Now typically you would associate the current Top 40 music with Prom, maybe a band of kids from the school, and/or that special slow song you hope to dance to with your date. But for Nerd Prom, I'm thinking more along the lines of "Hail to the Chief," the theme from "The West Wing," (the ultimate DC nerd tune-association), and "Dirty Laundry" by Don Henley, all about how the populous eats up the news as a source of entertainment.
Most people do not get to attend the actual dinner, but the actual dinner is not the most important part of the weekend in DC. No, no, the most important part are the decadent parties that accompany the dinner over the weekend. Think of it this way: if the dinner is the lyrics to a song, the WHCD parties are the musical beats, tones, harmonies, and effects that make the lyrics worth listening to.
Everyone in my office was invited to go to a party that one of my bosses was hosting in conjunction with different media he has relationships with.
The party was hosted on the rooftop of a beautiful hotel near the White House. For those of you unfamiliar with this aspect of DC, the rooftops are the hidden gems of buildings here, and this specific gem had an unbelievable view of the White House, the Washington Monument, and the Jefferson Memorial (see picture below). Looking out at the gorgeous landscape all I wanted to hear was a song about DC, which, shockingly, I didn't have off the top of my head! There aren't too many songs about DC. So, I did a little digging and found this song that would have been perfect for that moment: "Welcome to DC."
The fun beat is also a great transition to the arrival of guests at the party. My colleagues and I came straight from work and were the first ones at the reception. We graciously accepted the mojitos being offered and we just relaxed and enjoyed each other's company outside of the office. We almost didn't even notice the place beginning to fill up with some familiar faces.
Across the room I spotted Arianna Huffington. Then, I turned around and all of a sudden I was two feet away from Chris Matthews. Oh, look, and there's Tamron Hall. And right behind her is Karen Finney and Jonathan Capehart; hail, hail, the MSNBC gang's all here! My friends and I worked up the "we're just nobodies" nerve to introduce ourselves to some of them and they were very nice, and very appreciative of our viewership.
More politicians and media moguls packed in with their guests and soon you could barely walk! Good thing it was time to present some awards... and who should be hosting this part of the evening, but Rosario Dawson! Instantaneously the cool-level in this Nerd Prom Party just upped 50 points. It would have been even cooler if she came out singing her number from the movie adaptation of RENT, "Take me Out Tonight." And those words couldn't be more true, since some of my friends saw her at a different WHCD Party after this one that night. Feline of Avenue B? More like feline of K Street!
After her hosting duties, Rosario was working her way around the crowd and ended up right near where a few of us were standing. I really wanted a picture with her so I waited in line, literally a line, and wanted to say more than "hi, can I have your picture," to her since that's what everyone was doing to her all night. When I approached her, I jokingly said, "I feel like I'm in line for a Disney character, waiting to take my picture with you." She broke out in laughter and said, "well now we have to take a ridiculous picture just because," and she turned around grabbed my arms and yelled "prom pic!" at my colleague who was taking the picture with my camera. I see what you did there, Rosario; my new BFF is so clever! Everyone was laughing, which is why, in the picture below, we are a little blurry, but capturing the moment of carrying on with a celebrity is way better than an un-blurred boring smile shot.
So I spent four years in California, only to be hobnobbing with the stars in DC during Nerd Prom? Ok, I'll take it! Rosario and I were chitchatting for a bit and I was relishing the moment totally playing in my head "Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous" and "Paparazzi."
I'm already excited about next year's prom. I can't help it, it's so much fun to be a DC nerd!
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