Calendar note, per the Washington Post:
Comedian Samantha Bee on Monday announced a splashy alternative to the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, the annual schmoozefest that brings together journalists and the people they cover, along with an assortment of advertisers and random Hollywood types.
Bee touted her event, which will be held at the Willard hotel on April 29 (same as the long-running black-tie dinner), as a draw for “journalists and non-irritating celebrities from around the world” and promised to donate proceeds to the Committee to Protect Journalists, an organization that supports press freedom around the world, according to a news release from TBS, the network that airs Bee’s newsy satire show “Full Frontal.”
The comedian elaborated on the inspiration for the “Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner” in an interview with the New York Times, explaining that her event wasn’t intended to “comment on or compete with” the existing press dinner, where a comedian traditionally pokes fun at the president. Instead, it will be a forum for her and other funny folk to make all the Trump jokes they want, without pulling punches, the implication being that whoever emcees the WHCA dinner might be tempted to lob softballs at Trump, or even that the event might be cancelled. “We just want to be there in case something happens — or doesn’t happen — and ensure that we get to properly roast the president,” she told the Times…
She also said she didn’t intend to undermine the WHCA. After Trump was elected, she wondered if the annual dinner would happen or what form it would take, and that inspired to just throw her own. “We thought, ‘it will be cancelled or it will the most sinister, awkward thing you’ve ever seen,’” she said…
Vanity Fair says the WHDC is slated to go on, with or without an appearance from the President-Asterisk. But Deadline says they’re having a little trouble lining up a host for “the annual presidential roast/Hollywood petting zoo”, right at the moment… guess the Secret Service won’t let Jimmy Fallon pet the H(airpiece)OTUS any more…
Look for an ‘unpresidented’ run on antacids and acid-blockers as the Media Village Courtiers start to worry — show up at the WHCA, and risk being mocked? Or sneak into the popular new girl’s event, and risk the wrath of Jabba the Bannon and his froggy little online minions?
Origuy
Is Rich Little still alive?
Edit: Yes. He’s 78 now, apparently still performing.
Amir Khalid
The highlight of this Not-The WHCD should be a speech by Hillary Clinton roasting President* Trump. She’ll have a fuckton of material by then.
JordanRules
@Amir Khalid: Hillary and Barack would be a nice tag team.
amk
awesome sam bee.
Chet Murthy
@JordanRules: I read this and …
That would -so- make so many people’s days. I would seriously pay big bucks to see that. But the thing is, honestly, they’ve done enough for us. As I read someplace else, PBHO told us only …. every two years (at least) that we shouldn’t give those nativist fools power, and we did it anyway. He’s done everything he could do, and shouldn’t have to do anymore. And same with Hillz. Besides, I’d worry about their safety, and again, they’ve done more than their share. It should be up to us. But oh man, it’d be like Christmas, except that Santa really exists.
JordanRules
@Chet Murthy: Ha, ha, yep! It would be better than a million Christmases, but I agree they don’t owe us. I also believe it has to be on us to affirm our institutions and Republic at this point. Obama wasn’t bullshitting when he told us repeatedly, as you said.
lumpkin
@JordanRules:
Sorry – no way this works. It would just come across as flat, stilted sore-loserism.
Anne Laurie
@Amir Khalid:
I love her to death, but Hillary’s not a good comedian. On the other hand, if Joe Biden wants to show up… I suspect President-Asterisk Smallgloves would have to be physically restrained from running up to the podium and trying to shove Uncle Joe away!
(P.S. Glad to see you back!)
SectionH
@Amir Khalid: No. Just NO.
See: normalizing. Don’t.
ThresherK
WHCD should just give in to its true nature and get Mark Russell.
No, I don’t know if he’s passed. In death he couldn’t be less biting and incisive than it life.
? Martin
This commentary can’t be ignored forever. These aren’t partisan magazines.
? Martin
@Amir Khalid: Very good to see you back. You are more of a grounding force here for us than you might realize.
? Martin
Another data point that people might not realize. Refugees don’t choose which country to resettle to. They are vetted by a UN program along with the State Dept. and then recommendations are made for which country they would be a good fit for – in some cases the location of relatives influences, in some cases their ability to pass US screenings. The US then chooses which of these refugees we will take.
That’s also how our program with Australia works. They don’t pick the refugees, we do.
OzarkHillbilly
@SectionH: Normalizing what?
