Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! - WWDTM: The First Quarter Century, pt. III

Episode Date: June 3, 2023

We continue our look back at 25 years of shows with Keegan Michael-Key, Regina King, and Susan OrleanSupport NPR by signing up for Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. Who needs a beach bod when you've got this Bill bod? I'm Bill Curtis, and here's your host at the Studebaker Theater and the Fine Arts Building in downtown Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Bill. Thanks, everybody. Thank you so much. So this year is the 25th anniversary of our show, a fact so unbelievable, we need to take the occasional week off just to sit around and deal with it. But it is true, and to prove it, here are some highlights from the first two and a half decades of our show. We've been around so long, we've been able to see entire careers happen in front of our eyes.

For example, back in 2010, we asked a performer from Chicago's Second City to come by and try his hand answering our questions. It was Keegan-Michael Key. Keegan, The Last Supper has been a favorite subject of artists for centuries, the most famous version of course, Leonardo da Vinci's. There are hundreds more though. Well, scientists looked at different versions of the scene painted over the centuries and discovered

that over the years, something has changed in the picture. What? The way that Jesus looks. No. The food on the table. Yes, exactly. But how has it changed? Oh, it's become less caloric. You mean like,

as we get to the 19th century, oh, look, he's having more fiber. So good for him. Not that it will do him much good. No, not that. It's changed not in a particularly good way. You're on to something. The food as depicted has changed.

I'll give you a hint. This study was done by the International Journal of Obesity. Think sort of supersized. Supersized my last supper. It's like if St. Paul says, you want me to supersize that? There's more food. Yes. The portion sizes.

Oh, the portion sizes are larger. Hard one. Hard one. This is from a study published, as I said, in the International Journal of Obesity. It looked at 52 renderings of the Last Supper, and it found that in the last 1,000 years, the apparent amount of food on the supper plates has increased by about 70%. This, obesity scientists say, reflects the typical portion sizes of the period in which the

paintings were made. And that's why modern versions, ones painted in the last 20 or 30 years, modern versions of the Last Supper show Jesus and his disciples enjoying a KFC boneless bucket and 36-ounce big gulps. In keeping with this trend, many modern churches are moving to the double-stuff communion wafer. Yes. Keegan,

Keegan, three months ago, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office created a new trademark office for entrepreneurs, specific entrepreneurs

in a specific business, and then they promptly shut it down. So, what can you no longer trademark? Marijuana. Marijuana, indeed. Yes. For three months, growers and dealers of medical marijuana were allowed to seek trademarks for names like Maui, Wowie, Chronic, Purple Totenberg. Oh, the purple Totenberg. That stuff will mess you up. You take that stuff, all of a sudden you're talking in different voices. Exactly.

If you're just starting, just take the sky blue Totenberg. Or the mauve Totenberg. Now it's all over. It turns out somebody in the patent office realized that selling marijuana is still a federal crime. So maybe the federal government shouldn't allow you to trademark your illegal product. The patent office was just overrun with confused potheads submitting patents not for their pot, but for ideas

they'd had while using it. For example, patent for method of just like thinking of a food, and then you can taste the food, and all you had to do was think of the food. TM. And then there was this idea that came in, it was like in a patent form, it was like, did anyone ever patent getting a patent? Because then anytime somebody gets a patent, you get money.

But then when I get the patent for patenting patents, do I just have to give the money to Whoa. Then, eight years later, Keegan had gone on to become a superstar comedian and actor, first with the sketch show Key & Peele, and then many movies and TV shows, so we asked him back just to brag that we knew him first. You became really fantastically well-known for Key & Peele, and the next thing I know, you were in the cover of I think Time Magazine

That was crazy We were not expecting that That we got to be on the cover of Time For some essay we wrote We also were on the cover of Time for The 100 most influential people in the world or something In 2014 it was crazy Oh something like that

We might have been number 46. I don't know. I'm not telling you. I'm just saying. I was on the cover of Time Out magazine. I don't want to brag. So there are so many things about Key and Peele. We could just talk about some of the amazing sketches. We should cut right to the chase, which is your anger translator sketch in which Jordan Peele, your partner, played the president. Where did you come up with this idea for the sketch? And tell me exactly, in your view, who were you playing? Okay, so I'm playing a guy named Luther who's from Detroit. And we remembered, and I can't ever remember his name, it was Senator Wilson who said, you lie during the State of the Union address. Oh yes. It was a congressman named Joe Wilson from North Carolina.

