Given President Donald Trump’s Inauguration lineup, the first White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner of his presidency may be a little less star-studded than in previous years. But comedian Samantha Bee is not going to miss her chance to “properly roast the president.”

The host of TBS’s late night talk show “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” will bring her own event called “Not the White House Correspondent’s Dinner” to D.C. on April 29–the same night as the actual WHCA dinner.

The dinner is an annual event that brings together politicians, celebrities, and journalists that cover the White House. Traditionally, a famous comedian headlines the soiree and makes jokes at the expense of the president, after which the president performs his own comedy routine.

Nicknamed “nerd prom,” the dinner has also received criticism for creating too friendly of a relationship between reporters and the public figures they cover.

Bee told the New York Times that she and the staff of her show hatched the idea for their alternative event after wondering how the traditional dinner would play out differently under the new president.

“And then we thought, Why don’t we just do one, just to do it in the way that we would want it done if we were hosting it?” she said.

Trump’s attacks on the media and objections to being made fun of have led some journalists to question whether or not he would even attend the Correspondents’ Dinner.

At a recent press conference, he said that Buzzfeed was a “failing pile of garbage” and refused to take questions from CNN’s Jim Acosta, calling the network “fake news.” And last week, his top strategist Stephen Bannon told the New York Times that the media “should keep its mouth shut.”

The president has also been vocal on Twitter about actor Alec Baldwin’s impression of him on “Saturday Night Live,” calling it “unwatchable.”

At the 2011 dinner, Trump was notoriously unamused when President Barack Obama and comedian Seth Meyers mocked his vows to run for president and his role in the birther movement, which claimed that Obama was not a U.S. citizen.

Trump’s own attempts at stand-up have been met with tough crowds. During the election, he attended a New York charity dinner where each candidate was supposed to perform a lighthearted routine. But his jokes quickly devolved into a string of insults toward his opponent Hillary Clinton that was met with boos from the crowd.

Bee, who is currently in the process of booking other performers for her own event, said she thinks trying to plan this year’s Correspondent’s Dinner will be “very challenging” for the WHCA.

“Does 3 Doors Down do comedy? I don’t know, maybe they do,” she said, poking fun at one of the Inauguration weekend headliners.

She added that proceeds from her dinner will go to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Though the former “Daily Show” correspondent is no stranger to mocking the president–she has even compiled a “thesaurus” that catalogues all of her anti-Trump insults–writing new jokes to top “screaming carrot demon” or “tangerine-tinted trashcan fire” will be no easy feat.

Victoria Sheridan

Victoria is an editorial intern at Law Street. She is a senior journalism major and French minor at George Washington University. She’s also an editor at GW’s student newspaper, The Hatchet. In her free time, she is either traveling or planning her next trip abroad. Contact Victoria at VSheridan@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Samantha Bee to Host Anti-White House Correspondents’ Dinner appeared first on Law Street.

Alternative facts: an inherent oxymoron and, three weeks into 2017, likely a phrase that has already been cemented as an unforgettable moment in America’s new political era. Sunday morning, on NBC’s “Meet the Press with Chuck Todd,” Kellyanne Conway was prodded about White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s false claim that President Donald Trump’s inauguration was “the largest audience ever to witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe.” Conway replied: “you’re saying it’s a falsehood…our press secretary gave alternative facts to that.”

And with that, days into Trump’s presidency, Twitter had a new phrase to have some fun with. As it so often does, Twitter firmly chiseled Conway’s clever rewording of “lies” into the history books. First, dictionary company Merriam-Webster enlightened us all by clarifying a key, and often misunderstood, definition:

A fact is a piece of information presented as having objective reality. https://t.co/gCKRZZm23c

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) January 22, 2017

Comedian Samantha Bee is convinced Trump is not in fact America’s new president, regardless of who took the podium on Friday:

Hillary is president right now. I choose to believe this. #alternativefacts

— Full Frontal (@FullFrontalSamB) January 22, 2017

Washington Post journalist Dave Weigel seems fired up to watch the Super Bowl in a few weeks, which will feature the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons:

Pretty excited for the Eagles to face the Ravens in the Super Bowl! #alternativefacts

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) January 23, 2017

Hopefully @TonkaOBrien alternative facts children’s book won’t get published anytime soon:

It all starts somewhere … #potus #spicerlies #trumplies pic.twitter.com/AmWymAVaP0

— Tim O’Brien (@TonkaOBrien) January 22, 2017

User @davidschneider used an image of Sean Spicer at the podium to give us all a little Monday motivation:

“It is not Monday. It is still the weekend. Period.”#mondaymotivation #alternativefacts pic.twitter.com/XX3vbAbvk6

— David Schneider (@davidschneider) January 23, 2017

Finally, actor George Takei, a consistent contributor to Twitter’s finest trends, laid out a few #alternativefacts of his own:

Kellyanne Conway now refers to their lies as “alternative facts.” We get it. War is peace, freedom is slavery, Trump is presidential.

— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) January 22, 2017

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Twitter Does Not Believe in #AlternativeFacts appeared first on Law Street.

Uh oh, today is Friday the 13th. Enjoy the end of your week, but if you’re superstitious, be careful! Welcome to RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through today’s top five controversial stories in the world of law and policy. Who’s ranting and raving right now? Check it out below:

Samantha Bee Takes on Bo Bice’s Popeyes Drama

Samantha Bee introduced a new phenomenon to her viewers on Wednesday night: apparently a lot of white men in the U.S. are now experiencing “racism” and “harassment.” One example is former American Idol contestant Bo Bice, who was called a “racial slur” when he recently ordered some fried chicken at a Popeyes in an Atlanta airport. Bee hypothesized about what he could have been called, but it turns out he was just called “white boy” by one employee. Bice took this incident so personally that he broke down in tears during a Fox News segment. He also wrote an excessively long Facebook status in which he called the incident “racist behavior,” threatened legal action, tagged the local TV news station, and managed to get the young girl who worked at Popeye’s suspended from work. And in the interview with Fox News he said, “America, you should be ashamed!” Well Bo, here’s Bee’s full rant in response:

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post RantCrush Top 5: January 13, 2017 appeared first on Law Street.

After a news-filled Monday, are you caught up on the biggest stories in the world of law and policy this morning? If not, don’t worry, we did all the hard work for you. Sit back, and enjoy, RantCrush readers. Welcome to RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through today’s top five controversial stories in the world of law and policy. Who’s ranting and raving right now? Check it out below:

Germany Declares Berlin Attack an Act of Terror

On Monday night, a truck crashed into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 and injuring 48. Of those 48, 18 are reportedly critically wounded. Now, German officials have announced that they’re viewing the attack as an act of terrorism. It reminded many of a similar attack in Nice, France, in July when a truck plowed into a Bastille Day celebration and killed 86.

At least one man has been arrested in connection with the attack, but authorities aren’t sure that he’s the man who drove the truck–it’s possible that the attacker is still at large.

Chancellor Angela Merkel gave a press conference on Tuesday, calling for unity in this time of uncertainty. But the attack in Berlin, as well as the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, have many people nervous about the current state of world affairs.

Today:
– Turkey assassinates Russian diplomat
– Terrorist drives truck into Berlin crowd near chuch
– Terrorist attack in Zurich

New normal

— Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) December 19, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post RantCrush Top 5: December 20, 2016 appeared first on Law Street.

On Wednesday morning, writers’ rooms were probably frantically trying to re-write many of their planned monologues and sketches in line with election night’s unexpected results. Many of them probably struggled with what tone to approach the news with, as the man who had been their main source of comedic material for the past 18 months is not a joke anymore–he’s now our president-elect. While these hosts were more somber than usual, they still brought the laughs, and demonstrated that not all hope was lost.

If the election results have you stressed, hopefully these late night hosts can offer you the comedic comfort food your soul needs.

“Last Week Tonight” with John Oliver

John Oliver’s last show of the year issued some pretty serious messages and dire warnings in between its laughs. John Oliver urged viewers to “actively stand up for one another” by supporting organizations such as The Trevor Project, Planned Parenthood, the International Refugee Assistance Project, and a myriad of others. He also advised that we constantly remind ourselves that “this is not normal” with regard to a Trump presidency. Oh, and he also “blew up” 2016 at the end, because this year has been all-around awful.

“The Daily Show” with Trevor Noah

This election cycle was seriously missing the voice of Jon Stewart, but Trevor Noah delivered on Wednesday with material that could make a viewer want to laugh and cry at the same time. Particularly moving was a bit by Hasan Minhaj, in which he almost broke down in tears while telling the story of his mother, who is currently abroad and can’t return to the U.S. until February, but wasn’t entirely sure whether she’d be let back in under Trump’s confusing and ever-changing “Muslim ban.” He needs her…and she also owes him $300.

Another moving moment from this week’s show was when correspondent Michelle Wolf also simultaneously laughed and cried as she discussed the absurdity of Trump’s win and its depressing implications for American women.

