In April of 1998, President Clinton was in the midst of an apology spree. Though he had yet to apologize for the still burgeoning Lewinsky scandal, the president had apologized on a trip to Africa that year for America’s role in the slave trade, as well as for his administration’s failure to respond immediately to the Rwandan genocide.
To diffuse criticisms over his constant contrition, Clinton decided to poke fun at himself at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said as part of the riff, “I regret so much. I regret our long neglect of the planet Pluto. It took until 1930 to welcome Pluto into the community of planets, and that was wrong. And I am so sorry about disco. That whole era of leisure suits and beanbag chairs and lava lamps—I mean, we all had to endure the cheesiness of the ’70s, and that was wrong.” President Clinton went on to apologize for the size of the Susan B. Anthony dollar, the expression “happy campers,” and pineapple on pizza.
