WWDTM: Moe Wagner, Lewis Black, Rose Matafeo, and Atlas Obscura

Summary

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! – August 16, 2025

WWDTM: Moe Wagner, Lewis Black, Rose Matafeo, and Atlas Obscura

---

Overview

This special summer break episode of NPR’s weekly news quiz, “Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!,” hosted by Peter Sagal, treats listeners to extended highlights and favorite guests from the past year. With comedians Lewis Black and Rose Matafeo, NBA center Moe Wagner, and the team from Atlas Obscura, the episode brims with laughter, quirky stories, passionate rants, and offbeat travel tips—plus the usual games and panelist antics.

---

Key Segment Summaries & Highlights

---

1. Lewis Black: Master of Rage (and also Aruba)

[01:18-11:44]

Discussion Points

• Lewis’s Comedic Origin: Lewis shares how anger became his trademark, on advice from a fellow comic (Gallagher) who urged him to embrace his rage onstage.
• Off-Stage Temperament: Despite his persona, he’s not as angry in real life—being that mad is “exhausting.”
• Fame’s Expectations: Fans ask him to “condemn” them or autograph with angry notes; he humorously obliges.
• Unexpected Endorsement: Lewis was once the official spokesman for Aruba. The marketing gag: Aruba is so lovely it could even make Lewis Black happy—although he joked he was miserable during the 110-degree shoot.

Notable Quotes

• “I was suppressing the anger... and then finally, as I was rolling along, a friend of mine... said, ‘You’re really angry and you should let it come out.’” – Lewis Black [01:29]
• “Who could be that angry? It’s exhausting.” – Lewis Black [02:43]
• “They will actually tell me... ‘Can you give me an autograph for my brother-in-law, and just write, Tommy, you’re an idiot’... and I have literally was approached time after time.” – Lewis Black [05:02]
• “The idea was that I obviously hated everything. But I liked Aruba. And reason enough for everyone to get on a plane and go there.” – Lewis Black [06:20]

Memorable Moment

• Lewis recounts being paid to make ads for Aruba, and the comical disconnect between the campaign’s sunny premise and the reality of shooting in exhausting heat.

Game Segment (Shushing the Angry Man) [07:48-11:44]

• Theme: Calming babies down (“Hush – Now stop your ranting and go to sleep”)
  • Questions about lullabies and soothing techniques.
  • Lewis aces the quiz, hilariously conjecturing the Jeopardy theme’s lyrics (“go to sleep, you little prick”) [09:25].

---

2. Atlas Obscura: Celebrating the Wonderfully Weird

[21:35-31:07]

Discussion Points

• What is Atlas Obscura?: Co-founder Dylan Thuris and CEO Louise Storey describe their website (and now book/podcast) as the go-to guide for unusual, offbeat destinations worldwide.
• Favorite Examples: Portland’s Cryptozoology Museum (feat. a smuggled Yeti finger with a Jimmy Stewart connection), Wisconsin’s surreal House on the Rock, and a Montclair, NJ diner area that broadcasts “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men on a loop.
• Travel Philosophy: Unconventional sights often provide the most memorable experiences (“everyone has their own obscura”).
• Editorial Filtering: They sometimes have to reject submissions—like someone simply nominating the entire state of Kansas.
• Preserving vs. Ruining Places: Rather than “ruining” secret spots, they claim to help small attractions survive via much-needed attention.

Notable Quotes

• “If you go a little farther and you kind of go to that strange little place that first sounds like, what is this?... you actually end up having these, like, really beautiful travel experiences.” – Dylan Thuris [26:28]
• “We cover all kinds of wonderful [places]!” – Dylan Thuris [25:23]

Game Segment (Tourist Traps)

• Theme: Mainstream versus obscure attractions.
  • Eiffel Tower is “married” (to Erica Eiffel, known for objectophilia). [28:55]
  • Funky TripAdvisor review: Someone nearly killed Drew Barrymore boating in Central Park. [29:50]
  • The President of the U.S. is barred from the St. Louis Gateway Arch summit for security reasons. [30:42]
• Dylan and Louise’s quirky knowledge yields a win.

---

3. Mo Wagner: From German Soccer Fields to the NBA Court

[33:46-39:02]

Discussion Points

• Early Life and Sports in Germany: Basketball not the dominant sport (“Football is king”), but it’s growing.
• Choosing Basketball: Prompted inside by his mother, tall young Mo picked basketball over handball (father’s sport) in a spirit of small rebellion.
• College Dreams: Mo sought out Michigan—his only U.S. scholarship offer—as a path to the NBA, and to appease his academic family.
• Sibling Rivalry & Support: Shares NBA life with his brother Franz, both in Orlando; mockingly boasts being taller by an inch.
• On-Court Antics: The Wagner brothers trash-talk in German during NBA games, making private commentary about teammates and rivals.

Notable Quotes

• “My mom got so sick of waiting outside in the rain watching me play [soccer] all day that she forced me... to try out a gym sport.” – Mo Wagner [34:25]
• “[Franz] turned from younger brother into my landlord within four years.” – Mo Wagner [36:31]
• “We have some opinions about our teammates or opposing teams, so we utilize our native [language].” – Mo Wagner [38:43]
• “They can’t be mad at you. They don’t know what you’re [saying].” – Mo Wagner [38:53]

Memorable Moment

• Mo’s accidental path to basketball and his playful ribbing of his brother about the inch height difference.

---

4. Rose Matafeo: New Zealand’s Comedy Export

[40:19-49:54]

Discussion Points

• Start in Comedy: Began stand-up at 15, jokingly describes it as “child labor.”
• Famous Connections: New Zealand is so small, Jacinda Ardern (then Minister of Arts) even opened one of Rose’s comedy shows.
• Relocating: Moved to the UK after, as she jokes, “everyone in New Zealand had already seen me.”
• Comedic Family: Her grandmother’s unassuming but hilarious heckling (“Well, next time I’ll make you something else” as a “takedown” in response to musli(e) joke).
• Comedy Special & Taskmaster Junior: Discusses her special “On and On and On” (notable for the spur-of-the-moment University of Minnesota shirt) and hosting the kids’ version of Taskmaster, where she quickly found it easy to judge and “crush spirits” despite initial guilt.

Notable Quotes

• “There's not many people in New Zealand, so... they eventually give you an award if you keep at it long enough.” – Rose Matafeo [40:34]
• “[My grandmother’s] version of having absolutely taken me down was just offering me another breakfast option.” – Rose Matafeo [42:57]
• “They're the future, you know, I want to kill their spirits young—and after about two episodes… this is easy.” – Rose Matafeo, on judging kids in Taskmaster Junior [45:45]

Game Segment (On-and-Off Couples)

• Elizabeth Taylor broke off an engagement over not being able to bring home an elephant (incorrect guess).
• Ryan O’Neal and Farrah Fawcett: Relationship began when Lee Majors asked O’Neal to check in on her (Rose gets it).
• Glenn Wolf, most-married American, ended up marrying the most-married woman (Rose nails it).
• Result: Triumph for Rose, to much self-deprecating glee.