Congressman Joe Wilson, that's it. And we thought, now see, the president's stuck between a rock and a hard place. He can't express himself or he'll catch hell for it. So what if we could invent a surrogate for the president who could get angry for him in his stead? And that's how Luther was born. You actually did this sketch when you translate the president's anger into words with the actual president. Right. Yeah. And I got to rehearse with the president for like 10 minutes and he just comes in the room and he's like, there he is. That's my boy, King. Wow. Runs over to me and gives me a hug. And, of course, he hugs me. And then I go, oh, God, I hope there's not a red dot on my forehead. He's hugging me!

So there was a point, though, prior to you performing with the president where you found out that the president was watching your sketches about you and the president and liking them. And how did that feel? Well, that was crazy because we were given the opportunity to meet him in 2012. And the thing that just melted me and Jordan's hearts is that he looked at both of us and he said, I've got to tell you, it's hard to be a brother on TV. Hard to be a brother on TV.

Wow. And then at the end of the experience, he went and had to clear his throat. So he asked one of his aides to hand him a bottle of water. He unscrews the bottle of water, takes a sip, and then he faints as if he had been poisoned by the water. He drank his water and went, oh, no, I'm kidding, guys, I'm kidding, that's a joke. He walked to me and goes, this brother's over here doing this. Well, Keegan-Michael Key, we could talk to you

all day, but we can't. Because we've really invited you here to play a game we're calling... Bet you don't know these peels, friends. So you were partnered very successfully with, of course, Jordan Peel, so we thought we'd ask you about other peels. Get two of these peel-oriented questions

right, you'll win a prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone from our show they choose on their voicemail. Bill, who is Keegan-Michael Key playing for? William Fitzpatrick of Miami, Florida. All right. William Fitzpatrick. Okay, a good Irishman. All right, here we go.

Here's your first question. The first peel is the Peel 50. That is the world's smallest car. It was made in the 1960s. One of the most interesting features of this three-wheeled vehicle was what? A, if you parked it on a sewer grate, it could fall through.

B, instead of a reverse gear, you got out of the car, walked around, grabbed a handle, pulled it backwards, walked back in, got it, and drove off. Or C, instead of looking

through a windshield, the driver's head poked up through the roof, and you looked around that way. Ah, okay. I am going to go with C. You're going to go with C, that instead of a windshield, you actually just poked your head up through the roof. And I'm trying to read your syntax, Peter.

Would you lead me to believe that I should then say B? Wow. I was really trying to be neutral, but apparently I gave it away, because it is B, in fact. Nice. Wow. Nice. No, it's an amazing thing. The Peel 50 is a tiny little car, and it was so light that your users could get out, pick

it up, and pull it backwards when they had to go in reverse. Amazing. It's not very safe. Your next peel is Sir Robert Peel. He was an early 19th century British politician whose legacy is still felt to this day. He gave his name to something. What was it? A, he founded the British police force, which is why British policemen are still called bobbies. B, he was the first person to import oranges into Britain, which is why they are said to have peels.

Or C, he was the first person to brush his hair to fall on either side of his face, framing it nicely, which is why we call that a haircut known as the bob. Aha, interesting. I'm going to go with A because that, I don't know, it sounds the most plausible to me. A was the one that the British police force were named Bobbies? Yes.

And you're right. It doesn't look as much. Robert Peel, known as the father of the British police. That's why they're called Bobbies. Your last Peel is John Peel. He was a very famous and influential British DJ. Died about five years ago. Yes.

He discovered singer Billy Bragg when what happened? A, he bet somebody he could make anybody into a successful pop act, including why this waiter right here. B, he said on the air one day he was quite hungry and the unknown Bragg brought him a curry. Or C, he heard Bragg singing in the shower of the next apartment over I think it's A. You think it's A, that he bet somebody he could make anybody into a pop singer, including this guy right here.

