Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

I really should read my own blog.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Their freedom requires your slavery.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

Democrats are back in array!

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

The republican speaker is a slippery little devil.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Sunday Morning Open Thread: Hey, Remember ‘Nerd Prom’?

Sunday Morning Open Thread: Hey, Remember ‘Nerd Prom’?

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One of the many blessings of the Biden administration is that the only people who have to pay advance attention to this event are the attendees and the caterers.

The horserace media touts have been very, very thirsty for another shot at their perceived Big Glamor TV Night — Politico even put together a ‘Thirsties Award interactive‘, theoretically to mock politicians who are a little too eager to get their faces into the spotlight, even when they had to reach back to Newt Gingrich to make quota. But it was the Washington Post style reporters whose long retrospective on The golden age of the White House correspondents’ dinner (yes, there was one) which had the best explanation: That ‘golden age’ started with Ronald Reagan and ended with Barack Obama. Or, to put it less delicately, between the Vanity Fair inflection point when ‘serious’ political media decided its future lay in gauzy photo shoots and sweet-beateners, and the Facebook / Twitter / TikTok inflection when instant social media disrupted that market entirely.

Best review I’ve seen so far, no surprise, from Deadline, where the professionals cover media projects. “Joe Biden Takes Swipes At Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon, Ron DeSantis’ War With Disney & Himself At WHCD; POTUS Promises To Bring Imprisoned Evan Gershkovich & Austin Rice Home”:

… “I get that age is a completely reasonable issue,” the 80-year old President quipped in a relatively short performance. “It’s on everyone’s mind, by everyone I mean the New York Times,” he added. “I like Rupert Murdoch,” Biden went on to say of the 93-year old Fox News owner. “How can I dislike a guy who makes me look look Harry Styles?”…

Speaking of his own White House bid, Biden added: “The job isn’t finished, I mean it is finished for Tucker Carlson.”

Getting laughs and some groans for taking a jab at longtime critic Carlson, Biden leaned in deeper to the Murdoch-owned conservative outlet. “Fox News, owned by Dominion Voting Systems,” POTUS said, bringing up the $787.5 million settlement the channel made earlier this month to avoid what looked to be a painful public defamation trial. Stating that FNC reporters were in the house because they “couldn’t say no to a free meal,” Biden added, “I called Fox honest, fair and truthful, and I could be sued for defamation.” …

Following a pre-recorded cold open of sorts from ex-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the WHCD presented awards introduced by WHCA president and big Holly Hunter fan Tamara Keith. There were tributes to journalists Gwen Ifill and Bill Plante, some cringeworthy White House renovation advice from the Property Brothers, and some reminders of the hard realities of the world and the state of the press today. By the time it was Biden’s turn at the podium in the Washington Hilton ballroom, the joint was looking for some fun.

Having displayed an ability to stick in the satire shiv and speak seriously to the times at last year’s Trevor Noah-headlined WHCD, Biden took the opportunity of the second in-person nerd prom gathering of his Presidency to give the Beltway insiders and more what they wanted — which is a good sign going into 2024.

But not before speaking to those who were not able to be in the room tonight.

“The free press is a pillar of a free society, not the enemy,” the President told the crowd, quoting Thomas Jefferson and offering support to the attending family of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich who was hauled off to prison by the Putin regime on flimsy allegations of spying earlier this month. Noting the presence of the family of Austin Rice, who had been detained in Syria for years, a stern Biden added: “Journalism is not a crime, Evan and Austin should be released along with every other American held illegally abroad…I am working like Hell to get them home.”

In a DC ballroom populated by guests sporting #FreeEvan pins, former Putin prisoner and WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was a guest of CBS, was called out by the President and given a standing ovation. Also called to attention by Biden was media that trafficked in “lies told for profit and power” – though POTUS never mentioned Fox by name here…

Between powerbrokers, journalists, pundits and more leading members of the political and entertainment intersection, about 2,600 people packed into the WHCD tonight. It’s a tight squeeze that seems to alarm various VIPs not used to the crush. Among the Hollywood heavyweights spotted were Disney boss Bob Iger, Paramount Global monarch Shari Redstone, Warner Bros Discovery’s chief corporate affairs office David Leavy, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott, Disney Entertainment co-chair Dana Walden and media mogul Bryan Allen.