In the 2016 election, 42% of women voted for Donald Trump. @MichelleIsAWolf responds: https://t.co/lU43mqpyPz pic.twitter.com/BJZCxetT5s

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) November 10, 2016

“Late Night” with Seth Meyers

Seth Meyers just might be the man to blame for a Trump presidency: in 2011, he delivered scathing jabs at Trump for his “birther” comments about President Obama. He also laughed off Trump’s interest in a campaign for the presidency at the time, while cameras showed Trump was in the audience silently seething and accepting the challenge.

Despite that, Meyers received praise for his election coverage, with his “Closer Look” segments. His post election remarks were somber, hopeful, and humorous at the same time, and had Meyers himself on the verge of tears.

“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”

The central message of Bee’s show? We need to get to work. Bee was definitely angry with the results, blaming the large white voter base that voted for Trump. Bee also shushed white people who didn’t vote for him, and said “if Muslims have to take responsibility for every member of their community, so do we.”

But Bee wasn’t just angry, she was also hopeful for the “nasty women” of the future that need to step up so that we can have more and more women representing us in office.

“The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert

Another character who was sorely missed this election cycle was Stephen Colbert’s “Colbert Report” persona. But even though we didn’t get to hear from his alter ego, the man himself was there to support us through the tough Election Night and into the next day.

Stephen Colbert’s live election night coverage on Showtime ended before Trump’s victory was announced, but at that point it was already clear that a Clinton win was unlikely, so the night ended on a somber and uncertain note. But the next morning, after it was official, Colbert captured the nausea-ridden hangover that overcame much of the country the day after the election. Colbert was blunt about his feelings (“This suuuucks”), but if you’re feeling down, I guarantee that watching Colbert put on cat ears and pretend to be a “sexy kitty” will definitely improve your day.

Mariam Jaffery

Mariam was an Executive Assistant at Law Street Media and a native of Northern Virginia. She has a B.A. in International Affairs with a minor in Business Administration from George Washington University. Contact Mariam at mjaffery@lawstreetmedia.com.

The post Here’s How Late Night Hosts Reacted to the Election Results appeared first on Law Street.

Samantha Bae

Samantha Bee, who really is just marvelous at pinpointing what we’re all thinking about this election, took Donald Trump to task over his claims of “partial birth abortions” at the last debate. But partial birth abortions, as Bee points out, aren’t actually a thing–in fact the question by Chris Wallace, the moderator, wasn’t even accurate in the first place. Only a tiny percentage–under 2 percent of abortions–are after 21 weeks. And they’re overwhelmingly for medical reasons, like because the woman’s life is at risk. Watch Bee’s takedown of Wallace and Trump here:

Also, kudos to Bee for our favorite nickname for Trump yet: a “dick-waving Berlusconi knock-off.”

Rant Crush

RantCrush collects the top trending topics in the law and policy world each day just for you.

The post RantCrush Top 5: October 25, 2016 appeared first on Law Street.

Looks like the Red Cross Made A Racist Mistake?

Earlier this month, the Red Cross released posters for pool safety depicting ‘cool’ and ‘uncool’ ways to act around a pool. While pool safety is very important, the imagery used in this particular poster is very worrisome. Only children of color are shown as being unruly and uncool but white children are shown being safe and calm. Why? Because prejudice! People on social media were so ready to call them out:

Hey, @RedCross, send a new pool poster to @SalidaRec bc the current one they have w your name on it is super racist pic.twitter.com/TY8MmFB3Qk

— John Sawyer (@JSawyer330) June 21, 2016

Seriously…did no one #AmericanRedCross see the #unconsciousbias in this ‘super racist’ pool poster https://t.co/Ks7xyMiGZx

— Star Jones (@StarJonesEsq) June 27, 2016

The Red Cross has since ceased production of the posters and issued an official apology. Yikes!

Rant Crush

RantCrush collects the top trending topics in the law and policy world each day just for you.

The post RantCrush Top 5: June 28, 2016 appeared first on Law Street.

You know the feeling when you’re witnessing something amazing, and it makes you a little sad that no one else is there to see it? There’s a television equivalent to that–when you’re watching an amazing show with disappointing ratings and you hope against hope that the sponsors and executives will continue supporting it for the art’s own sake. In another context, you might feel a little proud to be enjoying something that the general public hasn’t caught onto yet–but you can’t because you’re too worried that the program won’t last long enough (see: any good show on the CW.) That’s exactly how I feel watching “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.”

