Bonus episode: The Indicator plays... movie business trivia!

Summary

The Indicator from Planet Money: Bonus Episode - Movie Business Trivia!

Release Date: July 20, 2025

In this special bonus episode of The Indicator from Planet Money, NPR’s acclaimed economic podcast takes a delightful detour into the cinematic world with a lively game of movie business trivia. Hosted by Darian Woods, Adrienne Ma, and Waylon Wong, the episode features Ella Feldman, the summer fellow, who orchestrates an engaging competition among the hosts to test their knowledge of businesses portrayed within popular films. This episode serves as a festive conclusion to their series on the movie business, offering listeners both entertainment and insight into the intricate relationships between movies and the businesses they depict.

Introduction to the Game

The episode kicks off at [00:26] with the hosts introducing the concept of a trivia game centered around fictional businesses featured in well-known movies. Ella Feldman explains the rules: she will describe a business from a movie, and the first host to correctly identify it earns a point. Additionally, there’s an opportunity to score an extra point with a follow-up trivia question.

Ella Feldman [00:44]:
“This is not your typical indicator episode. Instead, we're going to play a little game in honor of Hollywood Week... I'll be testing your knowledge of movies specifically... movie businesses.”

Round One: Ghostbusters

The first question centers on the iconic extermination company from Ghostbusters. Ella describes it as "a scrappy, science-based extermination company with a specialized skill set" that employs "homemade technology and unorthodox methods" to tackle supernatural disturbances.

• Darian Woods [03:19]:
  “I'm impressed with myself having never watched that movie.”

• Ella Feldman [03:29]:
  “That is one point for Darian Woods.”

Follow-Up Trivia:
Ella asks about the Ghostbusters' operating base, prompting Waylon Wong to correctly answer "Firehouse," securing another point.

Round Two: Monsters, Inc.

The second business described is an energy company that harnesses an alternative power source while avoiding contamination, a subtle nod to Monsters, Inc..

• Waylon Wong [05:37]:
  “Oh, is this Monsters, Inc. Oh, Monsters, Inc. Well done.”

• Ella Feldman [05:44]:
  “Yes, the energy source in question are children. Screams. And they power Monster City Monstropolis.”

Follow-Up Trivia:
Waylon successfully identifies "Sully," the top scarer at Monsters, Inc., earning an additional point.

Round Three: Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory

Ella presents a description of a "giant food business known for its secretive manufacturing plant," directly referencing Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

• Waylon Wong [06:55]:
  “Willy Wonka. Correct.”

Follow-Up Trivia:
Ella challenges the hosts on the number of golden tickets Willy Wonka distributed. Despite some initial confusion, Waylon correctly lists the five golden ticket winners, including Charlie Bucket, Violet Beauregard, Mike Wei, Veruca Salt, and Augustus Gloop.

Round Four: Mattel and Barbie

The fourth business is identified as Mattel from the Barbie movie, a real-world company portrayed within a fictional movie universe.

• Waylon Wong [09:10]:
  “Overlap with our real world. Indeed. The answer is Mattel.”

Follow-Up Trivia:
Ella probes deeper by asking for a song from Barbie's companion album. Darian initially flubs his response but eventually nails the correct answer with “I'm Just Ken,” adding another point to his score.

Round Five: Parasite

The final business described is a "family-owned business offering personalized at-home services," referencing the South Korean film Parasite.

• Darian Woods [12:30]:
  “Parasite.”

Follow-Up Trivia:
Ella asks about the specific allergy exploited by the Kim family to secure a housekeeper job. After a series of guesses, Darian correctly identifies "peach," demonstrating his attentiveness to the film’s details.

Final Scores and Reflections

As the game concludes, the hosts tally the scores:

• Waylon Wong: 8 points
• Darian Woods: 5 points
• Adrienne Ma: 1 point

Waylon emerges as the undisputed trivia champion, leading the conversation toward a lighthearted discussion about their hidden talents and potential future game ideas, such as bird call identification or Sunday brunch-themed episodes. This playful banter underscores the camaraderie among the hosts and adds a personal touch to the episode.

Waylon Wong [14:18]:
“Thank you. I'd like to thank the Academy.”