Including this guy right here. I like that idea, but it was in fact B. It was B. It was B. He was on the air. John Peel had a very popular radio program. He was broadcasting live. He said,

oh, I'm quite hungry. He didn't get dinner. Billy Bragg, who was an unknown singer, said, aha, went out, got a curry, brought it to the studio

and a demo tape, gave him the curry and the guy listened to the tape and the next thing you know, Billy Bragg was making records. That's what happened. That's amazing. That's pretty good.

That's pretty grand. That's pretty great. Seizing the moment. Bill, how did Keegan-Michael Key do on our quiz? He got two out of three right. And as he knows from his experience here, that's a winner. Yes, indeed. You're very forgiving. Keegan-Michael Key, thank you so much.

So great to talk to you again. Congratulations on everything. We'll talk to you soon. Bye-bye now. When we come back, more Hollywood royalty, including a woman named Queen King. Well, in translation, anyway. That's when we return with more Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR.

Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR. 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 the Fine Arts Building in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Bill. Thanks, everybody. So, as we've been saying, we've been doing this show for 25 years, and in that time, we've been able to interview some really impressive people, including some major Hollywood stars. It's just the law of averages. If you let a hundred monkeys make a news quiz, they'll get some A-listers every once in a while. make a news quiz, they'll get some A-listers every once in a while. So here is our 2019 interview with actor and director Regina King, who was starring as a superhero in the HBO series Watchmen. Now, at one point, Mo Rocca on our panel realized something interesting about Ms. King's name.

But can I just say, I just realized that Regina means queen. So you're like super royal. Yeah. Queen King. That was no mistake. Really? So your parents, I presume Mr. and Mrs. King, they decided that they would name their daughter Regina to just emphasize that aspect.

Yeah, they took it even a step further. My sister, who's four years younger than me, they named her Raina, which also means queen. Right. I understand. There you go. I mean, you've done it, but still, was it hard to live up to? I'll be honest.

I didn't really know what I was living up to until I started taking Spanish and until I went like, oh, yeah. Okay. There's some big stuff here. Yeah, I know. Now, I want to talk a little bit about Watchmen, because it's weird. Because this is, it's based on a very famous comic book that came out some time ago that's very, very popular to comic book nerds. And I know, as you know, that comic book nerds are the most relaxed, forgiving people. So, have you had, like, any encounters yet? Have you been

down to Comic Con to deal with it yet? I have, and you know what? What? So far so good. We got a standing O at our screenings. Really? Do you hope that you can move on this to be like in

Marvel movies and just make the superhero thing work for you as the rest of your career? You know what? Right now, I'm just hoping I just see one or two people this Halloween dressed like me. Oh, that would be awesome. Well, that's the measure. That's the metric of it. That.

What does your character wear? Oh, my God. It is amazing. Instead of a cape, I have, like, this skirt that flows like a cape. So when I walk, it just billows out. And it's all leather. It's all black. It has a hood.

And I spray paint my mask on. Oh, yeah. I'm better than that. You tag your own face. Yeah. So we heard that you have a pretty interesting celebrity crush that you've admitted to, at least. Is it Sam Elliott?

It is Sam Elliott. Yeah. How did you develop a crush on Sam Elliott? Did any of the ladies out there, did you see Roadhouse? Or some of the men, did you see Roadhouse? Just something about when he has that rubber band in his mouth and he's pulling his hair back and he's about to whoop some ass. It was just sexy to this little girl.

You travel in pretty... Turn on the AC in here. I know. You travel in pretty A-list circles. Have you run into Mr. Elliot at any time? Oh, my God, and I had to let him know. Did you really? Immediately.

Was that like, did you just blurt it out? It's like, hi, Sam Elliot, I'm Regina King. I've had a crush on you forever. Something like that. Really? Who do you think is the hottest person on NPR? Wow. Carrie Gross. There, she's right. No. Carrie Gross.

