Celebrating the 4th with nothing but bangers!

Summary

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Episode: "Celebrating the 4th with nothing but bangers!"
Date: July 4, 2026
Host: Peter Sagal
Location: Studebaker Theater, Chicago, IL

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Overview

This special July 4th episode of NPR's “Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!” brings nonstop laughs, quirky news, and games featuring some of the past year’s funniest moments and most memorable guests. Host Peter Sagal, announcer Bill Curtis, and the panel celebrate America’s 250th birthday by revisiting favorite interviews with actor John Cusack, “K Pop Demon Hunters” star Arden Cho, comedian/actor Asif Manvi, and boxing champ-turned-actress Kali Reis. Listeners are treated to the panel’s signature quick wit, off-beat current events, and playful banter—plus the joy of learning perhaps more than they ever wanted to about toothpaste application, boxers with Rhode Island accents, and the risks of putting robots in your bathroom.

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Highlighted Guest Segments

1. John Cusack: Chicago’s Own & Pop Culture Icon

(00:57–12:00)

• On Being Recognized for “Say Anything” Lloyd Dobler:

  • Peter Sagal asks if fans expect John to reenact his iconic boombox scene.
    • Cusack: “They have asked me to hold it up. But I tell them I only do that at parties.” (01:40)
  • Alzo Slade jokes that “They just ask you to hold their iPhone up.” (01:52)

• Audience Encounters:

  • Cusack tells a story of a fan who said his wife left him because he wasn’t John’s character Lloyd, ending with:
    • “And I want to thank you from the bottom of my mouth.” (02:55)

• Favorite Movie Roles:

  • Cusack finds his career “a little bit of a fever dream.” Written films like “Grosse Pointe Blank” are close to his heart:
    • “That kind of black comedy doesn’t get done that much.” (03:28)

• Life in Chicago:

  • Cusack stays in Chicago over LA:
    • “Have you been to L.A.?” (implied: that's why). (04:36)
  • On scooter-commuting, he admits he sometimes carries extra gas in a bottle:
    • “Just... I don’t even know if what I’m doing is legal...” (05:47)

• His Graphic Novel “Momo”:

  • Described as: “A metaphysical crime movie mixed with kind of a drug mule movie, mixed with E.T., so I think French Connection meets E.T. meets My Dinner With Andre meets Smokey and the Bandit...” (06:38)
  • Peter calls it “Pretty funny. And very bizarre.” Cusack: “Oh, thank you.” (07:22)

• Lightning Round Quiz: "Say Nothing":

  • Wins for listener Jill Farrell with sharp answers and lots of laughs.
  • Notable: The term “pulling a Ratner,” British culinary slights, and lacrosse chant “Sacred Heart has diarrhea.” (08:38–11:25)

Memorable Quotes:

• Peter: “You Get Around Chicago by Scooter—it's true.” (04:45)
• John: “If any members of the Chicago police are listening, remember, it’s John Cusack. You’re not going to bother.” (05:53)

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2. Arden Cho: K-Pop Demon Slayer, Poker Pro

(14:10–21:35)

• Pop Culture Impact:

  • As the voice of Rumi in Netflix's K Pop Demon Hunters, Arden is a household name for both kids and parents.
  • Fun exchange: “Rumi says you better listen to mama.” (15:12)

• Hidden Talents:

  • Arden is also an internationally ranked poker player; she credits the game for building confidence and teaching her to bet on herself. (15:57)
  • “It's taught me to be confident and to take risks, learn to say no, and to bet on myself.” (16:01)

• Personal Anecdote:

  • Funny story about almost spoiling her engagement at the TSA PreCheck line—her fiancé tried to sneak away because he was worried about security spoiling the surprise. (17:11)

• Quiz Segment: “K-Mart Bargain Hunters":

  • Laughs at ridiculous real Kmart ads, a millionaire shoplifter, and anatomically correct toy lions in Australia.
  • Wins for listener Gina Hoffman of Sacramento.

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3. Asif Manvi: From Murder Mysteries to Broadway

(21:35–30:49)

• Career Start:

  • Before fame, performed in murder mystery parties—including once at an Orthodox Jewish singles event. (21:54)
  • “Somebody organized a singles meetup for Orthodox Jews and said...you know what would make this a really great evening? If somebody were murdered.” (22:29)

• The Miniature Wife:

  • Describes his new Peacock series where Elizabeth Banks’ character is literally 6 inches tall—“Honey I Shrunk the Kids meets Tom and Jerry.” (24:15)

• Daily Show Origin Story:

  • Booked on same day he auditioned, just after learning his ex-girlfriend was engaged.
  • “I just had this, like, attitude of, like, I’m never gonna get this... And John [Stewart]... hired me right there on the spot and I was on the show that night.” (25:08–26:37)

• Quiz Segment: “Miniature Wife, Meet Miniature Groom!”

  • Hilariously dark wedding traditions abound. With audience help, Manvi clinches a win for listener Linda Evers.

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4. Kaylee Reese: Boxing Champ to HBO Star

(41:27–50:04)

• From the ring to the screen:

  • “It was my third professional acting job, first TV show ever.” (41:45)
  • Started boxing at 13, inspired by Rocky and Bruce Lee—not her family (although her dad played with Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch). (41:52, 42:50)

• Acting insights:

  • Mixes boxing and performance: “It’s an entertainment business at the very core... There’s a character.” (43:34)

• Accents and authenticity:

  • Her Rhode Island accent led the showrunners to rewrite her character's background:
    • “I didn’t want to sound like Peter Griffin making, you know, an investigation.” (44:46)

• Career dreams:

  • Would love to do more comedy, perhaps star in a Hallmark movie—but admits, “I can't help that the badassery just shines through.” (45:16)

• Quiz Segment: “The Future is Here!”

  • Nails questions about VR-induced barf bags, robots that bring toilet paper, and musical lollipops, making a flawless sweep for listener Christopher Wolf.

