‘West Wing’ and Its Altruism Sweep to a Landslide Victory

Howard Rosenberg, whose commentaries I usually find compatible with my own opinions, comes off as a towering column of ambivalence (“Altruistic ‘West Wing’ Too Good to Be True,” Dec. 15).

He lauds “The West Wing” as eminently watchable TV and undercuts his own view by cynically deciding the series doesn’t have the kind of conflict and “potholes” he believes better resemble “real life.” We have had plenty of cynical West Wing inhabitants in real life, and those created for this excellent series have enough problems and differences of opinion to suit “average” viewers.

I never forget Dore Schary’s impression that this is a happy-ending country. Read enough White House reports, current and past, and happy endings are most welcome.

LOU JACOBS JR.

Cathedral City

*

Reading Rosenberg’s review, the first words that came to my mind were give me a break, a saying I never use! “The West Wing” is classic entertainment, good guys versus bad guys, not docudrama.

I am thrilled to see politics portrayed as an admirable and worthy profession and to again find a television program I look forward to every week. NBC, don’t change a thing!

FUSAKO TAKEDA

Fountain Valley

*

Rosenberg claims that the series “would zoom higher” if it had at least one low-life character and brings to mind “NYPD Blue’s” “bigoted” Andy Sipowicz. (Please, Aaron Sorkin, don’t listen to him.)

Rosenberg couldn’t understand that people watch this show because it does make them feel good. If “ER” beats out this show for the Emmy, the academy should be abolished.

MORRIS H. SCHNEIDER

Camarillo

*

The fact that there are real, intelligent, active, humorous people who care for each other and for the country seems to be too much for Rosenberg.

After all the uproar about the media being drenched with sex and violence, I salute Sorkin and NBC for their excellent show, which shows how life can be.

ERLEND PETERSON

Culver City

*

Rosenberg bemoans the lack of reality in “The West Wing,” accurately pointing out the “Holy Grail of goodness” that all of the characters portrayed in the fictional White House are converging on.

A famous author of fiction was once asked why the people and events depicted in her novels do not accurately reflect the world as it really is. She responded that it was the responsibility of the journalist to depict life as it really is. Ayn Rand said that it was the duty of the author of fiction to depict life “as it ought to be.”

Perhaps the people producing “The West Wing” are of a similar conviction.

ROBERT E. LAWTON

San Gabriel