---

Notable Quotes/Moments with Timestamps

• Lewis Black on his anger in comedy:
  “You’re really angry and you should let it come out. You should go on stage and yell everything.” – Lewis Black [01:29]

• Lewis Black on Aruba ads:
  “The idea was that I obviously hated everything. But I liked Aruba. And reason enough for everyone to get on a plane and go there.” – [06:20]

• Mo Wagner on NBA trash talk:
  “You are on like the court. You're in an NBA game with your brother and you were like talking trash about the other players in German.” – Peter Sagal [38:45]
  “Absolutely.” – Mo Wagner [38:52]

• Dylan Thuris on obscure places:
  “If you go a little farther and you kind of go to that strange little place... you actually end up having these, like, really beautiful travel experiences.” – [26:28]

• Rose Matafeo on Taskmaster Junior:
  “[The kids] are the future... I want to kill their spirits young—and after about two episodes... this is easy.” – [45:45]

---

Timestamps for Highlight Segments

• Lewis Black Interview: [01:18–11:44]
• Game: Bluff the Listener: [14:54–20:20]
• Atlas Obscura Interview: [21:35–31:07]
• Mo Wagner Interview: [33:46–39:02]
• Rose Matafeo Interview: [40:19–49:54]

---

Closing Thoughts

This “Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!” episode is a tour de force of comedic energy. Lewis Black’s controlled chaos, Mo Wagner’s jovial sports insights, the Atlas Obscura team's love of oddball tourism, and Rose Matafeo’s New Zealand charm combine for a breezy, uproarious summer listen. Even fans and panelists repeatedly break the fourth wall with inside jokes, impromptu songs, and self-aware commentary—a signature of the enduring NPR favorite.

Transcript

[Announcer]

This message comes from Progressive Insurance. Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[Bill Curtis]

From NPR and WBEC Chicago, this is. Wait, wait, don't tell Me the NPR News Quiz. I'm the man who causes a heat wave just by introducing himself. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill, and thanks, everybody. It is time for our summer break, which we started doing at this time because no news ever happens in August. So, you know, we might as well take some time off. Now. That is not true anymore, but we still keep up the tradition.

[Bill Curtis]

The only difference is now we don't tell anybody where we're going. That way, the news can't find us.

[Peter Sagal]

While we're hiding behind window shades and screening our calls, we will be bringing you some extended versions of our favorite moments from this past year, starting with.

[Bill Curtis]

This conversation with comedian Lewis Black, who joined us on stage in Durham, North Carolina. Peter, ask him if his angry rants were always part of his act.

[Lewis Black]

I wasn't angry on stage. I realized that I was suppressing the anger. I was really irritated about a lot of stuff. But instead of like, yelling, when I would yell, I would turn my back to the audience and yell at the wall because it seemed freaky to yell at people. And I went to a variety of things of trying all sorts of Personas. And then finally, as I was rolling along, a friend of mine, another comic, came up who was and he said, you know, you're really angry and you should let it come out. You should go on stage and yell everything. And he said, I'm on stage yelling all the time, and nothing that I'm yelling about should anybody be angry about. I mean, this is a guy who put plumber's helpers on his head. And, and so I would, I did it and it literally was I went, that's it.

[Peter Sagal]

There you go.

[Lewis Black]

And that was.

[Peter Sagal]

So your life was changed by Gallagher. That's amazing. Who knew? So, I mean, they used to say about Don Rickles, who did insult comedy that he was an absolute sweetheart in real life. Nicest guy you ever met. Is that like you or you like, actually in real life, not that angry? No.

[Lewis Black]

I mean, who could be that angry? It's exhausting.

[Peter Sagal]

I thought you actually thought you were the best at it.

[Lewis Black]

Well, I am. I wake up and either I'M looking at a newspaper, I'm turning the TV on, or I'm looking at my phone and within five minutes I'm livid. Something has occurred that has driven me completely nuts.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, I think everybody listening and watching you right now, I've had that experience, but none of us have figured out how to make a living at it.

[Lewis Black]

Yeah, yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

You don't work up to it, you don't go like, I'm gonna be irked first, and then like, slightly annoyed, just straight to rage.

[Lewis Black]

Oh, yeah, there's no pedal that broke.

[Peter Sagal]

Lou, I don't know if I ever told you this, and to everyone, Lewis Black is a friend and one of my comedy heroes.

[Mo Wagner]

I had to stop watching you, so.

[Peter Sagal]

I didn't do you because the rants just come out and then you realize, like, wow, I'm as mad as Louis Black.

[Dylan Thuris]

I'm doing really good here.

[Mo Wagner]

Yeah, I gotta calm down a notch.

[Peter Sagal]

Love you, man. Love you from day one.

[Lewis Black]

You the same.

[Peter Sagal]

You become, you become so well known for it and so successful at it. It's what people expect. And I'm wondering if it's ever, if it's ever like, hard, if you ever have to take a moment, meditate and find your unhappy place. Place. Oh, no, just always right there.

[Lewis Black]

No, I. And I'm sure you've experienced the same. I could be standing off stage talking to somebody about their, like their new dog or oh, you got a puppy, and kind of be waxing on with them about it. And then it's like showtime and literally that's it. Boom. And now we're, we're off. And I just started. Wow, there's. It's just the way it is. I mean, I've been doing it so long, it's automatic.

[Peter Sagal]

Do people like. Because you're well known and beloved. Do people ever come up and go, wow, Lewis Black. Hey, condemn me.

[Lewis Black]

People, people. I have achieved something that is so bizarre. They will actually tell me and I can't.

[Peter Sagal]

Can you.

[Lewis Black]

Will they just say, what happens if.

[Peter Sagal]

I say you can do whatever you want? Because who'll know? Because.

[Lewis Black]

Yeah, okay. So they will say, could you write. Could you give me an autograph for my brother in law and just write, Tommy. I'm like, okay. And I have literally was approached time after time. Can we take a picture? Do you want to do this? Yeah, let's do this.

[Peter Sagal]

It's true.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Yep.

[Peter Sagal]

For the radio listeners, a rude gesture was made.

[Rose Mattefeo]

The people come up to you and go, oh, you're so much nicer in person.

[Lewis Black]

Yeah, you get it?

[Rose Mattefeo]

Is he supposed to be yelling at an airport?

[Lewis Black]

Yeah, I. The big discovery at the airport and makes it a little weird is if I go up to people who are screaming at the person behind the desk, and I'm the one who comes up and goes, stop. They're not going to listen to you. It took me a long time to learn this.