Also in the ballroom were Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan, Rosario Dawson, Succession’s J. Smith Cameron, John Legend & Chrissy Teigen, and Lisa Vanderpump and Ariana Madix of Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules. John Leguizamo, SNL’s in-house Biden and Donald Trump James Austin Johnson, Caitlyn Jenner, SAG-AFRA prez Fran Drecher, This Is Us‘ Justin Hartley, White House Plumbers star Lena Headey, and Ray Donovan himself Liev Schreiber, who gamely stood for photos with a parade of attendees, were there too…

In addition to the celebs and execs, for the first time since 2016, both the First Family and the Second Family were in attendance with VP Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff joining the Bidens at the head table…

Process journalism! (Unpaywalled gift link, to use up my quota):

… Landing a Good Guest is a time-honored art form in Washington. A Good Guest can help validate the importance of a news organization, become a source for news, or — if their presence helps lure donors — a future source of revenue. A Good Guest can help you lure other guests (Good or otherwise) to parties and fundraisers. The Gridiron Club, a semi-secret organization of journalists, takes guest work so seriously that each year before their annual white-tie dinner they hold their version of a fantasy football draft: Members draw a number and then pick their tablemates from a list of boldface names (they call it an “auction”).

There are no events in Washington, however, that take guest lists quite as seriously as the correspondents’ dinner — or ‘nerd prom’ to the nerds who love it…

We knew DougJ when… !

Reader Interactions

72Comments

  2. 2.

    Steeplejack

    Glad to see Roy Wood Jr. get some exposure. He is a funny comedian with a good Twitter feed.

    And DougJ—we knew him when!

  3. 3.

    Baud

    Seriously, how pathetic is the NYT that DougJ mocking them can get the attention of the president of the United States.

    A respectable organization would have a come-to-Jesus moment.

  5. 5.

    NotMax

    One-shot media footnote.

    Even if you have no interest in (or actively dislike) the rest of the program, it’s worth an eyeballing of season 5*, episode 4 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime just for the wonderfully tacky production number staged at an industrial show to drum up business for a waste management company. To justify hiring all those extras, there’s a modified second version later on in the same episode too.

    *Season 5 unfortunately ran out of steam from the get-go (IMHO). Weak sauce, with just enough bright spots reminiscent of the show’s better days to partially make up for the decline. But what’s mentioned above is hilariously right on the money when it comes to those type of industry gatherings.

  6. 6.

    Benw

    Those are such terrible jokes, but I love them. Also, in that first clip why is a Joe Biden look-alike applauding Joe Biden?

  8. 8.

    zhena gogolia

    I said to my husband, “I know that guy from Balloon Juice!” Really feels as if we know each other sometimes.

  11. 11.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Baud: It seems to me that sooner or later most organizations get so self important that they deserve to be mocked. Few are capable of learning anything from their “come to Jesus moments”. They just tell themselves that those people are just jealous.

  12. 12.

    Matt McIrvin

    Shit, the President flat-out quoted DougJ with attribution. (Well, pseudonymous attribution.)

  13. 13.

    satby

    Joe is such a nice guy, you can see in the first clip he thanks the Marine  band for their rendition of Hail to the Chief and they’re clearly pleased, especially the guy in front. Tfg probably treated them like furniture.

  15. 15.

    Ken

    @Baud: It gives the rest of us something to strive for, while we continue to metaphorically live in Cole’s basement.

  17. 17.

    MagdaInBlack

    @NotMax: I could not decide whether the show had run out of steam or I had lost interest. (i’ll do that) but I still love her clothes, and Suzie.

  18. 18.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Baud: I can see it happening as we speak! Just think of what that will do to his son!!! We must save the little children!

  19. 19.

    geg6

    DougJ is a huge celebrity now.  That callout from Biden cements his invitation to nerd prom next year.  He’ll never come back here to mingle with us hoi polloi now.

  20. 20.

    John S.

    Q: How bad is the FTFNYT?

    A: It’s so bad that DougJ’s scathing satire of them was just name checked by the POTUS as indistinguishable from the real thing.

    LOL

  22. 22.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    Mr DAW watched part of the dinner on C-span. Yes, he is a nerd, but he’s my nerd.

    Good for Doug J. When his twitter account gets suspended, maybe he’ll come home to us.

  28. 28.

    Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg

    @NotMax:

    I liked it up to a point, but then it got old. I’d have stopped somewhere around mid season 2.

  31. 31.

    Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg

    @NotMax:

    Onslow is the best. Love his spirit – he’s like the anti-Richard.

  32. 32.

    Soprano2

    That’s two people who became famous that I knew “way back when”. I posted with Digby waaaaaay back in 1998 on the “Brill’s Content” message boards. She came to another message board with a bunch of us after “Brill’s” folded. That’s where I learned how to debate online! She was always an outstanding poster, so I wasn’t surprised when she became a successful blogger.

    Wish me luck, my singing group’s end- of-semester concert is today. All the choirs at the university combine to become Grand Chorus, some 200+ of us. We’re doing Britten’s “Sea Symphony” with orchestra and soloists. It’s quite the work. These concerts are fun, but I’m ready to do it. Then we resume working on music for the Carnagie Hall trip in June!

  34. 34.

    eclare

    @Soprano2:

    Good luck!  I know for theater you say “break a leg,” not sure what to say for choral groups…

    Speaking of Carnegie Hall and singing, have you seen Florence Foster Jenkins?

  36. 36.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Soprano2: In the early-2000s blogosphere there was a thing called the “Koufax Awards” for liberal political blogs. One of the categories was “Best Commenter” and one year I somehow ended up nominated for my perennial commenting at The Poor Man. But I ended up being beaten by Digby, and I’m happy about that because frankly a lot of what I was saying back then now embarrasses me and I disown it.

  40. 40.

    NotMax

    @Soprano2

    the Carnagie[*] Hall trip in June

    “Bold choice, a 200+ person chorus belting out Push, Push in the Bush if it were written by Handel.”

    *Misspselling Carnegie voids all Pittsburgh bona fides for a probationary term of no less than thirty days.
    :)

  41. 41.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Soprano2: ​ You know how to get to Carnegie Hall, right? Congrats on all the rewards for all the hard work you and your chorus mates have put in.

  46. 46.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Baud: I wasn’t particularly telling other people to give him a chance but I WAS giving him a chance, which he did not deserve

    I was in a very “bend over backwards to be fair to the other side” mode until about the middle of 2003. After that I went into a “bend over backwards to be fair to Internet Marxists and anarcho-syndicalists” mode and that kind of turned out to be almost as bad.

  52. 52.

    Mike in NC

    Refreshing to have a normal president who can poke fun at himself, rather than a malignant narcissist who wanted people to bow down in his presence and called the free press “the enemy of the people” when it failed to kiss his fat orange ass.

    Try to imagine Meatball Ron at the WHCD! His overseas trip was a dismal failure and he got laughed out of every country he visited. Go to Russia next time, Ron. They love a good authoritarian.

  53. 53.

    MazeDancer

    Alas, I have never actually met Mr. J (Mr.Balloon? Mr. Doug? Sir? Your PitchBotness?)

    But I do have some 2018 emails from him when we co-ordinating posting about PostCards and Fund-Raising.

    Should I get those framed?

    We may have all known him back in the day. But, seriously, it’s talent and consistency that got him ahead.

    Go get ’em, Doug!

  56. 56.

    waspuppet

    The phrase “nerd prom” makes me throw up in my mouth every time I see it.

    Nerds know things, and nerds know they’re nerds. The Beltway press are trying to be the popular kids and they’re just really bad at it. That’s not the same thing. 

    Also, even a nerd knows you can’t give yourself your own nickname, which is essentially what “nerd prom” is.

  57. 57.

    Raoul Paste

    @Mike in NC: “ Try to imagine Meatball Ron at the WHCD”

    I think that’s the dictionary definition of awkward.  And an SNL skit waiting to be written.

  58. 58.

    tobie

    Good for DougJ! He’s in the big leagues. Bad for the NYTimes when a former (sigh) Balloon Juice front pager is so good at parodying the paper’s headlines that no one notices the difference between real headlines and fake headlines that insist on the both sides narrative, concern trolling, and the fact that everything that happens, no matter what, is good for Republicans and bad for Dems.

  59. 59.

    Another Scott

    Yay for DougJ, Wood, and Biden.

