Instead of Piling On Michelle Wolf For Her Cruel WHCD, Blame The WHCA For Giving Her The Gig

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is meant to celebrate the First Amendment and the Freedom of the Press. But despite all the awards that are given to journalists for breaking the year’s biggest news, everyone always remembers the host instead.

This year, Michelle Wolf emceed the event. Reactions to the monologue were predictable and pretty much fell along party lines: supporters of the president found it disgusting and unfunny. #Resistance members laughed at the expense of the Trump administration.

What was the most surprising was the reaction that came from journalists from mainstream media outlets, who generally shared a consensus that Wolf was too brutal and more importantly, this year’s WHCD damaged its own cause.

Three CNN reporters who attended the event observed how “uncomfortable” many people in the room were during Wolf’s monologue and how it was “cringeworthy” and “harsh.” Journalists from The Associated Press, The New York Times, Politico, NBC News, ABC News all either trashed her monologue, expressed concerns as to how Wolf’s performance takes away from significant objective journalism, or defended Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who attended the WHCD as an official representative of the Trump administration — and faced some of the most vicious jokes.

So while Wolf deserves much of the criticism she’s been getting, we shouldn’t forget those who gave her the gig to begin with: the White House Correspondents’ Association.

Wolf may have been the most cruel and distasteful WHCD host to date,  she certainly wasn’t the first. In recent years, WHCA invited SNL‘s Cecily Strong, former Comedy Central host Larry Wilmore, and The Daily Show‘s Hasan Minhaj, all whose receptions ranged from meh to dismal but all had the commonality of left-leaning politics and an animus for Donald Trump. And in an era where disinformation campaigns from foreign entities like Russia play a significant role in our elections and the president’s ongoing war with the media, perception is everything. The WHCA’s string of partisan comedians sends a message to conservatives and Trump supporters across the country that reinforces their views of the mainstream media. And are we supposed to believe that the WHCA was shocked by Wolf’s vulgarity? If you have ever seen her comedy, what she said at the WHCD was par for the course. They knew what they were getting when they asked her to host.

And Wolf’s cringeworthy monologue played right into the hands of the president. At his rally in Washington, Michigan, he railed against the “phony” WHCD, insisting his supporters would have “more fun” there than at what’s been called “Nerd Prom.” And he was right. Like every award show out of Hollywood, his supporters weren’t welcomed to tune in. And why should they put up with the humiliation?

If comedians are incapable of refraining from shameful, mean-spirited humor that alienates half the nation, perhaps the WHCD should refrain from booking them until they can put a leash on their contempt for Trump and the people who support him and instead seek a keynote speaker who, if they have comedic chops, can mock politicians and media figures on both sides of the aisle or simply give an inspirational address. Ronan Farrow can probably give an insightful speech since he was so instrumental in sparking the #MeToo movement. And if they really want to spice things up, the WHCA invite someone who actually likes Trump! Roseanne Barr can surely put on a good show. Or how about Tim Allen or Dennis Miller?

The press has a tall order in the era of Trump. The people’s trust in them continue to be at all-time lows and if they get a story wrong, Trump and his vocal supporters seize on any opportunity to call them “fake news.” So the least they could do is make the effort and try to promote fairness and objectivity. And hiring these merciless leftwing comedians year after year further hurt their credibility. If the WHCA doesn’t revamp their biggest event of the year, then they’re simply asking Trump to plan more rallies.

[image via screengrab]

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/2Km9pOO