WWDTM: Rhea Seehorn

Summary

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Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Episode: Rhea Seehorn
Date: December 20, 2025
Host: Peter Sagal
Special Guest: Rhea Seehorn

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Main Theme

This episode of "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" brings the trademark blend of news quiz, irreverent comedy, and pop culture commentary. The highlight is a conversation with acclaimed actress Rhea Seehorn, known for "Better Call Saul" and starring in the new Apple TV+ show "Pluribus". Along the way, the panel—Paula Poundstone, Hari Kondabolu, and Josh Gondelman—bat around the latest weird news stories and celebrity shenanigans.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Weekly News Quiz & Panel Banter

• Vanity Fair’s Trump White House Photo Spread (04:00)

  • Main Story: Vanity Fair published uncomfortably close-up photos of Trump administration officials.
  • Panel banter: Jokes about the photos’ “before quality,” skin details, and comparison to dermatology warning images.
  • Memorable Quote:
    • Josh Gondelman (06:15): “What we have to do is say that they are evil people and they look hideous in these pictures. Those are two separate things to criticize them for.”
    • Paula Poundstone (05:36): “[Stephen Miller] looks like a hairless cat.”

• Roomba Parent Company Bankruptcy (06:47)

  • iRobot, maker of Roomba vacuums, files for bankruptcy.
  • Panel confessions: Hari and Josh admit to owning Roombas—Paula says, “It’s the sort of thing friends tell each other.”
  • Jokes about telling your Roomba the bad news so it doesn’t drive itself down the stairs.

• Connecticut’s Hallmark Movie Tourism (08:45)

  • Connecticut rolls out a tourism campaign mapping Hallmark Christmas movie sites. Panel cracks up picturing fans hoping to encounter small-town romance or fictional drama.
  • Memorable Quote:
    • Peter Sagal (10:56): “Every guy who fails to move away from his small town becomes a cop.”

2. Panelist Quiz Segment: Smart Wearable Tech

• A “Bluff the Listener” segment with stories about absurd new wearable devices.
  • The real innovation: Mayo Clinic’s smartwatch to predict children’s temper tantrums (20:39).
  • Expert confirmation: Prof. Arjun Atreya (Mayo Clinic) explains the child tantrum-tracker's science.

3. Interview: Rhea Seehorn (“Not My Job”) (22:05 - 31:54)

• Her Breakthrough on “Better Call Saul”
  • Initially a smaller role, but writers and audience loved her, so the character (Kim Wexler) expanded.
  • Quote:
    • Rhea Seehorn (22:05): “I do think they enjoyed my performance, but I also think they realized it was a very good storytelling tool.”
• Living With Uncertainty in TV
  • Cast feared their characters might be killed off because their fates weren’t shown in “Breaking Bad”.
  • Patrick Fabian's (Howard Hamlin) Death: He kept his TV death secret even from his wife.
  • Quote:
    • Seehorn (23:13): “The first couple of seasons, I would say we would get our scripts and just call each other, flipping through and just go, I'm not dead.”
• Pluribus and Technical Challenges
  • Rhea discusses her role in “Pluribus” and her inability to stream (Paula Poundstone is baffled by streaming services).
  • Comic Aside:
    • Paula Poundstone (25:01): “I don’t know how to do streaming or any kind of paid television. ... If it doesn’t come out on DVD or there’s not like a puppet show version of it, I don’t [watch].”
    • Seehorn (25:56): “Vince [Gilligan] is going to find out if there’s a way for us to make VHS tapes of the show.”
• Her First IMDb Credit
  • Playing the tutorial Sorceress in an early “Magic: The Gathering” video game, complete with DIY “gladiator” boots made from tube socks and electrical tape.
  • Quote:
    • Seehorn (27:15): “We’re just wearing tube socks with electrical tape in crisscross fashion.”
• She aces the Not My Job quiz: Christmas Carols
  • Correctly answers all questions (28:49–31:34).

4. More Absurd News Games & Panel Play

• NYT Guide to Surviving In-Laws: “Just Go to Bed” (34:47)
  • Suggests easiest way to dodge awkward family time is to retire early.
  • Memorable exchange:
    • Peter Sagal (36:24): “Your mother-in-law’s like, well guess I need to go to bed. And you’re like, mama, we just had lunch.”
• Parents Swiping for Kids on Dating Apps (36:46)
  • Burned-out singles let their moms Tinder-match for them.
  • Quote:
    • Hari Kondabolu (37:56): “So the whole thing is that parents are helping to pick potential partners for their children. Wow. What an original idea. ... They met on their wedding day.”
• Lightning Fill in the Blank (45:16)
  • Fast-paced quiz covering the week’s news. Josh Gondelman wins the game.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Peter Sagal (22:29): "You could have just admitted to sucking up, but that also was a lovely [explanation]."
• Paula Poundstone (25:01): “If it doesn’t come out on DVD or there’s not like a puppet show version of it, I don’t [watch].”
• Rhea Seehorn (27:50): "I showed them the picture on the back [of the Magic: The Gathering game], and I was like, this is—oh, my God, I did that. Could you… Would you give me a copy?"
• Josh Gondelman (06:18): "And unlike Paula, I do like making fun of people’s appearances."
• Panel, on Christmas tree trends (40:11):
  • Peter Sagal: "So instead of… covering it with tinsel and ornaments... You either leave it completely bare, or just a single, maybe two strands of white lights. That's the idea."
  • Paula Poundstone: “I probably should have done that this year. I'm not having a tree this year because I have kittens.”

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Important Timestamps

• 01:47 — Peter Sagal opens the show & introduces guests
• 04:00 — News quiz: Vanity Fair Trump admin photos
• 06:47 — Roomba bankruptcy and confessions
• 08:45 — Hallmark movie tourism in Connecticut
• 11:41 — AI-powered vending machines go haywire
• 15:08 — Bluff the Listener: Wearable tech for tantrums
• 20:39 — Real story: Mayo Clinic tantrum smartwatch (confirming expert audio)
• 22:05 — Rhea Seehorn interview begins
• 23:13 — “Not dead” script stories from “Better Call Saul”
• 25:01 — Streaming TV, DVDs, and Paula's tech resistance
• 27:15 — Magic: The Gathering tutorial job
• 28:49 — "Not My Job" Christmas Carols quiz
• 31:34 — Rhea aces her quiz
• 34:47 — NYT tips for surviving in-laws: “Go to bed”
• 36:46 — Mom-picked matches on dating apps
• 45:16 — Lightning Fill in the Blank game begins

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Structure

Opening Banter

• Classic panel jokes and playful teasing.
• Standard “Wait Wait” format with topical news questions and humorous responses.

Listener Segments

• Playful, supportive atmosphere for contestants.
• Panel frequently riffs off contestant backgrounds (e.g., Rachel, the pelvic floor PT; Lisa, the child psychologist).

Interview: Rhea Seehorn

• Insight into acting career trajectory, roles, relationships with showrunners.
• Warm, humorous panel rapport.

