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

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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