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===Links=== |
===Links=== |
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| + | * [https://hauntedcoconut.com/2019/08/18/west-wing-the-complete-adventures-of-goldfish-gail-and-her-fishbowl/ A page listing all of the props in Gail's goldfish bowl] |
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| − | * [http://brackishfaq.webspace.virginmedia.com/Projects/gailthegoldfish.html A Tribute Page to Gail the Goldfish] |
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===Notes and references=== |
===Notes and references=== |
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Revision as of 16:08, 9 February 2020
Gail in C.J.'s office.
Gail is a goldfish owned by C.J. Cregg. She was a gift from Danny Concannon.[1]
Story
In 1999, Danny, who had a crush on C.J., asked White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman for personal information about C.J.'s likes and dislikes. Lyman expressed that C.J. was "crazy about Goldfish," referring to Goldfish-brand crackers. Danny thought he meant domesticated pet goldfish, and promptly bought her one. Amused by Danny's gesture, C.J. kept the goldfish, which Danny had named "Gail."[1]
In 2000, C.J. clumsily attempted to carry Gail out of her office while attempting to evade Danny.[2]
Later that year, C.J. kept another goldfish in the fishbowl with Gail.[3]
- This other goldfish was only seen in one episode, and may have simply been a production joke.
In 2006, C.J. nearly caused Gail to fall out of her bowl when a phone call she was using knocked Gail's fishbowl to the floor. She was luckily able to pick up the bowl after only a limited amount of water spilled out.[4]
On January 20, 2007, C.J. left Gail in her office when she left the White House for the last time.[5]
- Supposedly, Gail would've been picked up later or shipped to C.J. It's possible, however, that C.J. left Gail in the care of the next White House Chief of Staff, Josh Lyman.
Decorations
C.J. treated Gail well and often placed small objects and decorations in her fishbowl.
- This was actually a production in-joke, often connected to the plot of the episode it appeared in.
These decorations include:
- miniature Christmas tree[6]
- green Army soldiers[7]
- replica podium and US flags[2]
- toy panda bears[8]
- Easter eggs[9]
- toy telephone[10]
- miniature space shuttle[11]
- small podium and microphone[12]
- toy elephant[13]
- miniature bed[3]
- toy missile[14]
- Peace Doves [15]
- fake statuette of Bast[16]
- piece of piping[17]
- chair and microphone[18]
- miniature slide projector screen[19]
- toy submarine[20]
- female symbol pendants[21]
- toy doll in a dress[22][23]
- road sign to Washington, DC[24]
- snowglobe[25]
- toy cows[26]
- miniature White House[27]
- small calendar[28]
- miniature flag-draped coffin[29]
- toy cabbage[30]
- "no fishing" sign[31]
- fake icicles[32]
- clock[4]
- "For Sale" sign[33]
- "That's All Folks" sign[5]
Background information
Although seen in many episodes, Gail was only referred to directly in five (The Short List; He Shall, from Time to Time...; Guns Not Butter; Liftoff & Internal Displacement)
It's a common myth that goldfish have short and limited lifespans, but in fact many can live up to ten years in good conditions. It's possible that Gail (who we saw for over seven years) was one of them. (Props Master Blanche Sindelar said there were three Gail's throughout the series: The West Wing Weekly Podcast - 3.12)
Links
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Short List
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 He Shall, from Time to Time...
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 And It's Surely to Their Credit
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Internal Displacement
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tomorrow
- ↑ In Excelsis Deo
- ↑ Lord John Marbury
- ↑ Six Meetings Before Lunch
- ↑ Let Bartlet Be Bartlet
- ↑ Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics
- ↑ What Kind of Day Has It Been?
- ↑ The Midterms
- ↑ In This White House
- ↑ The Drop-In
- ↑ "NSF Thurmont"
- ↑ The Stackhouse Filibuster
- ↑ Bad Moon Rising
- ↑ The Fall's Gonna Kill You
- ↑ On the Day Before
- ↑ Gone Quiet
- ↑ Enemies Foreign and Domestic
- ↑ The Black Vera Wang
- ↑ We Killed Yamamoto
- ↑ 20 Hours in America (Part II)
- ↑ Holy Night
- ↑ Guns Not Butter
- ↑ Evidence of Things Not Seen
- ↑ A Constituency of One
- ↑ The Stormy Present
- ↑ Slow News Day
- ↑ No Exit
- ↑ Mr. Frost
- ↑ The Last Hurrah