There, she's right. No game saying that. Well, Regina King, it is an absolute pleasure to talk to you. We've invited you here to play a game that we're calling... I'm not a watchman. I'm a watchman. So, you're starring in

Watchmen, so we thought we'd ask you about watchmen Specifically, the people who collect luxury watches So we read a wonderful piece by Gary Steingart In The New Yorker about his obsession with watches And we're going to ask you three questions About this particular obsession Get two right, you win our prize

You ready to play? Okay, yeah All right Choki, who is Regina King playing for? Benjamin Bruning of Davis, California. All right, here we go. First question, which are these is a real term

for something that collectors look for in a desirable watch? Is it A, emotional complications, B, nimble phalanges, or C, thick, beefy lugs? Oh. Or if you like, which of these things would you want to see on a Sam Elliott? I was going to say.

The thick, beefy lugs. You're going to go for that? That's right. Very good. Thick, beefy lugs. beefy lugs. You're going to go for that? That's right. Very good. Thick beefy lugs. Lugs are the part of the watch that the wristband

attaches to and you want thick beefy ones. Someone wants thick beefy ones. Somebody wants thick beefy ones. Next question. You've probably seen those watches with the really enormous faces like the size of tea saucers that were popular just a few years ago. What do watch aficionados call those watches with the really enormous faces, like the size of tea saucers that were popular just a few years ago. What do watch aficionados call those watches? A, l'horloge de N'Jeux

Les Veux, or French for hubcap watch. B, penis extenders. Or C, UWOs for unidentified wrist objects. The word penis is fun, so I'm going to go with penis. You're right. What? That's what they call them. What? According to Mr. Steingart,

the true watch aficionado does not care for those overly large watches and believes they are an expression of male insecurity. I don't see the relationship between the two. Like, you look at someone who's got a big watch and that tells you, what? Well, I think it

might tell you that they're making up for something else. I think that's the idea. Really? For a short second hand. That gives me chills. Alright, so you're doing really well here, Virginia. You have one more. Luxury watches, unlike, you know, common watches, are made by hand by craftsmen. At one factory in Germany,

the watchmakers work under stringent rules, including which of these? A, they're not allowed to drink ever. B, they cannot eat Tic Tacs because they could be confused with Tic Tocs. Or C, they're not allowed to eat any roughage because it's believed intestinal gas harms the mechanism. Ooh. That last one felt fun.

But I'm going to go with A? You're right again. They're not allowed to drink. It is believed by these German watchmakers that any drinking at all makes the hands shake, and you don't want that in your luxury watchmaker. Jokin, how did Regina King do on our show? Regina King is a superhero with an Oscar.

She got all three right. That's true. Yes! Regina King is starring in Watchmen. It premieres on HBO October 20th. It's coming up soon.

Tick tock. Regina King, thank you so much for joining us. I'm wait, wait, don't tell me. Such a pleasure to talk to you. Congratulations on

everything. We look forward to more things from you. Bye bye. Thank you. Bye. Bye bye. Bye. Bye-bye. Thanks.

Another advantage of being around a long time is you get to interview parents and then someday their children. Actor Tom Hanks was one of the first big stars we ever interviewed on this show back in 2005. And then six years later, we interviewed his son, Colin Hanks. Peter asked him about his latest big role on a series that many other stars had also taken part in. So am I right about that? Do you like actors hanging around Halloween

and go, oh, I hope I get the serial killer role on this season's Dexter? Oh, well, yes, of course. But it's always sort of like you make believe, like, oh, yeah, I could be on that show. And really the reality is it's so difficult to get on any show, for that matter, much less one as good as Dexter. So, you know, when the agent said, well, what about Dexter? Would you like to be on Dexter?

I said, yeah, sure, thinking that's never going to happen. I said, yeah, sure, thinking that's never going to happen. Are you going to be, I know in general the seasons tend to revolve around a single primary serial killer who's sort of Dexter's nemesis. Is that you this time around? It is myself along with Edward James Olmos. Oh, that's very good. Yeah, so it's the two of us that Dexter has to find. This is the seventh season of Dexter or the sixth?