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Notable Panel Moments and Quirky News

(32:32–41:27)

• Catcher injuries:

  • Catchers are being struck more often in their, uh, "peanuts and Cracker Jacks," due to new crouch stances—a highlight for fans of schadenfreude and baseball.
    • “Less fatigue on one side, hit repeatedly in the testicles with a 90 mile an hour fastball.” (35:04)

• Toothpaste application oddities:

  • Bryce Harper and panelist Shane describe squeezing toothpaste directly onto their tongue.
    • Peter: “Does this seem insane? Yes, it does.” (37:20)

• Unexpected business pivots:

  • Mortgage company Rate is launching an athleisure line, “Rate Fit.”
    • “So there’s definitely going to be another mortgage crisis.” (39:41)

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Memorable Quotes

• Peter Sagal (on America’s age): “America, you do not look a day over 200.” (13:43)
• Arden Cho (to a fan’s daughter): “Rumi says you better listen to mama.” (15:12)
• John Cusack: “I always believe in the possibility of possible.” (07:04)
• Asif Manvi (on Daily Show audition): “The minute I got the Daily Show, I didn’t really care about my ex-girlfriend that much.” (27:00)
• Kaylee Reese: “I can't help that the badassery just shines through.” (45:16)

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Episode Structure & Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamps | |-------------------------------------------------|--------------| | John Cusack Interview & Quiz | 00:57–12:00 | | Arden Cho Interview & Quiz | 14:10–21:35 | | Asif Manvi Interview & Quiz | 21:35–30:49 | | Panel Game Highlights & Banter | 32:32–41:27 | | Kaylee Reese Interview & Quiz | 41:27–50:04 |

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Tone and Vibe

The episode maintains the signature “Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!” blend of irreverent humor, fast-paced banter, real news with heavy doses of absurdity, and generous affection for its guests. It’s both a celebration of Americana and a reminder that the weirdest things in our culture often make for the best laughs.

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Bottom Line:
If you missed this festive episode, catch up for the stories, the games, and the comic perspective on life, America, and the peculiar things we cherish—like classic movies, discount store ads, robot toilet paper butlers, and boxers who’d rather be comedians.

Transcript

[Announcer]

This message comes from Schwab. At Schwab, you can get everything from self directed investing to full service wealth management all in one place. No matter your investing goal, life stage, amount to invest or know how you can invest your way. With Schwab.

[Alzo Slade]

From NPR n WBEZ Chicago, this is. Wait, wait, don't tell me. The NPR News quiz. Forget Uncle Sam. I'm the uncle you actually want to hang out with. I'm Alzo Slade, and here's your host at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Alzo. Thank you all. Great to be with you. We, like, apparently everybody is. We are so happy to be celebrating America's 250th birthday with the rest of you. People are having parties, parades, cookouts, even reenactments. Alzo, how are you celebrating?

[Alzo Slade]

I like walking up to those reenactors dressed up like the founding fathers and saying, boo.

[Peter Sagal]

So while the nation looks backward, so will we with some of the highlights from the past year or so, we

[Alzo Slade]

start with a visit from the actor and devoted Chicago guy John Cusack, who joined us on stage in March.

[John Cusack]

Thanks for having me.

[Peter Sagal]

I have a habit when I'm talking to actors with astonishingly long and varied careers like yours of asking what role they're most recognized for. But since I started this show with a say anything joke, do people, like, ask you to, like, either pretend to hold the boombox up like Lloyd did in the movie, or do they ever do that to you?

[John Cusack]

No, I haven't had them do it to me, but they have asked me to hold it up. But I tell them I only do that at parties. And. But yeah, but there's been a strong reaction to that character. Yeah, at times.

[Alzo Slade]

But there are no boomboxes anymore. So they just ask you to hold their iPhone up.

[Bill Curtis]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

So I told my wife that you were gonna be in the show, and I saw a look in her face I've never seen before, and she's like John Cusack. Really? And she told me that your character Lloyd, holding that boombox just absolutely blew her away. It was the most romantic thing she had ever seen. And I polled all the women I know, and they all agreed.

[John Cusack]

Well, as I said, people like that character in that film a lot, which is pretty cool. Live Nation still does some screen of the movie, and we do a Q and A afterwards, and people get pretty rowdy, which is fun. And a guy came up to the mic right over there and he said, my wife left me because she said I Wasn't you now? I sort of had the look that you're facing.

[Peter Sagal]

I know. Well, you're thinking about my look and your look. I'm thinking about that look my wife gave me. I mentioned earlier, you gotta go home, gotta go, guys.

[John Cusack]

But the gentleman stopped and then he said, and I want to thank you

[Peter Sagal]

from the bottom of my mouth.

[John Cusack]

And he literally dropped the mic. And I thought that kind of covers

[Peter Sagal]

the whole gamut, right? I know this is a very tough question. I was thinking about your movie career. I know I have a favorite movie of yours, which in my case would be Being John Malkovich. Do you have a favorite of all the ones you've done? And I know there are a lot, and a lot of great ones.

[John Cusack]

You know, I sort of think back on them and they're sort of like a little bit of a fever dream. And some of the ones that I wrote.

[Peter Sagal]

Chris, points blank.

[John Cusack]

Yeah, that's a great one. That's a fun one. I think just because that kind of black comedy doesn't get done that much.

[Peter Sagal]

That's the movie in which you play a hitman who goes back to his, if I'm not mistaken, tenth high school reunion.

[John Cusack]

I think it was his. Yeah, it was. No, no, it was 10th.

[Peter Sagal]

And I'm told that that was inspired by you actually attending your own high school reunion in Evanston.

[John Cusack]

Yes.

[Peter Sagal]

And you were like, so there you're back and you're by that time a very accomplished and well known actor. And did you really say to yourself and discuss with your collaborators in the film, you know, it would be really cool if I was a hitman?

[John Cusack]

Well, I thought to myself, I wrote the script and I said, well, if we get funding for this, that's the only way I'll go to my 10 year high school reunion.

[Peter Sagal]

Really? As research?

[John Cusack]

Yes.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, wow.

[John Cusack]

I didn't think we'd get the funding, but then we did, so I had to go.

[Alzo Slade]

I thought you were going to say you were inspired after going to your high school reunion because when you went there you were like, I can't stand any of these fools.

[Peter Sagal]

What this place needs is a hitman.

[Bill Curtis]

Exactly.

[Peter Sagal]

You still live here in Chicago, where you grew up, which I think is great.

[John Cusack]

I do, sir.

[Peter Sagal]

And that is not a choice that a lot of people who get very successful in the entertainment business make. Why did you stay here or come back perhaps?

[John Cusack]

Have you been to la?

[Peter Sagal]

I have, yeah.

[John Cusack]

And

[Peter Sagal]

yeah, I guess we don't really need to talk about that anymore. And I love this. You Get Around Chicago by Scooter it's true. When you're riding up and down in your scooter, do people ever pull up to you in division and look at you and go, hey, it's John Cusack.

[John Cusack]

Yeah. Every once in a while in a car.

[Peter Sagal]

And this is Chicago. They're going to be cool about it, right?

[John Cusack]

Everyone's so cool about it.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[John Cusack]

Basically, they just go like, oh, hey,

[Peter Sagal]

off the Chicago one, which I love about Chicago. I heard this. I might get your assistant in trouble because we were talking about, oh, when's John getting here? He's coming in as Vespa. And she told me that your Vespa, which is a beautiful old Italian scooter, runs on gasoline, but not very much at a time.

