When Saturday Night Live decided to move Cecily Strong from the “Weekend Update” desk back to the featured cast, it was a bit of a surprise. But joking about politics and current events got her one of the prized gigs for comedians these days.
Strong will be the host and featured entertainer for the White House Correspondents Dinner next April. She will be just the fourth woman to host in the 82-year history of the event. Last year, Joel McHale was the featured entertainer. In recent years, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers have hosted the dinner.
Perhaps the most controversial host of the White House Correspondents Dinner was Stephen Colbert in 2006. Playing his right-wing pundit character from The Colbert Report, Colbert reportedly ticked off many in the crowd, notably those who worked in the George W. Bush administration. President Bush himself was supposedly not amused by much of Colbert’s routine.
Strong doesn’t figure to be anywhere near as controversial, but maybe that’s underestimating her. Besides her “Weekend Update” pedigree, Strong has other ties to the news industry. Her father, Bill, was the Associated Press bureau chief in the Illinois state house.
The White House Correspondents Dinner will be on April 25, 2015. It might be the only time all year you’ll watch (or DVR) C-Span.
[Politico]
