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Bill Curtis
From NPR and WBC Chicago, this is Wait, wait, don't tell me, the NPR News quiz. I'm the guy who had to permanently retire from the wet T shirt contest in Daytona beach so somebody else could win. Bill Curtis. And here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Siegel.
Peter Sagal
Thank you, Bill. Thanks, everybody. Who said only students get to celebrate spring break this week we are giving you a well deserved holiday from whatever the hell is going on with the help of some amazing interviews from the past few years.
Bill Curtis
While we elbow aside a bunch of Florida State sophomores so we can be first in line for frozen margaritas, here's a conversation with Eric Idle of Monty Python.
Peter Sagal
Now, as a longtime Python fanatic, it was a dream come true for me to talk to him. And I only wished he could have joined us in person when we talked in October. Turns out he felt the same way.
Eric Idle
I loved my time in Chicago. I'm married to a Chicago woman and I have lots of Chicago relatives. So I'm very, you know, I love Chicago.
Peter Sagal
Yeah, that's really great. It's a good town. And let me put it this way, when you walk the streets of Chicago, we're a very cool, sophisticated place. I know, but do people recognize you and go nuts because they, like me, Were Monty Python fans growing up?
Eric Idle
Well, luckily, no. That can really spoil your shopping, you know.
Peter Sagal
Yeah.
Eric Idle
No, you get recognized from time to time. And that's just one of the pitfalls of, you know, being on television.
Peter Sagal
I'm curious that when the show came to the US on pbs, it became this huge thing. And I was wondering, was that the initial reaction that Monty Python got in the UK or was it more reserved, as we might expect from the stereotype?
Eric Idle
No, there was almost no reaction whatsoever because they put us on late on a Sunday night and the BBC were trying to find out if people were still watching television at 10:15.
Peter Sagal
And so for all you knew, nobody was watching?
Eric Idle
Well, at first, absolutely nobody knew and nobody was watching it. Then bit by bit, you know, so. And we were very fortunate that we'd actually finished doing the show before it was actually played on American television, so we didn't have to suffer the same fate as people on Saturday Night Live. And that, you know, we were quite anonymous and surprised by it all, you mean.
Peter Sagal
You mean the same fate as like massive fame and wealth? You mean that fate?
Eric Idle
Well, that for sure, because we work for the BBC. But yes, it was nice surprise when we were suddenly on, you know, on public television. It was great.
Peter Sagal
Now, one of the things that a lot of us who first saw Monty Python, maybe even people now have this reaction, is how could they possibly get away with this absolute nonsense on television? And I heard you tell a story that if the BBC ever tried to give you notes or tell you you couldn't do something, you would all go in and physically intimidate them.
Eric Idle
Yeah, well, yes, because there were six of us. We were mostly over six foot and so we. And we'd all got degrees and we were very smart and proud and we were going. And you know, they would be very alarmed at that sight of us. But at first we were executive free, so it was absolutely perfect.
Peter Sagal
When did you know that Monty Python had become like a phenomenon, something that like everybody knew and everybody treasured pretty much. Well, certainly in America, if not the.
Eric Idle
Whole world, I think we were pretty surprised when we opened the Holy Grail in New York and there was, suddenly there was Python mania and we were trapped in the cinema and it was very surprising to us and quite funny. I mean, in Canada we were known and we were surprised. Then we came through the customs and there was a big cheer and we looked behind us because we thought. We thought there was a rock and roll group behind us and they were cheering for us and they'd all come to the airport. It was quite, quite extraordinary. So we became what I call mock and roll.
Peter Sagal
Speaking of rock and roll, I also found out that Monty Python and the Holy Grail your legendary and it was your first movie. The Pythons was actually financed by like some of the biggest rock stars in the world.
Eric Idle
Well, the biggest rock stars in Britain anyway. Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd and Genesis and Jeff, that they put money into that and I still pay them from Spamalot.
Peter Sagal
Do you really? Yes, of course. You send a check to Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, because he put up like.
Eric Idle
I write them out personally. Yes. So they know where they're coming from.
Peter Sagal
In addition to knowing all these rock and roll bands in the 70s, we've also heard stories that you either as yourself, as a group, used to throw these pretty legendary parties. Is that true?
Eric Idle
I've always enjoyed it. We always had some good parties because, you know, I like to play music and we always sing alongs and Ding Dongs and we still do that.
Peter Sagal
Right. We heard once that, like, you threw a party in the late 70s and the cast of Star wars, which was filming at the time, came over.
Eric Idle
Well, Carrie Fisher rented my house in London for filming the Empire Strikes Back. And they were very depressed. And Harrison Ford, they'd been in England for a long time.
Peter Sagal
Yeah, that'll do it.
Eric Idle
So I pulled out a special liquor, liquor we bought from Tunisia, and the party started. And by chance, the Stones were around the corner in Abbey Road and they all came round and this party went on all night. And they were finally picked up by their cars at 6 o'clock and we all went off to bed. And I'm happy to say I ruined one of the scenes in Star Wars.
Peter Sagal
You ruined. Do you know which scene you ruined and how you ruined it?
Eric Idle
Well, because they stayed up all night. They blamed me. I mean, they're adults, you know, it was a scene where they meet Billy Dee Williams and they come off the plane and they, you know, Carrie says hi and they're all completely high. You know, they've been up all night.
Peter Sagal
That is an amazing bit of Star wars lore. And I don't know if everybody knows it. That is amazing. Speaking of musicians, the Stones came by to your party. I also, again, for the first time, found out, was it true that Elvis Presley was a big fan of yours?
