After a tense two weeks in national news, the media turned its attention to DC last night as President Obama held DC’s annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, with guests including everyone from Newt Gingrich to Katy Perry.
Also invited to speak at the event was Conan O’Brien, who began his bit by acknowledging the victims of the Marathon bombings in his hometown of Boston, saying; “If your going to pick a city to mess with, don’t choose one where 9 out of ten people are related to a cop” before switching gears and going into a hilarious slideshow containing a series of political power players and their celebrity look-a-likes. After making a few jokes about President Obama, the man of the night took the stage to give a decently comical overview of the previous year in politics and news.
Conan with Michelle Obama, via E! News
As is tradition for the President, his address included an acknowledgment of distinguished guests in the auidence before going on to make a few cracks against his opposing party; “Take the sequester. Republicans fell in love with this thing, and now they can’t stop talking about how much they hate it. It’s like we’re trapped in a Taylor Swift album.” quipped the Commander-in-Chief. Obama also introduced the star studded crowd to a mock preview of an HBO documentary about himself, which included a hysterical interview with Steven Spielberg pinning the President as method actor Daniel Day-Lewis.
Before closing, the President also took time to mention the Marathon tragedy, saying; “Even as we gather here tonight, our thoughts are not far from the people of Boston” and acknowledged the Boston Globe‘s integral reporting of the information as it was happening, “When their communities and the wider world needed them most, they were there, making sense of events that at first blush may have seemed beyond our comprehension…and that’s what great journalism is.” he added.
The dinner, which was referenced by C-SPAN as “Nerd Prom,” also brought out many celebrities in some seriously to-die-for gowns. Check out some of our favorites below.
Rebel Wilson in a conservative navy gown with gold jewlery, via Zimbio
Sofia Vergara in a beautiful blue shade with eye-popping purple accessories, via Zimbio
Kerry Washington in a summery black and white dress perfect for the weather and occasion, via Zimbio
Hayden Panettiere in a pastel yellow gown with see-through sides, via Zimbio
Katy Perry in a Grecian style gown with copper accents, via Zimbio
Header image: via rollingout.com