[Sponsor Voice]

Right.

[Peter Sagal]

It's got a small gas tank, and so she told me you have, like, a bottle filled with gasoline.

[John Cusack]

That might be true, although that might be too much information for Malika to be given out.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm like, okay, so you're riding around your Vespa, and you're, oh, gas. Reach into the pocket, pull out the bottle.

[John Cusack]

Just. I don't even know if what I'm doing is legal, but.

[Peter Sagal]

Doesn't sound it.

[John Cusack]

Yeah.

[Alzo Slade]

Peter, you're a snitch.

[Peter Sagal]

I know you are. Feel terrible. If any members of the Chicago police are listening, remember, it's John Cusack. You're not going to bother.

[John Cusack]

Yeah, now I'm going to get my. My Vespa search.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, sorry, we got. We got to search flammable contraband. Got to see if you got two, three bottles of gas in there. Hey, you've written a graphic novel. I grew up reading this kind of graphic novel. Very big in Europe, in your case. This graphic novel is about 300 pages long, and it features sex, violence, drugs, aliens, Jackie Gleason, and a plot centered around the very real French avant garde artist and philosopher, Antonin Artaud. So you've sold out and gone mainstream.

[Josh]

Yeah.

[John Cusack]

Well, just think of a metaphysical crime movie mixed with kind of a drug mule movie mixed with E.T. so I think French Connection meets E.T. meets my dinner With Andre meets Smokey and the Bandit meets the Mike Douglas Show.

[Peter Sagal]

Another of those.

[Bill Curtis]

Yes.

[Tom]

All right.

[Peter Sagal]

God, not again. It's a shame to see an actor put on the shelf become so derivative.

[John Cusack]

Well, the origin of it was I loved this. I love this artist, Arto. And then I thought, well, no one's going to give me money to make that movie yet, but if I write a graphic novel, I always believe in the possibility of possible.

[Peter Sagal]

Sure, it's pretty funny. And Very bizarre. And I recommend it to everybody.

[John Cusack]

Oh, thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

It's really something.

[John Cusack]

Thank you for reading it.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, my pleasure. I know, speaking for myself, I could talk to you all day, but we have business to do. John Cusack, we are thrilled to have you here, and we have invited you here to play a game we're calling say Nothing. As we discussed, you starred in the iconic movie say Anything, so we thought we'd ask you about people who should have kept their mouths shut. Answer two to the three questions about some unwise statements. You'll win our prize for one of our listeners. Also, who is the legendary John Cusack playing for?

[Alzo Slade]

Jill Farrell of Beaverton, Oregon.

[Peter Sagal]

All right.

[John Cusack]

I'm going to do my best for you, Jill Beaverton. Here you go.

[Peter Sagal]

Here's your first question. Gerald Ratner was the head of Ratner's Great Britain's largest jewelry store chain when he unfortunately called his own company's products, quote, crap. How did he try to undo the damage? Was it A, by trying to convince people that crap was a slang word he learned from his kids that meant really great? B, by having all his company's stores put up a sign in the window saying what we mean by crap, cheap, reliable and affordable prices? Or C, by saying, quote, producing crap is a universal part of the human experience?

[John Cusack]

I'm going to follow the wisdom of the good and great Jason Benetti.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes.

[John Cusack]

On the show last week, always pick B.

[Peter Sagal]

And you and Jason are right, it is in fact B. His plan was to put up a sign saying crap means cheap, reliable and affordable prices. It did not work and he had to step down from the company. And to this day, according to at least one source we found in the United Kingdom, saying something really stupid and self destructive for no reason is still called pulling a Ratner. Wow, that was really good. Here's your next question. In 2005, former French President Jacques Chirac caused a diplomatic incident with the UK when he made a comment to Vladimir Putin that was caught on a hot mic. What did he say about the British? A, you can't trust people who cook as badly as that. B, look, they were once conquered by us. How tough can they be? Or C, they think they're all Winston Churchill, but they're really just Benny Hill.

[John Cusack]

Now, here's a problem.

[Bill Curtis]

Yeah.

[John Cusack]

Can I say what I want to pick?

[Alzo Slade]

You may.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. This is your game.

[John Cusack]

I want it to be C, but I think it's A.

[Peter Sagal]

And you're right, it was A. Yeah.

[John Cusack]

Nice.

[Peter Sagal]

Of course he's French. Of course he's going to insult their cooking. He also, of course, he's French and he's not going to know who Benny Hill is. Exactly. Also true. He also said on the same Hut mic incident that the only thing the British had contributed to agriculture was mad cow disease. So you're doing really well. Here's your last question. A lot of sports broadcasts, as I know you know, mic the crowd as well as the announcers. And sometimes it can backfire, as at a lacrosse game between Sacred Heart University and Siena College last year when the mic picked up one Siena fan yelling, what? That made the ESPN broadcast. Was it, A, we wish we were watching football, B, stab them in the Sacred Heart, or C, Sacred Heart has died. Diarrhea, wow, wow, wow.

[John Cusack]

I mean, I want all of them

[Peter Sagal]

diarrhea, different sections, doing different chants.

[John Cusack]

You know, I think based on the state of America, it must be C.

[Peter Sagal]

It is C. Yeah, that's what he said. That's smart. The chant from a Siena fan who found the mic and ran up to it and yelled into it. It was hard to make out, but helpfully, one of the ESPN announcers said they're chanting, Sacred Heart has diarrhea.

[John Cusack]

I'm sure he got a bonus that week.

[Bill Curtis]

He did.

[Peter Sagal]

Alzo, how did John Cusack do in our quiz?

[Alzo Slade]

He said something. He got three out of three. He's a winner.

[Tom]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

John Cusack is an actor, writer and producer. His new graphic novel Momo is available now. He's also a proud Chicago guy. John Cusack, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you so much. John Cusack, everybody. When we come back, you got demons.

[Kaylee Reese]

No worries.

[Peter Sagal]

We have a K pop Demon Hunter. That's when we return with more of Wait, wait, Don't Tell me. From npr.

[Sponsor Voice]

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[Announcer]

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[Alzo Slade]

From NPR n WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, wait, don't tell me. The NPR News quiz. I'm Alzo Slade and here's your host at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Alzo. Thank you, everybody. It is America's 250th birthday and I have to say, America, you do not look a day over 200.

[Alzo Slade]

Did you notice they botoxed the coast of Maine? It's as smooth as Florida now.

[Peter Sagal]

One way to stay young is to to constantly dwell on the past. We're not just saying that as an excuse to take the week off.

