Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! - WWDTM: Spring Break Edition!

Episode Date: March 31, 2024

To celebrate Spring Break, we hit the beach with some of our favorite guests, including John Stamos, Malala Yousafzai, Kaila Mullady, David Axelrod, and Gabrielle Dennis!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Here and now. It can be a mantra if you need one. And who doesn't these days? We're a show that gives you fresh perspectives on the biggest stories of the day with real people all in a half hour. Get your world news all in one place. Just remember the mantra, here and now, anytime. A podcast from NPR and WBUR. A podcast from NPR and WBUR. From NPR and WBEC Chicago, this is, wait, wait, don't tell me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm the man with a voice so rich and meaty you're not allowed to listen on Good Friday. Bill Curtis and here's your host at the Studebaker Theatre in downtown Chicago Peter Sagal. Thank you Bill, thank you everybody. So it happens to be Easter weekend and also spring break, so we're taking some time off

to celebrate. And whether Bill is spending this week starring in a passion play or doing shots on the beach, either way, he has got his shirt off. If the sky is blue, I go nude. While we are out worshipping the sun, we're going to share with you some highlights from the past few months. John Stamos, the star of the iconic sitcom Full House, joined us in November of last year just after publishing a juicy new memoir.

And he was more than willing to give us some free samples. Thanks for having me. It is a pleasure to have you. I got to ask, so why a memoir now? Did you see Brittany coming out with hers and Barbara and you wanted to get in on it so it could all be like sold as a package by Amazon? Yes.

All right, next question. Did you do the thing, some people who have written memoirs have done this, did you like go back and talk to people who were there at certain times and say, what do you remember about that? Or was this true or something like that? Yeah, I should have, but my mother kept every teen magazine, every contract, every journals, everything that I ever did. So I had a lot of it and I had a lot of my own calendars

that I wrote in, but I did talk to a few people. I caught my first love in bed with Tony Dans. I haven't talked to him, but... Wait, what? Next question. Does your memoir have pictures by chance? All right. No, wait a minute.

I'm sorry. You just offered that you caught your first love in bed with Tony Danza. The truth is, the only real reason why I put it in the book, I was trying to find sort of relatable... That's not super relatable, but being cheated on, I think probably was. It's incredibly relatable. Well, I think, from what I've heard about Tony Danza, that has happened to a lot of people, so.

My husband caught me in bed with George Wendt, so. Some of us get the supporting characters. We got in there. Yeah. So, no, but what? So, well, so the reason why I put it in was that happened I was madly it was my first girlfriend and I walked in on her I just saw four feet coming out of the bottom of the bed

They're not my feet and I'm not gonna kick this guy's ass and then I couldn't see their faces But he rolled over and had this rips. I mean this is like in the in the 80s, you know, Tony Danza boxed I said I'm leaving. And I just ran down the driveway and I got the hell out of there fast. But the reason why I put it in really was because the first season of Full House didn't do well and they weren't going to pick the show up. We were on the bubble, as they say, and we got to the end of the season and they

said, you know, we're going to cancel you, but we're going to try one last thing. We're going to put you on one of our, after one of our hit shows during the summer and see if you get an audience. And then if you do, we'll pick you up. And that show was Who's the Boss? So you know, it got all even bad. It did ultimately. Yeah.

When you, I just think we have to address this head on. You are an objectively as proved by science handsome man. Emmy here on stage is in a state of excitement that the scientists call verklempt. That's a Yiddish term. Yeah, Yiddish scientists. They're Yiddish scientists. And I mean, really, she's fanning herself. Her pulse is racing.

I've been diagnosed with Scheingenerkt. Yes. Is that a typical? are you used to that? Are you like you meet somebody at some sort of social occasion who's just meeting you for the first time, and you just watch them, like their heart race and their pulse rate go up? It's called kidney gibbling, right?

Just Emmy. I'm getting old now. Look, that doesn't happen that much. But it's very flattering, Emmy. Anything you want. I wish I was there, man. So does she. I was just there with the Beach Boys at Ravinia.

Oh yeah, I know Ravinia. That is the other thing that I just found out about you this week, that you, in addition to doing everything that you're famous for, you play with the Beach Boys. You know, they're my favorite group. And you know, this ties into the, when I found my girlfriend in bed with someone, I was so depressed and my friend was playing in the band and he said, you know, come see us and I'll try to introduce you to them. And it was at a baseball stadium.

He said, get backstage right after fun, fun, fun. I went down the, into the, on the field and I heard all this screaming and I looked over and was like, oh crap, they're screaming for me. All these cheerleaders, I was like 18 or 19 at the time. And I start running and the girls start chasing after me. And like I'm the skinny weird little guy with Jord-ass jeans and it looked like

I had a dead crow on my head. And I'm running and the girls are all catching up to me and I just got through the backstage just at the perfect time and they slammed the door and I'm breathing and the Beach Boys my heroes turn and look at me and and and they were just like who's this weirdo you know and they hung out with Manson so yeah they had very high standards for weird but going exactly but my friend Mike love said who's that John He says, John Stamos. He plays drums.