Eric Idle
He was a huge fan. And I met Linda Thompson, who was his girlfriend, and she said at night in Memphis, when the television stopped about 2:30 in the morning, Elvis would make her do Monty Python sketches with him. And not just anyone sitting right. Hello, Mrs. Thing. Hello, Mrs.
Diane Lane
Entity.
Eric Idle
And I said, well, I don't believe you. She convinced me finally, because she knew the words.
Peter Sagal
I want to talk to you about the musical, of course, which went on to be a huge hit and won Tony's and then was revived and won Tony's again. You had always been a musician. In fact, you wrote Always look in the Bright side of Life. From the end of Life of Brian, we heard that that is the number one song played at funerals in the uk.
Eric Idle
I'm proud to say that it still is. It's been that for 20 years.
Peter Sagal
Really?
Eric Idle
Yes, I'm happy to say. Replace My Way.
Peter Sagal
Oh, that is good. I think. Yeah, that is definitely improvement. Have you ever been to a funeral? And all of a sudden the choir, they start doing it in harmony.
Eric Idle
Now they play the record. I'm happy to say, unfortunately, they don't pay royalties.
Peter Sagal
Funerals don't pay royalties.
Eric Idle
They don't. I think it's wrong Quite wrong, but still.
Peter Sagal
Well, Eric Idle, it is a huge honor for me especially to talk to you and a pleasure to have you here. And we have invited you here to play a game that we're calling Spam.
Bill Curtis
Spam, Spam, Spam and Spam.
Peter Sagal
Now, as I'm sure you know, it was that famous Monty Python spam skit that is responsible for the fact that unwanted email advertisements is called spam. But we wanted to know if you knew anything about spam email. So we're going to ask you three questions about it. Answer to right. And you will win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might choose for their voicemail. Bill, who is Eric Idle playing for?
Bill Curtis
Andy Hill of Boston, Massachusetts.
Peter Sagal
All right, you ready for this?
Eric Idle
Yes.
Peter Sagal
All right, here's your first question. The first genuine mass advertisement that people called spam went out to the users of Usenet, a precursor to the Internet, in 1994. What did it advertise? A, A, then unknown new TV series called Friends, B, a new canned meat product called Spam plus. Or C, Jesus Christ.
Eric Idle
I would say Spam Plus, Spam Plus.
Peter Sagal
You think that Hormel, the manufacturer of Spam, which, by the way, has embraced Monty Python and Spam?
Eric Idle
Perhaps not. Could it be Friends?
Peter Sagal
Well, that would be an interesting way of advertising a brand new television show on something called Usenet.
Eric Idle
Yes. Does that leave us with Jesus Christ then?
Peter Sagal
It does. So in many situations in life, all you're left with is Jesus Christ. Yes. The message was headed global alert for all, Jesus is coming soon. And it was sent to the hundreds of thousands of people who were on Usenet at the time. So not only was it annoying, it was also incorrect. Here's your next question. Now, one of the odd things about spam is while that everybody hates it and they really hate the people who send it out, it doesn't make the advertisers themselves a lot of money. One study showed that you would make more money and suffer less social disapproval if you did. Which of these A, dined and dashed once a month, B, played saxophone in a subway car, or C, stole a car?
Eric Idle
Iris has stole a car.
Peter Sagal
Yes, that's right. Stealing a car. People don't like car thieves, it's true, but at least you could sell the car and make some money. All right, here's your last question. One of the most notorious spammers ever was a man named Alan Ralsky, who was actually convicted of fraud for sending out all those spam emails. Before that, though, he had another punishment. What A, he fell for a spammer himself and ended up sending all the money he had to a fake prince, B, he typed so many fake emails that his fingers all broke or C, people found his physical address and signed him up for every piece of junk mail they could find, resulting in him getting thousands and thousands of magazines and pamphlets every day.
Eric Idle
I would say C, you're right again.
Peter Sagal
Bill. How did Eric Idle do in our quiz?
Bill Curtis
He woke up on the better side of life because he got all.
Peter Sagal
Congratulations, Eric. Thank you very much. Eric Idle is one of the founders of Monty Python. He is also the Tony winning creator of Spamalot and the author of the new Spamalot Diaries out now. Eric Idle, an absolute pleasure to talk to you. Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Wait, wait, don't tell me. When we come back, the greatest bassist ever to come out of Philly and actor Diane Lane and how she ran away and joined the circus at the age of seven. That's when we come back with more. Wait, wait, don't tell me from npr.
Bridget Everett
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Bill Curtis
From NPR and WBEC Chicago, this is Wait, wait, don't tell me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in downtown Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.
Peter Sagal
Thank you, Bill. Thanks, everybody. So we've officially declared it's spring break for all of our listeners this week. Now, we thought about going to the same places we used to hang out in college, but for some reason when we go there, they think we're undercover police officers.
Bill Curtis
Now. Damn. Now where am I supposed to score my uppers?
Peter Sagal
So as we find people our own age to do shots with anti inflammatory turmeric shots, of course, here's some more of our favorite conversations from the last year.
Bill Curtis
Last June, we went to Philadelphia to interview a man who had grown up just a few blocks from where we were talking to him and had become one of the most famous jazz bassists in the world.
Peter Sagal
Now, of course, being a famous bassist is a bit of a contradiction, which was one of the things I asked Christian McBride about.
Christian McBride
Well, I always say being a famous jazz bass player is being like a famous plumber because I might not get invited to the party, but you need me.
Peter Sagal
So when you were starting out, were you immediately into jazz? Was that your first love?
