Washington’s hottest dinner ticket just became more expensive. Attendees at this year’s White House Correspondents Dinner will have to fork over $225 for the May 1 event, an increase over the previous $200 price tag.This year, announced last week, Jay Leno will headline the dinner. WHCA President Edwin Chen of Bloomberg said he approached Leno months ago, well before his latest controversy and tussle with Conan O’Brien and NBC. “I approached Jay way before the flap with NBC and he agreed to it,” Chen said. “It was quite a few months ago, back in the fall.”
Chen said Leno made no comment then about any possibility of a shake-up in late night: “I had no clue. I just wanted to know if he would do it and he readily agreed.” Chen said he did not think Leno’s latest situation would boost or hurt attendance, noting the dinner sells out way ahead of time annually: “I don’t think the dinner needs it one way or another.”
In addition to Leno, the dinner is also taking on a “green” theme this year, according to a release. Efforts to make the event more environmentally friendly are being put in place. “ ... for the first time in its 96-year history, the association is taking action to reduce the carbon impact of its annual black-tie gala; these include using as much as possible paper products, supplies and services that reduce the threat of global warming, deforestation, toxic wastes, hazardous chemicals and species extinction,” the announcement said.
“This will be the most eco-friendly dinner ever hosted by the association,'' Chen added in the release. “And we encourage our members and guests to join in that effort, such as by car-pooling, using hybrid vehicles and, for long-distance travelers to Washington, buying carbon-offsets.”
But will President Barack Obama agree? Perhaps giving up his gas-guzzling limo for a bicycle to get to the dinner.
As for the price hike: “Costs have gone up and we have upped the scholarship money,” said David Jackson, USA Today reporter and vice president of the White House Correspondents Association. “It had not gone up in years.” Seven years to be exact. It is unlikely the increase will reduce the popularity of the event that regularly sells out. - -Joe Strupp
If only we could extend those laudable efforts to curb noxious emissions from the White House correspondents' dinner to the correspondents themselves.
ReplyDelete"It is unlikely the increase will reduce the popularity of the event that regularly sells out."
ReplyDeleteThe term 'sellout' has never been more apropos than when applied to the spectacle of the DC press corps swanning about with the people they're supposed to cover.