He's on General Hospital. He said, girls scream like that for him all the time? And my friend said, yeah. He goes, get him on stage. And I went on and played Barber Ann. And eventually, I just loved him so much. And so I just kind of kept coming out. And musically, it started to work.

And the first time I played with him was in 85, for real, at the Washington Monument for a million people over there. Wow, that's an interesting way to start your musical career with the Beach Boys. Jimmy Page, Jimmy Page playing guitar. So you and I are both new dads at a somewhat advanced age. How do you find being a father in your 50s? Oh, I love it. In my whole life, I wanted to have a family and be a father. I think, too, it was important that I was ready to be a father. I went into being adult, kicking and screaming. I didn't want to become an adult.

But I'm a much better father in my 50s, I think, than I would have been in my 20s or 30s or 40s or 50s. Isn't it a long way up from the Lego pile? Yes, yes. As a follow-up question, could I get a piggyback ride sometime? You know? You got it, dude. So, you're a new dad.

I'm going to ask you, like, because my wife doesn't think this, but like, if I sit down with my son for like three hours and I put on full house and then I split because I have stuff to do, that's like spending time with me. Absolutely, yeah. Well, John Stamos, you are as much fun to talk to as it is to watch you do almost anything, but we have asked you here today to play a game we're calling, Now It's an Empty House. So you, of course, start on full house, so we're going to ask you about houses that are empty because they are for sale. Answer two out of three questions about houses that everyone had to leave so somebody else could move in

and you will win our prize for one of our listeners the voice of anyone they might choose for their voicemail. Bill who is John Stamos playing for? Alvin Wilson of West Hartford Connecticut. All right. So here's your first question. Most houses for sale are listed these days on Zillow. And one home that was found there, it's a basement apartment, it was for sale for just $35,000, and it had a unique feature. What was it? A, the new owner with the purchase was required to adopt a pair of ferrets who lived there and, quote,

loved it too much to move, B, there was a six-foot diameter sewer main running right through the middle of the apartment from wall to wall, or it was literally just a basement with no building above it. You know what? C. I'm going to go to C. That's right. That's right. That's right. When there would be a building, there would normally be a two-foot high roof over the basement.

So, there you are. All right, that was good. Here's your next question. Sometimes elderly people might sell their home under the condition that they continue to live in it until they die. Hugh Hefner did that, by the way. Including a French woman named Jean Calment, who sold her very expensive apartment to a business associate when she was 96. But what happened then? A, she wiped off her makeup, revealed she was really 52 and lived a happy 30 years rent-free. B, she lived to 122, becoming the oldest human on record.

Or C, being French, she died while smoking a cigarette, which set fire to the whole building and burned it down. Yes. I would say she lived for a long time, but she was one of the oldest living people. That's exactly what happened. Oh, yeah. Who's the chipmunk? The chipmunk. long time but she was one of the oldest living people. That's exactly what happened. Oh yeah. So the man bought it from her in 1967 and he died in 1996 one year before she did. That sucks. Awesome. Alright, you're doing very well at this by the way. Here is your last

question. In 2015 a Texas man selling his home managed to upset his neighbor while doing it. Why? A, he only allowed open houses and viewings of the house from midnight to 6 a.m. He advertised it with a sign in his yard that said, and I am quoting him, house for sale because my neighbor's a douchebag, unquote. Or C, he listed it as, quote, the best place in Denton for all night ragers, nobody around here cares, unquote. I need some help from Emmy and Skylar and Tom.

Tom, are you still awake? I can't see you. I kind of like the douchebag. Doesn't everybody? Tom chooses the douchebag answer. I'm with Tom on this one. I'm with John. You're with John.

I didn't say anything yet. I know, she doesn't care. She's with you no matter what. I would say douchebag lives next door. That's the one. You put up the sign. That's right. Three in a row. next door I don't know that's the one you put at the sign I wanted to live in

a world where that one was true I know it's not really a good way to sell your house when you think about it right I mean you know oh wow looks like a nice house but well what is the saying one man's douchebag Bill, how did John Stamos do in Earthquakes? John just did great. Thank you. I had help. John, that was fabulous. You're very good at this sort of thing.

I'm lucky. I tell you to get into game shows, but I can't stand that kind of competition. John Stamos is an actor, writer, and the nation's hot uncle. His new memoir, if you would have told me, is a New York Times best seller two weeks in a row. John Stamos, thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Thank you, John. Take care. Well, I love you. Bye bye. I love you too, Andy. God bless you, Chicago. ["The New York Times"] When we come back, a woman who became internationally famous for her courage and a man who once shaved his mustache for charity.