Listener Limerick & Lightning Round

• Fast-paced, pun-filled limericks and news questions.
• Running themes: pop culture, holiday trends, internet oddities.

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Panelists & Attributions

• Peter Sagal (Host) — News quiz, sharp wit; sets up and guides the flow.
• Bill Curtis (Announcer) — Quotation reader, scorekeeper.
• Paula Poundstone — Comedian, frequent comic interjections, tech confusion.
• Hari Kondabolu — Comic, cultural observations, reveals personal anecdotes.
• Josh Gondelman — Comic, winner of Lightning Round, adds self-deprecating humor.
• Rhea Seehorn (Guest) — Honest, personable insights about TV, industry, and her own bizarre early jobs.
• Various Listeners — Lively contestants from all over the US.

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Tone

The episode is jovial, irreverent, quick-witted, and warm. The celebrities and panelists freely poke fun at themselves and each other, while also showing genuine affection for the art and absurdity of “Wait Wait” banter.

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Summary Takeaway

A memorable “Wait Wait” episode where news absurdity, holiday jokes, and the television world collide. Rhea Seehorn, good-natured and funny, provides a captivating interview with showbiz war stories, and the panel keeps the momentum brisk and laughter flowing. The blend of light political jabs, cultural quirks, and all-out panel goofiness makes for an entertaining listen—even if you missed the show live.

Transcript

[Peter Sagal]

This message comes from Natural Resources Defense Council. Join the supporters of NRDC who focus on safeguarding the earth, its people, plants and animals. For a limited time, contributions are being matched five to one. Nrdc.org Wait. Hey, it's Peter Sagal. We are almost at the end of 2025, and if I may, I will speak for everybody at NPR and at your local stations and in public media and say good riddance. But despite the loss of federal funding for public media, despite attacks on the free press, we are still here for you, and we will be next year. With your support, NPR will keep reporting the news. And here at Wait Wait, we will try to, you know, lighten the load at the end of the week with some jokes about the news and some fun conversations with interesting people and, yes, the occasional fart joke. If you are already an NPR supporter, thank you so much. We see you and we are so grateful for you. If not, please join the community of public radio supporters right now before the end of the year at plus.NPR.org Signing up unlocks a bunch of perks like bonus episodes and more from across NPR's podcasts. Plus, you get to feel good about supporting public media while you listen. Visit plus.NPR.org today and thanks.

[Bill Curtis]

From npr and wbc chicago. This is wait, wait, don't tell me, the npr news quiz. I'm the voice santa uses for the audiobook version of his naughty list, Bill Curtis. And here's your host at the Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill. Thank you, everybody. Thank you all. We do have a great show for you today. Later on, we're going to be talking to Ray Sigma, the star of Better Call Saul. Yes. Who the producer of that show liked so much. He created a whole new show for her to star in, Pluribus. We assume that by the end of the interview, NPR will ask her to be the host of this show. So if you want to talk to me, you'd better hurry. The number is 1-888-wait, wait. That's 1-888-924-8924. It's time to welcome our first listener contestant. Hi, urine. Wait, wait. Don't tell me.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Hi, Peter. My name is Rachel, and I'm calling from Waukee, Iowa.

[Peter Sagal]

Hey, Rachel, what do you do there in Waukee, Iowa?

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

I am a physical therapist.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, that's great. That's terrific.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Yes.

[Peter Sagal]

Do you have a specialty in physical therapy, a particular kind of injury, perhaps? I do.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

I am a pelvic floor physical therapist. So I help a lot of people with bowel and bladder issues and pelvic pain.

[Peter Sagal]

Whoa. And I am trying to think of something I can say about that that we can broadcast on public Rad.

[Paula Poundstone]

How about this? Could you give me your phone number?

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Anytime, Paula.

[Paula Poundstone]

Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, let me introduce you, Rachel, to our panel. First, as you heard, it's a comedian you can see on New Year's Eve in San Francisco at the palace of Fine Arts Theater. And you can hear her every week on her own podcast. Nobody listens to Paula Poundstone. It is Paula Poundstone. Hey, Rachel. Next, he's a comedian and host of the new podcast Health Stuff, available wherever you might get your podcasts. It's Hari Kondabolu.

[Bill Curtis]

Hello, Rachel.

[Peter Sagal]

And finally, a comedian performing at the Crocodile in Seattle on December 28th and the helium in Portland on the 30th and 31st. It's Josh Gondelman. Hello. Hi, Rachel. Rachel, you're going to play who's Bill this time? Bill Curtis, standing right next to me is going to read for you three quotations from this week's news. If you can correctly identify or explain just two of them, you will win our prize. Any voice from our show, you choose on your voicemail. You ready to go?

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Yes, I am.

[Peter Sagal]

Here we go. Your first quote is from photographer Christopher Anderson. He was talking about the Vanity Fair photo spread that he took that came out this week.

[Bill Curtis]

I don't go in with the mission of making them look good or bad.

[Peter Sagal]

He was saying it's not his fault for how scary the photos he took were who work where with the Trump administration. In the White House. Yes, in the Trump White House. Vanity Fair published a big interview with Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff. And she says all sorts of weird and embarrassing things about the president. But oh, my God, the photos that came with it. The most senior aides to the president are posing like they think it's going to be like this glossy magazine spread. But they look like the photos your dermatologist shows you to scare you into wearing sunscreen.

[Josh Gondelman]

The photos do all have a before quality to them.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, they really do. The photos, if you haven't seen them, stay that way. But if you have, you remember that they're all close ups, really close ups. The picture of spokeswoman Caroline Levitt shows her so close you can see her lip filler injection points. The camera is so tight on Stephen Miller, you can see the scars where the holy water has burned his skin.

[Paula Poundstone]

He looks, I don't like to make fun of people's looks. But he does look like a hairless cat.

[Peter Sagal]

A hairless cat.

[Paula Poundstone]

A hairless cat.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Paula Poundstone]

And you can't judge all hairless cats. Some. They have different personalities. They're not all the same. But the ones that I've met were very nice, albeit a little greasy.

[Josh Gondelman]

So you're saying the other ones aren't fascists?

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Yeah.

[Paula Poundstone]

You very rarely meet a fascist hairless cat.

[Josh Gondelman]

I think some people are making the mistake of saying that the pictures are kind of grotesque because of the evil within the people being photographed.

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Josh Gondelman]

And I think that is. That is a mistake to conflate those two things. I think what we have to do is say that they are evil people and they look hideous in these pictures.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah.

[Josh Gondelman]

Those are two separate things to criticize them for.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Yeah.

[Josh Gondelman]

And unlike Paula, I do like making fun of people's appearances.

[Hari Kondabolu]

I love the close ups. I really do. Because they look like mug shots.

[Josh Gondelman]

The J.D. vance picture, it looks like he took it up close to show how proud he was that he could grow most of a beard. See, it's fun to make fun of people's appearance. Having a good time. Nobody's getting hurt.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. All right, Rachel, your next quote is from a tech CEO.

