The 2011 WHCD (or “nerd prom” as it’s known colloquially) came soon after President Obama released his birth certificate. As a result, the liberal-heavy crowd went wild for his opening line “my fellow Americans.”

The video is long at just under 19 minutes, however it’s full of laughs and very much worth watching. The President gets in some jabs at Fox News but also pokes fun at himself.

In 2012, the host is Jimmy Kimmel who, I think, will be great.

I suppose the original draw was awards for journalism, but sometime in the past, media organizations began inviting celebrities to sit at their tables. Although the ballroom at the “Hinckley” Hilton is large, attendance is limited and getting a seat, very competitive.

You have a better chance of getting into one of the after-parties each media org hosts, but those too are tough tickets.

Still, if you’re hoping to catch sight of Robert Pattinson, or Lindsay Lohan (WHY?!), or some other favorite celeb, all is not lost: C-SPAN broadcasts the whole event, even the parts where no one is talking. It looks like regular C-SPAN but with more attractive, better dressed people.

Also, there’s tonight. A lot of the celebs will be in DC tomorrow. It’s a small city with a handful of luxury hotels. Scurry on over to one of the following lounges and hope for the best:

• P.O.V. at the W Hotel
• Degrees at the Ritz in Georgetown
• Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons in Georgetown
• Cafe Milano in Georgetown (men, be warned: that well-dressed woman at the bar solo has a 50/50 chance of being a high-priced hooker)
• There’s a second Ritz in DC but it’s boring as far as hangouts go

On the other hand, if I could send our favorite hobos somewhere, it would be The Passenger or American Ice Company where they’d probably be left more or less alone, or Black Cat for some live music.