[Alzo Slade]

Last year, Netflix had its biggest hit ever with the animated musical K Pop Demon Hunters. Arden Cho, who was the voice of Demon Hunter Rumi, joined us in February to talk with guest host Negeen Farsad.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

Hi.

[Kaylee Reese]

Hello, everyone.

[Peter Sagal]

Thanks so much for having me.

[Arden Cho]

Well, so I have to be honest with you. Like, I have a love hate relationship with Rumi, voiced by you because I have a seven year old daughter.

[Arden Cho (continued)]

Okay, okay, I see where this is going.

[Arden Cho]

And I hear, I hear your voice all the time. Are our parents mad at you for making the most popular movie of all time?

[Arden Cho (continued)]

They are kind of at this point, a bit sick of it. But on the flip side, I've heard that, you know, at least it's something that has a positive message and at least their kids are, you know, enjoying it together all ages. And it is very, like, family friendly. Wait, what's your daughter's name?

[Arden Cho]

Ryka.

[Arden Cho (continued)]

Okay, Ryka. Well, Rumi says you better listen to mama.

[Arden Cho]

Oh, my God.

[Peter Sagal]

Whatever she says,

[Arden Cho]

you could flip that. Oh, my God. That I'm gonna on replay for the rest of her life. That's what's gonn. I mean, roomie. Arden. Wow, you really have heard. I'm so sorry. I literally do hear your voice way too much. Okay, so one of the really unexpected things about you is that, you know, you're not just an actor and you're so many more things. And one of those things is a champion poker player like you are internationally ranked. How did that happen I was actually

[Arden Cho (continued)]

a psych major in college, and I always loved the game. I've just respected it so much, and I really wasn't great. I've always been quite shy, and I'm not much of, like, a partier and quite a More of an introvert. So I like these quiet settings. It's taught me to be confident and to take risks, learn to say no and to bet on myself. I'm often underestimated. I think people are just, like, not expecting anything from me, and then they're like, oh, she's not that bad, or maybe she's okay.

[Arden Cho]

I love it that you've put such

[Peter Sagal]

a positive spin on a degenerate practice.

[Arden Cho]

Well, there are degenerate parts of that

[Arden Cho (continued)]

world for sure, but I find that there are a lot of really great parts in that world as well. I've met a lot of really cool players, people who are like, I want to, like, hang out with my friends, but I don't want to sit in a club. It's kind of like a nice alternative.

[Arden Cho]

Yeah. So, Arden, you actually had some news recently that you got engaged. Congratulations. Thank you. And then something else happened that day, right after you got engaged at the TSA PreCheck line. Can you tell us what happened?

[Arden Cho (continued)]

Oh, my goodness, it was so funny. Well, it was actually before we got engaged. My fiance and I were flying to Hawaii, but we always, you know, get in together, and, you know, we're flying business. And so I didn't have TSA PreCheck at the time.

[Kaylee Reese]

He did.

[Arden Cho (continued)]

And all of a sudden, he's just like, I'm going to go this way into the TSA PreCheck line and leave you. And I was just like, wait, what?

[Arden Cho]

And you were like, I want to marry that man. Well, no, no, we weren't engaged yet.

[Arden Cho (continued)]

He was. He was sneaking away because he was afraid that they'd take out the ring and that I would see it because we were going to Hawaii for our friend's wedding. So I thought, all of a sudden, he was being ultra competitive and seeing

[Peter Sagal]

who could go faster.

[Arden Cho (continued)]

And then, of course, the next day, he proposed, and I was like, oh,

[Arden Cho]

everything makes sense, right? Like, he wasn't just being a jerk. Yeah, well, you've had a whirlwind year, Arden, and we've asked you here to play a game that we're calling K

[Bill Curtis]

Pop Demon Hunters, meet K Mart Bargain Hunters.

[Arden Cho (continued)]

Okay.

[Arden Cho]

That's right. We're going to ask you three questions about the late, great discount store Kmart. Answer just two of them correctly. And you'll win our prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who's Arden playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Gina Hoffman of Sacramento, California.

[Arden Cho (continued)]

Okay, Gina, I'm going to try my hardest.

[Arden Cho]

I'm quite competitive.

[Arden Cho (continued)]

I shall try.

[Arden Cho]

All right, here's your first question. By the 2000 and tens, Kmart was struggling to keep up with Walmart and Target. So they tried to do anything they could to grab people's attention. Like, which of these commercials was it? A, an ad where a woman stripped from a parka down to her underwear to show all the different kinds of clothing that were on sale? Was it B, an ad promoting free shipping for online orders that used the phrase I can ship my pants 11 times? Or was it C, an ad with a jingle that went kmart. It's KKK Mart.

[Peter Sagal]

Uh oh.

[Arden Cho]

Do you remember Bingo. That is correct.

[Asif Manvi]

Bing.

[Arden Cho]

It was Ship my Pants. They ran another ad for Kmart's with gas stations attached, talking about their big ass savings. So they were really doing it. Kmart. All right, here we go. Here's your next question. Next question. In 2019, a man named Andrew Lippy was arrested for stealing $300 worth of goods from a Kmart in Florida. This came as a shock to people. Why? Was it A, because he was the manager of the Walmart across the street? B, he was a city councilman who ran on promises to fight shoplifting, or C, earlier that week, he had bought his own private island for $8 million?

[Arden Cho (continued)]

B.

[Arden Cho]

No, wrong. It is C. Oh, C. Really? C. I thought it was C. Wow. Here's your last question. While Kmart is all but gone in the US there are over 300kmarts in Australia. But one mom in Melbourne is furious with the company because the toy lion she bought there for her son was what, A anatomically correct? Was it B, louder than a jackhammer? Or was it C, stuffed with a combination of styrofoam and gunpowder?

[Alzo Slade]

A.

[Arden Cho]

That's right. It was a. Wow.

[Arden Cho (continued)]

Oh, my goodness.

[Arden Cho]

This line.

[Arden Cho (continued)]

Never been so nervous in my life. I have to pay attention to the ads and nudes.

[Arden Cho]

No, this lion was clearly a male, and some toy designer was definitely trying to get fired.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, my goodness.

[Arden Cho]

Bill, how did Arden do on our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Arden can stop hunting demons. Cause she got two out of three, which is a win for us.

[Arden Cho]

Yes. Arden, thank you so much for joining us. Arden Cho is the voice of Rumi in Netflix's K Pop Demon Hunters, which is nominated for best animated film at this year's Oscars. Arden, Jo, thanks for joining us. Bye, Arden.

