’m sorry, did I over reach.

[@jimhenry5552]

Ted McGinley's character *deserved* that crack -- and he laughed because he knew it. He judged her strictly on her appearance and it never even occurred to him that she might be competent.

[@partyguy101ify]

Hey, it's Jefferson. I guess he's too old to be a gigolo.

[@mstwelvedeadlycyns]

Lol

[@WhatsOccuring]

Is that the British News at 10 theme I hear?

[@ridbensdale]

It’s the old ITN Evening News theme. So you’re half right :)

[@markjohnson2079]

kinda funny\sad to hear a debate about 1.5 billion dollars... when we are throwing away trillions these days...

[@shannonia81]

I love this show, I love the characters, but particularly in its early years it was extremely patronising towards female characters. And anyone who says otherwise is flat out lying :D

[@brontewcat]

Yes - it was. Josh’s line is incredibly sexist.

[@BTTFMovie]

Yeah. Even if Sorkin was going for humor, jokes like that never age well. If the line had been "Sam's getting his ass kicked by a Republican," I think it would've provided a more full circle subversion of the pre-established belief among these guys that Ainsley wouldn't know anything because she's a Republican.

[@brontewcat]

@@BTTFMovie Yes that would have been a much better line

[@9thgalaxy778]

Yeah, I love Josh Lyman, but that line always makes me cringe a little. I’m not sure if perhaps it’s supposed to be a reflection of how talented Ainsley is, but I agree it’s irritating! I love TWW men, but there is some sexism in the early seasons which can be annoying!

[@jkrasney1]

Ainsley Hayes - Emily Procter - was a terrific character on TWW.

[@biosaari]

Kirkland is in Washington. Everyone knows this.

[@Gregory-q4j]

She wiped his ass.

[@johnprieto435]

Glorious Godfrey?

[@TheJonnyEnglish]

Chapo brought me here

[@rkid727]

Can’t say “Sam’s getting his ass kicked by a girl” anymore. Because that would be mansplaining or something.

[@geoffreyokrongly916]

“Like text books”? Text books are rented to each student for two semesters. When a student loses a (or plural) text book[s], in Texas, they don’t get to proceed to the next grade until the family has paid for every lost text book. Text books do not come out of the teachers’ pockets. Text books are bought with taxes allotted to the “Independent School District”; and the liability is passed to the parents or gaurdians of the student. It has been that way for longer than any currently-living human has been alive. Sales tax was never meant to affect the buyer. Sales tax was implemented to slow down the gains of the rich and wealthy. However, the wealthy added it to the sale so that poor people would pay their taxes for them. The same passing of taxes exists within the public education system. If you don’t see this already then there is, simply put, no way of showing you. You either get it, or there is no hope for you, nor your children. ... maybe their children, but I still doubt even that.

[@22espec]

Rented? In my country they are given for free to kids in public schools.

[@geoffreyokrongly916]

@@22espec hence my outrage. Here is the difference. Nothing is free, your citizens pay the taxes that afford the text books, just like ours. Yours just buys new text books every year. Our citizens pay the taxes, and then pay for the books that aren’t returned that they already purchased with their taxes in the first place.

[@Baelor-Breakspear]

Ainsley Earhardt??

[@pauldockree9915]

Ginger. Pop. Corn. You really want it? Seabourne? I laffed uproarioulsly Ah but first do no Harm. Laura Ingraham. 😅 Really? Okay..😮😅😅😅

[@jimreily7538]

This scene contains almost everything wrong with the bad West Wing episodes. The characters aren't really characters, their traits come and go as Sorkin needs. (The so easily foreseeable intro: the mild mannered woman who's never done television doesn't get nervous, the lights blaring into her face, producers running around everywhere, the fact that she's on television - in fact it's SAM who has done this a million times, a comms director for a brilliant WH, who gets flustered?? The woman turns out to be brilliant. Of course. Who couldn't see that coming? Ugh. Gag. Then the worst part - the show within the show. As if Sam Seaborne isn't IMMEDIATELY gonna fire back with, "Excuse me, let me just contradict your stream of venal nonsense, with the truth. You can say your bill, and being vetoed let's now refer to it in the past tense, contained billions of dollars for anything. It contained money for whatever the community, aka parents, wanted to spend it on. By the same logic you could argue it contained money for new classrooms. New buses. New suits for the principals. Who's better placed to choose a textbook, the person who is qualified to use it, who has studied for at least 3 years to use that book, or any other book, the person who'll be referring to that book every day as they TEACH, or, a parent who believes evolution is wrong ? Who, like the teachers in Kirkwood Missouri (and yes, Kirkwood is in Washington, nor Oregon, as I originally stated, although I can see how you'd be confused, all blue states are the same to you, right ?) banned the use of any textbook containing even the MENTION of the word evolution, instead having all those books destroyed. 25 million dollars went to the author of "alternative" textbooks teaching "intelligent design", a widely debunked theory with no credibility in the scientific community. Who suffered ? The kids. You have the gall to call me a liar when you're sitting here, rattling off one dishonesty after the next. Where did you go to school ? Kirkwood Washington or Kirkwood Missouri ? Do you believe children should be taught intelligent design ? Do you believe, as your bill allowed, and made explicit provisions for, the banning of any textbooks referring to evolution?" -- It took me 2 minutes to come up with that, and I'm typing on an iPad that I'm unfamiliar with. Seaborne is an Ivy Leaguer, one of the most brilliant debaters and interlocutors on the show, and just to introduce this "smart Republican woman" new character, they make him all tongue-tied, and browbeaten at the end, instead of utterly fired up as the Sam in every episode we've seen prior has been, when the heat is on ? -- I'm no Sam Seaborne. But even I'm better than THIS Sam Seaborne. This is like watching a Steven Seagal movie. Everything set up, it's so obvious what's going to happen. Junk food TV. Why did they include stuff like this ? It's Sorkin at his absolute worst. Sorkin without his writing partner, or anyone else to hold him back. And then more pain is inflicted upon the poor viewer when Toby - TOBY of all people, not Josh - says "get the popcorn". Popcorn? This is a serious discussion about a series issue being televised. It could have severe implications for the White House who Sam is there representing. But nah it's all good, it's giggles and fun ! Popcorn ! When it was good it was great but when it was like this, it was awful. I'd rather have my fingernails pulled out than ever watch this again. I'm desperately trying to erase it from my memory, or perhaps I'll pretend it was a parody. Bevause that's how it plays out. Like a parody.

