Is the White House Correspondents Dinner Really a ‘Nerd Prom’?
Somehow, in the past few years, the shorthand for the White House Correspondents Dinner became #nerdprom. Because, presumably, it’s supposed to be exactly night your average prom night, except with nerds who care about nerdy things like politics. Except that the description might not actually be that accurate. In fact, quite a lot of people have been complaining about how that name is an incredible misnomer.
I love that they call the WHCD "Nerd Prom." OMG these powerful people and celebs are such nerds!!!!
— Katla McGlynn (@katlamcglynn) May 3, 2014
#nerdprom ? Please. Nerds are intellectuals & specialists not (most) journalists, blowhards and celebs at the #whcd
— Dino Christenson (@archimedino) May 3, 2014
Can we stop calling the Correspondents' Dinner #nerdprom? It's insulting to nerds everywhere. #WHCD is just a beltway media circle jerk.
— Robby Moiseev (@UberRobby) May 3, 2014
I tweet this every year, but if you think the White House Correspondents' Dinner is #nerdprom, you must not know any actual nerds.
— Timothy B. Lee (@binarybits) May 2, 2014
It's offensive to true nerds everywhere that news media elites think #WHCD is a #nerdprom. "Nerd" implies you're outsiders. You're not.
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) May 4, 2014
I *HATE* #WHCD being called 'nerd prom', they aren't nerds; they're pseudo intellectual blow dried Kens & Barbies
— lvdjgarcia (@lvdjgarcia) May 3, 2014
So we know what the “normals” think of #nerdprom. But what about the people who are actually at the event? Do they consider it to be a fair name? Well, so far, a few people in attendance, like Barbara Walters and Touré, were asked about the name today.
Barbara Walters at only her sixth or seventh #whcd? "Are we the nerds," she asks? "I've been called worse." pic.twitter.com/vEeIX5UzqN
— Colby Itkowitz (@ColbyItkowitz) May 3, 2014
The incredible @mindykaling is here. She doesn't know where the nerds are. #whcd #nerdprom pic.twitter.com/W0VECRLZWZ
— Colby Itkowitz (@ColbyItkowitz) May 3, 2014
"Political Woodstock, but Nerd Prom is really good" Toure, journalist/author on #whcd 's new nickname pic.twitter.com/8LlW3cZ7wQ
— veronica toney (@vptwritenow) May 3, 2014
And Veep star Timothy Simons said last night he’ll be searching for the biggest nerd at the event. He even shared a few things he learned about D.C. in researching Veep, including that “everybody has two phones” (which will come as a big surprise to at least two Supreme Court Justices).
So, is the “nerd prom” label accurate? Well, let’s put it this way. Tomorrow is May the Fourth. Which is Star Wars Day. And any event held tomorrow to commemorate Star Wars Day will be way more of a nerd prom than a politico/celebrity-filled D.C. event can ever be.
[image via screengrab]
— —