Christian McBride
No, I wanted to play with James Brown.
Peter Sagal
Really? That was your thing?
Christian McBride
Yes, which I I'm very happy to say I eventually did. But I grew up as an R B kid, you know, Philly.
Peter Sagal
And you actually got to play. You played with a lot of people, but you actually got to play with James Brown.
Christian McBride
I got to play with Mr. Brown.
Peter Sagal
And what about what's it like meeting your heroes in the case of Mr. Brown?
Christian McBride
It's it's complicated.
Peter Sagal
Yeah, that's what everybody says. We heard that he used to levy fines.
Christian McBride
Oh, yes.
Peter Sagal
Band members.
Christian McBride
But, but that was standard practice for a lot of band leaders in the 40s and 50s. You know, Ray Charles did that, Lionel Hampton did that, Benny Goodman did that. That was part of the gig. You know, like if you screwed up 10 docs, $10 coming out of your pay right at the end of the night now, of course, James Brown kept that practice going long after everybody started.
Peter Sagal
Significant part of his income, I'm sure, by the end.
Christian McBride
Yeah, right.
Peter Sagal
Yeah. So when did you get into jazz?
Christian McBride
When I first started playing the double bass when I got to middle school, because I've been playing the electric bass for a couple of years. My great uncle Howard, who's the other bass player in the family, he was so excited. He said, come over to my house. I got something for you. And now that he found out that I was playing the double bass, he said, hey, I'm going to turn you on to the cat. So he spent the whole day playing nothing but jazz albums for me. And my great uncle had this very cool way of, you know, he would put a record on, and he had a chair similar to this. He would sit down. He would sit way down like this. He'd light up a cigarette, have a glass of wine, and he would start playing air bass along with the record. And, you know, he would slap me on the arm and say, hey, listen to what Coltrane's about to do. And he pointed the record. Ooh, you see?
Peter Sagal
You hear that?
Christian McBride
And so it was so entertaining watching my great uncle listen to jazz. I said, well, if jazz makes him that cool, then I want to be cool too.
Peter Sagal
Right.
Christian McBride
So that one visit was my great uncle.
Bill Curtis
Really?
Christian McBride
Yeah.
Peter Sagal
And then does he also do that during movies?
Christian McBride
Probably, yeah. Yeah.
Peter Sagal
I don't know how many ensembles and groups you've started in your career, but my understanding is the latest one is called the New John.
Christian McBride
Actually, the New John is.
Peter Sagal
That's. I should say, for non Philadelphians. That's not the name John. That's J A W N. I actually.
Christian McBride
Have a new group since the New.
Peter Sagal
Oh, I'm sorry. So, yeah.
Christian McBride
So the new John is the old John.
Peter Sagal
I see. Yeah. Could you explain to non Philadelphians what a john is?
Christian McBride
A person, place, or thing. You know, Joel could have a. A new partner or whatever. Hey, you seen Joel's new john?
Peter Sagal
I knew Joy. Really, you know.
Bill Curtis
Yeah.
Diane Lane
Well, it's interesting because in. I grew up in Atlanta, so Jonan, which is also.
Peter Sagal
It's.
Diane Lane
That's house, I guess, at the place, they call it the dozens.
Peter Sagal
Yeah.
Diane Lane
So when we're going back and forth, that's what we call John.
Christian McBride
Well, see, John has different versions regionally. Like in New York, it's joint.
Peter Sagal
Yeah.
Diane Lane
Right.
Christian McBride
You know, someone said in Memphis, this is funny. They said it's junt. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so, you know, I don't know what it is on the West Coast.
Peter Sagal
Yeah. Who cares?
Christian McBride
Who cares?
Diane Lane
I'm sure Kendrick Lamar will tell us.
Christian McBride
Right? Right.
Peter Sagal
Well, Christian McBride, it is such a pleasure to talk to you in your hometown. And we have asked you back here to play a game we're calling Bass Pro.
Bill Curtis
Meet Basque Pro.
Christian McBride
Oh, man. I was afraid.
Peter Sagal
Really?
Christian McBride
You anticipated that I was hoping to be baseball and not Bass. Oh, boy.
Diane Lane
You ever been to Bass Pro Shop?
Christian McBride
No.
Peter Sagal
No, they're one of the best stores in the world. Yes, I love a Bass Pro Shop. Exactly. So you know about.
Bill Curtis
That was a good look.
Peter Sagal
You're a world renowned genius when it comes to the bass, the instruments. So what do you know about Basque the Pro Shop? We're going to ask you three questions about the outdoor store that is not rei. Answer two out of three questions correctly, you'll win the prize for one of our listeners, the weight waiter of their choice on their voicemail, Bill, who is jazz led and Christian McBride playing for.
Bill Curtis
Chris Dunn of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Peter Sagal
Hometown guy.
Bill Curtis
All right.
Peter Sagal
So Bass Pro Shops are famous for their enormous sales floors and the things on them like giant aquariums, actual running streams through the floor and more. All of that natural beauty, though, can backfire, as in which of these cases? A, one story in Texas is now home to a family of geese who refused to let anyone go near the camping supply section. B, at a shop in Florida, a man showed up with a net, scooped a 50 pound fish right out of the aquarium and then just walked out with it. Or C, a store in Kansas was declared a protected environment for a species of endangered fish and now nobody is allowed inside.
Christian McBride
Yeah, well, considering this is America, I would go with be right.
Peter Sagal
Meaning this is the place where people just go in there and take that fish. No price tag on it.
Christian McBride
That's right.
