Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!

Episode: "We admire dimes and Aasif Mandvi gives breakup advice"
Air Date: March 21, 2026
Host: Peter Sagal
Panelists: Paula Poundstone, Alonzo Bodden, Shane Torres
Special Guest: Aasif Mandvi

Episode Overview

This week’s episode of NPR’s beloved news quiz balances comic riffs on the week’s oddest news with a lively celebrity interview, an energized panel, and games for listeners. Major topics included: the legality of betting on reality TV, the unveiling of a new dime, the unmasking of Banksy, and Aasif Mandvi advising on breakups and recounting a surreal audition experience.

Main Segments and Key Discussion Points

1. Panel Introduction & Listener Contest

(00:42–09:44)

• Listener Game: "Who's Bill This Time?"

  • Panel: Alonzo Bodden, Paula Poundstone, Shane Torres
  • Caller Grace from Vermont
  • Key topics for quiz questions:
    • Betting on Reality TV (Survivor, The Bachelor)
    • The New US Dime (Lady Liberty replaces FDR)
    • Banksy’s Identity Unmasked (Banksy is Robin Gunningham)

• Notable Quotes:

  • On betting on "Survivor":
    “I put $40,000 on young Sheldon dying in a fire.” (Peter Sagal, 04:05)
  • On the new dime and currency controversies:
    “It turns out we are allowed to have women on currency as long as the woman is imaginary.” (Peter Sagal, 06:08)

• Memorable Banter:

  • Paula deprecates prediction markets:
    “If we were culling the less productive members of society, I’d start with whoever bet on Jesus returning.” (Paula Poundstone, 05:02–05:15)
  • Jokes comparing payphones to ancient relics for Gen Z listeners (07:08–07:39)

2. Weird News Stories

(09:55–12:29)

• Topic: Looksmaxing Influencer Has a Notable (and Odd) Fan

  • Shane Clavicular, a bone-smashing looksmaxing influencer, had the late Ayatollah of Iran as a fan, per "Tehran Dispatch."
  • Mock speculation on the Ayatollah’s grooming routines.

• Quote:
  “There are aspects of a man's private life that are between him and God. … Please don’t drag me into this.” (Peter Sagal, quoting sources, 10:41–11:29)

3. Bluff the Listener Game

(14:33–21:17)

• Caller Dimitri from Elon, NC

• Three News Stories (True Story Hidden Among Fakes):

  • Alonzo: First-time NYC visitor finds only kindness, not menace
  • Shane: Swedish death metal band mistakenly plays a convention of dentists
  • Paula: German tourist sues over spicy taco, phone problems—a real case

• Correct Answer: Paula’s story, a German tourist's legal journey through NYC after alleged food and tech mishaps.

• Notable Moment:
  "Paula's story sounded like a tort hypothetical…" (Caller Dimitri, 20:17)

4. Not My Job: Aasif Mandvi Interview

(21:35–31:44)

• Background Highlights:

  • Mandvi on starting his career with murder mystery parties (with actor Connie Britton, 22:33–23:45)
  • New show: “The Miniature Wife” ("Honey I Shrunk the Kids meets Tom & Jerry") and starring in “Fallen Angels” on Broadway.
  • Getting cast on The Daily Show the same day as an audition—while in the throes of a breakup.

• Breakup Advice & Memorable Quotes:

  • “Like, the minute I got the Daily Show, I didn’t really care about my ex-girlfriend that much.” (Aasif Mandvi, 27:41)

• “Not My Job” Game – Wedding Cake Trivia:

  • Mandvi correctly identifies, with help from the audience, that the wild cake-smashing newlyweds got divorced (31:04).
  • “Oh, they lost a lot of good brides back then.” (Peter Sagal, on Roman wedding customs, 28:58)

5. Panel Questions & Weekly News Oddities

(34:02–39:29)

• Topics:

  • Irish Goodbye: Etiquette experts now say leaving a party without saying goodbye is fine.
  • Birds Use Cigarette Butts: Birds use butts to repel parasites, to the panel’s skepticism and delight.
  • Playful mockery about avian habits and social pressures.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “Birds are succumbing to peer pressure. … It’s just keeping up with the Red Winged Joneses.” (Paula Poundstone, 37:43, 37:54)

6. Listener Limerick Challenge

(39:29–43:46)

• Caller Sarah
• Fun Limericks & Answers:
  • Comet with alcohol (“the comet is filled up with booze”)
  • Worry postponement as stress relief
  • Bull sharks form friendships

7. Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank

(45:40–51:15)

• Score Recap:

  • Paula wins with 16 points
  • Shane debuts with a strong 15
  • Alonzo at 11

• Sample Questions:

  • World events, trivia on government actions, and quirky studies (ex: birds smoking; Norway's happiest country status).

8. Panel Predictions

(52:02–52:22)

• Prompt: With Banksy’s identity revealed, what will he do next?
  • Alonzo: “Start a podcast.”
  • Shane: “Be the next Bachelorette.”
  • Paula: “Offer his services to elementary school kids for visual aids.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the new Lady Liberty dime:
  “It turns out we are allowed to have women on currency as long as the woman is imaginary.” (Peter Sagal, 06:08)
• On betting on religious prophecy:
  “There is, this is true, a big bet … on whether or not Jesus will return by the end of this year.” (Peter Sagal, 04:43)
• Aasif Mandvi on breakups:
  “The minute I got the Daily Show, I didn’t really care about my ex-girlfriend that much.” (27:41)
• On Irish goodbyes:
  “As a host, I prefer people say goodbye. … Otherwise you turn around and people are gone. It’s a little creepy.” (Paula Poundstone, 35:46–35:58)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Panel/Listener intros & Gambling on Reality TV: 00:42–04:52
• Dimes/Currency Segment: 05:33–07:00
• Banksy Identity Segment: 07:48–09:36
• Ayatollah & Looksmaxing: 09:55–12:29
• Bluff the Listener (NYC Stories): 14:33–21:17
• Aasif Mandvi Interview: 21:35–31:44
• Irish Goodbye, Birds Smoking: 34:02–38:28
• Limerick Challenge: 39:29–43:46
• Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank: 45:40–51:15
• Panel Predictions: 52:02–52:22

Episode Vibe & Tone

As always, “Wait Wait…” delivers quick wit, running gags about cultural nostalgia (payphones, landlines), and a genial, teasing comedy. Paula’s dry sarcasm, Alonzo’s deadpan logic, and Shane’s new-to-the-panel energy blend for sustained laughs. Aasif Mandvi’s segment stands out for warmth and comic candor, especially in his honest breakup story and his infectious enthusiasm for acting with cardboard six-inch Elizabeth Banks.

This episode is a must-listen for fans of oddball news, sharp panel banter, and backstage Broadway insights—with a delightfully silly undercurrent throughout.