Object

Toby's Shaving Cream

Toby suggests shaving cream in the Outer Oval Office as a humorous, regulation-friendly alternative to paper for covering windows during political campaigning. The group—Will, Charlie, Bartlet, and Bonnie—receives the quip amid Will's flustered Oval entry and Toby's paternal advice. Foam evokes a messy, temporary shield, lightening talk of campaign constraints.

2 appearances

Purpose

Cover windows during campaigning without breaking display rules

Significance

Toby's suggestion injects wit into awkward professional exchange, revealing his mentorship style and the campaign's need for creative workarounds

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S4E11 · Holy Night

Will's Awkward Oval Debut and Toby's Soft Landing

Shaving cream is invoked by Toby as a humorous, regulation-friendly alternative to overt campaign materials—again a rhetorical device that diffuses tension and underscores his wry managerial style.

Before: Referenced only as a joke; not physically present.

After: Remains a spoken joke; no physical implication.

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S4E11 · Holy Night

Toby's Family Secret: Murder, Incorporated

Toby quips that shaving cream could be used to cover windows instead of campaign posters — the shaving cream functions as comic relief and a cautionary image of the messy consequences of flouting federal rules.

Before: Invoked only as a humorous example; no physical shaving cream is used.

After: Still hypothetical; the joke underscores Toby's enforcement of non-campaigning rules rather than prompting action.

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