[Peter Sagal]

Hi, Arden. I First became a fan of Asif Manvi when he was one of the hilarious correspondents in the Daily Show. But when he joined us in March, he talked about all the odd jobs as a performer he had before he made it big.

[Asif Manvi]

I used to perform in murder mysteries where we would go undercut, like, sort of incognito into these parties, and then someone would get killed.

[Alzo Slade]

And

[Asif Manvi]

one of the most infamous ones that I ever did was at an Orthodox Jewish

[Kaylee Reese]

meet.

[Asif Manvi]

They were trying to meet people to get married.

[Peter Sagal]

Like a singles meetup.

[Asif Manvi]

Singles meetup thing. Right. And we go in there and I

[Peter Sagal]

just want to pause and say, somebody organized singles meetup for Orthodox Jews and said to themselves, you know what would make this a really great evening?

[Asif Manvi]

Yeah, exactly.

[Peter Sagal]

If somebody were murdered.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, you go in there.

[Asif Manvi]

And so I just remember that I was. One of the other actors who I used to work with at the time was Connie Britton, and she was sort of chatting up this guy who I just remember was wearing a yellow suit. So that'll tell you everything about him.

[Bill Curtis]

Yeah.

[Asif Manvi]

And was Dick Tracy. And she was really chatting him up and. And he thought he had hit the jackpot.

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Asif Manvi]

He was like, this is. Like this beautiful woman is talking to me. And then about 20 minutes into it, he. She was killed by the.

[Peter Sagal]

I. I've had dates like that. I'm just sympathetic. You are. You are going on Broadway in this revival of the Noel Coward play with the great Rose Byrne, among many others. The other thing you have coming out is a TV show on Peacock, a comedy called the Miniature Wife. And I have to say, I heard the title, and I said to myself, oh, that must be like a metaphor about a wife. She's maybe in the shadow of her husband. She feels small. That's not what it's about, is it?

[Asif Manvi]

No, no. It's about a man who has a scientist who has designed a sort of serum that can miniaturize crops to combat climate change. So you know Matthew McFadden, who I love from Succession.

[Josh]

Yeah.

[Asif Manvi]

And Elizabeth Banks, who I worked with many years ago in Williamstown, is literally six inches tall.

[Arden Cho (continued)]

Yes.

[Asif Manvi]

And lives in the dollhouse for. But they hate each other and they're constantly trying to kill each other. So it's Honey I Shrunk the Kids meets Tom and Jerry.

[Peter Sagal]

Did you have to spend any time on set, like crouching down and pretending you're talking to a six inch high, Elizabeth?

[Asif Manvi]

Yes, later in the season, I do. Matthew hides the whole storyline of his wife from me for a long time until he finally can't. And then there is a moment where he and I are both on the floor talking to a small cardboard cutout of Elizabeth Banks.

[Kaylee Reese]

Right?

[Asif Manvi]

And they would sort of move her around and sort of pretend like she was walking.

[Peter Sagal]

I have one more question for you. Like I said at the beginning, I first knew you and became a big fan when you were on the Daily Show. But I heard a story. I don't know. I don't know how this could be true, that you ended up appearing on the Daily show the same day you auditioned for it.

[Asif Manvi]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

How is that even possible?

[Asif Manvi]

That is true. A couple of days earlier, I had found out that my ex girlfriend had gotten engaged. And so I was very upset, and I was writing one of those letters.

[Alzo Slade]

No.

[Asif Manvi]

You know, that you write to your ex girlfriend saying, how you up? You know, you. And. And I can't say that. Can I say that?

[Peter Sagal]

You just did. It's all right.

[Asif Manvi]

You'll figure it out. Anyway, so I'm writing this, and I get this call to come and audition for the Daily show, and I. And I. I was in such a bad place that I said, I can't come in today. I don't feel it. Can I come in tomorrow? And they said, no, if you don't come in today, then it's done. So I literally just, like, put on a suit, and I went in, and I honestly just had this, like, attitude of, like, I'm never gonna get this. This is ridiculous. Like, I'm in the wrong frame of mind. And John met me, and he said. And I was a little bit surly, and I said. Because he said to me, he said, have you. You know, have you ever performed in front of a live audience? And I remember looking at him and just being like, dude, I've been on Broadway, and. And I. I had such. But I just did my best Stephen Colbert impression because that's all I needed to do. And I was a fan of the show, and. And he hired me right there on the spot, and I was on the show that night, and I didn't even get a chance to tell anybody. And suddenly it was just. I was on the show, and people were calling me like, there's a guy

[Peter Sagal]

who looks a lot like you on

[Asif Manvi]

the Daily show tonight. And so I didn't even get to tell my family until after it was on.

[Peter Sagal]

Did it comfort you, maybe, given the circumstances of the day, to know that maybe your ex girlfriend would see you on this hit, incredibly, culturally significant TV show and think to herself, my God, what have I done.

[Asif Manvi]

You know, it's so funny. Like, the minute I got the Daily Show, I didn't really care about my ex girlfriend that much.

[Bill Curtis]

There you go.

[Peter Sagal]

Lesson for you all. Ladies and gentlemen, Asif Madhvi. It's a pleasure to talk to you. We have asked you here today to play a game we're calling Miniature Wife, meet Miniature Groom. So your new series is the Miniature Wife, and we're going to ask you about a place you usually find miniature brides and grooms on top of wedding cakes. Answer two out of three questions correctly, you'll win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of their choice on their voicemail. Bill, who is Asif Manvi playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Linda Evers of Collinsville, Illinois.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, ready to play?

[Bill Curtis]

Sure.

[Peter Sagal]

Here's your first question. Wedding cakes have been around since at least ancient Roman times, but the tradition back then was a little different. Instead of the bride and groom cutting the cake together, what would happen? A, the bride would throw the cake as far as she could and the groom would go find it and bring it back. B, they would break the cake over the bride's head. Or C, they would put a live squirrel inside it and would wait for it to eat its way out, thus cutting the cake.

[Asif Manvi]

I'm going to go with B.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, you're right. They would break the cake over the bride's head. Oh, they lost a lot of good brides back then. All right, here's your next question. Wedding cakes, of course, are a tradition now, but if you were getting married in 17th century Europe, you and your guests would most likely be cutting into what at the wedding celebration. Would it be a, what was known as the bride's pie, a savory pie filled with oysters, lamb, testicles, and occasionally live snakes. B, potatoes, basically just dozens and dozens of potatoes. Or C, just the air. Or as wedding planners of the time called it, a cake of the mind.

[Asif Manvi]

I'm going to say that they were just cut into potatoes because.