[@robertschmidt7879]

Sams getting his ass kicked by a girl. Tisk tisk Mr. Lyman. NOW will take away your free refrigerator magnets for that one

[@YTW-rw6pr]

Sam's face 3:41 😂😂😂

[@deeg8849]

3:58. Come quick

[@nemonymous89]

Is he supposed to be Chris Cuomo?

[@waputi3191]

Still a 😂 !!

[@jeffcollins9995]

ECU

[@Galero15]

This scene would've worked much better with Josh. Sam being cut off every time was highly unbelievable and took me out of it. Felt cheap.

[@jimreily7538]

It was terrifically lame. He'd have never let himself be called a liar. The Bill contained no money for textbooks - it contained money that communities (aka PTA leaders) could spend on whatever they wanted. So no, he wasn't lying. She was lying, and in a really disturbing way. Teachers are better placed to select the books their students read than the hillbillies who, 20 years ago decided they wanted their children to learn "intelligent design" and so spent federal money on textbooks about that ridiculous notion. The same PTA then banned the mention all textbooks referring to evolution from their classrooms, and had them destroyed.

[@JoeRyMi]

They used that character wrong. She’s basically a democrat by the end. Strong philosophical arguments from a character as smart as Tobby.

[@orangefox1231]

It’s Aaron Sorkin. All of his republicans are RINOs.

[@laurafiller1849]

No, she's a classical Republican

[@gerardhunt1890]

Ainsley was such an underutilized character. I believe Sorokin cut out the character entirely because he hated having a popular character on the show that was a republican.

[@deBebbler]

I don't know if I agree with that, exactly, but I am positive we never would have gotten a nuanced Republican character like Kate Harper with Sorkin at the helm. Well, at least a nuanced character with Republican tendencies, as she voted for Vinick in the show. Aaron's Republican characters were either moustache twirling types like Bob Rumson or idiots like Bob Ritchie. Ainsley was competent, but he made her 'goofy and quirky' so the cast (and therefore the audience) mostly laughs at her, rather than with her. There's no way Sorkin writes a character like Arnie Vinick, either. But I have to give Sorkin credit for his honesty. The way the Democrat staffers Brookline and Joyce treat Ainsley with the dead flowers and the note saying 'Bitch' is bang-on accurate for the current state of political discourse. The hate is real.

[@FluffyCrimsonBirkenstocks]

He didn’t. Do research before you smear people’s integrity. She wanted job security he couldn’t afford another main cast so she chose to do a different show since she could only be a guest star here.

[@brontewcat]

I think what Fluffy Crimson Birkenstock said is correct. Sorkin would have liked to include her in the main cast but she was offered a contract by CSI

[@brontewcat]

@@FluffyCrimsonBirkenstocks that’s what I understood also

[@premgoyal4192]

Is it me or is this scene sexist in how she is treated and the dialogue?

[@ddemo2613]

If not for the fact that "Capital Beat" is spelled wrong. It is "Capitol Beat"; hence the image of the Capitol building in the TV show logo. I guess even back in the 1990's NBC executives were illiterate.......

[@s.p.8803]

It was a play on words!!!

[@antourte1]

The two words are often tossed back and forth in institutions with a "Capital" theme. For instance the Washington Capitals logo has the silhouette of the Capitol building at the bottom - that doesn't mean the team is named the CAPITOLS, it's just a recognizable building that makes for a nice symbol of the Capital city. Similarly, a show that focuses on politics in the Capital isn't off-brand using the Capitol building as a symbol of those politics.

[@marcokite]

it's called a play on words

[@angelicalicari8355]

Sign of the times: "getting his ass kicked by a girl" is a misogynistic phrase implying that females are less of a threat than males, and therefore that getting beaten by one is more embarrassing than getting beaten by a male. I LOVE this show, but wanted to make that clear.

[@rider265]

Always this fussy, or is it periodic?

[@brontewcat]

Totally agree. I love the scene and the ‘Ginger get a popcorn’ comment. Maybe ‘Sam is getting his arse kicked by a newbie’ would have been more appropriate.

[@orangefox1231]

Oh FFS. Ainsley Hayes wouldn’t have gotten her panties in a twist over that and the fact you do just shows how weak people are.

[@brontewcat]

@@orangefox1231 Hmmm. Interesting that you can not see the sexism in Josh’s comment.

[@orangefox1231]

@@brontewcat It's a harmless throwback to playground teasing. Nothing more.

[@Andy-Mesa]

I never liked the "by a girl" bit, not then and certainly not now. I love this clip and Ainsley is arguably my favorite side character, but it shows a lack of respect that doesn't look good on Josh or Toby.

[@marcokite]

it's just real actual life - everyone else loves it

[@Cardboardbocs]

back when i could stand to hear a republican spout their talking points.

[@brontewcat]

I love this scene, but Josh’s comment is incredibly sexist.

[@orangefox1231]

Stuff it

[@marcokite]

yawn