[Bill Curtis]

Today sucks.

[Peter Sagal]

Now, that CEO was talking about his company, which just went bankrupt, and that does suck, but it's his products that are supposed to do the sucking. What's the company?

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Roomba.

[Peter Sagal]

Roomba. Exactly. Right.

[Paula Poundstone]

You know, that brings up a question, Rachel, so long as we have you on the. And given your area of expertise, do you think I should get a Roomba from my pelvic floor?

[Peter Sagal]

Absolutely not.

[Josh Gondelman]

It's just gonna keep bumping into one of your pelvic walls.

[Peter Sagal]

Anyway. Yes. IRobot, maker of the Roomba robot vacuum, has filed for bankruptcy. I guess despite all their promises, the company could not find its way back to the charger and just died in the middle of the room.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Man, if AI ended, like, if robotics ended with the Roomba, we'd be so much better off. Like, my Roomba just moves dirt from one room to the next room, Right?

[Peter Sagal]

You have a Roomba? Yeah, I do.

[Paula Poundstone]

Well, I think you never told me that before.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Well, we never discuss how I clean my house.

[Peter Sagal]

Would your opinion of him have changed had you known he had a Roomba?

[Paula Poundstone]

I just think it's the sort of thing friends tell each other.

[Hari Kondabolu]

I was gifted a Roomba.

[Josh Gondelman]

I. I also have a room, by the way.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

We're coming clean. Yeah.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah.

[Josh Gondelman]

Well, because it was important to me and my wife that our dog have an enemy, so.

[Hari Kondabolu]

And you have a wife now.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

I have a wife.

[Josh Gondelman]

Yeah. Yeah, Paula, I have a wife.

[Paula Poundstone]

Oh, my heavens. This really changes everything.

[Peter Sagal]

If you do have a Roomba, just.

[Josh Gondelman]

Real quick, if my wife is listening, this changes nothing.

[Peter Sagal]

Okay. If you have a Roomba, be careful how you break the news of this bankruptcy to it. When I told mine, it headed directly for the stairs. All right, Rachel, here is your last quote.

[Bill Curtis]

Sold. Santa, Sugar plum Twist, the holiday fix up and romance at Reindeer Lodge.

[Peter Sagal]

Those are names that appear on a new tourist map of Connecticut. For people who want to go to the real places where what movies were filmed. Christmas movies? Yes, specifically Hallmark Christmas movies. The state of Connecticut has actually published. Yes, we all love them. The state of Connecticut has actually published a Connecticut Christmas movie map. So you can now take a tour to see the filming locations of your favorite Hallmark Christmas movies. Think of it. 22 gorgeous places for you to go and dump your big city fiance. People want to see the real places where these movies were filmed because they think that maybe they too will meet an old flame who stayed in town and grew up to be charming and sensitive and romantic. I am sorry. In real life, every guy who fails to move away from his small town becomes a cop.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Yeah.

[Josh Gondelman]

This is the best thing to happen to Connecticut tourism since they put Boston and New York City 200 miles apart.

[Peter Sagal]

One company has already set up a week long Hallmark Christmas movie luxury tour. You travel by bus to a bunch of different towns where the movies are filmed. While you are watching the movie on the bus, the tour includes famous sites like where Alex met the handsome Christmas tree farm owner in Rediscovering Christmas and where Angie buried the bodies in the 12 deaths of Christmas.

[Paula Poundstone]

So I didn't realize the kicker of they watch the movies. Yeah. On the bus.

[Peter Sagal]

Isn't that great? You watch the movie and then when the bus stops, you get off and you're where the movie was set. Isn't that lovely?

[Paula Poundstone]

No, no, it's awful. You know, it's got. There has to be. People can't really want to do this. There has to be something bad. Maybe it's that they get the addresses because they know the people are going to be gone for a week. So the company gets the addresses of the rubes that go in for that stupid tour and they rob them while they're gone. That's gotta be what it is.

[Peter Sagal]

I don't know, man. I think these people are enthusiasts and they get to love what they love. And the only thing I will say if that tour bus passes just a one good looking guy in a flannel shirt, he is done for.

[Josh Gondelman]

They're gonna pick him apart clean.

[Peter Sagal]

Exactly. Bill, how did Rachel do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Rachel was hot. She had him all right. What a perfect score.

[Peter Sagal]

Nice job, Rachel. Congratulations, Rachel. Thank you, thank. Right now, panel, it is time for you to answer some questions about this week's news. Josh, the AI giant anthropic has been experimenting with AI powered vending machines.

[Josh Gondelman]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

And these vending machines can order their own inventory, they can set their own prices, interact with customers, all without human intervention. And they recently gave one to the Wall Street Journal just to try it out. And within days, it did what?

[Josh Gondelman]

Oh, it was hemorrhaging money. It ordered a PlayStation and gave it away.

[Peter Sagal]

You're right. Yeah, but that's not all. Let me tell you what it did. The AI vending machine gave away nearly all of its inventory for free. Restocked itself with dog treats. Purchased a PlayStation 5 for, quote, marketing purposes. Gave the PlayStation 5 away for free. Ordered a live fish as a mascot for the newsroom. Offered to restock itself with pepper spray, stun guns, cigarettes and underwear. Became convinced the year was 1962. And it was in the basement of Moscow State University. Bought Manischewitz wine. Messaged an employee there was a stack of cash waiting for her on the side of the machine. There wasn't. And ultimately, at the end of the experiment, lost $2,000.

[Josh Gondelman]

And yet Roomba's the company that's going out of business.

[Bill Curtis]

I know.

[Paula Poundstone]

Sometimes you it all away.

[Peter Sagal]

To find the meaning of it all. Coming up, our panelists get technical in our bluff the listener game. Call 1-88-8, wait wait to play. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait Wait, don't tell me from npr. Support for this podcast and the following message come from Dignity Memorial. When you think about the people you love, it's not the big things you miss the most. It's the details. What memories will your loved ones cherish when you're gone? At Dignity Memorial, the details aren't just little things. They're everything. They help families create meaningful celebrations of life with professionalism and compassion. To find a provider near you, visit.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

Dignitymemorial.Com this message comes from BetterHelp. As a dad, BetterHelp President Fernando Madera relates to needing flexibility when it comes to scheduling therapy.

[Peter Sagal]

They have kids under 18, so, like, time is very limited. That's why at BetterHelp, our therapists try to have sessions sometimes at night, depending on the therapist or during the weekend. So I think that's what we need to tell the parents. You're not alone. We can help you out.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

If a flexible schedule would help you, visit betterhelp.com NPR for 10% off your first month of online therapy. This message comes from Schwab. Everyone has moments when they could have done better. Same goes for where you invest. Level up and invest smarter with Schwab. Get market insights, education and human help when you need it.

[Peter Sagal]

This message comes from Progressive Insurance and the name your price tool. It helps you find car insurance options in your budget. Try it [e-mail], progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states.