[Peter Sagal]

Potatoes. They had a lot of potatoes at the time. No, it was actually a, the bride's pie. According to Wikipedia, in addition to the other tasty things, they would occasionally put a live snake there to, quote, help guests to pass the time in a wedding. I guess they did that because at the time they needed entertainment and they had no DJs.

[Asif Manvi]

Right, that's true. That is true. DJs didn't come around until about the 1800s.

[Peter Sagal]

Exactly true.

[Bill Curtis]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

You have one more chance. If you get this right, you win the one tradition today that every wedding expert tells you, just skip it. Don't do it is when the groom smashes the cake into the bride's face.

[Arden Cho]

Right.

[Peter Sagal]

Or the bride does it to the groom. One couple went so hard in the cake smashing bit that after the they cleaned up. This just happened in January. They did what? A, they did it again, smashing each other in the faces with the entree from dinner and then all the side dishes. B, they handed out cupcakes for their guests to smash on each other to join the fun. Or C, they got divorced. The audience. You think they got divorced? Is that what the audience, the audience thinks they got divorced.

[Asif Manvi]

All right. Go with the audience.

[Peter Sagal]

And they're right. You have to listen to the audience. They're right. Bill, how did Asif man be doing our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Asif got two right and that makes him a winner.

[Peter Sagal]

Congratulations. Congratulations.

[Asif Manvi]

With a little help.

[Bill Curtis]

Little help. Little help.

[Peter Sagal]

We're all here to help each other. It's a community. Asif Manvi, what a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you so much for joining us. Take care. Break legs on Broadway.

[Asif Manvi]

Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you for having me. Bye.

[Bill Curtis]

Bye.

[Peter Sagal]

When we come back, our panel proudly displays their refusal to actually pay attention to the news. And we visit with Kaylee Reese, the only actor who could ever win an E, G, G, O, T, an Emmy, Golden Gloves, Oscar, and Tony. That's when we come back with more. Wait, wait, don't tell me from npr.

[Sponsor Voice]

This message comes from NPR sponsor Carvana. Carvana believes selling your car should be easy. Get a real offer down to the penny picked up from your driveway. You may keep waiting for a catch. There isn't one. Sell [e-mail] Pickup fees may apply. This message comes from Grainger. This is the story of the 1. As a procurement manager for a hospital system, she keeps every facility in her network stocked and ready. That's why she counts on Grainger to be her single source for thousands of products, from disinfectants to lighting, air filters and more. And with fast, dependable delivery, Grainger helps her keep every facility stocked, safe and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Announcer]

This message comes from Capella University. That spark you feel, that's your drive. For more, Capella University's flexpath Learning format lets you earn your degree at your pace without putting life on pause. Learn [e-mail].

[Alzo Slade]

From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, wait, don't tell me the NPR News quiz. I'm Alzo Slade. And here's your host at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Alzo. Thanks, everybody. We are celebrating America's 250th birthday, like most people, by looking back with admiration and pride on its history. Well, not the whole 250 years and not necessarily the history of the whole country. Basically just the recent part of its history that involves just us.

[Alzo Slade]

Less significant events on the world stage.

[Tom]

Sure.

[Alzo Slade]

But also way less to apologize for.

[Peter Sagal]

Our panelists, strangely never apologize for not knowing the news, even though it's their job to answer questions about it. Here are some of the questions we pose to our panelists that you have never heard before. Josh. Yes, this season, Major League Baseball, a lot of changes. Catchers are reporting that there is a huge increase this season in the number of times what happens.

[Josh]

It's not falling asleep during the games because they've tightened those up.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, they have. It's something that's happening to catchers.

[Josh]

To catchers?

[Peter Sagal]

Yes. More frequently than it used to.

[Josh]

Is batters hitting them with the bat?

[Peter Sagal]

Not with the. No, they're not getting hit with the

[Josh]

bat, but like catcher interference.

[Peter Sagal]

No, no Getting hit.

[Josh]

Umpires hitting them.

[Bill Curtis]

No.

[Peter Sagal]

Damn you, sir.

[Bill Curtis]

Damn you.

[Josh]

I know what you're doing.

[Peter Sagal]

Back of my hand to you, sir.

[Josh]

Getting slid into.

[Peter Sagal]

No, I'll give you a hand. Sometimes after a foul ball, the catcher also ends up with fouled balls.

[Josh]

Oh, catchers getting hit in the groin.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes. By baseballs. Yes.

[Josh]

Sure.

[Peter Sagal]

Catchers are taking baseballs to the junk a lot more than they used to. The players told the New York Times that there's been a huge increase this season in that, you know, getting hit by a baseball Right in the peanuts and Cracker Jacks. I mean, it's great because Major League Baseball has been working so long to make baseball more entertaining, and they've finally done it. Now, the phenomenon is due primarily to this new stance that catchers are using behind the plate. They don't crouch behind the play it anymore. Most catchers are down on one knee with their other leg splayed out straight, which is a lot less fatiguing over the course of the game. But it's basically when you do that, you're giving the pitcher two targets to choose from.

[Josh]

If I had two options of how to stand and one of them got me hit in the testicles with a baseball a lot more than the other one, that would make my choice for me, I would go the other.

[Peter Sagal]

I mean, when you're doing you're listening. Of pros and cons, that would pretty much be the only one on the con list.

[Josh]

Less fatigue on one side, hit repeatedly in the testicles with a 90 mile an hour fastball.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

But then how are you going to win? America's Funniest Home Video.

[Bill Curtis]

Shane.

[Peter Sagal]

Baseball star Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies posted a Get Ready with Me video right on Instagram. But he got a lot of heat after he revealed he brushes his teeth by doing what?

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

What does he use? A baseball bat?

[Peter Sagal]

No, no.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

If. All right, I do this. So I think it might be this because I never thought this was. I put the toothpaste directly onto my tongue.

[Peter Sagal]

That's it.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

And we're both great athletes.

[Peter Sagal]

So wait, this is amazing because Bryce, he's like doing this Get Ready with Me video and he just takes the toothpaste and he squeezes it into his mouth, puts down the toothpaste, grabs the toothbrush and starts scrubbing.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

Yeah. What about Alphas?

[Josh]

Well, wait a minute.

[Peter Sagal]

And everybody was like, this is so weird. Nobody else in the world does this. And we right here have discovered the other human being who does this. This is amazing. So, Shane. Oh, God.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

I never thought I'd have something in common with. With someone who plays for Philly.

[Peter Sagal]

So what, Shane, is the advantage of squeezing the toothpaste onto your own tongue rather than placing it on the toothbrush as God intended.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

You want to know my logic behind it truly is that this is insane. But I take it and I put it on my tongue. And by the way, I feel your judgment.

[Josh]

I don't think they're trying to hide it.