    Meanwhile, … Phys.org:

    In the summer of 2021, Canada’s all-time temperature record was smashed by almost 5℃. Its new record of 49.6℃ is hotter than anything ever recorded in Spain, Turkey or indeed anywhere in Europe.

    The record was set in Lytton, a small village a few hours’ drive from Vancouver, in a part of the world that doesn’t really look like it should experience such temperatures.

    Lytton was the peak of a heatwave that hit the Pacific Northwest of the US and Canada that summer and left many scientists shocked. From a purely statistical point of view, it should have been impossible.

    I’m part of a team of climate scientists who wanted to find out if the Pacific Northwest heatwave was unique, or whether any other regions had experienced such statistically implausible events. And we wanted to assess which regions were most at risk in future. Our results are now published in the journal Nature Communications.

    Tracking these outlier heatwaves is important not just because the heatwaves themselves are dangerous, but because countries tend to prepare to around the level of the most extreme event within collective memory. An unprecedented heatwave can therefore provoke policy responses to reduce the impact of future heat.

    For instance, a severe heatwave in Europe in 2003 is estimated to have caused 50,000-70,000 excess deaths. Although there have been more intense heatwaves since, none have resulted in such a high death toll, due to management plans implemented in the wake of 2003.

    […]

    We identified a number of regions, again spread across the globe, that have not experienced especially extreme heat over the past six decades (relative to their “expected” climate). As a result, these regions are more likely to see a record-breaking event in the near future. And with no experience of such a huge outlier, and less incentive to prepare for one, they may be particularly harmed by a record heatwave.

    Socioeconomic factors, including population size, population growth and level of development will exacerbate these impacts. As a result, we factor in population and economic development projections in our assessment of the regions that are most at risk globally.

    Our at-risk regions include Afghanistan, several countries in Central America and far eastern Russia among others. These regions may be surprising, since they are not those people typically think of when considering extreme heat impacts of climate change like India or the Persian Gulf. But those countries have recently experienced severe heatwaves and so are already doing what they can to prepare.

    Central Europe and several provinces in China, including the area around Beijing, also appear to be vulnerable when considering the extremeness of the record and population size, but as more developed areas they are likely to already have plans to mitigate severe impacts.

    Overall, our work raises two important points:

    The first is that statistically implausible heatwaves can occur anywhere on the Earth, and we must be very cautious about using the historical record in isolation to estimate the “maximum” heatwave possible. Policymakers across the globe should prepare for exceptional heatwaves that would be deemed implausible based on current records.

    The second is that there are a number of regions whose historical record is not exceptional, and therefore is more likely to be broken. These regions have been lucky so far, but as a result, are likely to be less well prepared for an unprecedented heatwave in the near future. It is especially important that these regions prepare for more intense heatwaves than they have already experienced.

    tl;dr – Expect, and plan for, the unexpected or tens of thousands will die.

    :-(

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  61. 61.

    Miss Bianca

    @Baud: IKR? And to think I used to get mad at him because I’d get so easily triggered by his trolling! Come back, DougJ, all is forgiven! :)

  62. 62.

    cain

    @zhena gogolia: ​ Why wife told me about DougJ when I was watching Perry Mason. Had to come over last night to see if anyone else caught it. Well done DougJ!Of course, he learned his trolling skills trolling us over the years. 😂​

    Good times!​
    Eta I hope our blog father picked up the phone and called to congratulate him on our behalf. (or text) also I hope dougj secures that account !

  63. 63.

    Miss Bianca

    @MomSense:

    Merde merde merde (it’s what dancers say since we are too superstitious to say GL and break a leg just won’t do)

    I never knew this! Added to the list of well-wishes. In fact, my theater’s last performance of Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile is today, I think I will wish all the actors a hearty “Merde merde merde” in celebration!

  66. 66.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    gotta admit, the T in NFT went right over my balding white head in real time

    Ragnarok Lobster @eclecticbrotha 28m
    Roy Wood, Jr. just called Uncle Clarence a non-fungible token. Lawd.

    Acyn @Acyn 13h
    Roy Wood Jr: We can all see Clarence Thomas, but he belongs to billionaire Harlan Crow. And that’s what an nft is.

  68. 68.

    Ruckus

    @Mike in NC:

    Go to Russia next time, Ron. They love a good authoritarian.

    They will have to settle then, he’s not good at anything. Hell he doesn’t even get to minimally acceptable.

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