Every April, the country’s top journalists and government officials gather for an atypically lighthearted night together: the White House Correspondents Dinner. While reporters and advisors and a handful of random celebrities (Fred Armisen, Barbra Streisand, Katie Holmes…) mingle, the evening’s emcee gives a speech recapping and lightly roasting the Leader-in-Chief’s regime.
It’s an honor to host the event – an honor that’s typically extended to highly respected, widely successful comic performers. Recently, the WHCD has been hosted by Conan O’Brien (2013), Joel McHale (2014), Stephen Colbert (2015), and Larry Wilmore (2016); in 2015, because Obama has such a good sense of humor, Keegan-Michael Key dropped by as Luther, the then-President’s anger translator, a character made famous on sketch show Key and Peele. Obama himself managed to get a good number of one-liners in throughout his eight WHCD’s in office.
The dinner’s a much-needed chance for DC to blow off some steam, and it’s typically been a hard ticket to snag – until now.
“It seems no one wants to celebrate with President Trump,” the Washington Times taunts, citing several outlets’ refusal to attend, and Vanity Fair pulling their sponsorship from the event’s afterparty.
Trump and his administration are already buckling under critical media reports that are, honestly, not even that harsh; he’s lashing out at highly reputable outlets with “fake news” claims and is one of the first people in forty years to get alarmingly hysterical over SNL’s centrist satire. While he’s blankly stared his way through roasts before (at the Friar’s Club, and on Comedy Central), Don seems a little more sensitive now – and unreceptive to ribbing, even if it’s all in good fun.
With the WHCD fast approaching, rumors are swirling that the President may not even attend (which is like a cranky kid refusing to eat dinner at the table); but no matter, the event will go on without him, according to the press corps.
Which leaves one question: who the hell is going to host this thing?
Well, we don’t have the answer. But former host Stephen Colbert, who’s seen a ratings spike since Trump took office, has offered his services again. Another former host, Larry Wilmore, is just excited for whoever ends up onstage.
On the upside at least Yakov Smirnoff gets to host the correspondents dinner.
— Tronald Dump (@ChrisCubas) February 15, 2017
I wonder who will be brave enough to host the White House Correspondents Dinner this year?Related:Who finished 53rd on America’s Got Talent?
— Chris Chamberlain (@CeeElCee) February 10, 2017
The WHCD airs April 29th; if you can’t stand to watch what’s sure to be an awkward evening, Samantha Bee has you covered – she’ll be hosting her own “alternative gala,” called Not The White House Correspondents Dinner, the very same night, likely to air on TBS.
