Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! - Everyone & Elvis

Episode Date: June 22, 2022

Comedian Mic Nguyen and Emma search for someone to fill some very hard to fill shoes, and Mic gets lessons from the King.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Hey guys, I'm Emma Choi and welcome to Everyone and Their Mom, a weekly show from Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. This week we're talking about Elvis with comedian, co-host of Asian Not Asian podcast, and the man who introduced me to the magic of Cantonese steamed rice rolls. It's Mike Nguyen. Hi Mike. What's going on? How's it going? Thanks for having me. Thanks for coming. We're so freaking pumped. And we have something really fun to talk about. So, Mike, you know how you can, like, go to Vegas and, like, get married by Elvis literally

any second of any day? Oh, yeah. Well, those days are ending soon. I've heard about this. Elvis's licensing company is, like, no longer allowing Las Vegas businesses to use his likeness. That's crazy. I know. So there's no more Elvis themed weddings, which is a very Grinch like move.

You know, I thought that Elvis had passed into the public domain at this point. No, I mean, you know, kind of like kind of like, I don't know, like Mozart or maybe, you know, I'm saying like Mozart, Elvis. They're they bought they belong to the people absolutely but turns out the terms elvis elvis presley and the king of rock and roll are protected trademarks so next vegas wedding get ready for melvis mresley the emperor of croc and troll are you telling me that las vegas is run by corporations no way no what's your take on vegas mike oh my gosh i love vegas i love vega i've got i got it down to a science yeah uh i have figured out exactly how much um chilean sea bass i can eat in order to make the hotel stay worth it does that make i have a mathematical calculation. It's perfect.

You come talk to me. I wonder if this is an Asian thing because my grandma and all of her sisters, they had like six sisters. Every time they go to Vegas, like they sit down in their Ajumma visors and they're like their cropped pants and they like sit down and they close down the seafood restaurant. Like they eat their weight plus more in lobster. And by the time they leave Vegas, it's like vegas is leaving them you know it you know it's like it's like that old saying you know so people usually go to vegas to to gamble uh when asian people show up vegas gambles with asians it's it's not the same thing

at all yeah i mean you're married mike how did what was was your wedding anything like an elvis drive-thru no but it's interesting because my wife is i'm vietnamese but my wife is korean hell yeah and uh korean uh wedding i'm not the ceremony i can't remember what it's called exactly but um it's very beautiful a lot of here a lot of silk let me tell you this a lot of silk a lot of of food yeah okay and um a lot of of bowing and hand motions it's perfect for elvis they should have an elvis korean package oh my god you know he's he's in a hanbok right he is um he's doing the whole lip thing but with korean words it i it's a match made in heaven in a way you know my whole family is korean every korean wedding does have an elvis a person

eater in spirit but there's always that one uncle who gets like super drunk and starts singing to all the kids and to me that's elvis right i would also imagine that same uncle probably has a big pompadour yeah yeah ours is uncle dennis and he's our elvis you know dennis turns up at every wedding and we're like great he's here tell uncle dennis to be careful he might get a cease and desist soon so literally it's great or maybe he maybe uncle dennis he's going about to embark on a new career in vegas uh i'm thinking um korean drunk uncle marries uh you know is your officiant he's a deacon in the catholic church so he has he can do it holy moly uh i stop the podcast now call him up we're gonna get investors

hi uncle dennis hello hello emma can you introduce yourself i'm uh uncle dennis uncle dennis i feel like would you describe yourself as the life of the party? Well, you know, I'm kind of a has-been. It's been a while. But you know who the life of the party is? You guys now. It's funny because when I think of our family gatherings, like, I always think of, like, you as the life of the party. Remember at Jason's wedding?

Like, you're in every single one of the wedding photos and jason's not even your son you know like you made my dad take shots with you and i was i remember like you busting some serious moves on the dance floor i i will neither admit nor deny but uh you know we have fun and we got a big family too there's like what like a hundred of us just on my dad's side i think it's about like 60 people 50 we, if we all get together. What do you think is one of our best Shin family get-togethers? Several years ago, we got together in Las Vegas. Do you remember the yardstick?