Morzer
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2017/02/after-2-weeks-voters-yearn-for-obama.html
We can win this thing. Let’s fight smart, stop the fools who want to rerun the Clintonista/Sandersista food fight, organize 24/7 and break Donnie Putinobitch and his treasonous GOP enablers.
SectionH
@OzarkHillbilly: anything re the Trump thing.
I welcomed AK back in an earlier thread, was so happy to see him back long before that.
I’m so into fight or flight atm.
Morzer
Sounds like Steve Bannon’s latest cunning plan has just fallen apart. Sad!
OzarkHillbilly
@SectionH: How is ridiculing all things Trump normalizing him? To me, it is exactly the opposite.
I agree with those above that Hillary would probably be problematic at this time (a year from now? 2? don’t know) but I rather suspect Obama could pull it off.
amk
@OzarkHillbilly: I really hope both Obama and Hillary show their middle fingers if the wh press corpse invites them. Buncha highly paid useless morons are not worth their time.
OzarkHillbilly
A new one for the “You can’t Fix Stupid file:
Morzer
@OzarkHillbilly:
Apparently a pizza joint has announced that it is following alternative facts and offering a zero calorie pizza loaded with bacon, pepperoni and sausage.
SectionH
@OzarkHillbilly: I missed something in what I thought I was replying to – That was funny.
OzarkHillbilly
@amk: I find that it has had it’s redeeming moments, see Obama 2011 and Colbert 2006 (I still get chills when rewatching that performance)
@Morzer: Damn, I could go for an extra large of that. And to think it wouldn’t add to my…. ahem…
Aleta
@OzarkHillbilly: wow
amk
@OzarkHillbilly: Yes, both were hysterical and historical. Especially, colbert’s. That took some guts. Pity now he has gone plain vanilla msm route.
SectionH
@OzarkHillbilly: AK at #2 on this thread.
PaulW
considering Trump’s sense of humor focuses first on humiliating and belittling those he considers failures, the correspondents dinner is going to be a disaster of a blanket party just on that alone.
I have no idea what Trump considers self-deprecating humor, which is supposed to be one of the things you have to be good at during these shindigs.
Shalimar
@Morzer: It is good that people are realizing that Trump is full of shit, and the numbers will only get worse for him and better for us as weeks go by, but they are still rather depressing.
-By a 51/37 spread voters say they would rather eat salads than dog shit.
-By a 52/41 spread voters say they would rather eat broccoli than dog shit.
Etc.
There really shouldn’t be more than a few percent who still believe Trump about anything.
Shalimar
@PaulW: If he goes, the Correspondent’s Dinner is going to be one of the most cringe-worthy moments in the history of television. It wouldn’t shock me to see Trump run down a list of grievances against various attending journalists and have them arrested one by one on the spot.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Morzer:
What I want to know – did Trump have his pants on or not for the phone call.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
This might be a big deal, Trump being an entertainment and all that. I mean look at the way he can’t stop going about Arnold’s SA ratings (and it should be obvious why, Arnold is a pretty good natured guy and not a vivacious, humorless bastard like Trump, so not the right fit for SA). Trump will crap his pantaloons in a ragegasm if his dinner is shown up in the ratings like he did with the crowd sizes.
pattonbt
Kelsey Grammar or Dennis Miller?
Jinchi
I hear that funny guy Milo Yiannopoulos has some free time in his schedule.
eclare
@amk: Friend of a friend was at The Report right before the WHCD and asked Stephen what he was going to do, and he replied, “I’m going to mock the president to his face”.
Yarrow
I adore Sam Bee and am so glad she’s speaking out. Don’t think I could get through this mess without her. Love, love, love this “alt-WHCD” she’s hosting.
@Amir Khalid: Disagree with this. Don’t know who should do the speech, but it shouldn’t be either Hillary or Obama. I can see them appearing in a silly pre-taped video though.
Uncle Ebeneezer
Speaking of WHCD, let’s not forget last year’s with Larry Wilmore getting extra Black with PBHO to the point where it made most of the White reporters in the room completely confused and uncomfortable. He also dished out alot of jabs at the media that got nervous non-laughter responses. It was epic.
Yarrow
@Uncle Ebeneezer: Poor Larry got really poor reviews on that. I thought the only real mistake he made was structuring it so that he didn’t make fun of himself first to get the crowd on his side. Then move on to them. I hope Sam Bee invites hi to her event.