The annual media spectacle in which the cadre of reporters assigned to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. throws itself a glitzy party, mingles with Hollywood's bored and/or elite, and gazes deeply into its own navel is in the books. Highlights from the White House Correspondents' Dinner, aka "nerd prom," in which Washington's politicians and media take turns lobbing zingers at each other, as per Politico, Time, and the AP:
President Obama:
- "These days, House Republicans give John Boehner a harder time than they give me. These days, orange really is the new black."
- "The Koch brothers bought a table here this evening but they used a shadowy right-wing organization as a front. Good evening, Fox News."
- "In 2008, my slogan was 'Yes, we can.' In 2013, my slogan was 'Control, Alt, Delete.'"
Actor/comedian and MC Joel McHale:
- "Mr. President—or, as Paul Ryan would call you, another inner city minority taking advantage of the federal government to feed and house your family."
- "Hillary Clinton has a lot going for her as a candidate … as our female president, we could pay her 30% less."
- "Bill O’Reilly, Megyn Kelly, and Sean Hannity are the Mount Rushmore of keeping old people angry."
Etc.: - Hollywood's elite did not turn out in their usual numbers, and the Hollywood Reporter seems to think it's because of gawking partygoers. Says one source: "It's like the stars are animals in a cage. People go crazy when they see them."
- Over at the Washington Post, Roxanne Roberts runs through the dinner's history, how it became a stomping grounds for celebrities, and the media's own criticism of that turn.
(More
White House Correspondents' Association dinner stories.)
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