[Bill Curtis]

From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't TELL me the NPR News quiz. I'm Bill Curtis. We are playing this week with Josh Gondelman, Hari Condabolu and Paula Poundstone. And here again is your host at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill. Right now it is time for the wait, wait, don't tell me. Bluff the listener game. Call 1, 8, 8, wait wait to play our game in the air.

[Bill Curtis]

Hi.

[Peter Sagal]

You're on. Wait, Wait, don't tell me. Hi, Peters.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

This is Lisa Peterson calling from Las Cruces, New Mexico.

[Peter Sagal]

Las Cruces, New Mexico. Now, it is one of the two states in this nation I have never been.

[Bill Curtis]

Oh, my goodness.

[Peter Sagal]

I know. Tell me what I'm missing.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

We work on that.

[Peter Sagal]

I know we do. From everything I've studied. You folks in New Mexico really enjoy the great outdoors and dealing meth, is that correct?

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Not quite down here, but the outdoors, absolutely.

[Peter Sagal]

Okay.

[Paula Poundstone]

Well, that's go to Albuquerque for the math.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, all right. Making a note here. Well, Lisa, it's great to have you with us. You're going to play the game in which you have to tell truth from fiction. Bill, what is Lisa's topic?

[Bill Curtis]

There's a new smart thing.

[Peter Sagal]

Find your last remaining body part that doesn't have a gadget yet because there is an exciting innovation in wearable technology. Our panelists are going to tell you about this brand new smart thing that we read about this week. Pick the one, though, who was telling the truth and you'll win our prize, the wait waiter of your choice in your voicemail. Are you ready to play?

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

I'm ready.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Here we go. First up, let's hear from Hari Kondabolu.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Has your child ever thrown a tantrum so bad that it made you regret freezing your eggs. You're probably sick of the noise, but love them too much to just give them away. Well, you're in luck, because the Mayo Clinic has created a smartwatch for kids that alerts parents of an impending temper tantrum by detecting increased heart rate or changes in movement. It's like a kid storm tracker. These signals are sent to an AI enabled app on the parents phones, alerting them to connect with their child. When the child is out of the tantrum zone, you can return to your phone as God intended. And before you ask, no, there is no electroshock feature to discourage future tantrums. You'll have to do some actual parenting.

[Peter Sagal]

A smart watch for your small children that can, according to the study, help prevent or shorten temper tantrums. Your next story of a wearable wonder comes from Paula Poundstone.

[Paula Poundstone]

The new Lyvetech smartwatch keeps time, communicates, and alerts the wearer when any type of venom spikes in their bloodstream. It's a fantastic little gizmo, says Susan Swamo. I had no idea I'd been bitten until my watch said, you've been bitten by a brown recluse spider. In the next hour, you may have pain in your back and abdomen. Proceed to an emergency room. Our family has camped all over, says Granite Stater Nancy Hollis. Even along the Amazon, we always feel safe with our Liv Tech watches. We had to take them off in New Hampshire last summer, though. You've been bitten by a mosquito and you've been bitten by a mosquito. You've been bitten. You've been. You've. It was right, though. Oh my God, my son Jack couldn't even come out of the house. There are some dissatisfied customers. On a recent trip to sub Saharan Africa, Tom Johnson, who if he lives, is suing Life Tech, heard the unfortunate words from his Life Tech smartwatch. You've been bitten by a black Mamba. Would you like to download the Black Mamba app.

[Peter Sagal]

A smartwatch that tells you if you've been bitten by some sort of venomous animal and didn't yourself notice? Your last bit of tech to check comes from Josh Gondelman.

[Josh Gondelman]

A smartwatch can be helpful tracking biometric information and managing appointments. But what if determining your resting heart rate or managing a calendar isn't what you desire in a timepiece? What if you want a watch that looks cool and not like a house arrest monitor that also receives email? Great news. Apple has announced that in addition to their signature smartwatch, they will soon offer the industry's first handsome watch. The handsome watch Puts design first. Much like a good looking person, it's so visually appealing that you won't even care if it's good at its job. It might also be smart, but honestly, who cares? Oh no, it miscounted your steps. Well, you'll probably be walking less anyway after its sleek titanium case takes your breath away. That said, the effort to create aesthetic perfection is not always functional. To achieve a pleasing level of symmetry, the watch's analog mode features an hour hand and a minute hand of exactly the same length. It is stunning, but extremely difficult to use for telling time. In addition to launching the handsome watch, Apple is rumored to be working on an emotionally intelligent watch, a great personality watch and a low brightness no ringer model that is great in bed.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, so perhaps someday soon or even now, you'd be able to get one of these smart devices. Was it from Hari Kondaboulu, a smart watch for your small child that will warn you of an impending temper tantrum? From Paula Poundstone, a watch that lets you know in case you were busy doing something else, that you've just been bitten by a venomous animal. Or from Josh Gondelman from Apple, not a smart watch, but the handsome watch which can't do anything. But boy, is it good to look at which of these is the real wearable tech we read about in the news this week. Well, I'm a child psychologist, so I.

[Paula Poundstone]

Really want Hari to be true. So I'm going to go with him.

[Peter Sagal]

You're going to go with. You're actually yourself a child psychologist. You think that this would be perhaps a good thing. So your choice then is Hari's story. Well, this is great because actually to bring you the true story, we spoke to to one of the people behind this technology.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

We should be able to predict the likely chance of a temper tantrum or a temper outburst.

[Peter Sagal]

That was Arjun Atreya, an associate professor at the Mayo Clinic who co led the study into the tantrum preventing smartwatch. Congratulations. You got it right. You're into point for Hari and you've won our prize, the voice of your choice on your voicemail. Well done. Thank you so much for calling to play.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Thank you, Peter.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you. Take care. And now it is time for the game we call, not my job. Rhea Seehorn co starred in the hit show Better Call Saul. And for his next project, producer Vince Gilligan said that he loved Ray so much that he wanted to write his show just for her, which is great. But if he liked her so much, why did he ask her to play Literally the unhappiest person on Earth. The star of Pluribus on Apple joins us now. Rhea Seehorn. Welcome to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell me. So you have risen to the top of Hollywood with a very unusual method, by being a lovely person. I think you may be the first person who's ever tried it. I have read that your role on Better Call Saul, your first show with Vince Gilligan, was rather small to begin with, not a major character, but that they, the producers and the audience liked her so much, your role just became bigger. Is that true?

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

I mean, I don't know all of the inner workings of it. I do know that they told me after the fact that they weren't sure how long I would be there or if I would just end up being the one that got away to Jimmy or some mythological thing that he wished he had risen to. I do think they enjoyed my performance, but I also think they realized it was a very good storytelling tool.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. You could have just admitted to sucking up, but that also was a lovely.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

Story.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

And.

[Paula Poundstone]

I hope the emails never come out.

[Peter Sagal]

Better Call Saul, for people who don't know, was this prequel to Breaking Bad. And your character, Kim Wexler, is not in Breaking Bad. So, like every other fan of Better Call Saul, I was terrified every episode that you were going to get killed. Right.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

As was I.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, that was the question, because I wondered, was it like on the Sopranos where, like, every actor famously would open the script that week wondering if, like, that was their number had come up?

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Yeah, exactly. I mean, I'm thinking the Game of Thrones people had it even worse.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, sure.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Yeah. My good friend Patrick Fabian and I would just. The first couple of seasons, I would say we would get our scripts and just call each other, flipping through and just go, I'm not dead.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm not dead.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

And he didn't tell me that he knew he was going to die in that last season. And I got surprised reading the script. And we all, Bob and Patrick and I lived together for most of the seasons of shooting. And I ran upstairs. I was like, I can't believe you kept this from me. And he did. And he even kept it from his wife, who watched it, really watched it when it aired and was like, what.

[Peter Sagal]

I should pause and explain that Patrick Fabian played a character, a lawyer, who, again, like, your character, is not in Breaking Bad.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Yes.

[Peter Sagal]

And so thus the same speculation. And in his case, boy, did he get whacked. Wow. And you're saying that the actor did not. Patrick Fabian did not. Even tell his wife. So he's like, sitting at home and the episode just dropped, and he's like, well, honey.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Well, he's a wonderful father to, at that time, much younger girls and a great husband. So he would fly back and forth a lot for any episodes he was not in, and he wasn't in all of them. So it wasn't unusual for her to see him come home, you know, for a couple of episodes. But she didn't realize that he was. That he was shot and killed.

[Josh Gondelman]

This isn't my situation, or it doesn't sound like his. But I can't imagine being in a marriage where you're like, how does she react when she sees me just watching to see.

[Peter Sagal]

To see if there's, like, an unconscious grin.

[Josh Gondelman]

Did you just giggle?

[Hari Kondabolu]

All right.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Yeah, a little bit. Part of, like, force majeure, the tape.

[Peter Sagal]

We have to talk about Pluribus, which I love and am just so excited when every episode comes. One of the things.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Thank you. I hear Paula won't watch it.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah, it's not that I won't watch it. Listen, I love Rhea Seehorn to death, and I would watch anything you were in. I would watch, like a. Like a cleaning product commercial with you. But I don't know how to do streaming or any kind of paid television. So I watched Better Call Saul so many times that I know so much more about it than what any of you are saying. I watched it because I watched it on dvd. So if it doesn't come out on DVD or there's not, like, a puppet show version of it, I don't.

[Josh Gondelman]

I'm going to buy you an Apple TV and then paint it to look like a vcr.

[Paula Poundstone]

Oh, it could also come out on vhs, Ray, because I have a V. I still have a vcr.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

I was just with Vince this morning doing an interview and told him I was coming on. He says hi. He also loves this show and literally said, paula, he's going to find out if there's a way for us to make VHS tapes of the show.

[Paula Poundstone]

Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

In addition to being a huge fan of yours, I respect you immensely because you. You spent a lot of times in the trenches in theater and doing what work you could. And I wondered if you knew at this juncture what your first listed credit on IMDb.com is.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

What does IMDb say?

[Peter Sagal]

IMDb says your first credit as a professional actor was playing the tutorial Sorceress in the Magic the Gathering video game.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

That was a very early job. Yes, yes, yes. So in the original game in the original, like, it was software that you. Of the game, of the card game. And. But it came with a tutorial. And on the back of the box, but it would be like a teeny, tiny window on your screen would be the tutorial about how to navigate through the game. And me and an actor named Reggie, we were playing Sorcerer and Sorceress. And it was so low budget that they didn't have shoes, but they wanted us to look like we were wearing kind of Gladiator Sorcerer boots or whatever. So we're just wearing tube socks with electrical tape in crisscross fashion.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, wow. Yeah. So that's.

[Paula Poundstone]

If you look carefully at Gladiator, that's what Russell Crowe wore.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

That's true.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. So, yes, you and this other actor. Because you know what. And quit show business, you do this. You constantly. You're talking to the camera and telling in sort of magical deep voices. And this is how you do this and then you do that. It's very entertaining. It's on YouTube. You can watch the whole thing, as I did. If you are a Ray Seehorn completist, it's out there for you. Have you ever actually played the Magic the Gathering video game?

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

I was so excited that my photo was on the back that I went to Best Buy and I did. I couldn't afford whatever the game was back then. It was like $45 or something. And I showed them the picture on the back, and I was like, this is. Oh, my God, I did that. Could you. Would you give me a copy?

[Peter Sagal]

And now I bet they wish they had.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Probably not.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. I'm just imagining all these aging nerds who bought that video game watching your show and going, do I know her? Well, Rhea Seehorn, it is such a joy to talk to you. And we have, in fact, asked you here to play a game. We are calling it this time.

[Bill Curtis]

It's Christmas Carol.

[Peter Sagal]

So as everybody on earth in Pluribus knows, your character's name is. So we thought, given the season, we'd ask you about Christmas carols. Answer two or three questions, you'll win. Our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might choose giving holiday greetings on their voicemail. So, Bill, who is Ray Seehorn playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Alex Johnson of Seattle, Washington.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, first question. Just this year, a famous person tried to put their own trademark on a new Christmas carol. Was it A, Tyra Banks song, Santa Smize, B, Dwayne the Rock Johnson's can you smell what Santa is cooking? Or C, Rick Astley's I'm Never Gonna Give youe Gifts. Okay.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

I'm going with A.

[Peter Sagal]

You're gonna go with a Tyra Banks song, Santa Smize. You're right.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

Wow.

[Peter Sagal]

Named by the Washington Post as one of the five worst Christmas carols of the year. So. All right, that was very good. And instinctual. And very good. All right, Next question. In 1953, a child singer named Gayla Peavy recorded and released a song called I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas. Big hit. What was the result? A, the response to the song was so negative, she eventually became a nun and took a vow of silence. B, stuffed hippos were going in the black market for $5,000 in today's money. Or C, somebody actually gave her a hippo. I think C. You're right. It was C. Yes. It was a huge hit. She sang it in the Ed Sullivan show and somebody gave her a hippo. And she eventually donated said hippo to the Oklahoma City Zoo. Okay, you're being perfect in this as you have been in all things. Here's your last question. John Denver put out a Christmas album once, Rocky Mountain Christmas, which included which of these less than merry Christmas songs. A, please Daddy, don't get drunk this Christmas. B, my gift for you is my love parentheses, because that's all I can afford. Or C, poisoned by the mistletoe.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

Wow.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

With a.

[Peter Sagal]

You're going with A again. Please, Daddy, don't get drunk this Christmas. You're right again. That is pretty impressive. Yeah. Yeah, that was one of the songs. We were going to play you a sample of the song Please Daddy, Don't Get Drunk this Christmas, but it is ridiculously sad.

[Paula Poundstone]

It's good. I love that song.

