Hasan Minhaj, a “Daily Show” contributor who has barely made an impression upon the viewing public, has been chosen to perform at the White House Correspondents Dinner at the end of this month. Unfortunately, as they do every year, media outlets are proclaiming that he will host the event.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. Like his predecessors, Minhaj won’t say a word until it’s his turn to get up in front of the microphone and try to squeeze laughs out of the world’s worst audience. He’s the guest performer, the headliner, the comic relief — not the host.
In the last couple of decades, that has been an unenviable position to be in, because it meant following fairly clever spots by Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and, yes, even George W. Bush, each of whom had comedy professionals work up their routines. This year, it will be a little easier because President No-Sense-Of-Humor isn’t attending (seriously, have you ever heard Trump say anything that was intentionally funny?).
How much material Minhaj will do about the absent president remains to be seen, though I’d bet he’ll have an interesting perspective as a Muslim and the son of immigrants. But at least he won’t have his spotlight stolen before he even steps into it.