Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Episode: Tiffany Haddish
Date: November 15, 2025
Host: Peter Sagal | Panelists: Brian Babylon, Roxanne Roberts, Paula Poundstone | Special Guest: Tiffany Haddish

Episode Overview

This rollicking edition of NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! blends timely news, quick-witted games, and exuberant banter from beloved comedians. The main event: Emmy and Grammy-winning comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish joins Peter Sagal and the panel to talk about her career journey, surprising first purchases, and her new show, before tackling the signature quiz segment, “Not My Job.”
Major news stories covered include Jeffrey Epstein’s emails, the Pope’s movie picks, viral TikTok shipwrecks, farty architecture, and loose saxophonists at weddings. Tiffany Haddish’s segment is a highlight, rich with humor, inspiration, and unstoppable energy.

Key Segments & Discussion Highlights

1. Warm-Up & Quick News Quiz ([00:44]–[09:02])

Government Shutdown Humor ([00:44])

• Peter Sagal opens with relief and quips about the federal government shutdown:

  “So instead of being defunded because of an emergency, we can go back to being defunded on purpose.” ([00:44] - Peter Sagal)

Listener Contestant Sophia, LA Aerospace Engineer

• Sophia joins from LA—she works on a new space station project, sparking jokes about second space stations and Trump’s “cost-cutting.”
  • Paula Poundstone: “Trump cut a wing off of the other one.” ([01:52])

“Who’s Bill This Time?” News Quiz ([03:00])

1. Jeffrey Epstein Emails ([03:06])

• Epstein’s released emails feature derisive Trump remarks.
  • Quoted:

    “Epstein calls Trump, quote, borderline insane. So gross, a dirty businessman, and, quote, even worse in person than on tv, unquote.” ([03:18] - Peter Sagal)

  • Jokes about spam and using ChatGPT to analyze tens of thousands of emails.

2. Pope’s Favorite Movies ([04:52])

• Pope’s top films: It’s a Wonderful Life, The Sound of Music, Ordinary People, Life Is Beautiful.
  • Roxanne Roberts: “I think it’s a list that a guy who appears to be a godly person would pick—a PR list, right?” ([05:34])
  • Brian Babylon wishes Die Hard made the cut; panel debates merits of Pope as PR or plumber.

3. Viral TikTok Shipwreck: Edmund Fitzgerald ([07:07])

• 50th anniversary of the Great Lakes shipwreck is trending on TikTok, sparking panelist humor on ship names and generational fascination.
  • Roxanne Roberts: “Ask any TikTok historian. There are parallels.” ([08:47])

Quiz Result ([08:53])

• Bill Curtis: “Smart engineer there in Los Angeles. She got them all right.” ([08:53])

2. Panel Quiz & News Oddities ([09:15]–[13:15])

London Velodrome “Farting” Sounds ([09:19])

• The Olympic bicycle velodrome in London emits noises that sound like flatulence during fireworks:
  • Peter Sagal shares an audio clip, prompting laughter and various interpretations.
  • Paula: “When I hear noises like that, I put the dog out.” ([11:21])

3. Bluff the Listener: The Tale of Tallulah ([14:08]–[20:49])

• Listeners guess between three absurd but plausible news stories:

  • Roxanne: An OnlyFans financial influencer, Tallulah Bank, gives stock tips while covered in cash.

  • Brian: Tallulah Biallo claims to have ghost-busted in high school with Barack Obama.

  • Paula: A man post-eye surgery hallucinates a pair of running Baywatch-style breasts he names Tallulah (real answer).

  • Reveal & Notable Quote:

    • Expert Siobhan Midgley: “The hallucinations I’ve heard are usually landscapes, colors, animals. I have not heard of Giant Breasts.” ([20:05])

4. Not My Job: Tiffany Haddish! ([20:57]–[30:42])

Career Beginnings & “Energy Producer” Gig ([21:28])

• Tiffany recounts her eclectic jobs pre-fame: sous chef, professional babysitter, bar/bat mitzvah “energy producer.”

  • Peter: “Energy producer at bar and bat mitzvahs?”
  • Tiffany:

    “My job, produce amazing.” ([22:34]) “That sound like Flavor Flav to me…No, I call it energy producer.” ([22:49])

• Demonstrates how she’d have turned Peter Sagal’s bar mitzvah into a party:

  “First, I would go to you. And I would go…‘Please take my beautiful brown hand and follow me, darling.’ And I would lead you out to the dance floor…and say ‘Do whatever I do. And smile the whole time. Side to side, step clap…hey, pump it up!’” ([23:49])

• On her own bat mitzvah:

  “I hired the same company that I used to work for. … Billy Crystal did my Aliyah. Susan Silverman officiated…” ([25:13])

Making It Big & First Big Purchase ([25:36])

• Tiffany describes buying a $359 microscope:

  “So in my mind, it was me developing my relationship with God and just seeing all the things He created. Did you know that some bacterias look just like people?” ([26:19])

Philosophy on Sharks and Life ([26:48])

• Tiffany: “Sharks don’t really like people like that...We too acidic. So as long as I keep drinking soda, girl, I’m good.” ([26:51])

“Not My Job” Quiz: Girl Strips ([27:14])

• The panel tests Tiffany on comics featuring girls, riffing on Kathy, Barbie's German comic origins, and a dark ending for Little Orphan Annie.