[John Cusack]

Yeah.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

And then I take my tongue and I press it to the roof of my mouth because you people brush their tongues. But people don't talk about brushing the roof of your mouth. And I don't understand why you wouldn't. Because it's still.

[Peter Sagal]

What that got to do with you putting that on your tongue? I just like it's an even application.

[Josh]

Oh, I see it. It's like you squeezing two pieces of bread together to get the you sandwich all.

[John Cusack]

Yes.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

Okay. This is.

[Peter Sagal]

Boy brush your teeth. That is because y' all locked in immediately together.

[Josh]

I see the.

[Peter Sagal]

Okay. Does this seem insane? Yes, it does. Because you can brush the roof of your mouth if you wanted to do that by putting it toothpaste on the brush.

[Alzo Slade]

But now, Shane, I'm really thinking about this. Like if you put.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

Seems like we got a convert.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, I don't think so.

[Alzo Slade]

No. But if you put it directly on your tongue, you Never have to worry about water pressure kicking the toothpaste off the toothbrush before you brush your teeth.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

Something I never even thought about.

[Alzo Slade]

See, you can add that to your reasons.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

Thank you very much, Bryce Harper and I. Thank you,

[Peter Sagal]

Tom. A well known mortgage company is expanding their business. They've announced that in addition to home finance loans with competitive terms, they will also offer.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

What?

[Tom]

They will also offer cemetery plots.

[Peter Sagal]

How does that figure?

[Tom]

I'm not much for math. It's probably like a 4%.

[Peter Sagal]

I see what you mean. No, actually, I don't. That's not it. No, no, no.

[Tom]

Like another kind of offering.

[Peter Sagal]

Another. A completely different kind of product.

[Tom]

Oh, totally different kind of. Kind of product.

[Peter Sagal]

Totally different kind of product.

[Tom]

Oh, man, that could be anything. Is it related to mortgages?

[Peter Sagal]

Not in any way that we can see. That's why we thought we'd bring it up here.

[Tom]

Oh, they're going to sell tiny genetically modified ponies.

[Arden Cho (continued)]

Yes, of course.

[Tom]

That'd be fun.

[Announcer]

Yeah.

[Alzo Slade]

Tom, this is where you asked for a hint.

[Tom]

Oh, thank you. Bill never advised me like that.

[Peter Sagal]

No, I wanted to talk more about the tiny little ponies. Me too.

[Sponsor Voice]

Kind of.

[Arden Cho (continued)]

That's sweet.

[Bill Curtis]

Well,

[Tom]

can I have a hint, please?

[Bill Curtis]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, I guess in response, Lululemon will start selling mortgages.

[Tom]

Oh, they're going to sell underpants. Athletic. Athletic wear.

[Peter Sagal]

Athletic wear. Athleisure wear. Yes. Athleisure, the mortgage lender company, Rate launched their new spin off company, Rate Fit, which sells Athleisure clothing. They say it's about, quote, building the world's largest wellness community where your financial, physical and mental fitness are in harmony. Unquote. Yeah. So there's definitely going to be another mortgage crisis. Okay.

[John Cusack]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Is the CEO of that company some CrossFit dude on ketamine? That's what it sounds like. Possibly it was his idea. Apparently this is like something he really wanted to do. So he started this new clothing line. They're making sweatpants, sweatshirts and something called subprime yoga pants. And you'll be able to pay it

[Arden Cho]

off by the time you turn 60.

[Peter Sagal]

That's the plan.

[Tom]

I wish them well, but I just know in about a year and a half they're gonna be in a board meeting and that guy's gonna have his head in his hands going, we should have done the ponies.

[Sponsor Voice]

This message comes from Granger. This is the story of the One. As a procurement manager for a hospital system, she keeps every facility in her network stocked and ready. That's why she counts on Grainger to be her single source for thousands of products, from disinfectants to lighting, air filters, and more. And with fast, dependable delivery, Grainger helps her keep every facility stocked, safe, and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Announcer]

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[Peter Sagal]

Finally, in January, we talked to an actor with a pretty unusual background. Instead of theater or film school in New York or la, she trained in a boxing gym in Providence, Rhode Island.

[Alzo Slade]

Kaylee Reese was nominated for her role opposite Jodie Foster in True Detective, Night country, which came very soon after her transition to acting.

[Kaylee Reese]

It was my third professional acting job, first TV show ever.

[Peter Sagal]

Wow. And from a very young age. When did you start boxing?

[Kaylee Reese]

Around the age of 13 or 14. I found boxing. Prior to that, I played softball, played basketball. I'm one of five kids. I'm the youngest girl. I always tried to do what my big brother did, but nobody, nobody in my family boxed. It was kind of, you know, growing up, I wanted to be the Karate Kid. I wanted to be Bruce Lee. You know, I was so obsessed with Rocky. So it just kind of, Just kind of happened.

[John Cusack]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Wow. I mean, you were obsessed with Rocky. Wait a minute. I know some elite athletes. It doesn't just kind of happen.

[Tom]

Right.

[Peter Sagal]

You must have, like, really been dedicated to it.

[Kaylee Reese]

Yeah, I was dedicated to it. I mean, you know, I was a little rough kid growing up. You know, I wouldn't, I wouldn't start fights, but I'd finish them.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, yeah.

[Kaylee Reese]

So, you know, I didn't like to see kids getting bullied. I didn't like getting bullied. So I would always be the one standing up for the bullies. But it wasn't like I wasn't trying to be a fighter. I do come from a very musically inclined family, very artistic family. Fun fact. My father used to actually play with Marky Mark in the Funky Bunch.

[Peter Sagal]

He was no real part of the bunch.

[Kaylee Reese]

He was part of the bunch. He was keyboard player. So there was good vibrations everywhere.

[Peter Sagal]

Wait a minute. You're a descendant of Marky Mark? You truly are. New England royalty. That is.

[Kaylee Reese]

I'll take that.

[Peter Sagal]

I know. That is amazing. And so again, I stress how amazed I am that with a background, not in acting, how good an actor you are. I know you have talked about how the discipline and focus of elite boxing has helped you into in the acting world, but isn't there an element of acting in boxing? I mean, like in the weigh ins, when you're like glaring at the opponent, you're like fronting a little bit, right? I mean, did that.

