On Tuesday, a recently fat-shamed Sean Spicer appeared on camera for the first time in over a week to address reporters at the White House Press Briefing. Aside from this particular fluke, however, the embattled communications team trying feverishly to represent President Donald Trump and his policies has avoided the prying visual recording devices of interested (and accredited) parties. They returned to face the White House Press Corps on Friday, albeit during a much-maligned audio-only gaggle, to which CNN sent a sketch artist to compose visuals for its viewers en lieu of permissible cameras.
The results of CNN’s sketch artist, Bill Hennessy, are actually quite good. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as Hennessy typically bears witness to the comings and going of the United States Supreme Court, a characteristically press-averse governmental body that rigorously controls what reporters are and aren’t allowed to visually or aurally record. The White House Press Briefings, until recently, weren’t nearly as strictly policed — hence Hennessy’s deployment by CNN to Spicer’s abode at the White House.
Needless to say, the Internet wasted no time in responding to the CNN-commissioned sketches with equal parts seriousness and hilarity. Though if we’re being totally honest, most of the reactions to Hennessey’s drawings weren’t all that serious — especially when it came to obvious but welcome comparisons to a-ha’s music video for “Take On Me.”
I’ve obtained footage of today’s off-camera press briefing pic.twitter.com/M7IJbp3er3
— Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) June 23, 2017
🎼Take on me, (take on me)
Take me on, (take on me)
I'll be gone🎼 pic.twitter.com/eo7QjECzyU— Maggie Serota (@maggieserota) June 23, 2017
Musical references notwithstanding, CNN’s Jim Acosta and his colleagues tried to present a united social media front.
So sketchy to not have cameras at WH briefing. So CNN sent sketch artist to capture the moment. pic.twitter.com/tNAoDHkozj
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 23, 2017
Fortunately, Twitter didn’t allow it.
Amateur sketch of Sean Spicer's "no cameras allowed" White House press briefing pic.twitter.com/8YW4VjPoaR
— Jenn Hoffman (@JennHoffman) June 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/darth/status/878340615171227649
Draw me like one of your French correspondents. cc @PhilipinDC pic.twitter.com/XcL4YqDsPq
— Adrian Carrasquillo (@Carrasquillo) June 23, 2017
If I was the CNN courtroom sketch artist at today's WH press briefing. pic.twitter.com/BuwrcVjZoZ
— Mr. Newberger (@jeremynewberger) June 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/darth/status/878372774741327873
I hope CNN keeps sending a sketch artist to the WH press briefings but that he/she draws Spicer fatter and fatter until he demands cameras.
— Chris Regan (@ChrisRRegan) June 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/owillis/status/878339959173791744
Meanwhile, CNN’s Jeff Zeleny noticed Spicer — the otherwise camera-shy White House Press Secretary — was busy giving an interview to Fox News not too long after the audio-only press briefing.
After a no-cameras-allowed briefing, Spicer is now doing his second on-camera interview of the day with Fox. pic.twitter.com/SMJ0taO2go
— Jeff Zeleny (@jeffzeleny) June 23, 2017