That's when we return with more Wait, wait, don't tell me. From NPR. Hey there, this is F Contreras, one of the co-hosts of Alt Latino, the podcast from NPR Music where we discuss Latinx culture, music and heritage with the artists that create it. Listen now to the Alt Latino podcast from NPR. Here at Planet Money, we bring complex economic ideas down to Earth. We find weird, fun, interesting stories that explain the way money shapes our lives. Inflation, recessions, the price of gas, we've got you. Listen now to the Planet Money podcast from NPR.

And now, to the Planet Money podcast from NPR. for the latest and greatest in the pop culture universe. It's an election year and a long one at that. So you're going to hear a lot of spin from the campaigns and their surrogates. Well, Here and Now Anytime is your source this election season for coverage that means something. Explore the issues, hear from voters and and find solutions on Here and Now, Anytime, a podcast from NPR and WBUR. If you've been watching TV lately, you've probably heard about The Bear, that gritty,

hunky Chicago-based Emmy-winning culinary drama. And why did that show capture the heart of the nation? Because even though it's set in Chicago, it's not about deep dish pizza. I'm Peter Segel, host of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, and in our latest and tastiest subscriber-only episode, my intrepid co-host Emma Choi and I set out to eat our way through Chicago's most iconic foodstuffs. We've got it all, a cast of real Chicago characters, more Italian beef than you can shake a stick at, and of course, why I actually hate the abomination known as Deep Dish Pizza. It's kind of like the bear, but without all the gorgeous actors. Here are subscriber only episode of Wait,

Wait, Don't Tell Me Plus by heading to plus.npr.org slash wait, wait. From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is, wait, wait, don't tell me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Bill. We are spending spring break at the beach and we figured, so are you, so we wanted to help you get the party started by blasting some of the sickest tracks from recent shows. Give me the aux, Peter, and watch these kids freak. If there's one thing that all the cool kids are into, it's international icons of bravery

and feminist empowerment, such as Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Much to our amazement, she agreed to appear on our show last spring with guest host Josh Gombelman. How are you doing today? I'm pretty nervous, if I'm honest. I'm not ready for the questions, but I'm here. I'm here. I'm as stunned as you are that you're here

Malala you won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 when you're just 17 years old. Let's start there Can you tell us about when you found out that you won? Actually, I was still in school at that time. So I I went to school I was in my chemistry class that the school's deputy head teacher called me outside. So I was like fingers crossed, I hope I haven't done anything wrong. But then she told me I had won the Nobel Peace Prize. Classic Peyton switch, yeah. We've all been there.

How did you react when you went from thinking you were in trouble to knowing that you'd won the Nobel Peace Prize, which is what they call, where I'm from, a 180? It was such a surreal moment because it was not just for me, but it was for all the children who deserve to be heard. It was raising awareness about child labor. You know, I heard the news and then I shared a few remarks with my school friends. And then after that, I went back to my class.

I went to my physics class. I said, I have to finish my school day because when you get the Nobel Peace Prize for education, you have to finish your school day. Wow. Where do you keep your Nobel Prize? I can't tell you that. Do you mean that that's a secret or that you've won so many awards you forget where you keep them and can't tell Moe?

I think it's probably both. you keep them in Tantelmo. I think it's probably both. But yeah. And so now, let's say your Nobel Prize came with free concert tickets, but you had to choose between Beyonce and Taylor Swift. Who do you pick? These are really tough questions.

Sorry. It could start a war. So when I was little, I used to sing the love story song together with my friends so that was like one of the first few songs we started singing back in Pakistan and Beyonce I mean she's a legend so I Would want more tickets. I have the Nobel Peace Prize and I Yeah, incredible answer. So you're here now because you have a production company, you work in television and film. The documentary short, Stranger at the Gate, which is incredibly moving, has been nominated

for an Academy Award. How do you balance activism and working in this kind of production? I'm lucky that I finished my university two years ago, so I do have more time to do more for the mission that I have taken in my life, which is empowering young women and girls from different backgrounds to get the opportunity to share with us how they see the world. And I started the production company because I believe that we need to help women and young people to get the chance to reflect the world as they see it.

And I'm hoping that I would be able to produce content, including comedies, documentaries, and TV series, everything. So I hope that people will watch it. And I'm so lucky to be part of Stranger at the Gate gate Which is a short documentary that has been nominated for Oscars now Incredible congratulations So you're going to the Oscars next week, is that correct? Yes, I will be I am so nervous I was at the Oscars luncheon and I already met some of the celebrities, which was already

overwhelming. Who did you meet? I saw Tom Cruise. Yeah, Tom Cruise and Michelle Yeoh and Ki Hei Kwan and Austin Butler and his deep voice. I heard that. Who's taller? You or Tom Cruise? If I wear my four inch high heels, then I might be taller than him. Wow.