Peter Sagal
You're right. Yes, that's what happened. And according to the store. According to the store, the thief, and perhaps for all we know, the fish is still at large. Maybe he was rescuing it in a Finding Nemo kind of way. We don't know. Now, next question. One of the most famous Bass Pro Shops is the one in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to being very popular, it is notable for one other reason. What is it? A, all of the fish in the aquarium are descendants of the fish that Elvis had in his aquarium. B, it has an actual moat you can test drive their motorboats in. Or C, it is located inside one of the largest pyramids in the world.
Christian McBride
Well, I know the arena where the grizzlies play is actually called the pyramid.
Peter Sagal
Right?
Christian McBride
I'm gonna go With C. Yeah, it is.
Peter Sagal
That's right. Yeah. The pyramid was built for some civic purpose.
Christian McBride
That's a big junk.
Peter Sagal
It's a big junk.
Diane Lane
Yeah.
Peter Sagal
It's meant to be a two thirds scale model of the Great Pyramid of Giza. And just like that world wonder, it was also built by aliens. And now there's a Bass Pro Shop center, which is pretty awesome. All right, here's your last question. Sadly, not everyone is happy with Bass Pro Shops. In fact, a man once filed a five million dollar lawsuit against that company. Over what? A, the fact that he spent over $3,000 on premium fishing gear and still could not catch anything.
Christian McBride
That sounds American.
Peter Sagal
B, they stopped replacing his $12 pair of socks after about 10 times even though they had a lifetime guarantee. Or C, he got dysentery after getting thirsty in the middle of the store and taking a drink from one of the artificial trout streams. Wow.
Christian McBride
Oh well, I already got two out of three.
Peter Sagal
You did, man.
Christian McBride
I'm actually going to go with A.
Peter Sagal
You're going to go with A, the fact that he spent $3,000 on fishing gear and still couldn't catch anything. No, it was actually B, it was about the return of the socks. Bill, how did Christian McBride to do in our quiz?
Bill Curtis
Well, he's a winner. Two out of three. That's a win.
Peter Sagal
Congratulations. Kristen McBride is a Grammy winning bassist and the artistic director of the Newport Jazz Festival and the Jazz house kids. Kristen McBride, everybody. Last August we talked to Diane Lane, who had been nominated for an Emmy at that time for her performance in the TV show Feud, 45 years after making her film debut at the age of 14.
Bill Curtis
She had been performing even before that, doing experimental theater in downtown New York and on tour in Europe. Peter asked her about the effect of that formative experience.
Kathleen Hannah
I'm still in therapy about it. No, I'm kidding. The world was a different place then. It was, you know, I wound, there was no airport security. We didn't need it. I remember getting off the plane and running into my mother's arms and around my neck. Could have been anything, but it was a five pound, well, maybe a two pound tortoise. And I had bought it on the River Seine in Paris because back in the day they sold animals by the river in Paris. Don't ask.
Peter Sagal
So you came off the plane, you hold the tortoise out to your mother and your mother says what?
Jeff Hiller
She shrieked.
Kathleen Hannah
And I had that turtle for years. His name was George. Turned out George was female. Did you know that the bottom side of a tortoise will reveal the gender because the male have a slight indentation curve so that they can mount the female.
Peter Sagal
Oh, you know what I love? I love that Tortoise lied to me. I love the idea of you being on the set of your first big movie, a little romance with Sir Lawrence and Louisville and you telling him stories like this.
Kathleen Hannah
It's adorable. I was much more two ears, one mouth around Lord Larry, I can imagine.
Peter Sagal
You have played a comic book character. In your case, more comic book character. Jason. But you've played the mother of Superman.
Kathleen Hannah
Martha Kent.
Peter Sagal
Yes, Martha Kent, famously. And this is the Henry Cavill Superman, right?
Kathleen Hannah
Okay.
Peter Sagal
Yes, yes, yes. You said you're like, okay. Was that his name? Okay. Yes. So how have you found after all the other things you've done after being a well known person, you had your brat pack period and all these other periods to be like a star at Comic Con?
Kathleen Hannah
Oh, gosh, I have. I am such an introvert. I don't know how I would handle that.
Peter Sagal
So you've never been. You didn't have to do that. You didn't have to go to Comic Con. And all the Superman fans were like, I dodged it. I did.
Kathleen Hannah
I chickened out. I was just. Those crowds, they make me. I have Hajida, as my friends say, Ajita.
Peter Sagal
You have Ajita. As they say in New York, how can a shy person be constantly on screen? Isn't that weird? Yes.
Kathleen Hannah
I told you, my therapist is rich.
Peter Sagal
So the latest project you're in, it's a TV show. It is remarkable. It is called Feud. It's about a very real situation in New York society in the 60s and 70s when Truman Capote wrote a book that enraged his society friends, of whom you are one.
Kathleen Hannah
Slim Keith. I portrayed Slim Keith.
Peter Sagal
Slim Keith, who was a real person.
Kathleen Hannah
Yes. Socialite extraordinaire. A real maven, a real connector of other people. I don't know. I think of them as sort of sassy pants. Sassy pants people.
Peter Sagal
Sassy pants people. Sassy pants people. That's what. That's what Truman Capote called them and that's what made them so mad. You've been promoting this TV show all week and you've been asked about it and answering questions, as you've done for us. Before we move to the game, is there anything else you'd like to talk about?
Kathleen Hannah
I don't feel safe suddenly.
Peter Sagal
Oh, this is. This is a safe space. This is a safe space. This is totally a safe space. If there is anything on your mind, Diane Lane, would you like talk about more about the underside of turtles, for example.