If you don’t remember her, she was a correspondent on “The Daily Show” who did hilarious exposés and interviews ranging from abortion rights and labor laws to women and gays in the military. “Full Frontal” is her standalone late night show, and unbeknownst to seemingly everyone, it’s the best late night talk show for political coverage. While the primaries and the general seem exhausting, it’s always nice to have a voice of sanity you can tune into every week, and if you haven’t tried “Full Frontal,” you’re really missing out.

What makes Samantha Bee’s program head and shoulders over the others? Shall I compare her to the other hosts?–after all, she art more lovely and less temperate. There are of course the three Jameses: Fallon, Kimmel, and Corden are all goofy and fun, but they’re rarely political. Seth Meyers has short political segments called “a closer look,” which are usually informative but full of very flat jokes. Colbert’s new show has some highlights, but the tone is generally very silly. He’s a gifted live interviewer, but the show’s other material can feel repetitive. John Oliver has great long form excerpts, but they’re not consistently about politics, and aren’t usually about current news. Bill Maher is consistently political and keeps up with the election, but is often too abrasive and acerbic, and can alienate those who aren’t on the far-left. I’ve got to be honest, I haven’t seen much of Trevor Noah. I asked some friends who like the show what he’s like, and I heard that he is “dreamy” and has “the cutest accent.” So I guess he’s got that going for him.

Samantha Bee manages to mix together all the best elements of the other hosts to create the best late-night refuge from political craziness. Her best segments teach you something new while making you laugh–and include a call to action to right wrongs. Plus, none of the aforementioned guys have jackets anywhere near as cool as Sam’s.

After working with Jon Stewart so closely, it’s no surprise that she has a well-developed knack for making jokes about topics like mass shootings and rapes without seeming callous or mean-spirited. The delicate balance between serious punditry and side-splitting commentary can be treacherous, but Bee’s explanation videos manage both perfectly. Some highlights include the origins of the religious right movement, abortion restriction in Texas, and explaining what the hell superdelegates are. Just about any video produced for her show will teach you something new, and arm you with funny one-liners about the election perfect for any office party schmoozing.

For a glimpse at how she unflinchingly tackles a subject matter as taboo as rape, check out this video of her argument for passing MJIA, a bill regarding military sexual assault.

She also has a segment where she interviews a group of people to better understand them–and while it’s not always comfortable, it’s always hilarious. Her ‘unironic’ interview with Trump supporters and her meeting with the “Bernie bros,” are great examples.

On the “Colbert Report,” Colbert’s character was a staunch conservative, and his opinions made him interesting to watch. Even if his opinions weren’t real, they provided satirical outlets for his writers’ actual opinions.  Samantha Bee doesn’t pretend to be an impartial observer–she’s got strong opinions, and that’s exactly why her show is interesting. She has an angle, and she owns it. It’s time for more people to tune in.

Sean Simon

Sean Simon is an Editorial News Senior Fellow at Law Street, and a senior at The George Washington University, studying Communications and Psychology. In his spare time, he loves exploring D.C. restaurants, solving crossword puzzles, and watching sad foreign films. Contact Sean at SSimon@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Samantha Bee Deserves More Buzz appeared first on Law Street.

Welcome to the RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through the top five controversial and crazy stories in the world of law and policy each day. So who is ranting and who is raving today? Check it out below:

Samantha Bee Rips the Religious Right

Samantha Bee is back at it again with a scathing critique on everyone’s favorite topic: the religious right. Beginning with a hilarious history of evangelical Christianity’s relationship with politics, Donald Trump, and the GOP, Samantha Bee gives some important insight how the religious right has been losing its grasp on the White House in recent years. Check it out:

Philip Morris Blows Whistle on New Cigarette Packaging and Gets Shutdown

Philip Morris, a tobacco giant known for Marlboro cigarettes, made headlines today after it tried to sue Australia for its creepy looking cigarette packaging rules. If you’ve seen them, you may never want to go near cigarettes again! That is exactly why Philip Morris is filing suits left and right, claiming the countries that apply these rules are impinging on their trademark intellectual property rights. Do they have a point?

Australia versus Philip Morris: How we took on big tobacco and won. https://t.co/GCIE8iHjhW pic.twitter.com/JugLUFO5FE

— smh.com.au (@smh) May 17, 2016

Australia Wraps It Up Ahead of Rio Olympics

The 2016 Summer Olympics are about to get crazy. Along with Brazil’s increased financial burdens, Zika is in the back of everyone’s mind. This is why Australia pharma company Starpharma and a leading condom company are taking aggressive precautions in creating a Zika-proof condom for the Australian Olympic team. Hopefully, protection will be available to everyone when the games begin.