[Peter Sagal]

Back off, back off. The one thing that we found out about you that I was genuinely surprised by is that you have been the paid spokesman for Aruba, the island vacation destination.

[Lewis Black]

Yeah.

[Rose Mattefeo]

God bless.

[Lewis Black]

Yeah. That was a great gig.

[Peter Sagal]

I bet it was.

[Lewis Black]

That really was.

[Peter Sagal]

But I'm thinking to myself, like, what was the process where, like, some advertising agency said, okay, Aruba. Beautiful, lovely, laid back. I know. Lewis Black.

[Lewis Black]

The idea was that I obviously hated everything.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes.

[Lewis Black]

But I liked Aruba. And reason enough for everyone to get on a plane and go there.

[Peter Sagal]

I remember the slogan. Aruba, it's gorgeous was the idea, like, it transformed you. So they'd say, like, Mr. Black, I'm afraid we've lost your hotel reservation. You can't stay. And you'd be like, okay.

[Lewis Black]

Yeah, it was really something. But we shot. You know, it was like, we shot five ads in, like, three days. It was a lot. Oh, yeah, it was tough.

[Peter Sagal]

Three days in Aruba.

[Lewis Black]

But it was 110 degrees. And get me some sunblock. And does anybody have an umbrella?

[Peter Sagal]

It's.

[Lewis Black]

I'm dying here.

[Peter Sagal]

I love the idea. Like, the whole idea of the campaign is that Aruba is so lovely, it can even make Lewis Black happy. And while making these ad, you are, in fact, miserable. Yes. It's genius. It really is. Because he's more Lewis Black than Aruba is Aruba. Exactly. Well, Lewis Black, what a pleasure to have you here. We have. Yes, it is. Yay. We have invited you here to play a game. We're calling Hush.

[Bill Curtis]

Now stop your ranting and go to sleep.

[Peter Sagal]

Since you're all about getting riled up, we thought we'd ask you three questions about calming people down. Specifically, babies.

[Lewis Black]

Seriously?

[Peter Sagal]

Seriously. So all you have to do is answer two out of three questions about shushing, and you'll win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might like for their voicemail. Bill, who is Lewis Black playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Jolene Dugas of Durham, North Carolina.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, first question. Most people, of course, soothe their babies to sleep with lullabies. And one lullaby written by a father for his own little baby went on to become incredibly famous. Most people know that lullaby as what a. The theme From Jaws, the theme from Jeopardy. Or C, Sir Mix A Lot's baby got back.

[Lewis Black]

I can't hear you. When I heard the E, you think it's C. It's B, right? It's gotta be the Jeopardy thing.

[Peter Sagal]

It is the Jeopardy thing. Irv Griffin wrote it for his son and he went on to create Jeopardy. And by virtue of it being used as the theme song for so long, Mr. Griffin earned about $70 million in royalties from it. So. Wow.

[Lewis Black]

What was the song? What are these? What were the words?

[Peter Sagal]

No, there's no words. It's ta, ta, ta, ta.

[Lewis Black]

No, they gotta be, go to sleep, you little prick. There has to be words.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Now you owe Merv Griffin $3 million.

[Peter Sagal]

There are wor. That was very well done. Two more questions here. Lullabies are common around the world, but they change as per different cultures. So, for example, a popular lullaby in Brazil has parents singing what to their child. A, someday you will grow up to improve your looks with plastic surgery. B, a monster crocodile is coming to get you. Or C, sir Mix A Lot's baby got back, but in Portuguese.

[Lewis Black]

It's gotta be the crocodile.

[Peter Sagal]

It is the crocodile. Yeah. A lot of. Apparently a lot of global lullabies threaten babies with terrible outcomes if they don't quiet down.

[Lewis Black]

Then I could have had a child.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, you would have had a gift. Or falling out of a tree. Yeah, exactly. We've got that. But it's as nothing compared to the terrible fates awaiting sleepless babies around the world. All right, last question. To be perfect, there are other ways to soothe babies. In fact, some parents swear by what soothing technique? A, playing YouTube videos to babies of Jim Cramer's show on CNBC. B, playing recordings of the baby's own crying back to them to see how they like it. Or C, placing them comfortably and snugly inside the gallon size Stanley insulated cup.

[Lewis Black]

Wow.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Lewis Black]

I think they play the baby crying.

[Peter Sagal]

You're exactly right. Yeah.

[Rose Mattefeo]

What?

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. The idea is that babies are fascinated by other babies, even themselves, even when crying. So it works. Bill, how did Lewis Black do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

No ranting about this. He won it all three in a row.

[Peter Sagal]

Lewis Black is a comedian, actor and host of the Rantcast. You can find his tour dates lewisblack.com Lewis Black, thank you so much for being with us.

[Lewis Black]

Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

Here in Durham. What a thrill. Thank you. When we come back, our panelists tell fresh never before aired lies to you. And the team from Atlas Obscura gives you some last minute ideas for summer road trips that's when we return with more Wait, wait, Don't Tell me. From npr. This message comes from Lisa. Lisa has a lineup of beautifully crafted mattresses tailored to how you sleep without the luxury price tag. Each mattress is designed with specific sleep positions and feel preferences in mind. From night one, you'll feel the difference. Visit Leesa.com for 25% off mattresses, plus get an extra $50 off with promo code weight. That's L E E S A.com promo code wait.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

This message comes from FX's Alien Earth. From creator Noah Hawley and executive producer Ridley Scott comes the first television series inspired by the legendary Alien film franchise. A spaceship crash lands on Earth, bringing five unique and deadly species more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined. And a technological advancement marks a new dawn in the race for immortality. FX's alien Earth. All new Tuesdays on FX and Hulu.

[Announcer]

This message comes from BetterHelp. With all the talk about mental health and wellness these days, it can feel like there's advice for everything. But how do you know what actually works for you? BetterHelp therapists have a 4.9 rating from 1.7 million client reviews, so you're in good hands with their licensed therapists who can help figure out what's best for you. Visit betterhelp.com NPR for 10% off your first month. This message comes from DSW. Where'd you get those shoes? Easy. They're from DSW because DSW has the exact right shoes for whatever you're into right now. You know, like the sneakers that make office hours feel like happy hour, the boots that turn grocery aisles into runways, and all the styles that show off the many sides of you, from daydreamer to multitasker and everything in between, because you do it all in really great shoes. Find a shoe for every you at your DSW store or dsw.com.

[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 Theater in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill. Right now, we are on a beach somewhere, idly wondering if we were just to swim straight out, would we eventually get someplace better?

[Bill Curtis]

This is Chicago, Peter. So the best you can do is Michigan.

[Peter Sagal]

While we contemplate distant shores. Here's something worth staying home for. In June, we went to Portland, Maine, where we taped a bonus show we have held onto until just the right time, which is now.

[Bill Curtis]

Here's a bluff the Listener game with panelists Maz Jobrani Joyel, Nicole Johnson and Shane o'.