Kathleen Hannah
No, I'm open to talking pretty much about anything. I'm starting to sweat now, but that's okay.
Peter Sagal
All right, well, we actually have something for you to talk about because we have invited you here to play a game that we're calling Swan vs. Swan. So, as we've established, in the TV series, you play one of the society ladies that Truman Capote called swans. So we thought we'd ask you about actual swans. The waterfowl, the bird, the bird. Answer two to three questions about swans correctly, you'll win our prize. One of our listeners. Any voice they might choose in their voicemail. So, Bill, who is Diane Lane playing for?
Bill Curtis
Ryan McGee of Prescott, Arizona.
Peter Sagal
Are you ready to do this?
Kathleen Hannah
Sure.
Peter Sagal
Okay, here's your first question. Swans are notoriously temperamental. But one pair of swans had to be forcibly removed from a lake in Austria because they kept doing what? A, honking the melody of ABBA's dancing queen, B, pooping on every single couple that were trying to take engagement photos at the lake. Or C, attacking anyone who got near their nest, which didn't have any eggs, just a bunch of red solo cups.
Kathleen Hannah
Oh, it's gotta be C. It is.
Peter Sagal
C. These swans apparently had mistaken these cups for their eggs and would attack anyone ferociously who dared to approach them. That was very good, and I liked your instincts, you know your animals, as we have established. Here's your next. Now, probably the most famous swan is, of course, the Ugly Duckling, right? From the beloved children's story. Spoiler alert. I'm sorry.
Bill Curtis
Wow.
Eric Idle
Just cut right to the end there.
Peter Sagal
That's the story, of course, that teaches kids that everyone is beautiful in their own way and you shouldn't accept the judgment of others. In the original version of the story, the ugly Duckling is finally approached by a group of regal swans ready to claim him as their own. What is the first thing the ugly Duckling says to them? A, quote, finally, a family of my own. B, and this is why no one should ever be judged in their appearance alone. Or C, kill me?
Kathleen Hannah
Well, I believe it's A, but B is fun, too. Let's go with A.
Peter Sagal
It was actually C. Thankfully, these swans did not accede to the duckling's request, which is shocking, given what we know about swans. All right, you've gotten one right. You have one to go. If you get this right, you win. Yours is not the only TV show that we have had with swans in the title. Back in 2004, Fox broadcast a show called the Swan what was that show's premise? A. It was just a remake of Everybody Loves Raymond but replaced Ray Romano with a live swan, a reality competition in which self proclaimed ugly ducklings are given lots of plastic surgery until at the end one is judged the most beautiful. Or see a documentary show that just shows the daily life of Bucky, a swan that lives in a pond in New Rochelle, New York.
Jeff Hiller
Wow.
Kathleen Hannah
I want C to be true, but I'm gonna go with B anyway because.
Peter Sagal
That'S the world we live in, isn't it? Yes, that's what it was. The swan, which apparently was very popular, still only lasted one season because it was kind of gross. Bill how did Diane Lane do in our quiz?
Bill Curtis
2 out of 3, Diane that is a win in our game.
Peter Sagal
Congratulations. And let me say since you have an Emmy nomin for your show Swans, may I say I hope this is not the last thing you win this year.
Kathleen Hannah
Aw, people, thank you.
Peter Sagal
Diane Lane is an Emmy nominee for her role as Slim Keith in FX's feud, Capote versus the Swans. You can stream the whole series on Hulu now. It is remarkable. Diane Lane, thank you so much for joining us. On Broadway, Tomlins. Coming up, a punk icon and a pair of comedians making the Midwest cool again. That's when we come back with more of Wait, Wait, don't tell me from npr.
Bridget Everett
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Bill Curtis
From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, don't tell Me the NPR News quiz. I'm Bill Curtis and here is your host at the Studebaker Theatre and the Fine Arts Building in downtown Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.
Peter Sagal
Thank you, Bill, and Thanks, everybody. So we have been enjoying spring break this week, and I have to tell you, we are not even done with the show, and we're already partied out.
Bill Curtis
When I was a young man, it wasn't a good night out unless I had already started the next one.
Peter Sagal
So while we take a break from our break, here's two more great conversations we had in the last year. First, Kathleen Hannah, founder of the seminal feminist punk band Bikini Kill. She joined us in July, and I asked her why she was getting the band back together.
Jeff Hiller
I really need a beach house in Malibu, and feminist art pays so well that I just figured, you know, go for the millions. No, I mean, clearly with everything going on in the world, we were just, like, kind of reinvigorated to sing the songs again.
Peter Sagal
Absolutely.
Jeff Hiller
It just felt like the right time. You know, I didn't want to sing these songs 15 years ago, and I really want to sing them again now. They feel really like. It feels good physically to sing them on stage.
Peter Sagal
Maybe when you sang them 30 years ago, it worked, but the effect wore off. Now you have to reapply Bikini Kill. Let's talk about your background. I was. I was reading in your book. I was reading your book that you recently published, Rebel Girl, which is a remarkable memoir. But I was surprised by so many things in it. One of them, I was so surprised by your first time singing on stage, which you say in the book was, like, a really important moment when you realized that's what you wanted to do. Could you tell us about that?
Jeff Hiller
Yeah. I got the part of Annie in the musical Annie?
Peter Sagal
Yes. If you're going to play Annie, that's the show to do it in. Yeah.
Jeff Hiller
Well, what actually happened was a woman who had a son who went to the school complained that it was sexist, that there weren't very many parts for boys in it. So the play actually ended up being a really horrible mashup of Annie and Oliver. Also, you know, about orphans. I guess they were like, let's do one. Boy orphans and girl orphans.
