Politics

US Politicians Are Upset Because A Comedian Made Mean Jokes About Them

Some Trump staffers got their feelings hurt :(

by Rob Stott  30 April 2018
Michelle Wolf

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It’s that time of the year when Washington’s fancy pants elites get all dressed up for the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, then get super upset that the comedian they’ve invited to entertain them turns out to be a bit too edgy.

If you’re not familiar, the WHCA dinner is a chance for America’s most powerful journalists and politicians to pretend they like each other for a night. Each year, a comedian comes and gives a roast of everyone — the journalists, the politicians, and especially the President.

Traditionally, the President will also get up and crack a few jokes at his own expense, then gently roast the media and his political opponents as well. But these days President Trump doesn’t attend, because I think we can all agree that would just be a bit too awkward.

The dinner given us some iconic moments, like Stephen Colbert demolishing George W. Bush to his face, and President Obama roasting Trump (and allegedly compelling Trump to run for President).

It’s supposedly agreed that nothing is off limits at these events. It is, after all, a roast. But every year, almost without fail, someone will complain that the comedian delivering the keynote address was either not funny, or too funny.

This year, that comedian was The Daily Show writer Michelle Wolff, and let me tell you, she was definitely funny.

You Can Watch The Whole Thing Here:

Wolf roasted everyone, including Trump (“I would drag him here myself, but it turns out that the president of the United States is the one pussy you’re not allowed to grab.”), CNN, (“You guys love breaking news, and you did it, you broke it! Good work! The most useful information on CNN is when Anthony Bourdain tells me where to eat noodles.”), and Vice President Mike Pence (“Mike Pence is what happens when Anderson Cooper isn’t gay.”).

But she saved her best jokes for White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders. Here are a few of her best:

“I loved you as Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid’s Tale. Mike Pence, if you haven’t seen it, you would love it.”

“I actually really like Sarah [Hucakabee Sanders]. I think she’s very resourceful. But she burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Like maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s lies. It’s probably lies.”

“I’m never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Is it Sarah Sanders, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Is it Cousin Huckabee? Is it Auntie Huckabee Sanders? Like, what’s Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women? Oh, I know, Aunt Coulter.”

Now People Are Extremely Mad Online

As you’d expect from a bunch of journalists and politicians who are probably a little too friendly with each other, a bunch of people have leapt to Huckabee-Sanders’ defence and accused Wolf of going ~too far~.

Some have suggested Wolf was making fun of Huckabee-Sanders’ appearance (she wasn’t) or that she just wasn’t that funny (she was).

WHCA President Margaret Talev said Wolf’s jokes “did not embody the spirit of the night.”

But Wolf has defended herself on Twitter and is taking more of the criticism in good humour.

And others are leaping to Wolf’s defence.

Anyway, this is all just part of the “was it/wasn’t it funny?” debate that happens following this event every year. In our view, it definitely was, and who really cares if someone who represents the Trump administration has their feelings hurt a little bit.

While you’re here, you may as well watch the best WHCA speech of all time: Cecily Strong in 2015: