Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! - Wait Wait DNC Dispatch #3

Episode Date: August 23, 2024

Peter Sagal and producers Emma Choi and Ian Chillag take one more trip behind the scenes at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Hello and welcome to our third dispatch from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Peter, Emma, how you doing? I'm feeling absolutely energized because I left early and got some sleep last night. Yes. That was the secret. Yeah. It's not a restful time. No.

I'm so tired. Me too. And I heard like Terry McAuliffe, the old DNC chair in Virginia, he's out like every morning till 3 a.m. And I'm like, how can he do that? He's older than I am and I cannot make it. We're at the DNC and there are so many people going on TV. There are these places where, you know, that are set up for the major TV studios. There are people who are doing things for their own channels. And Emma, you, as I understand, infiltrated yesterday the area where people are getting

their makeup. Yeah, it's so weird. It's media row and NPR, you know, the expression, you gotta face for radio. So it's kind of weird. No, no one's ever said that to me, Emma. I don't know why you need to bring it up. Because you're so beautiful, Peter. No, because it's like all these radio hosts

are getting their makeup done. Because I think NPR is like filming a lot of the interviews now, or broadcasting it too. But yeah, it's just like a booth in the middle of the floor where these people are getting their makeup done. Media row, just as a term, there's something very intimidating. Yeah, what's your last meal on Media Row? Yeah, that guy's been on Media Row for decades now waiting for his appeals.

Emma, you talked to one of the makeup artists. Hannah Marie, she's a makeup artist contracted through NPR, so we used her for the RNC too. So you work with a lot of NPR hosts, right? Mm-hmm, yes. So what do NPR hosts usually ask for? They ask for more natural-looking makeup, and I can kind of tell.

I got their pictures sent to me, so I could kind of tell the vibe already that they weren't gonna want a lot of makeup, just them but a little bit enhanced. I caught up with Osma Khalidid and Osma was getting ready for, I guess it was some kind of live broadcast, but it's fun because Osma likes getting her makeup done, so I just kind of like asked them questions while she was getting her stuff done. Have you ever been told do you have a face for radio?

A face for radio? I have not been told that and I want to take that I guess is a good sign? I don't know. I think it's a good sign. Do you normally wear makeup often? I am wearing zero makeup right now. Uh huh. Natural queen. I tend to wear makeup if I have to go to the White House because they televised those briefings, you know. What's your White House makeup routine?

My White House makeup routine? Oh Gosh guys now you're all gonna look, but that's I I wear like a heavier foundation if I know that the that the briefings are gonna be televised sometimes because I do think You know, I think you want to appear In a positive light So when you're recording from home, like what's your makeup routine? I got for like morning edition up first. Okay, my morning edition up first routine is

set five alarms between 4.30 and 4.45 to ensure I wake up, roll out of bed, and the sad reality is, look, I love my family, but my husband is like one of those people who cannot fall back to bed if he hears alarms so I sleep on the couch usually if I'm doing morning edition so that I don't wake up the whole family and yeah roll off the

sofa maybe put a robe on top of my pajamas okay I'm sorry I know we're supposed to be talking about the DNC. She said she sleeps on the couch. Yeah. When she does morning edition so she doesn't wake her family. That is just crazy. And she she says she doesn't do any makeup, slows her glasses on and then she just does it. I feel like if our bosses at NPR are listening, we have to can you just send some melatonin over something this household? It looks like we're making good progress Yes, we are almost finished We have the brows to do the mascara and then my favorite part the lips. So you mentioned

You mentioned Emma that this person Hannah Hannah She was NPR Hired her to do makeup at the DNC and and she was also the person at the RNC. Yeah, yeah. Hannah, what do you think? Do you think the makeup was different at the RNC and the DNC? Yeah, there was a lot more makeup being worn at the RNC for sure. And even like I saw pageant girls walking around.

Yeah, they were all dolled up. What do you think the vibe is here at the DNC? It's a lot more, maybe a little more basic. Peter, can I ask you a sensitive question? When have you ever held back? Go for it. You've done, you're a radio guy for the most part, but you have done TV.

I've seen you on CNN. You look great. Thank you. Again, sensitive question, but I'm genuinely curious. Do they put makeup on top of your head? Yes, like half a pound of powder just all the way back because they have to powder the top of my head. Otherwise, the glare back would actually burn out the camera lens. And so, yes. They make your head matte? Yes, they pretty much do. And I end up every, I do occasionally the appearances and I end each one in a bathroom

scrubbing my entire head and ruining multiple towels with all the powder that has to come Pretty much do and I end up every I do occasional TV appearances and I end each one in a bathroom Scrubbing my entire head and ruining multiple towels with all the powder that has to come off So I found one thing about the DNC, but I will just say I am a I am a fan of track and field international track and field that is the sport that I follow and a fan of track and field, international track and field, that is the sport that I follow. And there is something so fun about going to, like I went to the world championships a few years ago, and versus being like an NBA fan or an NFL fan, there's something so fun about being a track fan because you are literally next to, you're just walking around and the people who are the best in

the world, the people who are famous in this context are like in front of you in line at the concession stand. Matthew 16.30 Is this because no one else goes to track meets? Peter 16.30 That's exactly right. It's because nobody cares. Matthew 16.30 They exist in the context, Peter. Yeah. Peter 16.30 The elbow rubbing equivalent, it would just be like if you were an NBA fan and then when you were on your way home, LeBron James was it would just be like if you were an NBA fan and then when you were on your way home, LeBron James was standing there and was like, do you want

to share a cab? Like that's the kind of thing that happens at track meets. And I love that feeling. It feels very familial. And I've had the same feeling at the DNC. Like if you are a fan of politics and government, everywhere we walk, we're just walking, we're in security behind David Axelrod.