• Tiffany answers with her trademark wit:

  • On Barbie: “Because the way her makeup and she always had her boobs out.” ([28:58])
  • On Annie: “She got kidnapped. And that’s how they came with the movie Taken.” ([29:57])

• Bill Curtis: “Are you kidding? She rewrote the quiz.” ([30:21])

• Peter Sagal: “You have brought the energy in this little Peter.” ([30:32])

5. Panel News Round-Up & Games ([32:24]–[44:08])

Used Lululemon & “Loose” Saxophonists ([32:42]–[36:18])

• Resale of high-end athletic gear online becomes mainstream (“not just for perverts”).
• Rise of “loose saxophonists”—professional sax players wandering wedding receptions, creating a sultry, chaotic vibe.
  • Paula: “Loose saxophonist. That’s such a...I love that phrase.” ([35:45])

6. Listener Limericks & Quizzes ([38:00]–[42:20])

• News limericks cover:
  • Scaring away seagulls with deep voices ([38:22])
  • Taking “dark showers” for sleep ([39:52])
  • TikTok’s tip for illness: keep a raw potato in your sock ([40:51])
• Panel offers riff tracks at every turn, debating the practicality and absurdity of these viral trends.

7. Lightning Fill in the Blank ([44:08]–[48:53])

• Panelists battle rapid-fire questions on current news:
  • Last penny minted in Philadelphia
  • “Loose saxophonists” and indie wedding trends
  • New scams, viral internet remedies, more
• Roxanne Roberts wins the game with a near-perfect lightning round.

8. Closing Banter & Panel Predictions ([49:01]–[50:28])

Prompt: What will be the Pope’s favorite movie of 2026?

• Brian Babylon: “Are you there, God? It’s me, Leo.” ([49:57])
• Roxanne Roberts: “Dirty Dancing 3: Vatican Knights.” ([50:07])
• Paula Poundstone: “Southside Popey—the story of the Pope of the people who fixes his own car.” ([50:13])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On twerking up a mitzvah:

  “Peter, I’m gonna be real with you. I’ve seen Tiffany. She could make a dreidel spin without spinning it.” ([24:47] - Brian Babylon)

• On Tiffany’s career resilience:

  “I bought a microscope...so in my mind, it was me developing my relationship with God and just seeing all the things He created.” ([25:59] - Tiffany Haddish)

• On TikTok and shipwrecks:

  “So if you want to go and find out the specifics of what happened to the Edmund Fitzgerald, you can go on TikTok or ask literally any dad.” ([07:54] - Peter Sagal)

• On life as an “energy producer”:

  “My job, produce amazing.” ([22:34] - Tiffany Haddish)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:44] – Show opening, panel introductions, quick-fire news jokes
• [03:00] – Listener contestant Sophia answers “Who’s Bill This Time?” quiz
• [09:15] – Panel quiz on London’s farting velodrome
• [14:08] – Bluff the Listener: The tale of Tallulah (real answer: breast hallucination, Paula)
• [20:57] – Not My Job: Tiffany Haddish interview & quiz
• [32:42] – Used Lululemon, “loose saxophonists” at weddings
• [38:22] – Limericks and listener quizzes
• [44:08] – Lightning Fill In The Blank
• [49:57] – Panel predictions: The Pope’s next favorite movie

Episode Tone & Style

As always, Peter Sagal’s wry MC demeanor sets the tone—quick, silly, and packed with asides that skewer both the news and the panelists. Panelists riff relentlessly on each other’s foibles and the weirdness of the week’s events. Tiffany Haddish’s energy is infectious, radiating warmth and humor throughout her segment—she easily matches and elevates the show’s mix of wit and heart.

Summary for Newcomers

This episode is a stellar, laugh-packed crash course in pop culture, current events, and the unpredictable genius of Tiffany Haddish. Whether riffing on TikTok shipwrecks, showing Peter Sagal the art of party-hyping, or revealing the quirky first thing she bought with her movie money, Tiffany Haddish’s appearance—along with the usual panel hilarity—makes this one of the most lively, memorable episodes in recent Wait Wait history.