Well, you weren't old enough to. Oh my God, I do remember that. Yeah, it's like a three, four foot bottle. Dear God. Filled with cocktail and walking around. Having competition with each family. And then we ended up at a i think one of the casino buffet and uh you know there's a big it's like a midnight buffet and there was a big long line yeah and you know like 50 of us were standing in line with a bunch of people right yeah

and uh we're speaking konglish yeah you speak konglish right yeah it's a mix of korean and english and and we were talking really loud because you know we have to hear each other all 50 of us yeah so we're talking we're loud we're obnoxious and and you know people in the line they're they're kind of looking at us funny you know what are these asians bunch of asians they're so loud and and so we looked at each other we stopped and then we started speaking British accent, all of us. And everybody there, they just hushed down, and they're all watching us. And they got so confused.

You know, that was fun. Yeah, that is so fun. You know what we should do next time when we get together? We have enough people that we can do a flash mob. Oh, God. I feel like the harmonious would break a hip. I don't want to endanger them like that. Well, Uncle Dennis, I know that you officiated your daughter Emily's wedding, right?

I watched it on Zoom. I did. And you were so great. And you're a deacon. Do you like officiating weddings? Well, I've only done a few. I was very honored to do my own daughter's wedding. Yeah, that was a cool experience.

Well, I mean, we wanted to talk to you because you're my fun uncle, but also because there's this news that pretty soon you won't be able to be married by an Elvis impersonator in Vegas. Is that right? Yeah, which is crazy. Oh, my God. I know. And my friend thinks that you should take over that role as an iconic Vegas wedding officiant. Yes.

Yes. Oh, yeah. I think you'll be great at it. I actually did a show for my church on a fundraiser. Did a whole surprise Elvis sack. No way. Are you serious? An Elvis thing?

The whole get up. You know, the white suit with the scarf. And I was going around giving the scarf to the ladies. And, you know, the white suit with the scarf. And I was going around giving the scarf to the ladies and, you know, the sweat. Yeah, they loved it. And a big welcome to Deacon Dennis Sitt. Was there a moment where you had an out-of-body Elvis moment? When I was doing the arm twist, you know. Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah, There it is. Mike, what do you think the life of an impersonator is? Do you think that's a desirable job to have i think it's i think it is a desirable job i think if you if you look at it you know you it it could be it it's very monastic okay if you think about you living in the desert all right you're um committing your life to uh bringing people together you wear uh sacred vestments all right um and uh you're steeped steeped in mythology i think i think it's a beautiful life um you know yeah do you also have to maybe have have to have a day job at the uh at the circus circus uh cafeteria sure but at night you know you um you do God's work.

Yeah. And I think it's a beautiful life. It really does sound nice. I was thinking maybe I should become an Elvis impersonator. I think there's a strangely, for some reason, lack of Vietnamese American Elvis impersonators. It's an underserved market, I think. You can't just put the costume on. You have to do the moves. You have to hold yourself in a certain way.

Hey, Melissa. Hey, Emma. How's it going? Good. Thanks for joining us. Okay. So just to start, will you introduce yourself to us? Yeah. So my name is Melissa Brum. I'm also known as Melvis. I'm a comedian and impersonator and singer out of Madison, Wisconsin. My main shtick is that I perform shows as an Elvis tribute artist, as an Elvis impersonator.

