What does this dialogue ("Floor's good") mean in The West Wing?

January 25, 2005 1:39 PM

What does this mean? I'm having a hard time deciphering a line from last week's episode of West Wing [MI]

During last week's West Wing when Leo is reviewing the old Inauguration tapes his (former) Assistant is having trouble locating a particular tape, thanks to Google Video I now know that the line went like this:

at 16 minutes
[assistant] I'm still looking for the second inaugural.
[Leo] Floor's good.
[assistant] Really?
[Leo] Mm-hmm.
[assistant]Tower or pile?
[Leo]Surprise me.

Tivo failed me in trying to figure out that he was saying "Floor's good" but now that I know what he said, I'm not sure of what it meant.

By floor does he mean video shot from the floor of the chamber where the speech was being given or that it is the location of the missing video. Also, "Tower or pile", are they talking camera location?

posted by m@ to media & arts (8 comments total)

Are they possibly talking about where the tape is physically located? The assistant can't find it, Leo is saying "Looking on the floor's a good idea." Tower or pile -- placing the videos in a tower or in a pile? Looking through a tower or pile?

I didn't see it, but that's what I get from the transcript you provided.
posted by sugarfish at 1:54 PM on January 25, 2005

I believe they were discussing where to put the video tapes the assistant was carrying.
posted by dglynn at 1:54 PM on January 25, 2005

Maybe you're right, maybe I'm overthinking it. That's some bizzare dialog though.

Aaron Sorkin why hast thou forsaken us?
posted by m@ at 1:57 PM on January 25, 2005

Cast member still under contract + cast member's character suffering major heart attack = awkward, token cameo appearances.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 2:01 PM on January 25, 2005

Yeah, it was definitely a joke. He didn't have a desk or shelf, so she wanted to know how he wanted the tapes arranged. The floor will do fine, and he's doesn't care if they're stacked or dumped.
posted by blueshammer at 2:09 PM on January 25, 2005

It's a reference to his drop in status -- he's deliberately implying that he's no longer important enough to care if his items are on the floor.

It's Sorkin-esque; they're trying desparately to bottle the charm.
posted by o2b at 3:17 PM on January 25, 2005

... and I must say, doing better than they were.
posted by o2b at 3:18 PM on January 25, 2005

He wanted the tapes put on the floor as he had not furniture. The "floor's [is] good."
posted by pwb503 at 4:02 PM on January 25, 2005