[Peter Sagal]

Do you really?

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

We found it. Really?

[Paula Poundstone]

Please, Daddy, don't get drunk. You don't like that?

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Wow.

[Peter Sagal]

That was very impressive.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

Thank you.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

I totally think people that are caroling should add that John Denver song.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Paula Poundstone]

I think it'll bring some issues to the forefront.

[Peter Sagal]

I think it's good. I think honesty is what we need. Bill, how did Rhea Seehorn do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

She was perfect. She got him. All right.

[Peter Sagal]

Rhea Seehorn is nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance and pluribus, I am betting the first of many such nominations. You can stream it on Apple TV now. It's amazing. Don't read a word about it. Watch it. Ray C. Horn, thank you so much for being with us on. Wait, wait, don't tell me. We're such big fans.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

This is a dream come true. Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you.

[Josh Gondelman]

Such a wonderful show.

[Peter Sagal]

Take her by.

[Paula Poundstone]

Love you A.

[Peter Sagal]

In just a minute, Bill takes it all off for the holidays and our Listener Limerick challenge. Call 1-88-HAIT-WAIT to join us in the air. We'll be back in a minute with more WAIT wait. Don't TELL me from npr. This message comes from the Natural Resources Defense Council. What's one way people are working to protect the planet for future generations? One answer. Joining the 3 million supporters of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Their mission is to safeguard the earth and its people, plants and animals by combining science, law and public engagement to protect the natural systems that all life depends on for a limited time. Contributions are being matched five to one. [e-mail] wait support for NPR and the following message come from GoodRx. The holidays are here, but so is cold and flu season. Find relief for less. With GoodRx, you could save an average of $53 on flu treatments, plus save on cold medications, decongestants and more easily. Compare prescription prices and find discounts up to 80%. GoodRx is not insurance, but works with or without it and it could beat your copay price. Save on cold and flu [e-mail] Wait.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

This message comes from NPR sponsor Veeam. AI promised intelligence, but it also exposed everything people couldn't see, like scattered data and hidden risks. Now there's a new way forward where protection, governance and AI trust move together. With Veeam Security AI, you can see your entire data estate in real time, because when resilience, security, governance and AI trust come together, innovation moves safely and faster. Learn more about accelerating safe AI at [e-mail].

[Bill Curtis]

From NPR and WBC Chicago, this is Wait, wait, don't tell me the nv. I'm Bill Curtis. We are playing this week with Josh Gondelman, Hari Kondabolu and Paula Poundstone. And here again is your host at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill. In just a minute. Coming down through the chimney is good old Saint Limerick. If you'd like to play even after I said that, give us a call at 1-88-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Right now, panel, some more questions for you from the week's news. Josh, the New York Times published a helpful guide for getting along with your in laws while you visit during the holidays. And they say if nothing else works, they finally suggest that after dinner you.

[Josh Gondelman]

Should just do what put on the tv.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

No?

[Josh Gondelman]

Okay. Well, they have a different strategy than I do.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

Okay.

[Josh Gondelman]

Can I have a hint?

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, you can. Just say you just can't function without your nightly 14 hours of sleep.

[Josh Gondelman]

Oh, just retire to bed early.

[Peter Sagal]

Just go to bed. Have you. That's right. Have you already made fun of all your partner's baby pictures and reached the point where saying more about the weather would just be weird? Just go to bed. It's a great way to make sure you never have to say, oh yeah, your grandpa tells great stories. You always know everybody's race.

[Hari Kondabolu]

So that's what the whites are doing.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Hari Kondabolu]

All right, I get it now.

[Peter Sagal]

One woman says she sets up her early bedtime to avoid having to talk to anybody anymore by telling everyone she's a quote early bird. But be careful. If you're married into a fitness family, that can backfire.

[Paula Poundstone]

Great.

[Peter Sagal]

We'll see you for the 5am run.

[Hari Kondabolu]

The sleep thing is good, but it gets a little dangerous because after a while you start applying it to every part of your life, not wanting to deal with life on a day to day level. So you just constantly keep napping and eventually you just hope you don't wake up.

[Peter Sagal]

Geez, that reminds me of a John Denver show. Yeah.

[Paula Poundstone]

Boy, that is harsh.

[Josh Gondelman]

My in laws, my in laws are lovely but they're also very sleepy so I'm always I feel like I'm or they're trying to avoid me is what I think might be happening. I'm realizing in real time that's what's going on.

[Paula Poundstone]

I saw that light switch click for you.

[Peter Sagal]

You visit your in laws and your mother in law's like well guess I need to go to bed. And you're like mama, we just had lunch.

[Josh Gondelman]

I'm on to you, Susan. We're having coffee at 5pm next time I visit.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah, two can play at that game.

[Peter Sagal]

Hari. A single sick of managing their online profiles are letting who step in to help.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Jesus Christ.

[Peter Sagal]

Sort of like is my co pilot, you know?

[Hari Kondabolu]

Yeah. Their parents.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes indeed their parents. Or specifically their moms. According to the Wall Street Journal, burned out singles are now letting their moms swipe on the dating apps for them. These moms are known as MILFs. Moms I'd let flirt for me. Honestly, this is probably a great idea. Moms know best until it comes to knowing what emojis not to use in the chat. Your mom's like, well doesn't peach just mean you're a peach of a person?

[Paula Poundstone]

What does peach mean?

[Peter Sagal]

Can it not be explained on Josh is whispering.

[Josh Gondelman]

It's a butt, Paula.

[Paula Poundstone]

Oh Huh. And yet they're so healthy.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Wait a second. So the whole thing is that parents are helping to pick potential partners for their children. Wow. What an original idea. Well, I. You know what? I. I should tell my mom and dad about this idea.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. You think they'll be surprised?

[Hari Kondabolu]

They met on their wedding day.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

You did?

[Hari Kondabolu]

They did?

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Paula Poundstone]

Oh, wow.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Paula Poundstone]

And are they still together?

[Hari Kondabolu]

Surprisingly, yes.

[Paula Poundstone]

Wow.

[Josh Gondelman]

I thought the big genes were retro. We've come all the way back around to arranged marriage.

[Peter Sagal]

That's true. I guess it's fine to do this, but your parents should disclose who they are when you match, Right? Otherwise you run the risk of your mom winning the heart of a man for you. But it's actually his mom too, right? And they're both like. Wait, you like white wine in novels about Cape Cod. Two. Coming up. It's lightning. Fill in the blank. But first, it's the game where you have to listen for the rhyme. If you'd like to play on air, call or leave a message at 1-88-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-89-24. You can see us most weeks here at the Studebaker Theatre in Chicago, or you can catch us on the road. We will be in Bloomington, Indiana on February 26th. Yes, on the campus of the University of Thereof, Indiana. For tickets and information to all our live events, go to nprpresents.org hi, Arun. Wait, wait, don't tell me.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Hi, this is Cynthia calling from Los Angeles, California.