I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. Malali Yusufzai, it's been a pleasure to talk to you, but we've asked you here today to play a game we're calling... You're about to win the Nobel Peace Prize. You received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, but what do you know about jigsaw puzzle pieces? If you answer two out of our three questions correctly, you'll win the inaugural Nobel Peace Prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who is Malala playing for?

John Young of Reno, Nevada. Here, Malala, is your first question. Every year, Spain hosts the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship. In its very first year, it helped an Australian woman become accidentally famous. How? A, she slipped and knocked half of the Russian team's puzzle onto the floor during the finals.

B, she was on vacation in Spain, went to the event out of curiosity only to be entered into the competition as the Australian national champion. Or C. The final puzzle was a picture of her face, a fact that she didn't know until she put it together. Ah, this is a tough one, but... This is probably one of the hardest things you've had to do. I studied at Oxford. I don't know if that helps, but I'm going to go with B.

B. You're right. That's correct. B. They went, oh, you're from Australia? Sit here in the front row. And she came in 79th place. Here's your next question.

A Swedish inventor is offering what she calls the world's worst jigsaw puzzle. came in 79th place. Here's your next question. A Swedish inventor is offering what she calls the world's worst jigsaw puzzle. What is it? Is it A, a 500-piece puzzle where all the pieces are solid white except for one piece, which is missing? B, a custom-made puzzle that, when completed, is just a bunch of pictures of your ex and his new girlfriend?

Or C, a 25-piece puzzle that's packed inside of an exploding box filled with glitter? I think highly likely that all answers are correct, but I think I'll go with A. A, that's correct! The puzzle takes a few hours to assemble and less than a second to destroy in a fit of rage. Here's your last question, and you're playing with house money at this point because you've already got two. Puzzles have been popular for centuries, and if you went to a pub in the 1800s, you might

find which of these? A, puzzle jugs which if you didn't solve correctly would spill your drink all over you. B, puzzle outhouse locks, which were kind of the 19th century equivalent to a Starbucks bathroom code. Or C, puzzle mutton, where the chef would cut your meat into weird shapes and if you reassembled it correctly, your meal was free. I would just go with A.

Puzzle jugs, A. That's right, three for three. No, I didn't spill my drink on my pants because I'm drunk. I did it because I'm dumb. Bill, how did Malala do on our quiz? We should expect it. She got a perfect score. Incredible. Thank you so much.

How are you feeling? Is this big for you? Really good. Score! Incredible. Thank you so much. How are you feeling? Is this big for you? Really good. I mean, this, like, I need a trophy for this now. But you won't tell us where you're going to keep it. No. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much. Thank you, Malala. Thank you, Malala. Malala Yousafzai is a Nobel Prize winner and the executive producer of the Oscar-nominated documentary short, Stranger at the Gate. Malala, thank you so much for joining us on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Thank you. Bye-bye. Just a few weeks later, we wanted to speak to Chicago's legendary political guru David Axelrod, so we went to Tucson.

Because if you want to find a Chicagoan in the winter, look in Arizona. Peter asked him what brought him to the warmer climes, as if we didn't know. So just to get this out of the way, you're a famous Chicagoan who spends a lot of time in the political circles of the East Coast, but you're in Arizona for spring training every year, right? Yes. Okay. Yeah.

The last time you were on the show, this was way back in 2009, you were in the White House, we were in Washington, and one of the things I remember is you were backstage and you were using two blackberries at the same time Yeah, one in each hand. I had to get out because I got carpal tunnel really And was that nonsense were you actually talking to anybody? You're we just trying to impress us Well, obviously at work because you brought it up. I did Know that was the way I lived back then. Just like… And you don't do that anymore.

You don't consult with campaigns formally. I don't know. Yeah. I kibitz. You kibitz. So what does kibitzing mean in this context? Means people call up and say, what do you think about this? And I tell them what I think.

But I don't have all the anxiety that goes along with actually being involved. Right. So, you know… It's a pretty good deal. That's actually great. It pays less, though. Do you find that your advice is better when your own reputation is not on the line? I find that people don't hold me accountable for my advice as much.

That's important. Which is, that's what being a commentator is all about. Do you think that you could get anybody elected, like if I hired you, let's say you were back in the business and I said I want Paula Poundstone to be president. I'm voting for Paula. Alright. How would you get her elected president? I would limit the vote to the audience of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell. Right. Massive disenfranchisement.

One of the things you're famous for in Chicago is hanging out at a restaurant we all love called Manny's. Yeah. Yeah. And you have like your own table there, right? Yeah. Yeah. So.

I've spent a lot of time at Manny's. Yeah. I go there to clog my arteries and clear my head. The mayor used to go there, Mayor Daley used to go there all the time. The police commissioner goes there. Could you describe Manny's for those who are not fortunate enough to live in Chicago? Manny's is the one great Jewish deli in Chicago, and it's really a cross-section. It's the only place where you could see the police superintendent or the U.S. attorney

at one table and the leader of organized crime at the other. And because it has a diverse customer base, for politicians it's a great place to go. So when I moved over from journalism to consulting, I'd bring my candidates all the time there because it was a great place to meet a cross section of the city. Right. Exactly. So when you have, does anybody else have their own table or is it just you? I don't think so. I think that it's like these frequent flyer things.

You get to a certain point. Yeah, I understand. Yeah. And it's hard to attain. Yeah. It's hard to attain. It's hard to attain. If you've eaten 10,000 pastrami sandwiches. I worked hard for that table. And you're still alive. I worked hard for it.

If you show up at Manny's where they have your own table and there's somebody at your table, what do they do? They kick their ass out. Do they really? But I'll tell you something. When I was in the White House, Manny's would send me care packages. Yeah, and including every Wednesday at Manny's, for those who are interested and are in Chicago,

they have these gigantic turkey legs the size of a club. You've seen this. Very Fred Flitstone. Yeah, my favorite. Yeah, so I was in the White House once and a reporter was in my office getting ready to write a story that was very downbeat about where we were at that particular time. He was a Jewish reporter. I thought I could kind of soften him up with mannies.

President comes in, I'm holding this turkey leg in my hand, and he said, what is this, King Arthur's Court here? Part deli, part ren faire. It's fun. It's fun. Well, David Axelrod, it is always fun to talk to you, but we have once again invited you here to play a game, and this time we are calling it Axelrod, Meet Axel Rose. No more explanation is necessary.

We're going to ask you three questions about the legendary front man for Guns N' Roses. If you get two right, you'll win that coveted prize of what we older people call a voicemail. One of our listeners, Bill, who is David Axelrod playing for? Alice Peach of Yuma, Arizona. All right. Here's your first question. Guns N' Roses, you're Guns N' Roses fan by any chance? For the purposes of this, yes. Yes, absolutely. You are a politician. All right. Here's your

first question. Guns N' Roses were notorious for starting concerts late, usually due to hard partying, but once in 1991 Axl Rose forced the band to delay a concert so he could what? A, clean up the kitchen where he personally cooked a meal for the roadies. B, write handwritten thank you notes to all the groupies from the night before. Or C, finish watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, The Secret of the Ooze. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Yes and say a you're gonna say a he had to clean the kitchen from where he Axl Rose personally had cleaned up. All right. I'm going with C. You're right He was watching Toonage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Somebody went down to ask him, could you start the show?

They're all waiting. And that person came and reported back, Axel's attention was 100% in the movie and he could not be bothered. Focus. Key to success. Here's your next question. Axel Rose was once praised for his incredible vocal range and stage presence, some of which he credits to what item

he has included on his rider for every show. A. 40 pounds of marshmallow peeps. B. Square-shaped melons. Or C. A framed portrait of Robert Goulet with the caption, You got this, bro. Alright, what do you guys say? Alright, I'm going with the peeps. You're going with the peeps?

No, it was actually square melon. Why do I listen to you guys? Yeah, no, he apparently he insists on these square melons, which you can only get from Japan. We have no idea why. All right, here's your last question. Some of Axl Rose's lyrics have become iconic, including the repeated use of the phrase, where do we go now at the end of the hit Sweet Child of Mine?

According to legend, what inspired that refrain? A, his own general sense of existential dismay at becoming a huge rock star and yet living without true purpose. B, the end of his favorite movie, Robert Redford's The Candidate, where famously, Redford says after winning the election, what do we do now? Or C, he didn't know what to sing next, so he just kept repeating, where do we go now? And the band thought it sounded cool. Oh, wow.

Well, it's got to be B. C. All right, I'm going C. That's right, it was C. Of course it was C. One concert he just sort of went up, didn't know what to do next, where do we go now, where do we go now, and the band was like, okay, that's the song now. Bill, how did David Axelrod do with Axl Rose? Two out of three means you are a winner on this stage.

The vote is in. All you had to do is get a majority. I couldn't do it without all of you. It was a people power. David Axelrod is a political kibitzer. And the host of the podcast's Hacks on Tap and the Axe Files. David Axelrod, thank you so much for joining us again. It was great to see you.

David Axelrod everybody. When we come back a beatboxer, musician, actor, dancer, singer and deodorant commercial star, and that's only two different people, that's when we come back with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR. Former President Trump is in serious legal trouble, and at the same time, he wants his old job back. It's a really big story. But with different trials in multiple states, plea deals, testimony, gag orders, it's also really hard to follow.

So we created Trump's Trials, a new NPR podcast where we break down the big news from each case and talk about what it means for democracy in weekly episodes. I'm Scott Detro. Check out Trump's trials from NPR. The world of podcasts can feel overwhelming. We'll let you in on the easiest way to find your next favorite show. Head to npr.org slash podcast. From politics to pop culture to music and everything in between, you'll find a selection of shows that'll make you a super fan in no time.