How did you get your start doing this? I've always loved Elvis and the Beatles and classic rock. And so I would, you know, always sing to songs and people would always say like, I sounded like Elvis, you know, so my cousin had an Elvis themed party, which I decided to actually like show up in, in full costume. And because it was at this place that was that had Elvis's favorite roller coaster at. And I was like, how funny would it be if I just dressed as Elvis rode this roller coaster. And so that And so that's where it kind of started. And then being a woman as Elvis is also, I often think that there's going to be this backlash, but there never is. It's always like, wow, that's really cool. Or you do this amazing job at it. I mean, how do you get into character? job at it. I mean, how do you get into character? I look in the mirror or something and I'll make a stance or I'll like do a karate move. And I'm just like, I just start laughing and I'm just

like, this is so funny. And then I'm like, hey, I'll always know this. You know, I like decent goofy voice. And I love that. Is it a power posing? It's like Elvis posing or like harnessing his spirit. Yeah, it's kind of like that. Something like that. Yeah. Well, we have a friend named Mike who says he wants to be an Elvis impersonator. And so if you're an Elvis impersonator, how can we tell him about, you know, or what can we tell him about how to start? Like, is there a training course? Is there like an internship you can figure out?

That would be great if there was an apprenticeship, how to be Elvis. If Mike was your apprentice, where would you start with him to train him? I mean, so much of Elvis's embodiment comes from his moves. That's really what brings people into the show. You know, that's what people, they can see you dressed as Elvis, but what really like shows you that, like shows them that you are Elvis is the movement, the way you move. That's really what takes people to that next level of like, that looks like Elvis. It's such a powerful, like physicality. Do you find that that confidence makes it way into your everyday life? I think it does. Yeah, like learning how to move like him, I've definitely captured more of his confidence in my daily life, which I'm definitely grateful for.

I just like when people, you know, let's just keep Elvis's music going. We want to play a game with you, if that's okay. I'm gonna go. Yes. Because to us, it's kind of crazy that people entrust Elvis to perform the sacred rite of marriage. So we wanted to find out what else people would trust Elvis to do. So we're going to give you a job, and you tell us if you would let Elvis do it, okay? Yes. Cook you breakfast. you would let Elvis do it. Okay? Yes.

Cook you breakfast. Would you let Elvis do it? Is this after an amorous evening? Sure. Yeah. If so, then definitely yes. Deliver a baby. Let Elvis do it?

Ooh, yes. But only older Elvis. Elvis. Okay. Neuter your cat. Elvis doing that? I'm thinking, yeah, the kid can do it all. He can do it, absolutely. How about have your extra key to your apartment?

Are you going to give him that? Oh, man, you know what? That might be the one thing I'm thinking. You know, he's a party animal. So I don't know if I can trust him with that. I like we're really saying where your priorities are at. Okay, would you let him donate a kidney to you? First of all, yes.

Because that kidney's seen things. Let's just say that. I think that kidney's been around the block. Will I need to immediately give it back to him? Absolutely. Okay. Joint custody. I love it.

How about conduct a baptism? Would you let him do it? I mean, hey, you know what? Why stop at just that sacrament let's do them all confession okay last rites all of them and finally would you let albus marry you to the love of your life and our Lord Graceland. Amazing. You won, Mike.

Thanks for playing our game. That was fun. Yay. Here's my favorite part of the podcast, the credits. This show is brought to you by Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. This episode was produced by Haley Fager, Zola Ray, and Nancy Seychow. With help from Lillian King, Sophie Hernandez, Simeone This, and the hot barista I can never make eye contact with when I order my chai.

Our supervising producers, Jennifer Mills, and our The Man is my fan for it. Once again, Lorna White, thank you for helping us with sound. It sounds great. Just like you. Melissa Brum, aka Melvis, thank you for teaching us all your great Elvis moves. I look just like Rachel Maddow. Follow Melissa at MelvisTheDragKing on

Instagram. Thanks to my Uncle Dennis for always making family reunions 20% more fun. Thank you very much. And thank you to my co-host, comedian, wait- Wait panelist, and my most well-dressed friend, Mike Nguyen. In my mind, what's coming up is maybe Jar Jar Binks? Make sure to check out his show, The Asian Not Asian Podcast. I'm Emma Choi, and you can find me at Wait Wait NPR and still watching the pigeons across the alley. Update, a big gray one came and

fought the first two, and now he seems to have state claim of the purge? I don't know. Okay, I'm done. This is NPR. Wise men say only fools rush in. But I can't help falling in love with you