Darian Woods [14:19]:
“Pop culture queen.”

Conclusion

This bonus episode of The Indicator not only entertains but also highlights the intersection of business and creativity within the film industry. By dissecting fictional companies from beloved movies, the hosts offer listeners a unique lens through which to view the economic and operational intricacies portrayed on screen. Whether you're a movie buff or simply enjoy insightful economic discussions, this episode provides a refreshing and engaging experience, celebrating the blend of commerce and storytelling in Hollywood.

Produced by Corey Bridges and Ella Feldman, engineered by Gilly Moon, and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, this episode exemplifies NPR’s commitment to informative and entertaining content.

Transcript

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[Darian Woods]

This is the Indicator from Planet Money. I'm Darian Woods.

[Adrienne Ma]

And I'm Adrienne Ma.

[Waylon Wong]

And I'm Waylon Wong. And today we have a special Sunday treat to cap off our series on the movie business.

[Darian Woods]

And we're joined by our summer fellow, Ella Feldman, who I heard has a game prepared for us.

[Ella Feldman]

That's right, this is not your typical indicator episode. Instead, we're going to play a little game in honor of Hollywood Week. Today on the show, I'll be testing your knowledge of movies specifically. Specifically movie businesses.

[Darian Woods]

Waylon's gonna win. I can call it already.

[Adrienne Ma]

I would put my money on Waylon as well.

[Waylon Wong]

I've also had so much cold brew.

[Darian Woods]

This morning, so I'm like over caffeinated performance enhancing drugs. Waylon.

[Waylon Wong]

I know. Don't tell hr.

[Ella Feldman]

So here's how this game is gonna work. I will describe a business featured in a movie and the first one of you to guess the will receive one point. If you're stumped, I'll give you one hint. I'll then ask a follow up trivia question about the movie for an additional point. Simple enough.

[Darian Woods]

Sounds good.

[Waylon Wong]

Are these businesses real world businesses that have product placement in movies or are they in universe? Fictional businesses or a mix of both?

[Ella Feldman]

They're in universe, but the universe might overlap with our universe is all I'll say.

[Waylon Wong]

Whoa, whoa. Blowing my mind. Okay, okay, let me do it.

[Ella Feldman]

All right. Well, we'll get to the game after the break.

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[Ella Feldman]

To learn more, let's get right to it. Our first movie Business Description is a scrappy, science based extermination company with a specialized skill set. This unconventional team uses homemade technology and unorthodox methods to tackle frightening disturbances. Ghostbusters.

[Darian Woods]

Something about Ghostbusters.

[Ella Feldman]

New York City. It is Ghostbusters.

[Darian Woods]

I'm impressed with myself having never watched that movie.

[Ella Feldman]

Really?

[Darian Woods]

Parts of it.

[Ella Feldman]

Well, there you go. That is one point for Darian Woods.

[Adrienne Ma]

You haven't seen the movie, but have you tried calling Ghostbusters? Is that why?

[Darian Woods]

I saw an actual Ghostbusters car outside the New York Public Library a couple of years ago. It may have been a promotional stunt, but maybe this is the overlapping of real world.

[Waylon Wong]

Did hi C. Ecto Cooler ever make it to New Zealand as a sugary drink that your parents probably would not have allowed you to have in the house?

[Darian Woods]

Not that I'm aware of. Should I try to dig it up on ebay? Is it still good?

[Ella Feldman]

Is that what you're drinking right now, Waylon?

[Waylon Wong]

Yeah, I'm high on ecto cooler. Adrian, do you remember Ecto Cooler?

[Adrienne Ma]

I've heard of it. I don't think I've ever had it though.

[Waylon Wong]

I mean, I don't either. I mean, we weren't really allowed to have that stuff in the house.

[Darian Woods]

No ghostly sugary drinks.

[Waylon Wong]

But it was like bright green. It was bright green.

[Ella Feldman]

Terrifying. Okay, I have a follow up question for you all. This is a trivia question. What refurbished building did the Ghostbusters operate out of?

[Waylon Wong]

Firehouse.

[Ella Feldman]

That's correct. One point for Waylon Wong. Moving on to question 2. An energy company that generates its power from an alternative source. This company relies on highly trained professionals to harvest the energy, which while also being sure to avoid any contact with the energy source due to fears of contamination.