The news affects your life, but your life isn't the news. That's why our podcast, Here and Now, Anytime, gives you a new perspective on the big stories of the day, but also stories about video games, stories about romance novels, and stories about music. Here and now, anytime. A podcast from NPR and WBUR that's into the things you're into, not just the news.

["WBUR News Quiz"] From NPR and WBEC Chicago, this is, wait, wait, don't tell me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Studebaker Theatre in downtown Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Bill. Thank you so much, everybody. It's our spring break edition, so we wanted to make sure you had something to enjoy while

Bill and I are practicing our human pyramid down on the beach. Everyone else bailed, so now I'm giving you a piggyback ride. Speaking of impressive talents, in April of last year we hosted Kayla Malady, acclaimed as one of the greatest beatboxers alive with two world championships, which she won by doing things like this. She will now use that same, that's it, that's her. She will now use that same amazing instrument, her own voice to answer our questions. Kayla Mullady, welcome to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hello, friends! Hello!

I have so many questions that, alright, how in the world do you learn to do that? Yeah, so I would just do it at like the back of the bus, at the lunch table, and it definitely was not anything that I thought would become a job or anything. But actually, it really became because of this boy named James that I had a crush on in fifth grade. And he liked to beat bots, so at recess, me and him would hang out, you know, by the monkey bars, and we'd just kind of drop some boots and cats. And while love did not form from that, two world championships did. So thank you so much, James, for your uncompromising. I appreciate you.

Back up a bit. You said you dropped some boots and cats? Yeah, some boots and some cats, man. You know, that's how you start when you're young. You do the boots and cats and boots and cats. If you say boots and cats enough, then you start beatboxing. Really?

So that's how you should say boots and cats and boots and cats, and then you just move on. Wow. Yeah. And then all of your friends are annoyed at you after a while. I'm going to, I don't want to argue with you, but I'm going to bet that people were actually kind of thrilled when you started doing this, once you got it all good, right?

I mean, when you're in fifth grade, this shit slaps. I'm not going to lie. It was a great trick, you know? But yeah, it was definitely not something that I ever thought that would become a career out of it. It was just something that I did for fun. And then right when I left high school, I was at this party and my friends were trying to be like, hey, everybody in this party, look what this girl can do.

And that day I just hadn't had enough. And they were like, please, Caleb, this will be the last time we ever make you beatbox at a party. And so I did it for like three seconds. I was like, all right, fine. As soon as I ended this, all right, fine. As soon as I ended, it felt like Moses. I heard this voice be like, who just beatbox, beatbox? And everybody in the party parted like the Red Sea, and this beatboxer came to me.

And his name was J. Flo, and he was one of the best beatboxers in America. And he was like, do it again. And so I did it. And he introduced me to this community of people in New York City that, for the first time in my life, if I walked into a party and went, quack, quack, quack, everyone was like, leave, quick, don't look her in the eyes,

oh, be careful, she probably bites. Finally, I walked into this crowd where if I went, quack, quack, quack, everyone was like, oh, quack, quack, quack, quack. I finally found my tribe of people that made weird noises. Is there like a particular sound that you can do that you are very proud of? There is a sound that I did invent and the cool thing is when you invent a sound you get to name it.

So don't ask me why, I named it the Pips. I don't know why, it just sounds like a Pips meme. It sounds like this. Okay. Is it hard for you to socialize with somebody who is not a beatboxer because they might expect you to do that all the time? Like oh, enter J-Buzz. Oh, no, no, no. The thing is I do do that all the time and once the way I know that you're in my like

best friend here group is when we're going out, they just don't understand. They don't even hear it anymore. They've completely tuned it out where I actually take credit my older brother has three amazing kids but when they were babies and crying he could really tune that out and I was like you're welcome that was because of me oh really you could just ignore sounds if you're best friends with a beatboxer because it's just happening 24-7 that is fabulous well Kail, Kaila Mulady, it is great to talk to you and we've asked you here to play a game we're calling

Beatboxing? How about box beating? Oh! As far as I can tell, beatboxing does not involve these days any actual boxes or beatings. We thought we'd ask you about something that does, and that is piñatas. Answer two or three questions about the candy stuffed paper mache sculptures. You'll win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might choose in their

voicemail. Bill, who is Kayla playing for? Senator Dawson of Detroit, Michigan. All right. You ready for this? Yeah. Okay. Round one fight.

Let's do it. Are you ready for this, Peter? Round one fight. Let's do it. Are you ready for this Peter? I am not. I will be honest. Alright, first question. The history of the piñata goes back 500 or more years. So as you can imagine, there are people trying to update it these days. For example, you can now buy a piñata with what new feature? A. A robo-piñata, outfitted with AI and motors update it these days. For example, you can now buy a pinata with what new feature? A,

a robo pinata outfitted with AI and motors so that it can evade blows from the stick. B, a pacifist pinata that you don't have to hit, it just self-destructs generously. Or C, a heart-healthy pinata that is filled not with candy, but with quinoa and oat bran. Ooh, this is a tough one, but I'm gonna have to say the drone pinatas. No, it's actually the pacifist pinata. Because you don't want to teach your children violence by having them hit things with a stick, right? No, you just pull gently on the string and it goes pop! You still have two more chances. Sometimes, pinatas can go too far

as in which of these planned pinata parties that ended up not happening. A, a Carnival Cruise Line promotion in which they built a six-story pinata to destroy with a wrecking ball in downtown Philadelphia. B, a minor league baseball team that wanted to detonate an enormous explosive pinata that would in turn detonate 40 smaller pinatas which would detonate a hundred more during the seventh inning stretch or see Jerry Hall's divorce party pinata where you could hit a Rupert Murdoch pinata until cans of inshore fell out. All right well I'm gonna go with A. You're right, you're right. It was an attempt.

It was a six-story pinata. They wanted to do it. They had it all set up. They had the big wrecking ball, and the police came and said, no, you cannot wreck a six-story pinata here in Philadelphia. Alright, last question.

Get this, you win. Pinatas are not just for kids' birthday parties. They can also make an appearance, for example, at concerts. The band Third Eye Blind once brought a big pinata to their show, but there was something special about it. What was it? A, the pinata looked like a big, very realistic eye, so when you hit it, you felt like you

could blind it. Get it? Third Eye Blind. B, it was filled with live crickets, and when they smashed it, they flew all over the audience. Or C, the members of the band were in it and made their entrance by being smashed out of it sustaining mild injuries as they did I'm gonna say hey I'm really hoping it wasn't the crickets like come on why are you hoping it wasn't the crickets that's a lot of protein just going uneaten you know I mean so we got that's where you went

with it if like a good cricket, come on! If like a big pinata was bursted at a concert you attended and all these crickets fell out, you're like, they're wasting all that good food. That's what you would say? Waste? You know? Yeah, I'm pro-snake. They eat that, right? I don't know. Yeah, okay. So you're not going to pick that even though I'm desperately trying to encourage you to do so. Should we, uh, I mean, you know what? If that's the case, let's go Crickets.

You're right, it was the Crickets. Listen, they thought, by the way, that doing that would be very impressive to some record executives in the audience, and they'd get a contract. It did not work, and they did not then get a contract. Bill, how did Kayla do on our quiz? Now you speak my language. Let's go. Let's go, baby. She got two out of three and wins.

Congratulations. Yay. Ten years you've been doing this, Bill, and you still surprise me sometimes. Kayla Mulady is a two-time beatboxing world champion who you can find at KaylaMulady.com. Kayla Mulady, thank you so much for joining us. I'm Wade Wade Duntalma. What amazing fun to talk to you. News is a public service. That's why NPR never puts a paywall in front of our journalism.

NPR.org, our free website, promises to stay that way so that you get all of it, breaking news, pop culture, award-winning journalism, wherever you are. To stay connected, head to npr.org. Listening to the news can feel like a journey. The 1A podcast is here to guide you beyond the headlines and to cut through the noise. Listen to 1A, where we celebrate your freedom to listen by getting to the heart of the story together.

Only from NPR. And finally, in May of last year, actor, singer, comedian, and dancer Gabrielle Dennis joined us as her new very odd comedy premiered. Guest host, Alzo Slade, asked her about her new show, The Big Door Prize on Apple TV. So it's basically about this small town where you have this mysterious machine

that pops up out of nowhere. No one knows where it came from, but it asks you to enter some personal information and it prints out your true life potential. So with that, each episode for season one we follow a new character, or an episode of Central Robin, one of the central leads of the show. So it's a magical show, it's eclectic, it's a comedy at its core, but it also has a lot of heart and a little drama in there. So it's a really fun ride.

And I know that was more than two sentences, so. Yeah, but it's so, absolutely so. It is, it's a comedy, but it sounds like it has some philosophical, existential undertones. And for real life, you're watching it to laugh, and then you start questioning your whole existence in life. Was that the intention?

Yeah, basically. I mean, I think it's basically a thought-provoking show, and I feel like the comedy is necessary to make sure that you don't go down this deep rabbit hole, because you're going gonna ask the same questions as the audience and the viewers as we do as characters. So, and hopefully it sparks something in you that isn't bad.

We worked it out, it is a comedy, I promise. So the comedy is kind of medicinal for losers, is that correct? Yeah. Sure. Knowing that success in show business, it doesn't happen overnight. I'm always interested in what folks did before they made it to this level of success. Is it true that you worked at Six Flags at one point? Yes, it was the best summer of my life, summer job.