It is the sixth. And does anybody ever on this TV show, Dexter, which I have seen and enjoyed, ever look around and go, wait a minute, where are all these serial killers coming from? This is crazy. Well, this is not the first time television has made, you know, sort of a strange and unbelievable coincidence. I mean, every time Perry Mason took a job, it wasn't originally to defend a murder case. It was always

the person came to him for something entirely different, and then the very next morning, they were accused of murder. Well, just think about Cabot Cove. Oh, yeah, and Angela Lansbury. People are getting killed left and right in this tiny little town. Right, and then they had her character go to New York as if this

should be daunting to someone who came from a small town where everyone's dead. And it's also not too different from a lot of the sort of medical programs you have where invariably someone will come in complaining of, oh, my stomach hurts or I have some chest thing. And they go, oh, it's this. And then all of a sudden, some doctor realizes, but wait, it could be this. And lo and behold, that's what it was. It's amazing. It's as if they're in a TV show. Now, we understand your father's also an actor. Yes.

He was on The Love Boat, by the way. He was. I appreciate that reference that you made. How has he dealt with your fame and success? He's taking it poorly. Really? How has he dealt with your fame and success? He's taking it poorly.

Really? He's feeling a little bit older. Yeah. As he always said, you may be younger and taller and better looking, but I weigh more than you. I hate to ask this, because I like to think, well, the guy, but your father, Tom Hanks, does he ever try to sponge off your success? Oh, every day. Really?

Yeah. Somewhat more seriously, was it daunting to want to go into acting yourself? Well, keep in mind, I'm going to be 34 years old in just a few weeks. So when I was younger, it was, you know, my dad dressed up in drag on Bosom Buddies, and that was what I was having to deal with at the time. Hey, listen, we know you're big on Twitter.

We followed you on Twitter. Yes. And your Twitter bio describes you as, quote, that guy from that one thing you think is way underrated. Yes. Unquote.

What is that thing? That thing apparently think is way underrated. Yes. Unquote. What is that thing? That thing apparently is everything on my resume. There you are. No, there's always someone who just says, you know, hey, man, that thing, the blank, movie blank, that's way underrated. That's a great compliment, because they mean, like, I think it's good, but you should know a lot of people hate it.

That thing that you did does not suck nearly as much as everybody else says it does. Listen to the things they've said. Oh my God. It's terrible. So I've just sort of been taking that and embracing it and running with it. From your Twitter feed, we would say that you are somewhat obsessed

with music. Is this fair? This is a fair assumption, yes. And are you in a band? Are you a musician yourself? I was in two very horrible bands. They were underrated. They were underrated. Yeah, they're better than everybody said, Colin. I like that. I like that. But yeah, I played bass guitar in high school and in college, and then I actually fractured my thumb, so my bass career went bye-bye. What was the name of the band, sir? One of the... Okay, in combination, this is going to sound very strange.

That's why we asked. The first one was called Pontius Pilate. Okay. I didn't know why. I just liked the name. I since found out who Pontius Pilate was Okay. I didn't know why. I just liked the name. I since found out who Pontius Pilate was. Wait a minute. You didn't know?

I had no idea. They did that great song, I Want to Wash Your Hand. Yeah. I love that. The other one was called The Underlords. The Underlords? Yeah, they were both, well, let's just say they were both noble attempts. Did you start those bands, or how did you get involved with them?

I did not start those bands. I joined those bands. I'm the quiet bass player. And did you say what's the name of the band? Yeah, I did. And they said the Underlords. Hey, listen, I just wanted to hang out with someone. Well, Colin Hanks, we have invited you here to play a game.

We're calling... Till death do we part. Or at least until I get a better offer. So, Kim Kardashian is getting a lot of grief for filing for divorce after only 72 days of marriage, as we've discussed. But compared to some other celebrity weddings, she and her husband, what's his name, practically grew old together. We're going to ask you three questions about other short-lived celebrity marriages. Get two right, you'll win our prize for one of our listeners. Carl, who is Colin Hanks playing for? Colin is playing for Crispin Brim of DeKalb, Illinois.