Peter Sagal
Wow. And then they were fighting each other, so was like west side Story.
Jeff Hiller
Also, he was, like, 2ft tall, like, and I was, like 4 foot 8. So I really felt like it was not a fair fight.
Peter Sagal
Right.
Jeff Hiller
And he was a very cute, sweet kid, and he made everybody cry with that. Where is love?
Peter Sagal
Where is love?
Bill Curtis
Oh, it's a tearjerker.
Peter Sagal
It is a tearjerker. Can you. Can you still do or have you been tempted to do the big song tomorrow from that show?
Jeff Hiller
Oh, I do it all the time.
Peter Sagal
Can we hear it?
Jeff Hiller
I can't do it with earplugs. Let's see. The sun will come out. I can't do it right now.
Peter Sagal
The next word is tomorrow.
Jeff Hiller
Literally. I just drove here from Hershey Park, Pennsylvania. Like, I was. I was on roller coasters for, like, 10 hours, so I'm sort of, like, fried.
Peter Sagal
Did you just go to hang, or were you guys playing at that? That. There's a big venue there.
Jeff Hiller
Oh, yeah, no, we don't play venues.
Diane Lane
It's not that big.
Peter Sagal
Okay.
Jeff Hiller
Thank you very much.
Peter Sagal
You could. You deserve it.
Jeff Hiller
Yeah, of course. You know, I went to ride the Super Duper Looper again because I rode it when I was, like, 10. And so I took my son so he could ride it. And he loves roller coasters. He's an enthusiast.
Diane Lane
That's great. I was just there a month ago.
Peter Sagal
Wow. It's thrilling. It's thrilling.
Jeff Hiller
It's a nice park. It's a nice park.
Peter Sagal
When you walk around in a big public place like Hershey park, are you recognized by your fans from any of the projects you did? But I'm thinking mainly of Bikini Kill.
Jeff Hiller
No. And oddly, the day that we went, it was Foo Fighters who were playing, and Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl used to be in Nirvana, and we were friends with them when we all first started playing music, and everyone was wearing Nirvana shirts and Foo Fighter shirts, and not one person recognized me. So as I was sort of on the rise, I was, like, coming to terms with, did I make the right decision?
Peter Sagal
Like, should I have.
Jeff Hiller
Like, should I sign to a major label?
Peter Sagal
Should I have.
Jeff Hiller
You know, And I was like, you know what? My son is so psyched right now, and we're having a really good time, and no one's coming up and bothering us. And I was like, this is actually kind of awesome.
Peter Sagal
Yeah. Yeah. There you go. That's great. Yeah. You know, now I wish it would make the story perfect if it turned out that Dave Grohl had played Oliver in that production. Well, Kathleen Hannah, it is a pleasure to talk to you. We have invited you here to play a game that this time we're calling.
Bill Curtis
Kathleen Hannah, meet Hanna Barbera.
Peter Sagal
Hey, you lit up. You must know, I think you and I are similar in Generations, so you must remember that Hanna Barbera is the legendary animation studio behind beloved shows like the Flintstones and Scooby Doo and less beloved shows like The Partridge Family, 2200 A.D. so we're going to ask you three questions about Hanna Barbera, the animation studio. Get two right. And you'll win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might choose in their voicemail. Bill, who is Kathleen Hannah playing for?
Bill Curtis
Sonny Paley of Georgetown, California.
Peter Sagal
So here's your first question. Flintstones fans take the show very seriously. So when many of them realized that no one ever mentions what Barney Rubble's job is, they began calling the studio at all hours. The calls were so frequent that the studio responded how? A, by having whoever picked up the phone immediately say, I know why you're calling. You want to know what Barney Rubble did for a living? He worked at the quarry. B, by making a special eight hour long episode that follows Barney's entire workday minute by minute. Or C, by just canceling the show out of spite.
Jeff Hiller
Oh, God, that's so hard. I thought he. For some reason, I was thinking he worked at the bowling alley. He just spends a lot of time A1.
Peter Sagal
That's right. A. And no surprise, the majority of those calls were late at night from drunk people. Next question. That was very good. After the Flintstones, Hanna Barbera had another huge hit with Scooby Doo. Now, in order to create Scooby, animators did what? A, gave an actual Great Dane LSD and watched how it acted, B, gave themselves LS looked at a Great Dane and drew how it looked, or C studied all the desirable traits of award winning show dog Great Danes and then drew the opposite.
Jeff Hiller
Oh, wow. I'm gonna say. I guess I'll go with the safe answer 3. But I think it's really 2. But I'm gonna say 3.
Peter Sagal
It is 3. Or rather C. And I feel bad that you saw it as a safe answer. Yeah. So they interviewed a great dame breeder. But like, what's the most perfect example of the breed? It's a perfect dog. What does it look like? And she described it and they just drew the opposite. All right. Though they were hugely successful, as we remember from our childhoods, Hanna Barbera loved to work fast and cheap. So sometimes mistakes slipped through. Like which of these in the Saturday morning cartoon Super Friends. A, sometimes the superhero's pants would disappear mid scene. B, sometimes Batman's voice would come out of Superman's mouth, or C, sometimes Green Lantern had three arms.
Jeff Hiller
Oh, that's B, actually.
Peter Sagal
Yes, it was B. It was actually all of the above.
Bill Curtis
I love when they do that.
Peter Sagal
Not a lot of quality control back in our youth. Am I right, Bill? How did Kathleen Hannah do in our quiz?
