Last Saturday’s annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner lived up–or down–to expectations.
If you looked forward to comic therapy in a world in terminal crisis mode and to a president with the timing of a professional stand-up, it lived up. If you were reminded early and often that this is now an overly long, overly celebrity-laden, see-and-be-seen, air-kiss staple, it lived down. If you thought “Saturday Night Live” cast member Cecily Strong was weak and sounded like somebody reading someone else’s jokes, it died right after Barack Obama sat down.
And if you are C-SPAN, you probably want them weekly.
We are reminded that while the WHCD requires a keynote comedian, the key is which one. Wanda Sykes was too edgy. Stephen Colbert too disrespectful of the office of the presidency, even if it were occupied by George W. Bush. Jay Leno was lamely safe. Rich Little was dated. Seth Meyers seemed pitch perfect.
At its best, the WHCD is actually good for democracy, per se. It’s worth noting that nobody–including the most powerful leader in the world–is above being taken down a few pegs.
During the height of the Cold War, it spoke volumes that the West Germans referred irreverently–but good-naturedly–to Chancellor Willy Brandt as “Schnapps Willy.” No way East Germans would have treated Brandt’s counterpart, the hard-line, Soviet puppet Erich Honecker, with endearingly egalitarian punch lines.
But, yes, it was poor form for Washington Post columnist Helena Andrews to be caught texting during the National Anthem.
The irony right now, however, is that the on-cue, televised jokes and jibes at the Washington Hilton were being aimed at a president who has been a historically unique target of vitriol and animus for 6-plus years. On the other hand, some wince-able friendly fire is not nearly as bad as he gets from Fox and fiends on a daily basis.