They say hell is other people, but truly, hell is other people’s opinion on the White House correspondents’ dinner.
Apology is owed to @PressSec and others grossly insulted ny Michelle Wolf at White House Correspondents Assoc dinner which started with uplifting heartfelt speech by @margarettalev – comedian was worst since Imus insulted Clinton’s
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) April 29, 2018
The White House correspondents’ dinner—an annual gala held between White House officials and the press that is so masturbatory it puts 12-year-old boys to shame—has always been the height of lunacy.
Journalists, who are supposed to hold these people accountable for their actions, instead invite them to dress up, rub elbows, toss back cocktails, and be merry while the Republic burns around them. It’s supposed to be the one day a year where the animosity is put aside. And every year it’s rightfully decreed for the sham that it is, but this year, the calls are coming from inside the gala.
After comedian Michelle Wolf performed a standup set—which you can watch here and then shut your mouth about what you think about it because it doesn’t matter (and also because it was objectively funny)—former and current White House officials as well as practicing journalists lost their fucking minds.
It was like watching @MichaelWolffNYC with a wig on @michelleisawolf
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) April 29, 2018
Tonight’s #WHCD was a disgrace
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) April 29, 2018
Watching a wife and mother be humiliated on national television for her looks is deplorable. I have experienced insults about my appearance from the president. All women have a duty to unite when these attacks happen and the WHCA owes Sarah an apology.
— Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) April 29, 2018
This is foul. It’s uncalled for. It’s nasty. And not funny. The WH staff should stop attending this dinner. https://t.co/yO0vFYtXdT
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) April 29, 2018
Wolff, whose targets ranged from CNN to President Donald Trump to MSNBC to Kellyanne Conway to Russia collusion conspiracy theorists—which you may notice is a group of people loosely known as “everyone”—infuriated those who believe slavish devotion to the anodyne is something to be lauded.
My wife @mercedesschlapp and I walked out early from the wh correspondents dinner. Enough of elites mocking all of us
— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) April 29, 2018
The WHCD should be about honoring the best in journalism. Enough with the comedians, enough with the late-night parties. These are serious times for both the free press and the public they serve.
— Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) April 29, 2018
The whole process got so ridiculous that the White House Correspondents’ Association, which hosts the annual dinner and is an organization devoted to (ostensibly!!!) journalism, issued an apology for Wolff not delivering a unifying message.
(The press and the government are not supposed to come together. Ever.)
#WHCA Statement to Members on Annual Dinner pic.twitter.com/8DKoHNxpNi
— WHCA (@whca) April 30, 2018
Which brought about its own set of takes.
This horrendous statement should be a good call for a recommitment to not playing footsie with this administration—instead valuing reporters who do deep dives on its members and their effect on us, then asking fearless questions, relationships be damned.https://t.co/zxQRcgGrXk
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) April 30, 2018
How the fuck do you have a “spirit of unity” with an administration that wants to put journalists in jail? https://t.co/xxxTqmFPFn
— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) April 30, 2018
As an ex-reporter, I would not wipe my ass on any part of the White House Correspondents Association now. Either they stand for open speech and are hosting an event in which some blunt truth can be uttered, or they're hosting an empty circle jerk for the powers that be. https://t.co/OT6QAcpGHs
— David Simon (@AoDespair) April 30, 2018
Meanwhile, the Justice Department was removing sections about press freedom and racial gerrymandering from its best practices manual.
https://twitter.com/dabeard/status/990706728626016256
Perhaps the only person who had the correct take in all of this was Trump. He boycotted the dinner last year over his feud with the press. He didn’t attend this year.
On Twitter, he called for it to be canceled. Which it should be.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner was a failure last year, but this year was an embarrassment to everyone associated with it. The filthy “comedian” totally bombed (couldn’t even deliver her lines-much like the Seth Meyers weak performance). Put Dinner to rest, or start over!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 30, 2018
Imagine that.
Something made everyone so dumb it made the president look smart.