[Peter Sagal]

How are things in la? Oh, it's really, really warm. Oh, to hell with you. Sorry, that was reflexive. It's been cold this week in Chicago. And what do you do there? I am a project manager for a.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Fashion company called Rails.

[Peter Sagal]

Rails.

[Josh Gondelman]

I have one of your company shirts. Great work.

[Peter Sagal]

Really?

[Bill Curtis]

Yeah.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Button down.

[Peter Sagal]

Is it like modern renditions of like old train conductor outfits? Because that's what I would want.

[Josh Gondelman]

Is that what you think I dress like?

[Peter Sagal]

Well, you do have that nifty west kit with your pocket watch. I assume you know. Well, Cynthia, welcome to the show. Bill Curtis is going to read for you 3news related limericks with the last word or phrase missing from each. If you can fill in that last or phrase correctly in two of the limericks, you'll be a winner. You ready to play? Yep.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Let's go.

[Peter Sagal]

Let's go. Here's your first limerick.

[Bill Curtis]

Our stockings were hung with much care, but our tree remained stark with no flare. This year there's no fights about tinsel or lights because this year our tree will Stay bare.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, bare. If you have not gotten around to decorating your Christmas tree. Then this year you're not lazy. You are on trend. Celebrities and influencers are swearing by their quote, naked trees. That's when you decorate your tree with nothing at all. It's that chic straight from the Menards parking lot look.

[Hari Kondabolu]

So it's just a tree in your house?

[Peter Sagal]

Yes. So instead of. You bring in a Christmas tree. Your standard evergreen. Right. Instead of like covering it with like tinsel and ornaments and all that stuff. You either leave it completely bare. Or just a single, maybe two strands of white lights. That's the idea.

[Paula Poundstone]

I probably should have done that this year. I'm not having a tree this year because I have kittens.

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Paula Poundstone]

And I just.

[Peter Sagal]

Paula, you've had kittens for as long as I've known you. Sometimes in double digits.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah. But, you know, so I don't want to be mad at them all the time.

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Paula Poundstone]

And it's natural for them to want to play in the tree.

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Paula Poundstone]

And so I just thought, you know, maybe I'll skip it.

[Peter Sagal]

You've had enough. So you could put glitter on them. Invite them to jump into the tree and boom, decorate it.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, Cynthia, here is your next limerick.

[Bill Curtis]

Scaly reptiles caught a fair shake cause Zootopia gave them a break. Now everyone's hyper for venomous vipers Young kids want a poisonous snake.

[Peter Sagal]

Snake, yes. If you are not familiar with it. Zootopia 2 is an animated erotic thriller About a rabbit and her hot fox boyfriend. And there's also this friendly snake, sort of a legless third wheel in China. Though inspired by this movie, fans have been buying venomous Indonesian pit vipers to keep as pets. It's terrible. People adopt, don't shop.

[Paula Poundstone]

I enjoyed Snagglepuss and I didn't get a saber toothed tiger with kind of a lisp.

[Josh Gondelman]

This happens all the time though, right? Like whenever There's a new 101 Dalmatians movie.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

Yeah.

[Josh Gondelman]

Kids are clamoring for Dalmatians. And when Shrek came out, I was like, I just gotta have a donkey and an ogre.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

I was about to say I went for the.

[Josh Gondelman]

To keep the donkey company.

[Peter Sagal]

Exactly. All right, Here is your last limerick.

[Bill Curtis]

Pop music once had a bright spark. Think of Saturdays spent in the park. But basses grew boomy and lyrics got gloomy. Now pop songs are stressed out and dark.

[Peter Sagal]

Dark. Yes. A new study of American pop music has found that over the past 50 years. The lyrics of pop songs have become progressively more stressed out and gloomy. Personally, I think this underestimates how stressful it was realizing that nobody, not one person alive, knew who put the bump and the bump du bomp to bomp.

[Josh Gondelman]

Nor who let the dogs out.

[Peter Sagal]

True.

[Josh Gondelman]

A lot of unanswered questions. Cold cases, if you will.

[Peter Sagal]

An analysis of lyrics of over 250,000 hit songs released between 1973 and 2023 found that over that span, the presence of words related to stress, anxiety and pressure increased by 81%. Because before 1973, as I'm sure some of you remember, 100% of song lyrics were about riding a bicycle with your sweetie. Bill, how did Cynthia do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Cynthia was so perfect. She got three in a row.

[Peter Sagal]

Congratulations.

[Paula Poundstone]

Good job, Cynthia.

[Peter Sagal]

And thank you for Josh's always fashionable look.

[Josh Gondelman]

Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

And I happen, I'm just guessing here that Josh would not mind a gig as like a catalog model that you're looking for for one. Yeah, I'll keep mine. Keep that in mind. Okay. Thank you so much, Cynthia.

[Paula Poundstone]

Thank you.

[Bill Curtis]

Bye bye.

[Josh Gondelman]

Thank you for that patronizing.

[Peter Sagal]

I will keep that in mind. This message comes from NPR sponsor Viking, committed to exploring the world in comfort. Journey through the heart of Europe on an elegant Viking longship with thoughtful service, destination focused dining and cultural enrichment on board and onshore. And every Viking voyage is all inclusive with no children and no casinos.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

Discover [e-mail] this message comes from NPR sponsor Capella University. Sometimes it takes a different approach to pursue your goals. Capella is an online university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. That means you can earn your degree from wherever you are and be confident your education is relevant, recognized and respected. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more about earning a relevant [e-mail]. this message comes from NPR sponsor ebay, who is home to millions of parts for your next project and free returns if it doesn't fit or it isn't what you expected. EBAY has your back. Eligible items only exclusions apply. Ebay things people love.

[Peter Sagal]

Now onto our final game. Lightning Fill in the blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill in the blank questions as they can. Each correct answer is worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores?

[Bill Curtis]

Josh and Hari each racking up three apiece and Paula one.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, my goodness.

[Paula Poundstone]

Huh?

[Josh Gondelman]

Anyone's game.

[Peter Sagal]

Okay, Paula, that means you are in second place. So I am going to start with you. The clock will start renewing your first question. Fill in the blank During a primetime Address. On Wednesday, Blank again blamed Joe Biden for inflation.

[Paula Poundstone]

Trump.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. On Monday, Ford announced it was dramatically scaling back its production of Blanks. Cars. What kind of cars?

[Paula Poundstone]

Pintos.

[Peter Sagal]

No. It's about time. But they finally gave up. No. EVs. Electric vehicles. This week, the White House added 20 new countries to the list of those with Blank restrictions into the U.S. immigration.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

Right. Travel.

[Peter Sagal]

According to the CDC, the blank outbreaks in Utah and South Carolina are getting worse.

[Paula Poundstone]

Measles.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. This week, a woman sued the IRS claiming that she should be able to claim Blank as her dependent.

[Caller/Guest (varies, e.g., Rachel, Lisa Peterson, Cynthia)]

Um.

[Paula Poundstone]

Trump.

