Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! — Reneé Rapp
Air Date: September 6, 2025
Host: Peter Sagal | Celebrity Guest: Reneé Rapp | Panel: Shane O’Neill, Amy Dickinson, Alonzo Bodden | Announcer: Bill Kurtis
Episode Overview
This week’s "Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!" delivers its signature blend of current-events comedy, listener interaction, and interview games — with a highlight segment featuring actor and pop star Reneé Rapp. The panel tackles news from weird geopolitics and viral science studies to the eternal struggle with geese and what makes criticism worthwhile. Reneé Rapp discusses her rise from theater kid to pop star, the catharsis of her new album "Bite Me," and her unlikely celebrity crushes. The usual quizzes, limericks, and laugh-out-loud banter round out the show for newshound and comedian alike.
Key Segments & Discussion Points
1. Opening Banter & Contestant Game ("Who's Bill This Time?")
- [00:41] Peter Sagal welcomes listeners from the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, riffing on the early fall weather and teasing later segments including the Reneé Rapp interview.
- Flight Attendant Annoyances (01:35): Listener Abby calls in from Chicago. As a flight attendant, her top annoyance: “Shoes and socks off. Especially on flights under two hours. We don't need to be that comfortable, I think…” (Abby, 02:02).
- The panel jokes about flying, customer habits, and introduces the “Who’s Bill This Time?” quiz.
Notable Quotes:
“We just want to give a big warm welcome to all the visiting National Guardsmen from Texas and Oklahoma. ...Order ketchup on your hot dogs. We love when you do that.”
— Peter Sagal [00:41]
2. Current Events Quiz — Comedic Summaries of the Week’s Weird News
a) Putin & Xi’s "Immortality" Summit
- [03:03] Discussion about Putin and Xi Jinping reportedly talking about “people could even become immortal” — the panel mocks the dark, sci-fi vibe.
- Alonzo Bowden on world leaders:
“You have leaders that nobody wants around tomorrow talking about how to live forever.” [04:03]
- Translator humor, Trump references, and imagining Putin singing “I’m gonna live forever.”
b) Binge-Watching Is Healthy?!
- [05:28] New study claims binge-watching TV is good for you. The panel is gleefully skeptical.
- Peter Sagal:
“This is great news. Bed sores are the new abs.” [05:40]
- Amy Dickinson:
“Just lay down. You don’t need an excuse.” [07:13]
c) Should Critics Be Meaner?
- [07:35] New Yorker’s Calef Asana argues for meaner criticism. The panel parodies old-school critical debate, references “Swifties” going after negative reviews.
- Paste magazine’s anonymous slam of Taylor Swift and the dangers of modern “stan” culture.
- Peter Sagal (quoting Paste):
“‘Sylvia Plath did not stick her head in an oven for this.’” [09:30]
3. Panel Quip: Geese Wars in California
[10:22] The city council in Foster City, CA plans to use “drones, dogs, and even lasers” to combat invasive geese. Classic panel riffing on methods (dogs with lasers, drones carrying dogs...).
- Alonzo Bowden:
“When geese are pooping all over your city and not the neighboring cities, you might want to look at your city.” [11:07]
4. Bluff the Listener — Good Samaritan Stories
[14:56] A call-in game: identify the real “Good Samaritan” story.
- Amy Dickinson’s true story wins: A Canadian couple accidentally becomes customer service for a grill company and helps out callers for months; the company rewards them with a grill.
- Notable moment: Amy’s story is confirmed by a clip of the real couple:
“We were actually getting sometimes up to 20 phone calls a day.” (Amy/Mariana Kamleinovich, 20:13)
5. Not My Job: Reneé Rapp Interview Segment
[21:35 - 31:15]
a) Theater Kid to Pop Star
- Reneé reveals she annoyed her family into enrolling her in theater (“I was just so, I think, annoying to be around for my family that they were like, well, you would do well in the theater. And they were right.” — [21:42])
- Missed family milestones for theater, used it for artistic catharsis.
b) The Making of "Bite Me" & Pop Stardom
- Rapp discusses her songwriting: “At the time...I was just at such a point in my life where everyone felt so...annoying to be around, and I was so fed up with myself. ...I wanted to write an album that was like, I want everyone to get and stay the hell away from me. And I kind of did exactly that.” [23:19]
- Album titles: “Mad,” “Leave Me Alone,” “Why is She Still Here,” etc.
c) Mark Cuban Crush, Pop Culture, & Censorship
- Her “weirdest celebrity crush” is Mark Cuban, which surprises the hosts:
“There's like a thing there that they do that I'm super into. Like, it's kind of like he, to me, is the equivalent to like Jason Sudeikis on Ted Lasso.”
- Shane O’Neill notes: “If you squint...those are just butch lesbians.” Rapp agrees: “Butch lesbians with jobs, girl. That’s what I like.” [26:18]
- Rapp reflects on media training and how she channeled her feelings into commercial art.
d) "Bite Me" Twilight Quiz & Win
- Rapp aces a quiz themed around "Twilight." She identifies that Forks, WA, was chosen for its raininess, explains the hand model fame, and guesses a jet-ski chase in the original “Twilight” script.
“I can't believe it, but she got them all right. What a winner.” (Bill Curtis, 30:54)
6. Panel News Quiz & Limerick Challenge
[33:52+]
- Famillect: Secret “dialects” unique to each family.
- Viral office etiquette question: Is it okay to narrate your lunch? (Panel votes “cringe.”)
- Photo booths are the retro bar trend: “Vintage photo booths are back. ...The photos are great because they're just blurry enough to make everyone look amazing.” [36:45]
- Limerick segment: Listeners fill in the last word.
- Topics: “Sungazing” harms eyes, fish like to be groomed, restaurants bringing back real candles.
7. Lightning Fill-In-The-Blank
The classic rapid-fire news round, full of banter and quick jokes. Alonzo Bowden wins the round.
8. Panel Predictions: Next Hot Mic Moments
[50:46+]
- Alonzo Bowden: “JD Vance will be overheard saying, ‘Look at those ankles. This job is mine.’”
- Amy Dickinson: “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will be caught on a hot mic at the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru ordering a box of munchkins with a light dusting of cocaine.”
- Shane O’Neill: “In private, Bernie Sanders talks like a Valley Girl.”
Notable Quotes
-
Reneé Rapp, on confronting personal drama through art:
“I was like, how can I make this about myself?” [22:46]
-
On critical discourse and Swifties:
“That review [of Taylor Swift]... ‘Sylvia Plath did not stick her head in an oven for this.’” (Peter Sagal, quoting Paste, 09:30)
-
On folk wisdom for family language:
“I always thought ‘sit down and shut up’ was universal.” — Alonzo Bowden [34:42]
-
On binge-watching “health”:
“Bed sores are the new abs.” — Peter Sagal [05:40]
-
Reneé Rapp, on her pop star tastes:
“Butch lesbians with jobs, girl. That’s what I like.” [26:18]
Timestamps for Top Segments
- [00:41] — Opening monologue, panel introductions
- [03:03] — “Who’s Bill This Time?” (Putin immortality summit, binge-watching studies, ‘meaner’ critics)
- [10:22] — Geese problem in California
- [14:56] — Bluff The Listener (“Good Samaritan” stories)
- [21:35 - 31:15] — Interview: Reneé Rapp + “Not My Job” Twilight Quiz
- [33:52] — Panel/Limerick Challenge segment
- [44:43] — Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank
- [50:46] — Panel predictions
Tone & Style
The episode is sharply witty, irreverent, and packed with contemporary cultural references — from internet science trends to Taylor Swift stan culture. The banter is equal parts snarky and affectionate, with Peter Sagal leading a cast as likely to poke fun at each other as the week’s news.
Summary
This episode of “Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!” is a whirlwind of topical absurdity and punchlines, with standout moments including a candid, comedic interview with Reneé Rapp, who charms with her theater-kid-to-star journey, open-hearted pop star angst, and rogue romantic tastes. The panel’s riffing on world leaders’ “immortality” chat, the latest in pseudo-science, and yet another municipal war on geese brings its delightful blend of brainy and silly—perfect for diehard listeners and newcomers alike.