Bill Curtis
They killed the bikini. Kathleen, you're something.
Peter Sagal
Not many people do that well, that's true3 right. Congratulations. Kathleen Hannah is a singer, songwriter and punk icon. Her new memoir, Rebel Girl is out now. It is a bracing and moving read and you get to see her on tour this summer with Bikini Kill. Kathleen Hannah, thank you so much for joining us on Wait Wait. Thanks Kathleen. That was enormous fun. Take care.
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Peter Sagal
Finally, one of my favorite conversations from last year with Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller, stars of the remarkable HBO show Somebody Somewhere.
Bill Curtis
It's a hard show to describe, so when they joined us in November, Peter asked them to do it.
Diane Lane
I don't know. You know, it's a slice of life. It's about friendship. It's, you know, it's about making each other, lifting each other up. And, you know, we're not afraid of a fart joke. You know, I don't know. If you say that, I don't know who you are. I don't know.
Peter Sagal
Our show is all fart jokes. Really. I know you and I have the same formula. Bridget, since you are from Manhattan, Kansas, and it is a show set in Manhattan, Kansas, about a woman from Manhattan, Kansas, I'm assuming that everything we see in the show actually happened, right?
Diane Lane
Oh, yeah, pretty much. Give or take six. Wait, I was gonna, I can't, I can't talk like this. I was gonna say something naughty. I'm gonna leave.
Peter Sagal
And Jeff, I'm told that your character that you play is awfully close to your real life experience. Is that the case? Yeah.
J
We both love Vitamixes and we're both, you know, middle aged homosexuals with asymmetrical faces.
Peter Sagal
That's true.
J
Was meant to be, Peter. It was meant to be.
Peter Sagal
Right? Right, Right. You bet. It occurs to me, Bridget, that I don't know of any other major piece of entertainment set in Manhattan, Kansas. So you must be like a queen there. Cause you have done for Manhattan, Kansas what say Game of Thrones did for King's Landing. You put it on the mat.
Diane Lane
That's right. You know, they actually did a Bridget Everett Deb for me a couple years ago. So if anybody ever wants to go to Manhattan, Kansas, I think it's March 5th every year they make a little Bridget Everett donut and a Bridget Everett beer and.
Peter Sagal
Wait a minute. It's not just. Wait a minute, hold on. I mean, it's not just like they had a day for you when you showed up. There is an actual day on the calendar every year the kids get off school. Oh, it's Bridget. What are you doing for Bridget, Everett?
Diane Lane
That's right. As a great LL Cool J says, dreams don't have deadlines. So.
Peter Sagal
That's amazing. I did want to ask you this though, because the show is the characters you play are broadly similar to you. They have similar styles, maybe in similar backgrounds. Would you both love to play someone next or soon who is nothing like you? And if so, what kind of character would that be?
Diane Lane
I'm waiting for the train wreck spin off for me and Tim Meadows to do like some sort of rom com that gets a little freaky at the taco bar.
Peter Sagal
I don't know. How about you, Jeff? Do you have any idea, like if I could. If you said, oh my God, somebody somewhere. What a huge hit. You can write your own ticket. You can play anything you want. What do you want to do?
J
Well, I've been playing a lot of serial killers lately and that's nice to be someone who you know.
Peter Sagal
Exactly. I thought for a second you were kidding, but are you not kidding? Have you been playing a lot of serial killers?
J
I have been playing a lot of serial killers.
Peter Sagal
I imagine that's kind of of a mixed blessing because you get steady work, right? Serial killers, always popular. What is it about you, you think that makes them think serial killer, psychopath, sex criminal.
J
I just got a face for murder.
Peter Sagal
I do. You give me Precious back. You give me Precious. Well, Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller, this is really fun. And we have asked you here to play a game that this time we're calling Nobody Nowhere. So obviously, since your show is called Somebody Somewhere, we thought we'd ask you about Nobody Nowhere. That is three questions. About places where it's hard to find anybody. Tim, who are Bridget and Jeff playing for? Jack Powers of Las Vegas, Nevada. Okay.
J
Come on, Vegas.
Peter Sagal
Come on. Now, you guys. As we do this, you're allowed to argue. You're allowed to team up. You're allowed to play this however you want. Here we go. Here's your first question. The loneliest and most desolate place on Earth is Antarctica, an entire continent whose population never exceeds about 5,000 people. Despite that, one scientist who was there in December of 2013 managed to do what? A, convince the band Coldplay to come there and do a show, naturally. B, match with someone on Tinder. Or C, organize the first ever Freezing Man Festival.
Diane Lane
I think it's C. Me, too.
J
I think it's C. I'm glad.
Peter Sagal
Wait a minute. So you're staying at the Freezing Man Festival? The audience is objective. Wow. I was gonna pull the trigger, but the audience is shouting, no, no. No audience. What do you think it is?
J
They always know.
Peter Sagal
They think it's B. They think it's B.
J
Okay, it's. Let's do B. There's. We gotta do it.
Peter Sagal
Bridget.
J
They always know. They always know.
Diane Lane
Okay, let's go B.
Peter Sagal
They don't always know, but they did this time. A scientist was sitting there and he's like, what the hell? And he turned on Tinder and he swiped right on this woman who was camping on the ice about 45 minutes away by helicopter. And they did meet up, but they say nothing came of it that time, so.
J
What a pits ending to a great story.
Bill Curtis
I'm so sorry.
