As Intelligencer Jon — as well as a bunch of other people — have pointed out, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which brings members of the White House press corps, the politicians they cover, and a steadily increasing number of celebrities together for an incestuous night (or, as of this year, entire weekend) of boozing and backslapping is a is an ethically dubious affair, to say the least. “It’s inherently sending a bad message. The whole thing is inherently absurd,” said Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi, who attended Friday night’s Time- and People-sponsored kickoff cocktail party nonetheless. Mandvi then recalled a particularly absurd experience he had a Correspondents’ Dinner after-party two years ago, when he and pals Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis found themselves in very close proximity to Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin. “Somebody asked me if I would like to get my picture taken with Sarah Palin,” he said. “She was standing a few feet away. She couldn’t hear me, but [this guy] was like, ‘Do you want to get your picture taken with Sarah?’ And I was like, ‘You know, I don’t. I really don’t.’” It’s nice to hear that at least some people know where to draw the line.