[Darian Woods]

Matrix. The energy source being Keanu Reeves. Body.

[Ella Feldman]

Incorrect.

[Waylon Wong]

Is this Vibranium?

[Ella Feldman]

Nope.

[Waylon Wong]

Oh, God.

[Adrienne Ma]

Could we hear the description one more time?

[Ella Feldman]

Sure. This is an energy company that generates its power from an alternative source. This company relies on highly trained professionals to harvest the energy, while also being sure to avoid any contact with the energy source due to fears of contamination.

[Darian Woods]

I mean, we're not talking about TV series here. It's not something about Stranger Things.

[Ella Feldman]

This is movie week, Darian.

[Adrienne Ma]

Man, I really should have seen more movies.

[Ella Feldman]

There's always a hint if you're stumped.

[Waylon Wong]

I want to hear a hint.

[Ella Feldman]

So your hint is A really important ingredient in this energy extraction is. Doors. Doors.

[Waylon Wong]

Oh, is this Monsters, Inc. Oh, Monsters, Inc. Well done.

[Ella Feldman]

Yes, the Energy source in question are children. Screams. And they power Monster City Monstropolis. Your follow up question is, what is the name of the top scarer at.

[Waylon Wong]

Monsters, Inc. Oh, it's John Goodman's character, right?

[Ella Feldman]

It's not Joel. Did I hear Joel? Yeah, not Joel.

[Waylon Wong]

It's not Mike Wazowski. Right. It's the other one.

[Ella Feldman]

That's correct, but I need a name.

[Adrienne Ma]

You're thinking of the.

[Waylon Wong]

You know, he's like the turquoise and purple furry monster. What is his name? Is it like Lenny Warner?

[Adrienne Ma]

Billy Sully.

[Ella Feldman]

Correct. Well done, Waylon. All right, wait, wait.

[Adrienne Ma]

What was the answer? I missed it.

[Waylon Wong]

Sully.

[Ella Feldman]

Sully. Yes.

[Adrienne Ma]

Sully.

[Waylon Wong]

You weren't even really close with Billy though. You were serious. Super, super close.

[Adrienne Ma]

I'm just trying to build up the drama where I make a dramatic comeback at the end. So enjoy the points while they last.

[Ella Feldman]

Full name of this monster is James P. Sullivan, but he's better known as Sully. All right, question three. This is a giant food business known for its secretive manufacturing plant. This empire has been closed off to the public for years.

[Waylon Wong]

Willy Wonka. Correct.

[Ella Feldman]

Willy Wonka in the chocolate factory. Or if you're a child of the 2000s like me, Charlie in the chocolate factory. That is the correct answer. So, one point for Waylon. Yay. So your follow up question is how many golden tickets did Willy wonka give out?

[Adrienne Ma]

8.

[Ella Feldman]

Incorrect.

[Darian Woods]

7.

[Ella Feldman]

Also incorrect. Correct. The right answer is 5.

[Waylon Wong]

I had to go through all the kids.

[Ella Feldman]

Can you name them all? That's not a question. I'm just curious.

[Waylon Wong]

Charlie Bucket, Violet Beauregard, Mike tv, Veruca Salt, and Augustus Gloo.

[Ella Feldman]

Whoa.

[Darian Woods]

We are getting stable.

[Ella Feldman]

We underestimated one contestant.

[Darian Woods]

Adrian, we need to join forces against Waylon's Incredibly encyclopedia.

[Adrienne Ma]

Can we do that? Can we, like, pull our points?

[Waylon Wong]

You guys, guess who played Augustus Gloop's mother in a fourth grade production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

[Darian Woods]

Waylon Wong.

[Waylon Wong]

Yes. I had to stuff, like, a pillow under my dress and then I had to say things like, no, Augustus.

[Darian Woods]

Your German accent makes a lot of sense.

[Waylon Wong]

I worked with the dialect coach.

[Ella Feldman]

All right, we are halfway through, so I'm going to do a quick recap of the points. In third place, we have Adrienne Ma with zero points.

[Darian Woods]

Bronze.

[Ella Feldman]

But that's the best place to start a comeback.