[Peter Sagal]

Neill.

[Bill Curtis]

Plus a visit from the founder and current CEO of Atlas Obscura.

[Peter Sagal]

Right now it is time for the. Wait wait, don't tell me. Bluff the listener game. Call 1 Triple 8. Wait, wait. To play our game on the air or check out the pinned post on our Instagram page. 8waitNPR. Hi, you're on. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi, I'm Brandon and I'm calling from Asheville, North Carolina. I love Asheville, one of my very favorite places. What do you do there? I'm a veterinarian. Are you really? Do the people of Asheville and I know they can be quirky. Do they have normal pets or weird ones? Well, I think everyone has pretty weird pets, especially weird names. Crazy names for their pets. Can you give us an example? Well, I have a cinnamon toast crunch in my house. Well, welcome to the show, Brandon. You're going to play the game in which you have to tell truth from fiction. Bill, what is Brandon's topic?

[Bill Curtis]

Makeovers in the news.

[Peter Sagal]

The rules of a good makeover are easy. You start out looking terrible, then pow. Someone takes off your glasses and gives your shirt a French tuck and you're perfect. This week we heard about a glow up so extraordinary it made the news. Pick the one who's telling the truth and you'll win our prize, the wait waiter of your choice in your voicemail. Are you ready to play? Yeah. Okay. First let's hear from Joyell Nicole Johnson.

[Rose Mattefeo]

The African nation of Burkina Faso is recently known for telling the French military au revoir. Turns out a country so good at kicking out colonizers is also good at kicking balls. Jersey accent. Their football team is called Les Italances, which fittingly translates to the stallions. To boost ticket sales, Monique Sawadogo, the new marketing manager, decided their team uniforms should reflect their moniker. And the new makeover has the stadium's packed. The uniforms are so tapered you can see every outline of their perfect bowler bodies. Which has female fans flocking to the games. And more women begets more men showing up to shoot their shots at love. Sales are through the roof for the tickets and the games have turned into single date nights. Because what's a better dating strategy than saying you think that athlete is hot? Well, you're in luck. I'd look like that guy if he drank 50 beers a day.

[Peter Sagal]

The Burkino Faso national football team gets sexy uniforms and people are flocking to the games. Your next head turning headline comes from Shane o' Neill.

[Shane O'Neill]

Visitors to the Basilica of Saint Macarena in Seville, Spain, are in distress. No, it's not, because confused visitors have been interrupting services at St. Macarena's by doing the 90s line dance. The amens drowned out by a.

[Mo Wagner]

Note.

[Shane O'Neill]

Parishioners are disturbed that a statue of the Virgin Mary has gotten a little too much work done. After a 17th century statue at the church was renovated and revealed to the public on June 21, the verdict was in. Mother Mary, you are too snatched. The new Mary is visibly smoother and younger looking, even though she says she's just been praying the rosary and getting lots of sleep. Locals are in disarray over the merry makeover, with many people literally brought to tears over it. It's the new summer goal being so hot, it's sacrilegious.

[Peter Sagal]

A Madonna in Seville, Spain, gets a glow up and people are very unhappy. Your last madcap makeover comes from Maz Jobrani.

[Maz Jobrani]

What makes the Leaning Tower of Pisa such an interesting sight to see is the fact that the tower in Pisa is leaning. So what happens when you take the lean out of the tower? That question was answered when Piero di Luigi Scaldoni, a designer hired to renovate the tower, accidentally made it straight. The confusion came about when someone delivered him the work order that read fix the angle singular instead of fix the angles plural. The intention had been for him to smooth out the angles on the inside where the front floors meet the walls, but instead, he fixed the whole darn thing. When the scaffolding came down and the townspeople saw the finished product, they were mortified. One local said, we come to celebrate and I see it and I'm like, mamma mia. This isn't the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It's just the Tower of Pisa. So the townspeople have gotten together to figure out how they can get the tower to re lean. The latest effort involved using 10 Alfa Romeos tied with ropes around the top of the tower to see if they could pull it back. Watching the effort, the locals said, I feel like I'm watching the wily coyote trying to catch the roadrunner. It's not going to work. And just as he said that, one of the cars honked.

[Peter Sagal]

Beep, beep. All right, these are your choices. Somewhere somebody got a makeover. Was it from Joel McCoe Johnson, the Burkina Faso football team? We're looking for pretty good in their new uniforms. From Shane o', Neill, a famous Madonna in Seville, Spain, which is looking really great. Or from Mazda Browni. Somebody trying to, you know, restore the leaning tower. Of Pisa made it straight. I think I'm gonna go with Shane. You're go with Shane's story of the Madonna that got the glow up, making people there very unhappy at her youthful beauty. All right, well, to bring you the real story, here's someone who covered it.

[Announcer]

She is famously known for being the most beautiful virgin.

[Rose Mattefeo]

But last week something changed.

[Peter Sagal]

That was Shelby and Sevilla, a tour guide in Sevilla, Spain giving the rundown on the yassified Virgin Mary. Congratulations. You got it right. Shane earned a point just for telling the truth in a colorful way. And you have earned our prize. The voice of anyone you might choose for your voicemail. Well done, sir. Great, thanks so much. Thank you so much too. And give our best to Cinnamon Toast Crunch. And now the game where we ask experts about things they know nothing about. In 2009, filmmaker Dylan Thuris co founded Atlas Obscura, a website dedicated to less well known destinations around the world. So if you're bored of Disney World, how about taking your kids to the yeti skull of Kumjung or the grave of the paste eater of Nevada? They published a best selling book and they host a podcast. And they have spent 16 years finding the most exotic places in the world and flooding them with tourists. We are delighted to be joined by Atlas Obscura co founder Dylan Thurs and the CEO, Louise Storey. Welcome to. Wait, wait, don't tell me.

[Bill Curtis]

Thanks for having us.

[Peter Sagal]

Thanks for having us. So for people who don't know Atlas Obscura and they can go on their website anytime, let's start with an example. Here we are in Portland, Maine. Where would Atlas Obscura tell you to go if you came to Portland, Maine?

[Dylan Thuris]

Well, why don't you tell your story, Louise? You were just there today.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, so you know, I just joined the company a couple months ago. I'm trying to get totally in the.

[Rose Mattefeo]

DNA and I go to the atlas.

[Peter Sagal]

Coming up here to see where can I go that I never have been before in Portland and I find the crypto Zoology museum. There you go. I didn't know it was here. And the crypto, what do you see at the cryptozoology? Well, you see different recreations of some.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Of these animals actually.

[Peter Sagal]

You're an expert on this, Dylan.

[Dylan Thuris]

So it's, it's yetis. And actually you know what's at the Cryptozoology museum? They have a letter from Jimmy Stewart because Jimmy Stewart helped smuggle out what they thought was a yeti finger in his wife's lingerie from Nepal and he brought it Back to the uk.