Zika-proof condoms to be standard issue for Australia’s Olympic team. https://t.co/6fy0a2t4s2 pic.twitter.com/UZSDj0n49S

— VICE Sports (@VICESports) May 17, 2016

Viral Video Shows Woman Denouncing Trans Bathroom Use In Local Target

Attention Target customers! Do not be deceived! Target is amazing, you can literally get anything there. You can also, as a transperson, have access to the bathroom. Which is great, right?  

Well, some folks beg to differ. Particularly this woman whose video went viral today after marching through a local Target with a raised Bible warning mothers to get their children out of the store and away from Target’s “homosexual perverted agenda.” Besides scaring some people, all this woman and her posse accomplished was creating a nuisance.

Snapchat Drops The Ball Again!

Admit it, you love Snapchat filters. You spend hours taking pics as a slobbering puppy or with a perpetual frowny face, because it’s fun and hilarious! However, some people are not taking the apps “pretty” or beauty filters so lightly. Many claim that the filters make individuals with deeper tones look lighter instead of enhancing present features. This comes only a few weeks after Snapchat’s Bob Marley “blackface” scandal. Will Snapchat get it together already?

Rant Crush

RantCrush collects the top trending topics in the law and policy world each day just for you.

The post RantCrush Top 5: May 17, 2015 appeared first on Law Street.

Welcome to the RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through the top five controversial and crazy stories in the world of law and policy each day. So who is ranting and who is raving today? Check it out below:

People are Pissed at Facebook Over Supposed Suppression of Conservative News

You know that trending news section on Facebook? It’s on the top right side of your feed and highlights the breaking news each day. Well former Facebook workers are now claiming that they were told to “artifically manipulate” what shows up in the trending news feature, with a favoritism given to more liberal news. They also claim that they were told to blacklist conservative sites and sources. But Facebook is hardcore denying that anything of the sort ever happened, and ironically, Facebook’s “trending news controversy” is trending on Facebook right now.

Facebook Says It’s Taking News Bias Allegations “Very Seriously” https://t.co/wnad5QbNi3 pic.twitter.com/cdggzpeQuP

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) May 10, 2016

Samantha Bee Says “Bye, Bye” to Ted Cruz

Samantha Bee, host of “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” had a lot of fun with Ted Cruz’s presidential run. But now that Cruz has officially dropped out, the show needed to bid goodbye to its favorite punching bag. And in true Samantha Bee fashion, she said that goodbye with quite a fantastic and hilarious sendoff.

Carry on, Bee. We can’t wait to see what you do with the rest of this crazy election cycle.

West Point Women in Trouble

16 female, black cadets at West Point under scrutiny for photo with clenched fists in the air. https://t.co/mOcL32p5bL

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) May 9, 2016

Sixteen African-American women graduating from West Point are in hot water over a photo that features them raising their fists. The school is investigating the photo, and comparisons are being made to the girls’ actions and the Black Lives Matter movement. While that doesn’t seem like a big deal, West Point expressly forbids expressing political opinions while representing the school. But the women claim that their gestures were just celebratory. So who’s right? We’ll have to see if the school ends up disciplining the students but people on both sides of the debate are pretty mad.

North Carolina v. The DOJ: All Hell Breaks Loose

North Carolina’s bathroom bill has royally pissed off the DOJ, and now both sides are suing each other. It all started when the DOJ gave NC Governor Pat McCrory until yesterday to begin to remedy the new anti-LGBT policies, which the DOJ believes to be discriminatory. McCrory asked for more time, and when he was refused, sued the DOJ. Now the DOJ has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the state. Check out Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s epically badass speech on the subject:

Jon Stewart Calls Donald Trump a “Man-Baby”

Jon Stewart may be retired from the “Daily Show” but that doesn’t mean he’s done going with his scathing social commentary. On David Axelrod’s CNN podcast Stewart said:

He’s a man baby. He has the physical countenance of a man and a baby’s temperament and hands. … (Vanity Fair editor) Graydon Carter did a joke about Donald Trump’s hands 25 years ago, he’s still not f—ing over it.

So…here’s what I’m guessing Trump’s reaction will be:

Rant Crush

RantCrush collects the top trending topics in the law and policy world each day just for you.

The post RantCrush Top 5: May 10, 2016 appeared first on Law Street.