[Adrienne Ma]

I'm still on. Listen, I'm on the podium, so I'm.

[Ella Feldman]

Happy you're on the board. In second place, we have dinner. Darian woods with one point.

[Darian Woods]

I'll hold onto that. For dear life.

[Ella Feldman]

And in first place, with five points, we have Waylon Wong. Yay. But that could all change as we move into question four. This is a sleek corporate empire at the helm of a beloved plastic product. Behind the polished image is a boardroom where control over everything from branding to messaging. Mattel Is taken very long. Seriously. It is Mattel. Wow.

[Waylon Wong]

The one where you said it would intersect with the real world because they had the fictional Mattel in the Barbie movie, but obviously it's a real company. Ooh.

[Ella Feldman]

Overlap with our real world. Indeed. The answer is what they came before.

[Waylon Wong]

To play this game.

[Darian Woods]

Ella Game, AKA Waylon destroys her colleagues.

[Ella Feldman]

Waylon teased the trivia question, which is, name one song on Barbie's official companion album. Anyone?

[Darian Woods]

I actually have the soundtrack because I know that Charli XCX did a song.

[Ella Feldman]

Charli XCX did have a song for that.

[Darian Woods]

Because there was this Grammy Award. Wasn't it was at least nominated. It was something like.

[Adrienne Ma]

But what's the name? Darian.

[Darian Woods]

Just a Kin. Just a kin. I'm just a kin.

[Ella Feldman]

You've said all the kids, so I think we should give it to you.

[Darian Woods]

Just akin.

[Ella Feldman]

You haven't quite said them in the right order.

[Darian Woods]

Permutation in combination of. I'm a kin. We're akin.

[Adrienne Ma]

We're all kins.

[Darian Woods]

There's Akin here. Just akin.

[Ella Feldman]

I'm just Ken. Thank you. I'm just Ken.

[Darian Woods]

I'm pretty sure I said something very close to that.

[Ella Feldman]

There we go. One point for Darian. Moving on to question five. This is an elite publication with a global influence, known for its demanding work culture and cutthroat environment. It's the ultimate training ground for anyone who wants to be successful the planet in this industry. No, it is not.

[Waylon Wong]

No.

[Ella Feldman]

Oh, let me know if you want one more read. Can we have a clue already? No guesses.

[Adrienne Ma]

Let me hear one more time, please.

[Ella Feldman]

All right, one more read. An elite publication with a global influence, known for its demanding work culture and cutthroat environment. It's the ultimate training ground for anyone who wants to be successful in this industry.

[Darian Woods]

It's a spotlight with the Boston Globe.

[Ella Feldman]

It is not the Boston Globe.

[Adrienne Ma]

The Devil Wears Prada.

[Ella Feldman]

Yay. Oh, amazing. Ding, ding.

[Adrienne Ma]

Okay, I didn't. I was like, how did I know that? I've never seen the Devil Wears Prada.

[Ella Feldman]

You haven't. You have to fix that. It's so cool.

[Waylon Wong]

You would like it, but I know.

[Adrienne Ma]

It takes place at a magazine. And what is it Anne Hathaway is like? Is like working their Way up at the magazine. That's like kind of what I understand about the movie.

[Ella Feldman]

And Meryl Streep is her grueling boss.

[Waylon Wong]

It's a really, really good movie. Yeah.

[Adrienne Ma]

Okay. I broke the drought.

[Ella Feldman]

All right, one point for Adrienne Ma. And the follow up question.

[Adrienne Ma]

What is the magazine that it's based on? A real magazine?

[Waylon Wong]

It's based on Vogue. And Meryl Streep's character, Miranda Priestly is based on Anna Wintour. And then the magazine is called Runway, but it's based on Vogue.

[Adrienne Ma]

Okay. All right. May I just osmosis this into my brain somehow from it being in the culture?

[Ella Feldman]

Once again, Waylon Wong has said an answer to a question before. We asked him. What is the name of the magazine?

[Adrienne Ma]

Wait a second. Can she get the point if you haven't asked the question?

[Darian Woods]

Two points for Waylon.

[Ella Feldman]

Wow, incredible work.

[Darian Woods]

I'm just wasting popcorn and watch.