[Kaylee Reese]

Oh, it's an entertainment business at the very, at the very core of it. I mean, we're up on a stage, we're performing. You know, there's a character. I'm not going around one shot and hit people on the street. That's not who I am as a person. But it's also like, you know, you have to be an artist. You have to, you know, you have to be really calm. You have to prepare. So you. But there are people who build characters, big charismatic entertainment, you know, all that buildup is really good for it, for people tune in. I mean, we have some really cool things happen in boxing because of that charismatic type of entertainment value of boxing. So absolutely, we are performing there.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. I read that in True Detective, Night country, you play an Alaskan native. But what I read, and you can tell me if it's true or not, is that your native Rhode island accent would come out frequently enough that they figured they'd better write that into your character so that it would be explicable if all of a sudden you're like looking at a corpse or something and you're like, oh, that's wicked gross.

[Kaylee Reese]

Yeah, I love Issa, the director. She decided to make my character part of it because I was working with the, the dialect coach to keep my quote unquote accent at bay. I didn't want to sound like Peter Griffin making, you know, an investigation.

[Peter Sagal]

You know what I mean? So I just, I think you just sold the next hit series for hbo, by the way. Hopefully with you in the lead. Go on. It was weird how your character always had a cup of Duncan in her hand at all times. So in everything you starred in so far, from like True Detective to this new movie, Mercy, you always play people who, who seem like they could and would kick your ass at any moment. So do you ever, like, want to get cast in like a different kind of part, like romantic lead in a Hallmark movie, presumably battle?

[Kaylee Reese]

I would love to. I would love to. You know, I want to dabble in some comedy. I Would love to do some comedy. You know, I love a challenge. I love something that maybe I'm not as strong at yet. I would love to take any, you know, whatever is meant for me. I don't want to just stick to the. I mean, I can't help that. The badassery just shines through it.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

It does.

[Peter Sagal]

It kind of does.

[Arden Cho]

I'm sorry.

[Peter Sagal]

How about, let me put it. How about a Hallmark movie where you come back to your hometown, leaving the big city, and you find the guy who, you know, broke your heart 20 years before, and it turns out he's a jerk and you beat the crap out of him. I'm sorry.

[Josh (alternate or same as G)]

I got.

[Peter Sagal]

I just.

[Kaylee Reese]

That's happened. It's fine.

[Peter Sagal]

That's another show for hbo. We're off lining up projects for you.

[Kaylee Reese]

Documentary.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, Kaylee Reese, it is a pleasure to talk to you. And we have asked you here, as we do with everyone, to play a game. And in your case, we're calling it

[Bill Curtis]

the Future is Here.

[Peter Sagal]

And by here, we mean Las Vegas, because that's where every year the Consumer Electronics show happens. It's the annual convention where tech companies show off their newest innovations, hopefully to the public that will love them. So we're going to ask you three questions about the Cesar Consumer Electronics show, past and present. If you get two right, you'll win a prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who is Kaylee Reese playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Christopher Wolf of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

[Tom]

All right.

[Bill Curtis]

Hey.

[Kaylee Reese]

Go Birds.

[Bill Curtis]

Hey.

[Peter Sagal]

Here's your first question. At the 2017 CES, intel made waves when they introduced their newest VR headset, which they handed out to members of the media along with watch A, a nurse with an IV so they wouldn't have to stop playing and, you know, eat B, protective gear for when they banged into each other while playing the games. Or C, barf bags. C. You're right. You knew it and you're right. Yeah. If you've. The demo program that they tried out included jumping off helicopters, traveling to Vietnam, flying high with a drone, and in some cases, apparently, projectile vomiting. All right, good. You did that really well. Now, there are always robots being demoed at CES, but in 2020, the most exciting new robot had one purpose. What was it? A, to open your car door from the inside if you lock your keys in the car. B, to look up people's names that you have forgotten at a party. Or C, to bring you a roll of toilet paper if you. You run out while you are in the bathroom.

[Kaylee Reese]

I'm going to go with C because I Hope that exists.

[Peter Sagal]

It does. You're right. A tech company partnered with Charmin to create a new robot which you operate with your smartphone from the toilet.

[Kaylee Reese]

I need that.

[Peter Sagal]

We all do. But here's the thing. So you have the wherewithal, the foresight to set up the robot in its little niche, wherever it is, with a roll of toilet paper on it, all set to go. Why don't you just put the roll of toilet paper in the bathroom?

[Kaylee Reese]

All right. Stepchildren forget to put it in the bathroom and then you're stuck there with no toilet paper.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm just gonna say I haven't seen all your projects as a performer, but I've never seen you more vulnerable than you were in that moment.

[Kaylee Reese]

See, I just gave you like an audition of my vulnerability.

[Bill Curtis]

I know, man.

[Peter Sagal]

I. I am ready to cast you in your latest project about a vulnerable, sensitive woman who's caught in a bathroom with no toilet paper.

[Kaylee Reese]

That's going to be my first short.

[Peter Sagal]

Absolutely. We are planning a career here. Okay, last question. You were doing this pretty much about as well as you have done everything else you have ever attempted. At this year, CES1 manufacturer introduced a new device with which you can enjoy music. What is it? A, a large case with two built in stereo speakers known as an I boom box. B, a lollipop that plays music inside your head when you suck on it. Or C, a robot bassist complete with genuine bassist scent.

[Kaylee Reese]

What was B again?

[Peter Sagal]

B was a lollipop that plays music inside your head while you suck on it.

[Kaylee Reese]

I'm gonna go with B because that sounds kind of cool.

[Peter Sagal]

You're right again. I mean, your competence extends to everything. When you put lollipop star, that is what it is called, in your mouth, it vibrates against your teeth, which connects to your face bones, which connects to your ear bones. And it comes in three flavors, or rather songs. Bill, how did Kaylee Reese do on our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Well, if I don't get it right, she's going to come down and beat the living hell out of. Fortunately, I don't have to because she is perfect. Three in a row. There you go.

[Peter Sagal]

I mean, honestly. Kaylee Reese is an Emmy nominated actress and member of the International Women's Boxing hall of Fame. You can see her in the new movie Mercy that is out next week. Kaylee Reese, what a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you so much for joining us. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Thank you. We'll be back back next week, rested and ready to start our second 250 years but first, let me tell you that Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is a production of NPRNW Bez Chicago in association with Urgent Haircut Productions. Doug Berman, benevolent Overlord Philip Ga writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. BJ Lederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Dornboss and Lillian King. Special thanks to Lillian King. Peter Guin, still gallantly streaming, Our Vibes curator is Emma Cho. Technical directions from Lorna White. Our CFO is Colin Miller. Our ops manager is Jasira Vardeck. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chillaghi. And the executive producer of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is Mike Danforth. Thanks to everybody you heard on our show this week, all of our panelists, Alzo Slade, our guests and, of course, Bill Curtis. And thanks to all of you for listening. I'm Peter Sagal, and we'll see you next week. This is npr.

[Announcer]

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