Michelle Wolf: 'I Wouldn't Change a Single Word’ of WHCD Speech
Michelle Wolf became an overnight sensation this weekend after her appearance at the 2018 White House Correspondents dinner. At the event, Wolfe delivered what’s probably been the most talked-about speech in the dinner’s history thanks to some controversial cracks that apparently have the nation divided; a nation that appears to care deeply about Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ smoky eye. But, even with all the drama, Wolf explained to NPR that she has no regrets whatsoever.
In a new interview with NPR, Wolf, 32, said she stands by the smoky eye joke—and all the others. “I wouldn’t change a single word that I said,” Wolf said in an interview set to air Tuesday. “I’m very happy with what I said, and I’m glad I stuck to my guns.”
Regarding the level of controversy following her words Wolf added, “I knew what I was doing going in. I wanted to do something different. I didn’t want to cater to the room. I wanted to cater to the outside audience, and not betray my brand of comedy.”
Following the outcry, Margaret Talev, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, publicized a letter in which she wrote that Wolf’s monologue was “not in the spirit” of the dinner.
As to why people, including Talev, were so upset about her comments, Wolf noted that there’s likely a touch of sexism going on.
“I think sometimes they look at a woman and they think ‘Oh, she’ll be nice,’ and if you’ve seen any of my comedy you know that I don’t – I’m not,” she explained. “I don’t pull punches. I’m not afraid to talk about things. And I don’t think they expected that from me. I think they still have preconceived notions of how women will present themselves and I don’t fit in that box.”
When she was announced as the host in February the internet seemed genuinely excited, not only because she has great experience as a writer and comedian, but also because Wolf would be just the fifth woman in history to take on the gig.
However, at the event, Wolf’s jokes hit a nerve with both conservatives and members of the media alike. People seemed to be particularly up in arms over her jokes about White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
“I actually really like Sarah. I think she’s very resourceful,” Wolf said at the event. “Like, she burns facts, and then she uses the ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Like, maybe she’s born with it; maybe it’s lies. It’s probably lies.”
Those jokes set off a firestorm on social media. New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman kicked things off by calling the joke an attack on Sanders’ physical appearance.
Meanwhile, Mika Brzezinski said the joke was “deplorable.”
But, in a quick retort on Twitter, Wolf tweeted back to Brzezinski saying “Why are you guys making this about Sarah’s looks? I said she burns facts and uses the ash to create a perfect smoky eye. I complimented her eye makeup and her ingenuity of materials.”
https://twitter.com/michelleisawolf/status/990610206425042946
Related Content:
Breaking Down the Outrage Cycle Around Michelle Wolf
Michelle Wolf’s 11 Most Brutal Burns From the White House Correspondents’ Dinner