[Adrienne Ma]

Waylon, I don't think you can get a point to a question that hasn't been asked yet.

[Ella Feldman]

Because it appears Waylon is the only host who knew the name of the magazine. I'm ruling in her favor.

[Darian Woods]

Waylon rightfully got that correct. You deserve that extra point.

[Ella Feldman]

All right, and now onto our final business. This family owned business offers personalized at home services, including tutoring and house cleaning for wealthy clients.

[Darian Woods]

Parasite.

[Ella Feldman]

Yes, the correct answer is parasite.

[Waylon Wong]

Oh, so good.

[Ella Feldman]

That's South Korean director Bong Joon Ho's incredible 2019 movie, which clinched Best Picture at the Oscars.

[Waylon Wong]

Ah, that's really good.

[Ella Feldman]

Great job, Darian. Our follow up question is what allergy is exposed? Exploited by the Kim family to secure a housekeeper job for Chung Sook.

[Darian Woods]

Cat. I don't know. Milk was it?

[Ella Feldman]

I was gonna guess a bunch of things for allergies.

[Waylon Wong]

Was it stone fruit? That's too specific. It was some kind of. It was like food, right? It was something. What was it?

[Darian Woods]

Peanut.

[Ella Feldman]

The kind of food was walnuts. Said by one Waylon Wong.

[Darian Woods]

Stone fruit. Apricot. Peach.

[Ella Feldman]

It is a stone fruit. It is peach.

[Darian Woods]

We just listed lots of foods, but I'll take it.

[Waylon Wong]

What is stone fruit? The man said stone fruit. I was like, that sounds too specific.

[Ella Feldman]

It's a peach. There's a flick of the peach fuzz very dramatically.

[Waylon Wong]

Oh, it's peach fuzz.

[Ella Feldman]

Interesting. Well, the time has come to tally up everyone's points and determine our winner. In third place, we had Adrienne Ma with one point. Bronze. Bronze. Bronze. In second place, I'm on the podium.

[Adrienne Ma]

That's. Then I could have easily not placed, so it's an honor.

[Ella Feldman]

In second place, we have Darian woods with three points.

[Darian Woods]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Ella Feldman]

And in first place, with eight points, we have Waylon Wong.

[Darian Woods]

Pop culture queen.

[Ella Feldman]

Aw.

[Waylon Wong]

Thank you. I'd like to thank the Academy.

[Ella Feldman]

Well, congratulations to Waylon, and we hope all of you listeners enjoyed playing along. Listen to our Hollywood series if you haven't, and we'll see you next time with your regularly scheduled indicator. This episode was produced by Corey Bridges and me, Ella Feldman. It was engineered by Gilly Moon and was fact checked by Sierra Juarez. Kate Concannon is our editor, and the indicator is a production of npr.

[Waylon Wong]

Oh, well done. This was really fun.

[Darian Woods]

If we did bird call identification, I could probably beat out my co hosts. We'll see.

[Waylon Wong]

Oh, man. I don't know. A single bird call.

[Darian Woods]

I don't believe it. If I just, like, went, ah, ah, what would you guess?

[Waylon Wong]

I didn't hear it just now. I think, like, the zoom, like, zoom out.

[Adrienne Ma]

I was like, this is not if.

[Darian Woods]

It fit for public consumption.

[Waylon Wong]

So I didn't hear. I just saw your mouth moving.

[Darian Woods]

I was trying to imitate a blue jay.

[Waylon Wong]

Oh, I don't know what a blue jay sounds like. I only know what color it is.

[Adrienne Ma]

What's my, like, trivia category? I feel like music. I might be better at music than.

[Waylon Wong]

Movies, food and drink. I feel like you're really good at, like, food and drink.

[Adrienne Ma]

I do eat a lot.

[Waylon Wong]

No, I feel like, you know your way around, like, interesting cocktails and, like.

[Adrienne Ma]

You know, so we just need a way. We need to. Maybe we could just do a Sunday brunch and that'll be the new episode.

[Waylon Wong]

Oh, that sounds really nice. Sunday brunch.

[Adrienne Ma]

We'll put brunch on NPR's dime every weekend. I can get behind that.

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