Quotes of the Day
Text Amended: June 8, 2009
TIME.com is following several members of the Twitterati as they attend the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in the enormous subterranean ballroom of the Washington Hilton on Saturday night. (TIME picks the best Correspondents' Dinner hosts of the Bush era)
The conviviality actually began in the early afternoon, with the pre-party to be at the home of former Hardball Producer Tammy Haddad. Meanwhile, the tag "#nerdprom," given to the event by twittering dinner attendees "caused confusion" in the wider twittering world, said one outsider-tweet, "as it was scheduled between the #startrek convention and the middle aged basement dwellers meetup." Following are selected #nerdprom (or alternatively #whca) tweets (all times Eastern Standard):
Meghan McCain, blogging for The Daily Beast, guest of ABC (12 noon)
Tonight I am going to be wearing tons of sparkles, tons of fabric, tons of hair and tons of makeup cause I like glamour and am not from DC!
David Carr, New York Times media correspondent (1 p.m.)
If tammy haddad's party is any indication, #nerdprom is going to be off the hook busy. Wag: "Why r u surprised? DC is last place w/any $."
David Carr (1 p.m.)
Just met capt. Phillips, who stared down pirates. Ev year, #nerdprom pivots arnd heroes. He' 1 og the It Boys this year.
David Carr (2 p.m.)
is todd palin the prom king of #nerdprom? Rocking a nice tan suit at the garden party, chatting all comers.
David Carr (2 p.m.)
Gossip boy chace crawford, the A list of the B list of #nerdprom just walked out, at same time as prom king todd palin.
Newt Gingrich (3 p.m.)
Going to the white house correspondents dinner tonight — right now going grocery shopping — already did dry cleaner and shoe repair
Patrick Galvin, writer for Politico. (4:15 pm)
#nerdprom Kilmer says he's "probably not" going to run for Governor. Video up soon...
Pete Snyder, Founder & CEO, New Media Strategies (5 p.m.)
Lots o' nerd love at the pre-prom... D-lister 80's stars galore. US Weekly photogs in the trees = DC a gaga
Howard Kurtz, Media correspondent, Washington Post (5 p.m.)
pics of the big afternoon pre-party on my Facebook page. Good day to put out bad news as all journos otherwise engaged. #Nerd Prom
John McQuaid, freelance journalist and author, (5:15 p.m.)
#nerdprom is a winking, self-deprecating term but actually shows a lack of media self-awareness: nerds aren't this narcissistic.
John McQuaid (5:30 p.m.)
How did Michael Kelly bringing Fawn Hall to the '87 WH Correspondents Dinner — a witty gesture — morph into today's icky #nerdprom?
Trashwire, a celebrity blog (5:45 p.m.)
So far my iPhone works at #nerdprom, but I'm hearing people say their blackberries aren't getting a signal. #whcd
Matt Cooper, former TIME Correspondent (5:50 p.m.)
Is looking forward to #nerdprom, #WHCA dinner and refuses to believe this talk of rain is real.
Meghan McCain (5:50 p.m.)
I have the most talented hair and makeup people in the universe!! Thank you so much @joshrupley and maureen!!!! Xoxoxo!!
The Note, ABC News' Political blog by Rick Klein and others. (6 p.m.)
Thanks to paparazzi for not crowding me on #nerdprom red carpet — still schvitzy from metro
David J. Sanders, columnist, Arkansas News (6:20 p.m.)
A[rianna]. Huffington creates a stir at #nerdprom arrival. Sting a first-timer
Gottalaff, political blogger (6:25 p.m.)
#nerdprom Newtie gets screams, but for all the wrong reasons.
Ashton Kutcher, actor (6:30 p.m.)
Off 2 the White house correspondents dinner. I'll shootnlive vid if something exciting happens. Maybe Obama will take the pee challenge lol
See TIME's list of the top iPhone apps for Mother's Day
The Twitter Guys and All the Rest: See TIME's 100 Most Influential People
Adam Rosenberg, New Media Manager, Center for Democracy & Technology (6:40 p.m.)
