Washington’s media elite, in their quest to draw pop culture icons to the nation’s capital, will host Justin Bieber tonight, even though most of the 1,800 black-tie guests at the Washington Hilton won’t know who the 16-year-old pop singer is.
Every year, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in DC becomes a competition to see which news outlet can bring the biggest stars and scandal makers, from Fawn Hall in 1987 to Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt in 2008.
This year, Bieber, who causes riots among preteen girls, will sit with Jessica Simpson, Gabourey Sidibe, Tom Colicchio and Kristin Davis as a guest of People magazine.
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Also expected is former White House social secretary Desiree Rogers, who resigned from her post in February. Rogers is sitting at a table including Scarlett Johansson, Bill Maher and John Cusack.
NBC is bringing plenty of its talent, including Alec Baldwin, Jimmy Fallon, and Mariska Hargitay to sit alongside Anna Kendrick, Ewan McGregor, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Moss, Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn and Jon Bon Jovi.
Although Betty White is hosting NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” on May 8, she’s sitting with CBS. She’ll be joined by Morgan Freeman, Chelsea Handler, Rahm Emanuel and Julianna Margulies.
Fox News will host Kim Kardashian, Chace Crawford, “Glee” star Matthew Morrison, Marlon Wayans and Carly Fiorina, while ABC has “Modern Family” stars Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell, Oscar-winning “The Hurt Locker” director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal, and J.J. Abrams and wife Katie McGrath.
While GQ couldn’t snag Rielle Hunter after running a profile of John Edwards‘baby mama, its Washington correspondent, Ana Marie Cox, is bringing Rhett Miller.