Breaking down the ‘Nerd Prom’
It was back after a two-year
COVID hiatus.
Of course,
I’m referring to what author and columnist Ana Marie Cox dubbed a few years ago as the “Nerd Prom” — otherwise known as the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C.
Although the stated objective is to raise money for scholarship funds, its real purpose has become an opportunity for big media, Hollywood, large corporations and established politicians to rub elbows, backslap each other and share a humble meal of such things as: “jicama mango papitas & baby oak” salads, smoked paprika rubbed filets forged with “wild mushroom ragout,” jumbo peeled asparagus, (hope all held their noses in the Washington Dupont Circle Hilton restrooms) and “mascarpone” cheese stone grits (grits??).
Dessert was a display of assorted choices. Wines ranged from Chateau Ste. Michelle to a select cabernet sauvignon. All of this extravagance took place among the nation’s upper crust while most Americans struggled with double-digit inflation.
But the WHCA dinner wasn’t always this way. Started by a few reporters back in 1920, the dinner has become a media monstrosity with well over 200 tables (priced at $3,500 each) located in a ballroom the size of an airline hangar and hosting over 2,000 of the who’s who in American media, along with their powerful guests.
I suppose I have an ongoing fascination with the “Nerd Prom” because my mother was a White House reporter and feature editor for a Washington metropolitan newspaper in the 1960s. But times were different in those days. Women didn’t report White House news. Instead, they were relegated to “women’s stories of interest.” Mom covered first ladies Mamie Eisenhower, Jacqueline Kennedy, “Lady Bird” Johnson and Pat Nixon.
I don’t believe she ever went to a WHCA dinner. For one thing, even if women were members of the organization, they weren’t allowed to attend the event until 1962. That’s when President John F. Kennedy refused to appear unless the “males only” policy was changed.
The 2022 program was different from what I’ve experienced in the past. Famous faces were more difficult to find. I spotted Al Sharpton, Caitlyn Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Brook Shields and Martha Stewart. Also, young actresses were posing for cameras but none that I recognized (guess I don’t watch their shows).
Even regularly recognized politicians were far and few between. I did spot the director of homeland security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The president and first lady showed up for the speeches, but skipped dinner.
Despite the rise of COVID cases in the D.C. area, only a handful of people were wearing masks. Those who did had cloth ones for which the CDC called “least effective.” Social distancing was “out.” WHCA President Steven Portnoy excused all this by saying everyone there had been vaccinated. However, Dr. Tony Fauci did not attend because of a reported concern for lack of virus protocol.
After dinner, program directors entertained with a video spoof on White House press conferences, which wasn’t very funny. Later, various awards were given out to members of the press for whom the association felt had done admirable work. The top ones were for antiTrump pieces (what a surprise!), and the Catherine Graham award went to a journalist for a report on how people with big money can move their resources quietly or covertly around the world.
Portnoy gave a short talk on how reporters are victimized (who isn’t these days?), as well as scorned for just trying to get straight-forward honest news to the public. (Based on the polls, however, the public might disagree with these comments.) He mentioned the difficult job of reporting in Ukraine and appropriately eulogized the nine (two from Fox News) who had been killed by Putin’s missiles.
After a brief video on two pioneer AfricanAmerican journalists, President Biden came to the podium for a few words. He joked about his age, claiming to have been at the WHCA dinner in 1924. He quipped about his poll ratings and after a few rips at the GOP, made a quick tongue-in-cheek reference to the “Let’s go Brandon” slogan.
The program concluded with a comedic performance by Trevor Noah from the Daily Show. I have to say for the first time in a few years, the WHCA had a comedian who was actually funny.
Noah did not do the usual “Republicans are hateful and racist” routines but managed to jab at just about everyone from CNN to Ron DeSantis and President Biden — the latter by saying he is not the most powerful man in Washington. It is actually Joe Manchin. He also said everything is looking up under Joe Biden: gas, food, rent, etc.
By the way, I might mention that elbow-rubbing at the WHCA dinner did not start and end with the Saturday night dinner. Parties for participants carried on from Thursday through Sunday at various offices, hotels and homes sponsored by the elites.
Today, I wonder how my mother would have viewed this annually planned spectacle. In her time, she prided herself on expose writing and reporting. My guess is in today’s world, she wouldn’t know where to start.