[Peter Sagal]

No. Her dog. On Tuesday, the President's son, Blank got engaged to a Palm BEACH Socialite, Don Jr. Right. On Thursday, the jackpot for the blank rose above $1.5 billion.

[Paula Poundstone]

For the lottery.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. The Powerball. This week, a man sued a casino in Las Vegas after he woke up the morning after a night out there and found himself Blank.

[Paula Poundstone]

Ooh. Morning after a night out there and found himself. On the roof. He was on the roof?

[Bill Curtis]

No.

[Peter Sagal]

He found himself in jail and in debt to the casino for $75,000. Wow. And he wasn't able to remember how either of those things happened. The 64 year old man says he was incapacitating the evening before and that the signatures on several casino markers only loosely resemble his own. He says the casino should not have allowed him to continue gambling while he was drunk. Which is absolutely reasonable because when I walk into a casino, my first thought is always finally, a place with a strong moral compass. All right, Bill, how did Paula do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Six more. Five. Right. She has a total of 11. And in the lead.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh.

[Hari Kondabolu]

All right.

[Bill Curtis]

Well.

[Peter Sagal]

Hurry and Josh are tied, so I'm just going to choose Hurry to go next. Fill in the blank. Hurry. Here we go. On Wednesday, the Academy Awards announced they were moving from ABC to Streaming live on Blank in 2029. YouTube. Right. This week, the White House announced that most members of the Blank would receive checks before Christmas.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Of the working class?

[Peter Sagal]

No. The military. On Wednesday, at least four people were killed. And the latest US Blank strike.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Bombing of Venezuela.

[Peter Sagal]

I'll give it to you. The bombing of their boats. After discovering he did not win the Heisman Trophy, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia displayed true sportsmanship and Blanked.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Did a crotch chop.

[Peter Sagal]

No. He cussed out the Heisman voters on Twitter. This week, a megachurch in Houston is apologizing after a woman was injured by Blank during their Christmas spectacular pageant.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Flying raccoon.

[Bill Curtis]

No.

[Paula Poundstone]

She was.

[Peter Sagal]

Was injured by a camel kicking her in the head.

[Bill Curtis]

Oh, no.

[Peter Sagal]

The camel was being led onto stage through the audience when it kicked out and knocked a woman right in the head. The church has apologized and as a gift is giving the woman front row seats to see the Rockettes. Oh, no. Bill, how did Hurry do in our quiz to right?

[Bill Curtis]

Four more points, total of seven. However, leaves Paula in the lead.

[Peter Sagal]

How many then does Josh. How many then does Josh need to win?

[Bill Curtis]

4 to tie, 5 to win.

[Peter Sagal]

Here we go, Josh. This is for the game. On Tuesday, a new federal law required the Justice Department to release more of their files on blank.

[Josh Gondelman]

Jeffrey Epstein.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. Claiming a documentary they produced had defamed him. Donald Trump sued the blank for $10 billion.

[Josh Gondelman]

The BBC.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. This week, the House narrowly passed a package aimed at lowering blank costs.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

Medical.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, medical. Right. Health care costs. This week, President Trump signed an executive order classifying Blank as a Schedule 3 narcotic marijuana. Right. This week, a woman in the UK was arrested for trying to rob a city bus using blank.

[Josh Gondelman]

A banana?

[Peter Sagal]

No, the frozen leg of lamb she just shoplifted. According to a new study, eating blank might lower your dementia risk.

[Josh Gondelman]

Crossword puzzles.

[Peter Sagal]

Eating crossword puzzles. Oh, God, I've been doing them wrong.

[Paula Poundstone]

Cheese.

[Peter Sagal]

On Monday, Merriam Webster announced that their word of the year was blank.

[Josh Gondelman]

Slop.

[Peter Sagal]

Right after a dance instructor in China fainted while teaching a class this week, her students blanked.

[Josh Gondelman]

Her students also made as if they were fainting.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, they all fainted in perfect sync because they thought it was part of the dance. This video is incredible. The whole class is swinging their head rhythmically along with the instructor, and then she stumbles and falls to the ground. So the whole class does that, too.

[Paula Poundstone]

Oh, my gosh.

[Peter Sagal]

It's amazing to see. They're great students. It's even more amazing when they somehow coordinate 10 different EMTs to take them all to the hospital at the same time. Bill, Teacher, I think Josh did well. Did he do well in.

[Bill Curtis]

Oh, he got six. Right. 12 more points and his 15 gives him the win.

[Peter Sagal]

Congratulations, Josh Godelman.

[Paula Poundstone]

There it is. Congrats.

[Josh Gondelman]

Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

Coming up, our panelists predict what will be the big Christmas present this year around that tree. But first, let me tell you that. Wait, wait, Don't Tell me. Is a production of NPR and W Beaz Chicago in association with Urgent Haircut Productions. Doug Berman, benevolent overlord Philip Gaudicke writes our Limerichs. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our tour manager is Shane and Donald, thanks to the staff and crew at the Studebaker Theatre. And very special thanks to Barry Sorkin and everybody at Smoke Barbecue for catering our holiday barbecue. BJ Lederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Dornboss and Lillian King. Special thanks to Mohanad El Sheikhy and Monica Hickey. Our Frosty the Snow Gwyn is Peter Gwynn. Our visual host is Emma Choi. Technical direction is from Lorna White. Our CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chillock. And the executive producer, Wait, wait, don't tell me. Is Michael Danforth. Now, panel, what will be this year's big Christmas gift?

[Josh Gondelman]

Josh Gondelman, for those cold, lonely winter nights on the road with your hockey team. It's a heated rivalry. Body Pillow.

[Hari Kondabolu]

Hari kondabolu, barbie's dream house now with unnecessary ballroom.

[Paula Poundstone]

And Paula Poundstone, hot chocolate with mushroom mushrooms, A party and a cup.

[Bill Curtis]

And if any of that happens, panel, we'll ask you about it on. Wait, wait, don't tell me.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you so much. Bill Curtis. Thanks also to Hari Kondabolu. Paula Foundstone, thanks to our fabulous audience here who joined us at the Student Baker Theater. We appreciate your warmth. Thank you all for listening wherever you may be. I'm Peter Sagel. We'll see you next week. This is npr. This message comes from the Council for Interior Design Qualification. Interior designer and CIDQ President Siyavash Madani explains the value of having an NCIDQ certification.

[Announcer/Producer/Other Staff]

An NCIDQ certified interior designer must complete a minimum of six years of specialized education and work experience and pass the three part NCIDQ exam. All three exams emphasize and focus on health, safety and welfare of the occupants. It's really about the implementation of design. Good design is never just about aesthetics. It's about intention, safety and impact. We take the responsibility of protecting the public seriously. The space needs to be functional, safe and accessible.

[Peter Sagal]

To learn more about NCIDQ certification or to hire a Certified Designer, visit CIDQ.org NPR support for this American Life comes from 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 more at Capella. Eduardo.