All right. All right. Crispin, I'm sorry. Crispin Brim. Wow. Here's your first question, Colin. Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose may not appear to be the most romantic man. That's because he's really not.

His brief marriage to his wife, Erin Everly, began when he popped the question, how? A, at four in the morning, he said to her, marry me or I'll kill myself. B. He let her look under Slash's hair where he had hidden a ring. Or C. He said, you in the jungle, baby. The jungle of wedded bliss.

I'm going to go with A. You're going to go with A. At four in the morning, he said, marry me or I'll kill myself? Yes. Yes, that's what he did. Wow. That is so romantic. It is. That's what I did. That's called popping the question and popping the cry

for help. Yeah. She said yes. They were divorced just a few weeks later. Oh, wow. That's romantic. Isn't it? Wasn't that a shock? Romance. Next question. The late actor Dennis Hopper was married to singer Michelle Phillips from Mamas and the Papas for eight whole days in 1971. What did Mr. Hopper have to say about his brief marriage much later?

Did he say, A, quote, Next time I get married, I'm going to spend a little time with the lady first. B, quote, Seven of those days were pretty good. Or C, quote, No big deal. I return a lot of the clothes I buy, too. I'm going to go with B just because that made me laugh.

Seven of those days were pretty good? Yeah. That's right. That's what he said. Talked to the New York Times in 2005. He said, seven of those days were pretty good. The eighth day was the bad one. All right, last question.

One of the more famous of the celebrity marriages in the 1960s was the brief joining in wedded bliss of Ernest Borgnine and Broadway star Ethel Merman. In Merman's autobiography, the chapter My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine consisted of what? A, the words, wait a minute. did I marry Ernest Borgnine? B, a full-color reproduction of Edgar Munch's painting The Scream. Or C, a blank page.

Well, I don't know. Why don't we go for B? You're going to go for B, a reproduction of Munch's painting, The Scream? Sure, why not? No, actually, it was a blank page. Ah, that was my gut instinct. I know.

What would Ernest Borgnine have done? Marry Ethel Merman for 32 days. He explained that he ended their marriage after that brief period because of Ethel Merman's incessant complaining that more people were recognizing him in the street than her. Oh. This made her very mad.

Yeah. Carl, how did Colin Hanks do in our quiz? Colin, you had two correct answers, so you win for Crispin Brim. Well done. Nice. Colin Hanks is starring in Dexter on Showtime this season. Colin Hanks, thank you so much for being with us. Bye, Colin.

Bye, everybody. Thank you so very much. Bye-bye. When we come back, it's nothing but happiness and puppies. Literally. We'll be back in a minute with more Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me 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, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Bill. We are reviewing this week our first 25 years, and we're just amazed we got to talk to so many fascinating people from so many different walks of life.

For example, one of our favorite things to do has been to have musicians on the show and then not let them play any music. It's a great way to throw them off their talking points or singing points. In 2010 we were joined by the great Bobby McFerrin, composer, conductor and multiple Grammy winning musician

who managed to get some singing in anyway. I love to sing especially in restaurants. Really? What sort of things do you do in restaurants? Well, you know, when you get something on the menu that you really, really want, you've got a taste for something. There's always a very celebratory kind of moment when there's something on the menu that you've been dying to have.

It's okay. So here we are, we're in a restaurant. You're looking and you see something and the waiter comes over and says, may I take your order? And they say, oh, I'd like, oh, I'm so in love with this food. Does that ever happen at Denny's? Or, ah! Just to sing a note out.

Ah! Because it's such a joyful thing. Sure. I have a feeling this audience right now doesn't want me to say another word, actually. I think they just want you to go. You see what I mean? Sure.

Yeah, your panelists are with them, too. Wow. You're stumped. I'm stumped, man, because I basically am just going to talk until you start doing something again, and then I'm stumped, man, because I basically am just going to talk until you start doing something again, and then I'm going to lay down. If I can just get you to go, then my job here is done. So you've done so many different things in music.

