Podcast Summary

Podcast: Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Host: Peter Sagal (NPR)
Episode: Librarian Mychal Threets Talks Rebooting Reading Rainbow and Our Panel Eats Goo
Date: February 7, 2026

Episode Overview

This lively episode of NPR’s “Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!” blends news quiz hijinks, panelist banter, and celebrity guest fun. The main highlight is an in-depth chat with Mychal Threets, new host of the rebooted Reading Rainbow and viral librarian, who enthusiastically discusses book joy, tattooed favorites, and inspiring reluctant readers. News and pop culture moments riffed on include the Super Bowl, the rise of “Nutrient Goo,” government coal mascots, and middle airplane seat appreciation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Segment: Quiz and Banter (01:18–14:45)

• Panelists: Tom Beaudet, Josh Gondelman, Tig Notaro.
• Super Bowl Chatter:
  • Fiercely debated as “Starbucks vs. Dunkin’”; panel quips about teams, Taylor Swift, and Patriots fandom.
  • “For example, out of more than 100 players on both rosters, not a single one of them is engaged to Taylor Swift.” —Peter Sagal (03:51)
• Coley the Coal Mascot:
  • US Dept. of Interior’s new “Coley” (a cartoon lump of coal) is both mocked and dissected.
  • “Coley is definitely looking at a trademark lawsuit from E. Coli, the mascot of diarrhea.” —Peter Sagal (08:20)
• Nutrient Goo Trend:
  • The growing trend of meal-replacement “goos” is lampooned.
  • “Why do we only get the parts of the future that stink? …no pizza soup.” —Listener/Panelist (09:52, 09:57)

2. Panel Games and Listener Calls (14:48–21:19)

Bluff the Listener

• Secret Exposed Segment:
  • The real story: Boxer Jerrell Miller loses his toupee mid-fight, surprising the crowd and himself.
    • “I wasn’t sure it was coming off, but I felt a draft like AC hitting my scalp…” — attributed as Miller via Josh Gondelman’s storytelling (16:05)
• Humorous fake stories about Miss Manners’ wild youth and Justin Bieber moonlighting as “Vladislav” the Uber driver.

3. Interview: Mychal Threets–Rebooting Reading Rainbow (21:24–31:44)

Childhood Reading to TV Hosting:

• Mychal shares his lifelong love for LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow.
  • “LeVar Burton is one of my all-time favorite human beings in the entire world... I’m the biggest LeVar Burton fan in the entire world.” —Mychal Threets (22:04)
• Has not met LeVar yet, but wants to do him proud on the show’s YouTube reboot.

Tattoos & Library Life:

• Full tattoo sleeve of his favorite children’s books—including Where the Wild Things Are and a library card for Arthur from PBS.
• Progressed from getting his first library card as a child to becoming the head librarian at his hometown library.

Book-Related Oddities:

• Found receipts, a Social Security card, and even baloney used as bookmarks!
  • “I pulled some baloney out of a book before.” —Mychal Threets (26:14)

Encouraging Young Readers:

• Connects kids’ interests (Spider-Man hats, K-pop shirts, football jerseys) to books.
  • “The magic of books is just saying, you know what you can read?... And they’re like, are you sure? Because every other adult says that's not okay. And I'm like, they're wrong. Read away.” —Mychal Threets (27:39)

Panel Fun & Shushing Stories:

• Mychal’s been shushed “by 12-15 people in his own library,” per librarian rite of passage.

Notable Quote:

• “Reading is reading. You’re a worthy reader.” —Mychal Threets (27:39)

4. Not My Job Game: Taste the Rainbow (Skittles Edition) (28:06–31:44)

• Mychal is quizzed on odd Skittles trivia (e.g., “zombie” and suppository flavors, the Skittles-milking giraffe commercial).
• Wins the game for listener Isaac Lewis.

Other Highlights

Comedic Panel Bits

• Middle Seat Fetishists: Quirky travelers in love with the middle airplane seat; “midair cuddle you don’t deserve but are privileged to have.” (11:06)
• Rising Jeffrey Name Shame: Men named Jeffrey now prefer “Jeff” to escape bad associations (Epstein, Dahmer).
• Poetry Voice Parody: Panel impersonates the dramatic “poet voice,” debates if all poetry is “just regular writing with extra pauses.” (37:01)

Limerick Challenge & Lightning Round

• Featured wild tech (drone umbrellas), cat vs. dog lodging policies, and film students lacking patience to finish movies.
• News Quiz Winner: Josh Gondelman clinches the week’s contest.

Memorable Quotes with Timestamps

• On Patriots Hatred:
  “And everybody hated the Patriots for a long time. And that just made me stronger.” —Listener/Contestant Nathan (04:39)

• On Coley the Coal Mascot:
  “Coley is definitely looking at a trademark lawsuit from E. Coli, the mascot of diarrhea.” —Peter Sagal (08:20)

• On Nutrient Goo:
  “Why do we only get the parts of the future that stink?” —Listener (09:52)
  “No pizza soup.” —Peter Sagal (10:03)

• Mychal Threets on Reading Rainbow:
  “I’m just trying to make [LeVar Burton] proud with my obnoxious enthusiasm for libraries and literacy and books.” (22:40)

• On Book Tattoos:
  “I have a library card of Arthur Reed from PBS tattooed on me.” —Mychal Threets (23:50)

• On Shushing:
  “You're not a true library person until you've been shushed by someone visiting the library.” —Mychal Threets (25:03)

• On Book Recommendations:
  “You can read Dogman 1000 times. And they're like, are you sure? Because every other adult says, that's not okay. And I'm like, they're wrong. Read away.” —Mychal Threets (27:39)

Key Segments by Timestamp

• 01:18 — Panel, host intro & setup
• 03:38 — News quiz begins (“Who’s Bill this time?”)
• 08:50 — Panel mocks “nutrient goo” and futuristic food trends
• 14:48 — Bluff the Listener game
• 21:24 — Mychal Threets interview (Reading Rainbow focus)
• 28:06 — “Not My Job” (Skittles game)
• 33:07 — Panel game continues (Jeffrey name shame, poetry voice)
• 39:21 — Listener Limerick Challenge
• 44:45 — Lightning fill-in-the-blank round

Tone & Style

• Playful, witty, and quick with pop culture and nerd references.
• Features affectionate ribbing, deadpan asides (notably from Tig Notaro), and good-natured panel camaraderie.
• Mychal Threets brings heartfelt, cheerful enthusiasm, especially regarding libraries, books, and literacy advocacy.

Concluding Thoughts

This episode is a blend of riotous news-game humor and genuine affection for reading and public libraries, capped by an especially engaging appearance from Mychal Threets. The combination of comic wit and feel-good inspiration makes it both entertaining and uplifting, marking Reading Rainbow’s reboot as a cause for celebration.

For more, including bonus content and sponsor-free listening, check out Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!+