Barbara Walters criticized the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Monday's "The View," saying that the tradition "has changed" with the invitation of celebrity guests.
Celebrities, politicians and journalists gathered in D.C. for the annual dinner on Saturday. Celebrities — including Fred Armisen, Paul Rudd, Gerard Butler, Ashley Judd and Claire Danes Walters — showed up in full force as guests of media organizations (The Huffington Post invited Scarlett Johansson and Bon Jovi).
Walters said Monday that she used to go to the WHCD every year, but did not attend this time around. "The White House Correspondents' Dinner has changed," she said. "It's why some of us didn't go this year, because it's got movie stars... you used to see other members of the administration, other politicians, but it's become more and more about the movie stars at the table."
"But isnt it about mixing the two?" asked guest co-host Jenny McCarthy, who has attended the WHCD before.
"But there was more administration, and senators and congressmen. I mean, it's the White House Correspondents' Dinner," Walters stressed.
"It used to be a wonderful opportunity to meet all different people in Washington, but when it gets to be about movie stars, not that it's not fun, but it's a little different," she added.
Walters did not specify the exact reason she did not attend this year's dinner.
The WHCD has come under fire for mixing journalists with celebrities and politicians before. Tom Brokaw pointed to the event as an example of what was wrong with the Washington press corps, and did not attend the dinner this year or last year.
"What we're doing is saying ... we're Versailles," he recently told Politico. "We'll let the rest of you eat cake."
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