[Peter Sagal]

Wow.

[Dylan Thuris]

So here you go.

[Peter Sagal]

What was it?

[Dylan Thuris]

I believe it was a human figure finger. It was just a normal finger bone.

[Peter Sagal]

So the idea, of course, of Atlas Obscura, that's a good example. Is like, if you want to go someplace, but you want to see someplace that. That is unusual, that's not on the beaten path. That's right. But it is all kinds of things. You know, really, everyone has their own obscura. So, for example, another place here in Portland is the Bead Museum. So if you're really into jewelry and beading, there's probably the best bead museum in the world here. How many bead museums are there, though?

[Dylan Thuris]

More than you'd imagine.

[Peter Sagal]

More than you'd imagine. So, Dylan, you founded this thing back in 2009 with Josh Foer. So what was the inspiration?

[Dylan Thuris]

You know, Josh and I both grew up doing this kind of travel. I grew up in the Midwest, and my. The big.

[Mo Wagner]

Yes.

[Dylan Thuris]

I'm from Minnesota originally.

[Peter Sagal]

Woo.

[Dylan Thuris]

And, you know, the big summer trips were not. We were not getting on a plane. We were getting in a car and driving for 12 hours.

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Dylan Thuris]

And then it would be like, after 12 hours, it would be like the Corn Palace. If you like corn, you know, it's got what you need. But on these trips, we went to some places that I've never forgotten. There's a place in Wisconsin called the House on the Rock.

[Mo Wagner]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, the House on the Rock. Yes. Big deal.

[Dylan Thuris]

People who know it, know it. It's one of the craziest places I've ever been. It's got the world's sculpture, the size of the Statue of Liberty, of a squid fighting a whale inside the house. It's got the world's largest carousel inside the house.

[Peter Sagal]

Anyway, it's the closest you can come to doing acid without doing acid, correct?

[Dylan Thuris]

Yes, that's exactly right. So, you know, I was going to go on a big trip, and Josh and I started talking and said, how come there's not a great travel resource for these kinds of interesting, unusual places? Like, these are the best places you go when you take a trip. And so we started putting it together, and 16 years later, here we still are.

[Peter Sagal]

So in your years of doing this, can you give me like. Like, your favorite of, like, the places you've discovered?

[Dylan Thuris]

I'm gonna give you a recommendation personally, please. You're from New Jersey, right?

[Peter Sagal]

Originally from New Jersey. Okay.

[Dylan Thuris]

This is one of my favorite places in New Jersey. Okay. If you go to Montclair.

[Peter Sagal]

Montclair, New Jersey, not far from Where I grew up.

[Dylan Thuris]

Yeah. There's a diner in Montclair. Go to the diner, tune your radio to 91.9.

[Peter Sagal]

Okay.

[Dylan Thuris]

And for about a mile circumference, there's a radio station that for 15 years has been playing the Boyz II Men song I'll make love to you over and over again, non stop.

[Peter Sagal]

And you are. You are recommending this? Had we met before? Had I done something to you?

[Dylan Thuris]

I just thought you might like that.

[Peter Sagal]

I appreciate that. I thought this would be fun for you. I shall point out that many of the places that you point out as excellent places to go visit are, well, let's just say they're not traditionally enjoyable. So, for example.

[Dylan Thuris]

That's not true. We cover all kinds of wonderful.

[Peter Sagal]

Didn't you write about, like, going to Minneapolis and getting to a place that you've really always wanted to get into, which is like an underground lake of sewage? Oh, well, Dylan, I'm not going to this one, okay?

[Dylan Thuris]

Like, no, my favorite place in Minneapolis, actually, is a place called the World's Quietest Room.

[Peter Sagal]

The World's Quietest Room.

[Bill Curtis]

Yeah.

[Dylan Thuris]

And it is a sound chamber in a laboratory.

[Peter Sagal]

I've spent time in Minneapolis. That's like any Minnesotan family with your suits.

[Dylan Thuris]

Yeah, that's my Christmas, pretty much. You go into this chamber, and it really is. If you sit there for half an hour, you can hear your eyebrows move, and it's a very strange experience.

[Peter Sagal]

Wow.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Does your app rank the site for safety?

[Dylan Thuris]

No.

[Peter Sagal]

No.

[Mo Wagner]

Absolutely not.

[Dylan Thuris]

No. Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

But maybe that's a good feature. Have you ever, like, gotten a complaint for ruining someplace?

[Dylan Thuris]

No. You know, honestly, what we find is a lot of these places, these small museums, these kind of outsider art projects, they actually die from under love.

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Dylan Thuris]

And the whole point of the idea is that if you go a little farther and you kind of go to that strange little place that first sounds.

[Peter Sagal]

Like, what is this?

[Dylan Thuris]

What is going to happen here? You actually end up having these, like, really beautiful travel experiences.

[Shane O'Neill]

I have two questions. So, first of all, I'd like to return to the Cryptozoology Museum. Are we sure these are recreations? Because if I were a yeti, I would just hide out at the Cryptozoology.

[Peter Sagal]

Museum and be, like, the last place.

[Dylan Thuris]

They'D expect, just holding still for 30 years.

[Shane O'Neill]

Yes, exactly. Or just going, no, no, I'm just an actor. Are we sure these are recreations?

[Dylan Thuris]

Good question.

[Peter Sagal]

This is very.

[Shane O'Neill]

Second question. What has, like, not made the cut? Like, have there been people where you're like, oh, I'm sorry, girl, but, like, the paperclip pile is not gonna go into Atlas Obscura.

[Dylan Thuris]

We'd probably put that in. No.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes.

[Dylan Thuris]

Sometimes people just enter, like, whole states. They're like, kansas. And you're like, that's a little too broad for us. It should be more specific.

[Peter Sagal]

Kansas. Kansas. People are like, hey, guys, Atlas Obscure. I've got the most amazing obscure place no one's ever heard of to visit. Ready? Kansas.

[Dylan Thuris]

That's right.

[Shane O'Neill]

Has the band Kansas ever tried to get a Madison?

[Dylan Thuris]

There was a museum to the band.

[Peter Sagal]

What?

[Dylan Thuris]

Yes. Really? Well, maybe we could. You want to make a museum?

[Bill Curtis]

I sure do.

[Shane O'Neill]

I only know one song, but I can sing it all day. Carry on my way one time There you go.

[Peter Sagal]

There you go. All right. You know, if you do that long enough 24 7, they'll put you in the book.

[Dylan Thuris]

Start a radio station.

[Peter Sagal]

Exactly. One song forever. Peter, you should go there. Well, Louise and Dylan, it is a pleasure to talk to you. We have invited you here to play.

[Bill Curtis]

A game we're calling let's Stay on the Beaten Path.

