Playing It Safe After Colbert: Comedian Rich Little Hosting White House Correspondents’ Dinner

[gatorboy]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003532901

NEW YORK After last year's White House Correspondents Association dinner host Stephen Colbert drew mixed reactions to his sharp critiques of President Bush, event organizers appear to be going for a less-combative approach, choosing aging impersonator Rich Little for the pending April event.

Following recent dinners that boasted the likes Colbert, Cedric the Entertainer and Jon Stewart, choosing Little, whose career dates back decades and whose humor is often milder than Colbert or Stewart, indicates a change in approach.

"My approach is to try to make it a comfortable venue that is enjoyable, funny and interesting," said Steve Scully, president of the White House Correspondents Association, who chose Little. "But you don't want to offend anyone." He cited the slogan for the Washington Gridiron Dinner, which says, "singe, don't burn."

Ron Hutcheson, a McClatchy Newspapers reporter and former WHCA president who organized the 2005 dinner, said Colbert's impact might have sparked a calmer choice this year, which he supported. "It is certainly a safe choice, which might be nice," he said. "The single most difficult thing about the dinner is lining up entertainment. There is never much of a budget and I have found that coordinating their schedules with our schedules are difficult."

Hutcheson also said that having a less-combative host might help the dinner return to its goal of giving reporters and politicians a fun evening together, without the controversy that has sometimes entered into the dinner. "My personal feeling is that this is about ENOUGH" he said of the fallout from last year. "We don't need to have a blogfest and a partisan slugfest after the dinner. We don't need that."

[Stephanie]

1. They couldn't get Bob Hope?

[Left Is Write]

33. It'd be a pretty long commute for him.

[WI_DEM]

2. Rich Little? there's a name I haven't heard for about 20 years.

he's also a big Republican.

[Mrs. Overall]

3. How old is Rich Little? 70 or 80?

Just looked it up. He'll be 70 next year. And he's Canadian!

[WI_DEM]

4. According to IMDb he's 68, I would have sworn he was at least 75 or 80

[Inkyfuzzbottom]

5. Hell...

I thought he was dead.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

6. His Hoover impression kills. KILLS.

[nealmhughes]

17. I prefer his Woodrow Wilson, myself. That sendup of the 14 pts is classic Little!

[gatorboy]

21. You should hear his new Falkland Islands material. Priceless!

[Gidney N Cloyd]

27. I think KO almost quoted me.

[gatorboy]

29. I saw that! :P eom

[WI_DEM]

The official Rich Little website includes a Ronald Reagan tribute!!

http://www.richlittle.com/

[BlooInBloo]

7. Republicans continue to marginalize themselves, moving further and further from the mainstream...

What so stupid is that they're doing this ON PURPOSE.

:rofl:


EDIT: Think of all the 15-25 year olds whose life-long political feelings are being formed now. Rich Little. Steven Colbert. It could be over for republicans for a looooonng time.

[Kutjara]

8. Rich Little is a comedian?

Not by any evidence I've seen.

[Rose Siding]

9. Does Rich Little even *do* an impersonation of Colbert?

I can't picture it :evilgrin:

[MonkeyFunk]

10. Why?

Was Shecky Greene busy that night?

[Guaranteed]

11. Ahhh- Scully must be aiming it at the kids.

The 65-74 demographic.

Hey, don't get TOO crazy now, Scully!

[Bluebear]

12. What is this, a roast from 1972? nt

[ClintonTyree]

13. That's about as plain white bread as you can get.

There's absolutely no possibility of a controversy with Little. Everyone will fall asleep before the dessert course. :boring: No truth to power this year.

[Sugar Smack]

14. Maybe they should've got the Rat Pack. "Take my wife. Please."

Who's with me? B-)

[WI_DEM]

15. dig up Frank, Dean and Sammy's bones and they would still be

more entertaining than Rich Little.

[Sugar Smack]

20. Good point, WI_DEM.

Rich Little is the poster child for the abolition of sharp corners. Little wonder Bush's handlers chose him.

[Bucky]

16. Prediction: Little is gonna fucking *skewer* the president. Nail his ass for Gitmo, PNAC, the works

Little probably won't even tell jokes, he'll just whip out a copy of the Amnesty International report on Abu Ghraib or a list of rejected advice from the ISG, or maybe just read the names of dead soldiers and Iraqi civilians. Then he's gonna look right at Bush and go "Up yours, dickwad, for your fucking fascist oil wars..." and then he'll pause and go "Psych!"

And they'll all have a good laugh. Anyway, that's my prediction.

[Cha]

32. IMO, getting someone plucked from

the graveyard only sharpens the focus on how cutting edge it was last year. I don't imagine the person who hired Stephen Colbert still has that job, does he?

[Horse with no Name]

18. WOW! I thought he was dead.

:wow:

[lildreamer316]

19. Didn't know he was still alive. n/t

[TheDebbieDee]

22. At first glance, I thought the headline read:

Little Richard hosting White House Correspondents Dinner.....That crazy Daily Show GEICO Insurance Company commercial with pResident Bush saying something stupid and then Little Richard screaming "Turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce......Woooooooooot!" keeps running in my head!

[Sugar Smack]

23. OMG!! Stop it! You owe me a new keyboard!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: OMG!

[LostInAnomie]

24. Off topic, but I find the idea of a "White House Correspondents’ Dinner" disgusting.

We are supposed to have a confrontational press to place a check on our government and speak truth to power. They should not be hobnobbing with the people they are supposed to objectively report on.

[JHB]

25. Will Charo, Fonzie, and Capt. Steubing be there too?

And will there be a dress code: 70's styles only?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

26. The same cutting edge minds that lined up Wayne Newton for USO shows.

[BuyingThyme]

28. Lesson learned.

[Kerrytravelers]

30. Maybe the idea is to bore * to a sound sleep... and then let Nancy Pelosi smack him with her gavel!

Hey, a girl can dream!

[Cha]

31. Yeah, that was a ONCE IN A LIFETIME

happening, last years. One to savor for the ages.

We wouldn't want to have any "sharp critiques" of THE FUCKING LYING MASS MURDERER, now would we?

[Stuckinthebush]

34. Rich Little? Really?

The last time I saw him was on the Flip Wilson Show.

[DearAbby]

35. I heard that he does a great "Abe" Lincoln!

They could not find anyone of this century, pity. I remember Rich Little and I am amused by those who can imitate other people's voices, but....