And then two seconds later, Emma and I walk by Al Sharpton, and we're like tugging each other's sleeves. Al Sharpton, Al Sharpton. And then like- Chris Cuomo walks by. I thought it was John Cena at first, but you're right it was-

Which doesn't make any sense. It was Chris Cuomo. I happened to find myself standing next to Chris Cuomo on the convention floor, and I thought of that, and he doesn't look anything like John Cena. I guess they both work out. They do. There was one point on the NPR Slack, we got a message, Michael Cohen is by the hot dog

stands. Yeah. Which is not something, I mean, it's like a Mad Libs. It is like a Mad Libs. It's like insert minor political celebrity locale. Well, something I've loved this week is that I've been pushed aside by so many powerful It's like insert minor political celebrity locale. Well something I've loved this week is that I've been pushed aside by so many powerful female politicians, security groups.

On the way here, I ran into AOC and I was holding a bunch of matcha lattes and her security people were like, get out of the way, get out of the way. And it was only me on the sidewalk. They were talking to me and I was like, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. And then I like run and then AOC is behind me and I'm like, what? And then yesterday I was making my way through Press Row and this was like, ma'am, I got to ask you to wait here. And I'm like, what the heck? And then Gretchen Whitmer is right there. And then there is a very narrow hallway, but then she's like gaggling or whatever. And I'm just like, I

got to get through. I'm so sorry, Gret she's like gaggling or whatever. And I'm just like, I gotta get through. I'm so sorry, Gretch, you know, it's crazy. I got in a situation I've never been in before. And I think I'll never be in again where I was at a urinal and I had the thought, you know, my peripheral vision. Am I peeing next to Alaska governor Mike Dunleavy right now? Were you? Well, I didn't want to turn my head, but...

Well, obviously. I might have been. Peter, you got to talk to one of the celebrities. Yes. I realized later on at a certain point of our experience, wait a minute, we work for NPR. We can actually talk to these people. And I knew I'd have one chance. So I asked to speak to Jasmine Crockett. She's the congresswoman from Texas. And she went viral with this moment she had with Marjorie Taylor Greene. What happened was, is at a hearing, Representative Greene had insulted her appearance. And due to circumstances that aren't worth getting into, she had a chance to respond.

And she called Representative Green. She referred to her as a bleach blonde bad built butch body. Oh, that's the one. That's the one. It went in a hugely viral moment. So much so that when I met Representative Crockett yesterday... Oh, yes. Hello.

Hi. Nice to meet you. Thank you so much for being here to do this. Absolutely. Oh my god. Oh, you okay? Oh, these chairs are awesome. It actually sabotaged me. She was wearing a t-shirt with that phrase on it. Oh my god, you have a t-shirt. I do. And I went to the trouble of making sure that I got the language right. So you'll be able to read off my shirt if you have a problem. Well, let me just, such a bold move to wear a piece of your own merch around. It is pretty cool and she said that she and her staff refer to that moment,

that incident, as B6. B6 is that what we call it? B6. And B6 stands for the six B's? Yes. In the phrase, the famous phrase. Yes. And when you talk about B6 you're talking about the phenomenon like oh before B6 they wouldn't have gotten me a reservation at this restaurant. Is that what you mean? Sure. We can use it as that. Okay. We're recording this before Emma, you're gonna go in and watch the final night. Yeah. So the rest of us have to do this radio show. This will probably appear in your ears after Kamala Harris's acceptance speech, which I am missing because our executive producer who directs Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, which Peter hosts, has come down with COVID. And so I was supposed to go watch a historic moment tonight. Instead, I'm going to be telling Peter,

we need that limerick again. And so I did actually, I emailed Mike supervisor at NPR this morning. I'm just going to bring this up. Colin. Yeah. Can I also just say, you were disappointed when you found out you had to miss Kamala Harris's speech. You were more devastated when you realized you might be missing Beyonce. Yeah. There's been a rumor that there will be a surprise Beyonce. By the time you out there hearing this, you'll know whether or not it happened. But I did, I wanted to email Colin. I said, I just need to know if Beyonce shows up tonight and I miss it because I'm directing, wait, wait, do I have your permission as my supervisor, his supervisor to murder Mike

Danforth? And Colin to his credit wrote back, murdering Mike gets you a bonus whenever you choose to do it. A grateful nation will thank you for your service. So that's the sort of support producers at NPR get. My boss is my enemy, but my boss's boss is my friend. So this may have been it for our DNC dispatches. And it's been such a great journey watching this with both of you.

It's been pretty fabulous. Peter Segel and Machoi. It's been, I feel like we have bonded and we now share memories together that we can never separate from each other. Yeah, I know. We'll all have been, let's meet here four years from this day, which would also probably be the DNC. And if we're not married by then.

I know.