[Peter Sagal]

So you offer guides, as we've been discussing, to the most offbeat attractions around the world. So we're going to ask you about the boring attractions that everyone goes to. Answer two to three correctly, and you win our prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who are Louise and Dylan playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Kathleen Connor Strickland of Woolwich, Maine.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, Gotcha. And you can collaborate. Here we go. And help us, please. The Eiffel Tower in Paris is visited by 7 million people every year. We know this, but not many people know this about it. What, it can retract all the way underground in the case of bad weather? B, it's married. Or C, seven of its metal struts have been replaced with balsa wood. C, B, B, B.

[Dylan Thuris]

Somebody definitely married The Eiffel Tower. 100% yes.

[Peter Sagal]

It's B. Woo.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Okay.

[Peter Sagal]

Good job, Dylan. Dylan seems to understand human nature in a way. He has been around. Yeah. In 2007, Erica Eiffel, she changed her name. She's a traditional person that way. Trad wife in a weird way. All right, next question. There's something for everyone in New York. Central Park. Perhaps you've heard of it. Which of these is an actual TripAdvisor review headline describing someone's unique experience? Central Park. Is it A, a queen bee flew into my backpack and made it a bee backpack. B, couldn't find the zoo, so played Hacky Sack with strangers for five hours. Or C, almost killed Drew Barrymore. OOPS might be.

[Dylan Thuris]

There's a lot of people playing hacky sack.

[Peter Sagal]

There's a lot of people playing hack.

[Dylan Thuris]

There's a lot of sacking going on.

[Peter Sagal]

It's like overly mundane. But you think, no, it was C. They almost killed Drew Barrymore. They were in those little boats and so was Drew Barrymore. And they hit the boat and Drew almost fell over. But thankfully, everybody's fine. This is okay. You have one more chance. If you get this right, you win.

[Dylan Thuris]

High pressure.

[Peter Sagal]

The Gateway Arch, St. Louis. Fantastic destination for people who like elevators. But not everyone can enjoy the view at the top. Who is not allowed to travel to the top of the gateway arch in St. Louis? A, any fan of the Chicago Cubs. B, the actor Vin Diesel. He knows what he did. Or C, the President of the United States. Ooh.

[Rose Mattefeo]

The audience wants C. Let's go with.

[Peter Sagal]

C. We're gonna go with C. It is C. Yes. Oh my gosh. And I should say, and I know what you're thinking, it's not just this specific president, any president. The Secret Service says it's too cramped up there for them to be able to protect the President. So after Eisenhower went up there once, they said, no more Bill. How did Louise and Dylan do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Got enough to win. We're gonna go everywhere with him.

[Peter Sagal]

Congratulations. Well done. You know your way around. Dylan Thurs and Louise Storey are the co founder and CEO of Atlas Observer. You can order their newest book, [e-mail] give it up please for Dylan and Louise Gorey. Thank you everybody. Thank you guys. When we come back, the tallest person ever to play. Not my job. And a comedian so good she had a prime minister open for her. That's when we return with more of. Wait Wait, don't tell me.

[Announcer]

From npr, support for this podcast and the following message come from Strawberry Me. If you could go back and talk to your younger self, would you tell yourself that you have a job that truly makes you happy? Many people are stuck in jobs they've outgrown or never really wanted. A career coach from Strawberry Me can help you move on to something you actually love. Benefit from having a dedicated coach in your corner and claim a special offer at Strawberry Me.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

This message comes from bluehost. Bluehost can make building a great website easy and offers a 30 day money back guarantee. Customize and launch your site in minutes with AI. Then optimize with built in search engine tools. Get your great [e-mail]. this message comes from. Visit St. Pete Clearwater, Florida Visitors can unwind on 35 miles of white sand beaches along the Emerald Gulf and find a variety of open air dining options, including restaurants recognized by the Michelin Guide. Learn more@Visit SPC.com.

[Bill Curtis]

From NPR, 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 and Fine Arts Building, downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill. So it is. Thank you, everybody. It's just the first week of our summer break and already Bill is treating me like his cabana boy.

[Bill Curtis]

Rub this sunscreen on my back and if you miss a spot, I'll cut your tip in half again.

[Peter Sagal]

While I deal with his unreasonable demands, let me remind you that you can come see our show live here in Chicago. And we will be in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 18th at the fabulous Fox Theater. For tickets and information for all our shows, go to npr. Now here is another one of our favorite interviews from this year.

[Bill Curtis]

When we visited Florida in the spring, we talked to Orlando Magic setter Mo Wagner, who had his eyes on the NBA even when he was growing up in Germany.

[Peter Sagal]

So I asked him if basketball was a big deal in his home country.

[Mo Wagner]

It's growing, definitely soccer or football. We call it football, sorry, Americans, the main sport. But the basketball community is growing, obviously, with Dirk Nowitzki, we have a huge, huge representative and basketball is getting bigger.

[Peter Sagal]

Now, did you will you gravitate to basketball originally or were you playing soccer and then you passed six feet in height and somebody said, no, we'd like you to pick up the ball now?

[Mo Wagner]

Actually, actually funny story. So, yeah, I played soccer. I loved soccer. I love being outside getting dirty in the grass and playing with my friends. And then at some point, my mom got so sick of waiting outside in the rain watching me play all day that she forced me more or less to try out a gym sport. And because I was very tall, she was either handball or basketball. My dad did handball, so I chose basketball.

[Peter Sagal]

Little rebellion.

[Mo Wagner]

Exactly.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. It's a shame because you could be playing uncounted millions in the national handball game.

[Mo Wagner]

Yeah. Bad decision on me.

[Peter Sagal]

I guess. So. Well, second best is always okay. Now, I was surprised by this. I had assumed that you were had been scouted and found by Michigan. But in fact, as I said, you were interested in American collegiate sports. You wanted to like go to America and play for an American college, specifically Michigan.

[Mo Wagner]

Michigan was kind of like, now, obviously, Michigan men go blue forever. But back then it was kind of like back then it was just kind of the only school that offered me a scholarship, so I was like, sure, I'll do that. But I will say both my parents went to medical school, are doctors, so going to school was kind of thing in my family, and I didn't want to be the outlier on that end, at least act like I cared. And I didn't want to go to medical school, that's for sure. And also, like I said, again, it's hard to get on the radar, so I try to play on ESPN and have people see me to go to the NBA. And that was possible in Michigan and less possible in Germany. So that was kind of like a surefire answer.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, absolutely. So you had ambitions to go to the NBA.

[Mo Wagner]

Exactly. I hate to admit that to my mom nowadays, but I really just went to the University of Michigan to go to the NBA.

[Peter Sagal]

You are also quite famously, part of one of the very few pairs of brothers in the NBA.

[Mo Wagner]

That's correct.

[Peter Sagal]

Your brother also went to Michigan, Came from Germany to Michigan, and then now is with you on the Magic.

