By On Saturday, the political world had a negative reaction to comedian Michelle Wolf ’s speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner as she lambasted President Donald Trump, his administration and pretty much everyone in the room.
While some found Wolf funny, others thought she went too far with her humor.
Despite the negative reactions, she was exactly what we needed. In an era where comedians are mocking Trump nightly, her aggressive comedy had just enough of an edge to stand out from her peers.
Other comedians, such as late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon or Stephen Colbert, have to worry about things like swearing on television. Wolf had the luxury of not having to worry about censoring herself.
Those who say she was too mean miss both the point of comedy and why Wolf was invited in the first place.
The Correspondent’s dinner has always been a place where those in power get roasted. Colbert famously mocked George W. Bush and his failure to stabilize Iraq after his invasion, and last year Hasan Minhaj directly criticized Trump.
So why is this the year where comedy went too far?
It seems that it has more to do with the fact that she dropped any hints of politeness and called out everyone.
Wolf even chastised Trump for his absence from the dinner.
“Of course, Trump isn’t here, if you haven’t noticed, he’s not here,” Wolf said, “And I know, I know, I would drag him here myself, but it turns out the President of the United States is the one pussy you’re not allowed to grab.”
Wolf also went after White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders for lying to the press.
“I actually really like Sarah,” Wolf said, “I think she’s very resourceful. 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.”
For some reason, many critics rather shoot the messenger than acknowledge that she has a point. New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman criticized this line as an insult of Huckabee-Sanders’ looks.
For some reason, critics would rather portray Wolf as a bully than admit she has a point.
Let’s not forget that this is the same president who has constantly attacked his opponents, stretching back to the start of his presidential campaign. This is the president who made fun of a disabled reporter. The president who said that it was OK to “grab her by the pussy.”
As Wolf said in her speech, “it’s funny how values can waver.”
This seems to the real issue that her critics have with her. Wolf’s jokes are not too mean, they just have too much truth to them. Whether you agree with her or not, can anyone say that she’s wrong?
Even the arguments that she was unfair to the administration fall flat, considering the fact she went after targets on the left. Wolf mocked the Democrats, Hillary Clinton and the liberal media.
She went after CNN in her speech: “Welcome, guys, it’s great to have you. You guys love breaking news, and you did it. You broke it. Good work.”
Wolf even makes herself the butt of a couple jokes by bringing up her annoying voice.
If Wolf can walk out on a stage in front of live cameras and make fun of herself, why can’t these politicians on top of the food chain sit for five minutes while a comedian cracks a few jokes?
It seems especially stupid to get offended over Wolf’s speech considering Trump was at a rally where he asked if there were any Hispanics in the crowd, before demanding funding for his border wall.
Sadly, even the White House Correspondents’ Association, the organization behind the dinner, came out and threw her under the bus in a statement that declared “the entertainer’s monologue was not in the spirit of the mission.”
Instead of blaming Wolf for acting like a comedian, the association should be more picky about their hosts. If organizers are so desperate to have entertainment that doesn’t speak out of turn, then maybe they should hire a mime.