Peter Sagal
Here's your next question. Now, the loneliest place that anybody has ever been that we know of is the moon. Only 12 people have ever visited the moon. Now, the first astronaut to do it after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin was Pete Conrad. What were Pete Conrad's first words after stepping off the lunar lander onto the surface of the moon? Was it A, one small step for a man, one giant step for mankind? Suck it, Neil. B. So where can I get a drink around here that's not recycled urine? Or C, whoopee.
Diane Lane
You're messing with us. Right?
Peter Sagal
Right? This guy sounds like an I kind of am, but one of them is real. Well, he said one of those things as he said step wild.
J
I love him.
Eric Idle
I love.
Diane Lane
I love. Like T.T. i like. I think. I think it's a. T.T. he drinks the T.T. the T.T. one.
Peter Sagal
The T.T. one.
J
I don't know. I feel like it's Whoopi.
Peter Sagal
So you're gonna go with two different answers. Bridget, you're gonna take the recycled urine. And Jeff. Whoopee.
J
Yeah. We're diverging in two different woods.
Peter Sagal
Jeff is the winner. Jeff is correct. Whoopee. All right, Jeff has already won. He got two. Right. Let's see if Bridget can catch up. Your last question. In 1993, a French man's car broke down far out in the Moroccan desert. And he was so far out, there was no way for him to get back. So to save his own life, he stripped down the car and he built a motorcycle from the parts and drove it back to civilization. And when he got there, what happened? A, A, his wife said, oh, were you gone? B, he was ticketed for riding an illegal vehicle, or C, at the celebration of his miraculous return, he died when a popped champagne cork punctured his head.
Diane Lane
Oh, if it's not C, I quit.
J
It's gotta be C. Bridget, we can't die from that. That's a fun answer. That's a fun answer. Come on, you gotta do better.
Diane Lane
No, you can die from that. And I'm willing to give it a shot.
Peter Sagal
All right. Bridget wants to go with, he died, ironically, from the popped champagne cork. What do you think, Jeff?
J
I think it's the ticket.
Peter Sagal
You think he got a ticket?
J
I think it's the ticket.
Peter Sagal
Once again, Jeff is correct. So, Kim, how did Bridget and Jeff do on our quiz? Jeff got all three questions correct. Yeah. It's a record. It's a record. It's a record. It never happened before. Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller are stars of Somebody Somewhere on hbo. And Max. Season three is out now. Catch it. It is remarkable and heartwarming and funny. And every now and then, Bridget says something very dirty. Bridget and Jeff, thank you so much for joining us on. Wait, Wait. Don't tell me. Awesome to have you. That's it for our spring break edition. Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Is a production of NPR and WBEZ Chicago in association with Urgent Haircut Productions. Doug Berman, benevolent overlord Philip Gautica writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our tour manager, Shaina Donald. BJ Lederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Milam Dornboss and Lillian King. Special thanks to Monica Hickey. Our jolly good fellow is Hannah Anderson. Peter Gwynne is the little worm at the bottom of our bottle of tequila. Our vibe curator is Emma Choi. Technical directional Lorna White. Her CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chillock. And the executive producer of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is Mike Danforth. Thanks to everybody you heard on this week's show, all of our panelists, our fabulous guests, and of course, Bill Curtis. Thanks to all of you for listening. I'm Peter Sagal. We'll be back next week, tanned, rested and ready. This is npr.
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Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! Episode Summary
Episode: WWDTM: Eric Idle, Bridget Everett + Jeff Hiller, and more!
Release Date: March 29, 2025
In this vibrant Spring Break edition of NPR's "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!", host Peter Sagal engages with a stellar lineup of guests, including Eric Idle of Monty Python fame, Grammy-winning bassist Christian McBride, Emmy-nominated actress Diane Lane, and the dynamic duo Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller from HBO's "Somebody Somewhere." The episode is peppered with humor, insightful discussions, and entertaining games that test the guests' knowledge, providing listeners with both laughter and enlightenment.
Timestamp: 00:43 - 12:18
Discussion Highlights: Eric Idle reminisces about Monty Python's surprising rise to fame in the United States, contrasting it with the initial modest reception in the UK. He shares anecdotes about the band's interactions with fans and their influence on pop culture.
Notable Quotes:
Key Points:
Games:
Timestamp: 15:02 - 21:56
Discussion Highlights: Christian McBride delves into his passion for jazz, his early inspirations, and the nuances of being a renowned bassist in a genre that often doesn't garner mainstream attention.
Notable Quotes:
Key Points:
Games:
Timestamp: 23:28 - 31:06
Discussion Highlights: Diane Lane discusses her role as Slim Keith in FX's "Feud: Capote vs. the Swans," touching on her experiences in the entertainment industry, her personal anecdotes, and the challenges of portraying real-life personalities.
Notable Quotes:
Key Points:
Games:
Timestamp: 33:03 - 47:27
Discussion Highlights: Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller discuss their experiences working together on "Somebody Somewhere," the creative process behind the show, and their personal lives, blending humor with heartfelt reflections.
Notable Quotes:
Key Points:
Games:
This episode of "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" masterfully blends humor with insightful conversations, offering listeners a delightful mix of nostalgia, behind-the-scenes stories, and engaging trivia. From Eric Idle's reflections on Monty Python's legacy to Christian McBride's deep dive into the world of jazz, Diane Lane's portrayal of Slim Keith, and the comedic camaraderie of Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller, each segment is enriched with memorable quotes and entertaining anecdotes. The episode wraps up with the successful participation of all guests in their respective games, earning them special prizes and leaving the audience both informed and thoroughly entertained.
Note: All timestamped quotes correspond to the provided transcript and serve to highlight key moments within each discussion.