What did you do there? So I was one of the stage performers. Oh wow. So we were in the air conditioned theater. Oh you got spoiled. Spoiled and hated on by all the costume characters out in the hot weather in their fuzzy costumes. And I only got that job because I got fired from a job that I had prior to that where I was in the food and beverage Business for a couple of years and that's how I was getting my way through college

I got fired from Six Flags, but that's a whole nother story Yeah, what department were you I was I was doing the rides I was in in Houston, Texas It was called the Looping Starship. It was made like a space shuttle, and it went all the way up and upside down. And to make a short story shorter, I kind of started to ride without the lap bars and the shoulder harnesses. Oh, no! But as soon as I started to ride, they started screaming way too early, and that's how I knew something was wrong. So I pressed emergency stop. So to this day I feel like I have not gotten credit for saving all those lives. 100%.

You're a hero. I'm a hero. You are the real hero. You saved all those people. You almost killed. Yes. Yeah. Without that emergency button you would probably still be in prison.

So congratulations. She said still be in prison. I heard that. So Gabrielle, you're a hero. You saved all those people. You almost killed. Yeah. Without that emergency button you would probably still be in prison. So congratulations. She said still be in prison. I heard that.

So Gabrielle, you played Whitney Houston, Tina Turner. So clearly, you are an amazing singer. Are you that singer that goes to karaoke and just ruin it for folks like me who can't sing with a neck? That's a good question. No, I'm not. The thing is, I like to put a karaoke and just let loose and have fun and be as silly as possible. So my go-to karaoke songs are Rolling on the River by Theta Turner and Little Mermaid's Part of Your World. Oh yeah. So I'm'm gonna conclude by saying you are that person that ruins karaoke All right, Gabrielle Dennis we invited you here to play a game that we're calling big door prize

Meet game show prize your new show is the big door prize But what do you know about the prizes handed out on game shows? Answer two out of the three questions correctly and you'll win our prize for one of our listeners. A new car! No, not really, not really. They'll win the voice of whomever they might choose on their answering machine, or its cash equivalent, which is nothing. Bill, who is Gabrielle Dennis playing for? Ann Schiffer Miller of Omaha, Nebraska. Wait, Ann Schiffer Miller?

Not Ann Schiffer Miller. I knew it was coming. Oh my God. Okay, Gabrielle, here's your first question. Prizes don't always go to the winner. On the game show Cracker Jack, the loser was sent home with which one of these consolation prizes? A, an all-expenses trip to Los Angeles' worst reviewed hotel,

B, a framed picture taken at the exact moment the contestant lost the game, or C, as many heads of cabbage as they could carry? Well, based on audience laughter, I'm gonna go with C. C is correct. Whoa! Next question. Sometimes it's not about the prize itself, but who won it?

As proven by an episode of The Price is Right where they gave away what? A. A treadmill to a woman in a wheelchair B. A romantic couple's vacation to a Catholic nun Or C. A trip to Yellowstone National Park for a ranger who worked at Yellowstone National Park I would say the most foul version of that would probably be A. A is correct. Wow. Congrats.

You win a cabbage. Yeah, that was good. Alright, last question. Before Bob Barker and Drew Carey, The Price is Right was hosted by Bill Cullen and featured some truly crazy prizes, including which of these? A, a fully functioning submarine, B, a 1926 Rolls Royce complete with a chauffeur, or C, a live peacock.

Oh, wow. I don't know. I'm going to go with back then maybe a peacock. Was it on the NBC? I don't know. I'm going to go with back then, maybe a peacock? Was it on the NBC? I don't know. A live peacock is part of the right answer. Was the peacock in a Rolls Royce? What?

I'll take it. I'll take it. All of the above, Gabrielle. All of the above. Oh, my god. Bill, how did Gabrielle do? She just made Anne Schiffermiller of Omaha very happy, because you got them all right. Bring it around. That does it for our spring break edition.

We're off to join the conga line down at the beach. But first, let me tell you all, wait, wait, don't tell me, it's a production of NPR and WBEZ Chicago in association with Urgent Haircut Productions, Doug Berman, Vin-Evil, and the Tover Lord. Philip Gotica writes our limericks, our public address announcer is Paul Friedman, our vibe curator is Emma Choi, BJ Liederman composed our theme,

our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Dornbos, and Lillian King. Special thanks to Monica Hickey, Peter Gwyn is holding our hair back. Technical Directors from Lorna White, our Business and Ops Manager is Colin Miller, our Tour Manager is Shayna Dommel, our Production Manager is Robert Newhouse, our Senior Producer is Ian Chilag, and the Executive Producer of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me is Mike Danforth. Thanks to everybody who heard on our show this week, all of our panelists, all of our guests, of course Bill Curtis.

And thanks to all of you for listening. I'm Peter Segel. We'll be back next week. This is NPR. This is NPR. How can a a good read or just want to keep up with the books everyone's talking about? NPR's Book of the Day podcast gives you today's very best writing in a pocket-sized show. Whether you're looking to engage with the big questions of our times or temporarily escape from them, we've got an author who'll speak to you. Catch today's great books in 15 minutes or less on the Book of the Day podcast only from NPR.