Colin Powell is talking with The Rock #nerdprom
Gottalaff (6:45 p.m.)
#nerdprom Since when did politicos have screaming teens in their entourages?
Howard Mortman, C-SPAN (6:55 p.m.)
in search of don draper from mad men. saw justice scalia instead. oh well. #nerdprom
David Carr (7 p.m.)
Saw kevon [sic] bacon at pinch point for #nerdfest parties. Peering into a hall of anomie/scrum he says, 'my that doesn"t look like fun.' Its not
Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow, Media Matters for America (7 p.m.)
Washington Times party at #nerdprom is freezing. Who knew evil could be this cold. #whcd #whca...
Howard Kurtz (7:10 p.m.)
Sometime in the last few yrs the WH dinner turned into spring prom week for Beltway nerds. And Hollywood decided it was a stop on the tour
David Carr (7:25 p.m.)
#nerdprom security alert: tiny nathalie [sic] portman getting smushed and adored by throng at same time.
Karen Tumulty (9:48 p.m.)
Start w a teleprompter joke. Good move.
Meghan McCain (10:16 p.m.)
Omfg, wanda sykes just made a joke about obamas nipples...
Jay Newton-Small (10:27 p.m.)
Wanda just called rush limbaugh the 20th hijacker who "maybe was too strung out on oxycotin he missed his flight. Too much?"
Ashton Kutcher (10:41 p.m.)
I'm trying to figure out why anyone would let me sit this close to the president.
Ashton Kutcher (10:58 p.m.)
Demi claims Obama gave her the"what's up" smile. Meanwhile all I got was the "who farted" squint.
See TIME's list of the top iPhone apps for Mother's Day
The Twitter Guys and All the Rest: See TIME's 100 Most Influential People
David Carr (11:04 p.m.)
Ok! #nerdprom rocked nicely! Altho I think that wanda sykes may have fired up the culture wars with her last five minutes. Kinda tangy
Demi Moore (11:06 p.m.)
Hubby looked handsome as ever...even while frustrated that there was no signal to tweet!!!
Nisha Chittal, Associate Editor of CitizenJanePolitics.com (11:07 p.m.)
@Phillyberg did you see one of your Tweets is in the TIME article on #nerdprom?
Patrick Gavin (11:15 p.m.)
CHASE CRAWFORD TURNED DOWN AT DOOR
Patrick Gavin (11:19 p.m.)
CHASE CRAWFORD MAY STILL GET IN
Patrick Gavin (11:20 p.m.)
PEOPLE ARE ON THE CASE
Patrick Gavin (11:25 p.m.)
Bradley cooper, JASON BATEMAN terry moran katherine weymouth chrstine delargy. Jon meachem jon favreau mandy grunwald amy schatz.
Jenny Lynn Towns, Actress (11:37 p.m.)
My only regret — jason bateman was at the same party as me and I did not attack/hug him #nerdprom
Greg Mitchell, Editor of Editor and Publisher (11:42 p.m.)
Entertainment Weekly review: "Sykes was both brutal, and brutally funny." Says, bring on the debate in coming days.
Melissa Gira Grant, Journalist (12:34 a.m.)
At Capitol File party with @jomc. Girls in falling off gowns, and the Humpty Dance did NOT need a remix.
Patrick Gavin (12:40 a.m.)
Night highlight: finding bon jovi by himself: "what, no one to hang out with?" "I know!" "For a change" "very true sir" (smile) I repeat:sir
The original text of this story included tweets from Marty Eisenstadt, whose claims to be a former McCain advisor are at best fictional and whose Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy does not really exist.
See TIME's list of the top iPhone apps for Mother's Day
The Twitter Guys and All the Rest: See TIME's 100 Most Influential People
- hchuaeoan and ssss1222