[Mo Wagner]

Correct.

[Peter Sagal]

And so was. Was it, like, all you. You're like, dude, this is great. You're gonna do this?

[Mo Wagner]

Yeah, yeah. Kind of. Like, he owes me everything. Honestly, I appreciate you setting that up for me. Kind of turned from younger brother into my landlord within four years, so that's awesome. But, no, obviously an amazing experience. This is a crazy, crazy lifestyle we live, and to get to share that with your family and at that level is pretty cool.

[Peter Sagal]

Now you're 6 11, and your brother is 6 10. So do you, like, torture him by holding things up out of his reach?

[Mo Wagner]

Yeah, like, he surpassed me in about everything in life except for that little detail. So I try to rub that in everything.

[Peter Sagal]

Literally rubbing in the top of his head, which you can reach because you're an inch taller.

[Mo Wagner]

He can't do nothing about it.

[Peter Sagal]

Do you. So you guys. So you live together. You have your own, like, basketball house?

[Mo Wagner]

Exactly. We got a full court upstairs and a full court downstairs. No, like, yeah, he bought a house. I live upstairs. He lives downstairs. So we have some separate rooms. We don't. We don't bunk bed or do anything like that. There should be privacy allowed on the road as well, so we don't share hotel rooms or anything like that. We are still two individual grown men, but we live together.

[Peter Sagal]

We do the same thing on the same team.

[Mo Wagner]

The cool thing is our mom gets to be around all year, so that's awesome. Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Mo, can I.

[Mo Wagner]

Can I ask you something about a story I heard. Oh please.

[Peter Sagal]

So I heard that you guys obviously speak German and that you talk some smack while you're playing in German and that Luka Doncic understood what you were saying about him. What? What were you guys saying and what did he pick up?

[Mo Wagner]

I don't think he understood what we were saying, but I definitely. I mean, he's obviously from Slovenia, so he has some experience with, with European language. He picked up on that pretty quickly, but he definitely didn't know what we were saying. It's pretty cool because Franz and I, obviously, we have some opinions about our teammates or opposing teams, so we utilize our native.

[Peter Sagal]

Really?

[Mo Wagner]

Yeah, yeah, really.

[Peter Sagal]

You are on like the court. You're in an NBA game with your brother and you were like talking trash about the other players in German.

[Bill Curtis]

Absolutely.

[Peter Sagal]

What?

[Mo Wagner]

It's the best. They can't be mad at you. They don't know what you.

[Peter Sagal]

That's true.

[Mo Wagner]

Let's just say. Let's. Let's just say we're happy that there's.

[Peter Sagal]

No German ref in the I understand.

[Announcer]

Support for this podcast and the following message come from Made in Cookware President and co founder Jake Kalik shares the key ingredients that go into Made in products.

[Dylan Thuris]

We try to design products that are.

[Peter Sagal]

Going to last you an incredibly long time and to know that we're making this in places that take the raw material seriously, take the manufacturing processes seriously, that's ultimately what's going to allow us to sleep better at night selling this product to you.

[Announcer]

Learn more about Made in Cookware at M A D e I n cookware.com this message comes from Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail], progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

This message comes from Carvana. Selling your car shouldn't take all day. With Carvana, it doesn't get a great offer in no time, then choose to drop off or pick up and get paid on the spot. Sell your car today on Carvana.com pickup fees may apply.

[Peter Sagal]

Finally, in January, we talked to Rose Mattafeo, a comedian and actor from New Zealand who had just become the host for the kids version of the hit game show Taskmaster. I asked her about starting off her career when she was just 15 years old.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Oh yeah, but as you say, I started when I was 15, so it's kind of child labor vibes. I was thrown into the comedy minds to start stand up as a teenager. Yeah, I started quite young. There's not many people in New Zealand, so I think I just, you know, they eventually give you an award if you keep at it long enough.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. Is it true, by the way, that like, you, like, everybody in New Zealand knows each other because it's so relatively small? Like we read, for example, that the prime minister of New Zealand, either before or after she was prime minister, used to, like, open up your shows for you.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Yeah, well, she did Jisida D. And she was. She was the minister of arts and culture, so it did make sense that she kind of knew some of us. And she did do a sort of monologue that we did improv comedy based on. So I know it's horrible to make generalizations, and New Zealand is a large place, It's a metropolitan capital of the world, all of that. But it is true that lots of us do know each other. Yeah. And I met her, Amir, for a few times.

[Peter Sagal]

Really cool.

[Rose Mattefeo]

I mean, when your prime minister is doing. Yeah. Monologues for you and like a hundred seater, you're like, yeah, that country's quite small, isn't it?

[Maz Jobrani]

Donald Trump is the opening act of this show.

[Peter Sagal]

Absolutely.

[Rose Mattefeo]

He's got a kill of five men.

[Peter Sagal]

He's coming out. I mean, I assume that you eventually went to the uk eventually you relocated there because everybody in New Zealand had already seen you, so there was nobody left to come see your show.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Do you think that's a joke?

[Peter Sagal]

That's.

[Rose Mattefeo]

That's kind of true. My nan would come to my shows all the time to the extent where she would start coming back to shows with heckles for jokes that she had heard before.

[Lewis Black]

Wait a minute.

[Peter Sagal]

That's harsh.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Was your grandmother just as funny as you?

[Rose Mattefeo]

Nah, she's really not funny at all. She won't be listening to this, so that's good. No, she's very funny, I think. But, you know, in that way that they don't really know that they're funny. What's very sweet is my grandmother is so lovely and sweet that the heckle that she came up with for one of the jokes was. I think I was mocking her for the way she pronounces. For some reason, a certain generation pronounces musely as moosely. And I was, you know, really ripping into her for that because, you know, my comedy is cutting edge.

[Peter Sagal]

You started it. Okay.

[Rose Mattefeo]

And then she. And then. And she's the kindest person that her hair colors. Well, next time I'll make you something else. Her version had absolutely taken me down. Was just offering me another breakfast option.

[Peter Sagal]

You have a new special. It's on Max. I've watched it. It's called on and on and On. I have a question for you that comes from a very American perspective. It seems that in. Thank you. It seems that in. In this comedy special, which is very funny and charming and original and different and surprising that you taped in. You are from New Zealand. You taped it in London in front of a British audience, but you seem to be wearing a University of Minnesota shirt.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Don't get me started on this. I've never had. Not many people like, you know, hey, great to watch the special. You know, usually get those kind of comments. I have never got a public reaction as big as the fact that I have accidentally worn a University Minnesota shirt that I found in the middle of Malmo in Sweden in a secondhand shop. And I was like, that's a cool yellow T shirt with my last name initial on it.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm gonna wear that.

[Rose Mattefeo]

I won't be living that down for a while. No Gophers, I guess.

[Peter Sagal]

Golden Gophers.

