Wanda Sykes has been chosen as the main entertainment for the annual White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner in Washington, slated for May 9, reports the Associated Press.
Obama is expected to attend the black-tie affair at the Washington Hilton and, as tradition dictates, will put on a comedy act of his own. The guest list of some 2,000 people will likely include the usual mix of Washington elite, White House press corps and Hollywood celebrities.
“The first thing I did when they asked me to do this gig — I made sure my taxes were paid,” quipped Sykes, taking a dig at the withdrawal of former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle from Obama’s cabinet due to unpaid taxes.
Sykes, who booked the job this week, said the idea of performing for such a high-profile crowd is “scary but very exciting.” The dinner has tripped up comedians before. Rich Little and Stephen Colbert both provoked criticism of their performances before the crowd.
She said it’s her job to “poke fun and ridicule,” and even a popular figure like Obama isn’t off limits. She already has some ideas about what she could mine for laughs. For example, she noted, Obama can be “a little long-winded. So we can get him on that.”
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