The White House Correspondents Dinner sucks. It confirms every bias everyday Americans have about the D.C. press: insular, elitist, self-absorbed, self-congratulatory, wealthy, transactional... dare I say, swampy? We call it our "nerd prom," recognizing that it's one of the few days where we can cosplay as the wealthy D.C. power players we cover on a daily basis. But most Americans aren't in on our little joke.
Nothing drove that point home like Saturday, when comedian Michelle Wolf took the stage for a set that even the White House Correspondents Association had to denounce. In particular, critics took exception to a series of jokes targeting White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders:
- "I actually really like Sarah. I think she's very resourceful. But she burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smokey eye. Like maybe she's born with it; maybe it's lies. It's probably lies."
- "And I'm never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders. You know, is it Sarah Sanders? Is 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."
- "We are graced with Sarah’s presence tonight. I have to say I’m a little star-struck. I love you as Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid’s Tale."
- "Every time Sarah steps up to the podium I get excited, because I’m not really sure what we’re going to get—you know, a press briefing, a bunch of lies or divided into softball teams."
The fact that multiple female mainstream journalists went on the record that they thought the routine went too far ought to be evidence enough that the criticism of the routine isn't purely partisan. Most immediately recognized that the jokes were deeply personal, and attacked her appearance in particular.
Of course, Wolf has her defenders. The more honest concede that Wolf's jokes about Huckabee Sanders were insulting and an attack on her appearance. But, they argue, she chose to work for a president who has continually denigrated women based on their appearance, so she has it coming to her.
I don't agree with that logic, but at least it's logically coherent. The notion that two wrongs can make a right is an appealing one on a visceral level, and one that I once subscribed too. Then I turned six.
Far more baffling to me are those claiming that actually Wolf never attacked Huckabee Sanders' appearance, including Wolf herself.
I have spent years defending women on both sides of the aisle from sexist attacks & digs on their appearance. Michelle Wolf did neither - she rightly blasted Sanders' character & her penchant for lying to the American people.
— Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) April 29, 2018
Let's put this to rest: Michelle Wolf did not criticize Sarah Huckabee Sanders about her appearance at the White House Correspondents' Dinner https://t.co/kA1lWGkeeL
— Vulture (@vulture) April 29, 2018
Hey mags! All these jokes were about her despicable behavior. Sounds like you have some thoughts about her looks though? 😘 https://t.co/JRzzvhBuey
— Michelle Wolf (@michelleisawolf) April 29, 2018
It is remarkable the extent to which Wolf's defenders now resemble the Trump supporters they despise, pretending not to understand their hero's intended message to deflect from criticism. Trump meant that Megyn Kelly was bleeding out of her nose, yes siree. That six-pointed star was a sheriff's star. And when Wolf says that Huckabee Sanders reminds her of a gym teacher, that's clearly some commentary on her athletic prowess.
I really shouldn't have to lay out the fact that female gym coaches tend to be stereotyped as butch, unattractive lesbians. Or that the Aunt Lydia character is a rather cliche old, unattractive hag who domineers the young ladies of The Handmaid's Tale and controls their sexuality. Or that calling a woman with an Arkansas accent "Cousin Huckabee" or "Auntie" is intended to invoke hillbilliness, and that hillbillies tend not to be lookers. Or that while I may be hopelessly clueless when it comes to women, even I recognize that when a woman makes it clear she dislikes another and follows up by saying her makeup is "perfect," that usually doesn't actually mean she likes her makeup.
Contrary to those bleating how "brave" Wolf was, the entire routine struck me as a bit cowardly. Because of course, Wolf doesn't say that Huckabee Sanders is ugly, or that she looks butch, or that she had bad make-up, or that she was a dumb hick. Instead she told jokes that hinted at it with a wink. Even Wolf's defense is identical to the alt-right trolls who cutely suggest bigotry and pretend to act scandalized when called out and suggest there's something wrong with you for picking up the obvious insinuation.
Many of those defending Wolf are quite adapt in diagnosing "dog whistles" and hidden bigoted messages from Trump and other conservatives, sometimes accurately, but even in instances where there is very clearly no actual racist intent. I couldn't help but to notice, for example, that the always entertaining Amanda Marcotte didn't hear anything sexist in that "smokey eye" joke...
The joke was actually about lies, making this tweet a lie being generated to defend a liar. https://t.co/CA0TWYt4Ky
— Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) April 30, 2018
... but also thinks "Western civilization," "drain the swamp," and "classic liberal" are all racist dog whistles.
"Drain the swamp", like "law and order" is a reactionary promise to use state power to suppress dissent and enforce white supremacy.
— Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) March 3, 2017
https://t.co/RwoPQ1yDs3 The replies to this basically prove my thesis that the right uses "Western civilization" as a racist dogwhistle.
— Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) July 10, 2017
Remember: Bari Weiss calls herself a "classic liberal", the favorite term of alt-righters who mistakenly think they’re cleverly fooling you.
— Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) March 8, 2018
One of the most popular tweets insisting Wolf's attacks weren't about her appearance comes from a journalist who argued Roseanne's tagline "A Family That Looks Like Us" was a dog whistle. Another came from a journalist who argued that Trump calling MS-13 gang members "animals" was a dog whistle. Those who excel out parsing out hidden microaggressions on the right now seem terrible at recognizing good old-fashioned aggressions from Wolf.
Now, there are a lot of conservatives out there who intentionally played dumb about some of the president's more reprehensible comments only to perk up when the president's aides are attacked. I can understand why liberals are grumbling about the folks who dismissed "locker room talk" suddenly taking out the smelling salts.
But that's no excuse for ignoring bad behavior on your own side. Defend Wolf's joke if you must, on comedic grounds, or tit-for-tat, or what have you. But refusing to acknowledge the actual punchline only telegraphs that deep down, you recognize it crossed a line.