'Nerdprom' 2014: Highlights From the White House Correspondents' Dinner

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden teamed up for a romp through Washington, President Barack Obama cracked jokes at his own expense and Joel McHale's mockery of political figures certainly twisted the knife -- sometimes, perhaps, too deep.

It was the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents' Association on Saturday night, which has essentially become an annual roast. Dubbed "nerdprom," the event features a sometimes awkward mix of political journalists, Hollywood celebrities, star athletes and even a few tech titans, alongside Washington politicians including the president and first lady.

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Obama still had the timing and delivery that has sometimes earned him the title comedian-in-chief, but his jokes were pointed and he seemed all too aware that he's had a tough year. McHale's routine was far from anodyne -- he dinged Obama for his "joke" of vowing to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, and repeatedly laid into New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. He veered closer to Stephen Colbert's controversial 2006 performance, earning a more muted reception from the live audience.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Joe Biden team up

But first, Obama's remarks were preceded by a video featuring Louis-Dreyfus, star of HBO's Veep, scheming with Biden as fellow "vice presidents," and running into other political stars:

Money shot @VP @OfficialJLD #nerdprom #WHCD2014 pic.twitter.com/Ak2QP7L2el— Jeremy Art (@cspanJeremy) May 4, 2014

WHAT. pic.twitter.com/c7GgsN6NV5— HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) May 4, 2014

President Obama's speech

Obama on having a U.S. citizen win the Boston Marathon. “Only fair since a Kenyan has been president for the past six.” #WHCD— MashableLIVE (@MashableLive) May 4, 2014

"Orange is the new black"- President Obama zinger about Speaker Boehner. #WHCD #nerdprom pic.twitter.com/xHgdK10czZ— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) May 4, 2014

“Gridlock has gotten so bad in this town, it makes you wonder, what did we do to piss off Chris Christie so bad?” Obama at #WHCD— MashableLIVE (@MashableLive) May 4, 2014

"I just show up in the Oval Office everyday and do my job." - Obama #WHCD #nerdprom pic.twitter.com/xfR5qyP6wJ— Steve King (@steveking_) May 4, 2014

Joel McHale's Speech

Wow. Mchale says he knows kardashians are republicans because “They’re always trying to screw black people”— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) May 4, 2014

Joel McHale on DC: “The city that started the whole crack smoking mayor craze.” Ref. to fmr Mayor Marion Barry #WHCD pic.twitter.com/ROjHhLNJtv— MashableLIVE (@MashableLive) May 4, 2014

.@joelmchale tells joke about Chris Christie, self-investigates joke, and exonerates himself for telling said joke. Ouch. #WHCD #nerdprom— MashableLIVE (@MashableLive) May 4, 2014

Here's the text to McHale's joke about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's "Bridgegate" scandal:

Governor, do you want bridge jokes or size jokes? 'Cause I’ve got a bunch of both. I could go half and half. I know you like a combo platter. Now, I get that. I’m sorry for that joke, Governor Christie. I didn’t know I was going to tell it but I take full responsibility for it. Whoever wrote it, will be fired. But the buck stops here. So, I will be a man and own up to it, just as soon as I get to the bottom of how it happened because I was unaware it happened until just now. I am appointing a blue-ribbon commission of me to investigate the joke I just told and if I find any wrongdoing on my part, I assure you I will be dealt with. I just looked into it. It turns out I’m not responsible for it. Justice has been served.

.@joelmchale closes out night at #WHCD #nerdprom with “and thank you C-SPAN viewer.” http://t.co/ZZ8W3VJUCT— MashableLIVE (@MashableLive) May 4, 2014