Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

Josh proposes the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue as a ridiculous alternative to the missing Bible for President Bartlet's inauguration oath. The staff—Bartlet, C.J., Ed, Larry, and Josh—laugh at the idea amid chaos over a leaked foreign-policy doctrine and Khundu report. This verbal jab underscores the swearing-in scramble, contrasting the magazine's swimsuit glamour with constitutional gravity, right before Charlie delivers a House library Bible.

3 appearances

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

3 moments

S4E14 · Inauguration Part I

Balls, a Bible, and a Leaked Doctrine

Josh jokingly suggests a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue as an irreverent substitute for a bible—a bit of staff levity that underscores the ceremonial farce beneath the stress of leaks and messaging.

Before: Only mentioned hypothetically as a joke; not physically present.

After: Still hypothetical; the joke is dismissed.

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S4E14 · Inauguration Part I

Leak in the Lobby: Doctrine, Khundu, and the Missing Bible

Mentioned by Josh as a joking alternative — the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue — to illustrate that no law mandates a bible for the oath; the joke underlines levity amid pressure and the scramble for ritual objects.

Before: Hypothetical; not present.

After: Remains hypothetical and unused.

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S4E14 · Inauguration Part I

Found: The Donnie's Motel Bible

Referenced by Josh as a joking, absurd legal alternative (Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue) to highlight the arbitrariness of the object used in the oath — serves purely comic and rhetorical purposes to diffuse tension.

Before: A hypothetical suggestion only, not physically present.

After: Still hypothetical and unused; the joke underscores practical solutions over ceremony.

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