Cartographers Shatter C.J. and Josh's Map Perceptions with Peters Projection
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
C.J. arrives late to meet the Organization of Cartographers for Social Equality, setting up the initial tension of the encounter.
Josh enters, intrigued by the meeting, adding a layer of skepticism and humor to the dynamic.
The cartographers present their case against the Mercator Projection, revealing its imperialist biases and distortions.
C.J. and Josh react with disbelief and humor to the Peters Projection map, highlighting their initial resistance to the cartographers' argument.
The cartographers challenge C.J. and Josh's perceptions of geography, forcing them to reconsider their understanding of the world.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Skeptical curiosity evolving into stunned intrigue
C.J. enters late, passes the OCSE sign, apologizes profusely, introduces herself, probes skeptically on dues and map changes, reacts with wide-eyed surprise to distortions, leans forward intently at Peters Projection reveal, playfully shoves Josh's nudging knee.
- • Grasp the cartographers' argument quickly
- • Manage the briefing professionally despite lateness
- • Maps reflect objective truth until proven otherwise
- • White House must address even quirky advocacy
Polite fervor masking urgent conviction
Dr. Fallow warmly greets late-arriving C.J., introduces colleagues, touts 4300 dues-paying members, leads projector demo critiquing Mercator's size distortions (Greenland vs. Africa), unveils Peters Projection to C.J. and Josh's forward lean, caps with 'Nothing's where you think it is.'
- • Convince C.J. of Mercator's flaws
- • Secure Bartlet's legislative support for Peters
- • Mercator perpetuates imperialism
- • Peters Projection delivers geographic justice
Righteously assertive in exposing injustice
Dr. Sayles directly schools C.J. on Mercator's centuries-old imperialist biases against the Third World, highlights Europe-South America size mismatch (6.9M vs 3.8M sq mi), explains Peters' fidelity of axis and parallel lines intersecting at right angles.
- • Expose Mercator's ethnic distortions
- • Bolster case for Peters in education
- • Cartographic bias fuels real-world inequality
- • Accurate representation advances social equality
Helpfully pedantic with quiet expertise
Prof. Huke corrects C.J.'s pronunciation of his name, explains Mercator's pole-enlarging navigational purpose for straight bearings, details Alaska-Mexico size error (.1M sq mi difference), and Peters' fidelity of position.
- • Clarify Mercator's technical origins
- • Highlight specific size inaccuracies
- • Navigational utility shouldn't trump size accuracy
- • Pronunciation matters for credibility
Mentioned as target for supporting legislation on Peters Projection maps
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The commanding AV display behind the podium blazes Mercator's distortions—bloated Greenland vs. shrunken Africa—before snapping to Peters Projection's northward continental crush, wielded by cartographers to fracture C.J. and Josh's ingrained perceptions, serving as the event's visual argumentative core and perceptual detonator.
C.J. barrels past the declarative 'Organization of Cartographers for Social Equality' sign en route to the podium, its bold lettering instantly contextualizing the quirky trio's map crusade, anchoring their credentials and thematic assault on imperialist cartography amid the briefing's frenzy.
Fallow blasts the Mercator Projection onto the projector, its warped lines bloating Greenland to falsely rival Africa's fourteenfold vastness, sparking C.J.'s mind-blown reaction and the cartographers' evisceration of its imperialist legacy, positioning it as the villainous relic under fire.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Organization of Cartographers for Social Equality manifests through its vanguard—Dr. Fallow, Sayles, Huke—storming the Press Room with projector firepower, touting 4300 dues-paying members ($20/year newsletter) to demand Bartlet-backed legislation mandating Peters Projection in schools, flipping White House complacency into geographic vertigo.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The cartographers' argument about map distortions parallels C.J.'s discomfort with the flipped map, both challenging perceptions of power and reality."
Key Dialogue
"FALLOW: "Plain and simple, we'd like President Bartlet to aggressively support legislation that would make it mandatory for every public school in America to teach geography using the Peters Projection Map instead of the traditional Mercator.""
"DR. CYNTHIA SAYLES: "Because, C.J., the Mercator Projection has fostered European imperialist attitudes for centuries and created an ethnic bias against a Third World.""
"FALLOW: "Would it blow your mind if I told you that Africa is in reality fourteen times larger?""