[Mo Wagner]

So what?

[Peter Sagal]

The Golden Gophers. Yeah. Go gold.

[Lewis Black]

Go, golden, Go.

[Rose Mattefeo]

You best believe. I was straight to the Wikipedia page to see if there had been any massive controversies at the University of Minnesota.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, it was good. Am I good? You're looking for massive controversies. You've never been to Minnesota, have you?

[Rose Mattefeo]

Maybe I could get an honorary doctorate or whatever people get. I've never been offered one of those.

[Peter Sagal]

Really.

[Rose Mattefeo]

So maybe the University of Minnesota can step up and offer one of those little hats or something. I just want to wear those little hat. That little hat that people tend to wear. I don't know.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. So I want to talk to you about something close to my heart. You are hosting a game show now. The greatest job you could ever have. Taskmaster Junior, which is based on a show taskmaster, which has a bunch of comedians doing silly tasks for points. Except in your version, instead of comedians, it's kids. Right.

[Rose Mattefeo]

I was asked alongside Mike Wozniak to be the taskmaster. Who's the person who gives out the points and sort of judges.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Five children gives up. That's a hard job. I had to really.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes.

[Rose Mattefeo]

It. Figure out how to do that.

[Peter Sagal]

But you're doing with children. You're ranking little kids.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. So you're very. The conceit of the show is the taskmaster. That's. You are a very imperious figure sitting in a big chair. You don't smile much. And you are like rating these children. You have sent these children out to do these difficult tasks of discovering this or figuring out that or competing in this. And then you have to judge them.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Oh, and you know what I'll say? When I did the pilot for the show, I was like, how am I gonna do this? They're just gorgeous children. They're the future, you know, I want to kill their spirits. Young and after about two episodes of it, I was like, this is easy. This is so easy.

[Peter Sagal]

I don't care anymore.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Those children are lovely and they're cute, but they fight back.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, Rose Mattefeo, it's a real joy to talk to you. And we have asked you here to play a game that this time we're.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Calling on and off and on.

[Peter Sagal]

So your special, as we have discussed, is called on and on and On. So we thought we'd ask you about some of those famous couples that have gone on and off and on again. Get two to three questions right about these tempestuous and flighty people. You'll win our prize for one of our listeners, Chioki Hunter. Who is Rose playing for?

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Stephen Ward of Atlanta, Georgia.

[Peter Sagal]

All right. You get two out of three right here. You win.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Let's do it for Stephen.

[Peter Sagal]

Let's do it for Stephen. Here's your first question. The most famous on and off again relationship was, of course, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. But Ms. Taylor wasn't just kind of indecisive with him. She once broke off her engagement to another man just because of what? A, they were traveling in Asia and he would not have let her buy an elephant to bring home. B, he chewed with his mouth open one time, or C, his habit of saying wee right before they got into bed together.

[Rose Mattefeo]

You know what is weird?

[Peter Sagal]

What?

[Rose Mattefeo]

I think I know the answer to this question.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Because I am fascinated by her. I think it is.

[Peter Sagal]

B, here's the funny thing that's not right in this case. In this case, it was the elephant. She said, I'd like to bring this elephant home. And he said, you can't bring that elephant.

[Rose Mattefeo]

That's a classic Liz move.

[Peter Sagal]

It really is.

[Rose Mattefeo]

That's really gutting that I got that wrong. I feel bad, I feel sick, I feel scared, and I feel. Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Here's your next question. You have two more chances. The most notorious on again, off again couple of the 1980s was Ryan O' Neill and Farrah Fawcett.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Tell me about it.

[Peter Sagal]

Now, their relationship even started in a kind of wild way, as their first date happened to When A, after she saw him in a store buying that Farrah Fawcett poster and followed him home. B, after the Dodgers 1981 World Series win, they had gone out and were looting a store together. Or C, when Fawcett's husband, Lee Majors, was away filming and asked o' Neill to just be a pal and check in on her.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Oh, dirty dog. If that's true, I'm gonna go. Gonna go C. And you are right.

[Peter Sagal]

That's what happened. Classic story. Yes. Lee said to Ryan, could you go check in on Farrah? And Ryan checked in, and she was fine. If you get this one right, Rose, you win, okay? And you will be happy with yourself for a fleeting moment. So here we go. The American record holder for most marriages in a lifetime is a man named Glenn Wolf, who was married 31 times. Yeah, buddy, sorry. Alzo's a fan. Before he died at the age of 88, to whom was his very last his 31st marriage? Was it to A, the very last woman left in his Iowa town that he had not yet married? B, the person who held the woman's record for most marriages in a lifetime, Or C, wife number one, because, as he said, I've tried all the rest. She was the best.

[Rose Mattefeo]

No, I'm actually gonna go with B because I feel actually that Glen Wolf is a PR hound. He's probably doing it for the fame. And he's going, why not?

[Peter Sagal]

You are exactly right. Yeah, that's.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Thank goodness.

[Peter Sagal]

That is what he did. He married the woman who had the most. The record for the most number of marriages. And they both did it for the publicity and to, you know, get in the Guinness Book. I don't know how long the marriage lasted. So this is where I turn to Chiocchi and I say, chiochi. How did Rose Matteoffeo do in our quiz?

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

New Zealand's finest conquered Edinburgh. She conquered Britain, and now she's conquered npr.

[Peter Sagal]

There you go.

[Rose Mattefeo]

Cut that out.

[Peter Sagal]

Absolutely. Rose Matteoffeo is an actor and comedian whose new special, on and on and on is charming and funny and surprising. It is now streaming on Max. Rose Mattefeo, thank you so much for being with us and staying up late. Bye. Bye. That's it for part one of our much needed and yet somehow still insufficient vacation edition. We'll have more great interviews for you next week. 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. And our tour manager is Shana Donald. BJ Ledemann composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Nornboss and Lillian King. Special thanks to Monica Hickey. Peter Guinn is the lime in our coconut. Drink em all up. Our Vibe curator is Emma Choi. Technical director is from Lorna White. Our CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chillag. And the executive producer of Wait, wait, don't tell me. That's Mike Danforth. Thanks to everybody you heard this week, all of our panelists, our fabulous guests, of course, Bill Curtis. Thanks to all of you for listening from whatever lovely spot you may be. I'm Peter Sagal. We'll be back next week with the farmer's tan of your dreams. This is npr.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

This message comes from NPR sponsor Capella University. Interested in a quality online education? Capella is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn [e-mail].

[Announcer]

This message comes from Warby Parker. What makes a great pair of glasses at Warby Parker? It's all the invisible extras without the extra cost, like free adjustments for life. Find your [e-mail] or visit one of their hundreds of stores around the country.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

This message comes From NPR sponsor, 1Password. Secure access to your online world, from emails to banking, so you can protect what matters most with 1Password. For a free two week trial, go to 1Password.com NPR.