Tell us how it all got started. Did you form a band? Did you sing with your friends? I've been a working musician since I was about 14. Really? You were singing, you were playing? I wasn't singing at the time I was playing piano. I was a pianist until I was about 27.

I was convinced I was a pianist, but I always had a nagging suspicion in the back of my head that I wasn't. I have that same thought. I was living in Salt Lake City at the time because I was working at the University of Utah Dance Department as one of their accompanists. I was walking home for lunch period. It was about noon. It was July 11th, 1977.

See, I really remember this. By the time I got to my house, I recognized that I was walking home for lunch period it was about noon, it was July 11th, 1977 see I really remember this by the time I got to my house I recognized that I was a singer I called up the Hilton Hotel and I got on audition for the very next day I knew five songs I sang, you are the sunshine of my life I sang that

I sang a tune by a group called Blind Faith come down off your throne and leave your body alone. I sang that and three other pieces, and they hired me. Now, I only knew five songs. Right. He hired me.

I had a month before my gig started, so I learned a song a day. I had about 35 songs when I started, and that's how it all began. Right. Very cool. You wrote that? I wrote that. That's great. That's really good.

I like that. You just open up your mouth, you open up your mouth, and you go. That's it. Yeah, I open up my mouth, other people go. But that's different talents, baby. Different talents. Very, very good. I know.

Well, we are utterly delighted. Very, very good. I know. Oh, I know. Well, we are utterly delighted to have you with us. And Bobby McFerrin, we have asked you here today to play a game we are calling... Go ahead. Worry. Okay. It's all right. So you sang famously Don't worry be happy

And a certain percentage Of the population Said to hell with that And went back to being miserable Yeah We're going to ask you Three questions about Being unhappy

Get two right You'll win our prize For one of our listeners Carl's voice On their voicemail Or answering machine Whatever they got Carl who is musician

Bobby McFerrin playing for Bobby is playing for Annie Erling Of Chevy Chase Maryland Annie Erling of Chevy Chase, Maryland. Annie Erling for Chevy Chase. I'm guessing the answer is yes, but are you ready to play? You seem ready to go. Here's the first question. A recent survey of tweets tweeted shows that people are most unhappy when A, the moment they arrive at work, B, Thursday evenings, C, right after eating something they shouldn't have eaten.

Thursday evenings, I guess. You're right, Thursday evenings. But isn't that when Seinfeld is on? Apparently not anymore. Oh, I guess I have to go out of date. The survey went over all these tweets, millions of them, and looked for certain unhappy keywords, and then looked for the time stamp and the location.

And it turns out if you want to be unhappy, the place to be and the time to be there, New York City, Thursday night. How about that? How about that? Yeah. You answered that so easily. Are you yourself sad on Thursday evenings? I'm psychic.

Oh, okay. All right. Next question. You're doing very well. If you're psychic, this will not be a problem. Okay. If you're dealing with a really unhappy person, according to one scientific study,

what's something you could do to an unhappy person to make them even more unhappy? If you were so inclined. A, say the words, get over it. B, show them a happy picture. Or C, sing. Sing. Sing?

You think singing would make an unhappy person even unhappier? Yeah. It was actually show them a happy picture. Oh, duh. Sorry. Oh, oh. Can I redo the test? No, we have another chance here.

Okay. Do I have to do two out of three? You do. And what does this person get? This person gets Carl's voice in their home answering machine. Oh, okay. And the one thing...

Thank you. You want to take it up with Bobby, Carl? I mean... All right, this is exciting because if you get this correct, we win. Here we go. Last one. Here we go. Let's say you're dealing with somebody, but you don't know if they're a happy or unhappy person. According to yet another scientific study, what might be a good clue that they're a generally unhappy person? A, they wear ties. B, they really like TV, or C, they routinely send food back in restaurants? Okay, well, I think it's TV, actually, because they're probably, you know, like, on the couch,

hanging out. They don't want to get up or do anything, because that's probably what it is. And it is that. Congratulations. That's right. The answer. Well done. Thank you.

The University of Maryland study found that unhappy people watch more TV. That may not be surprising, but it might be that they really like it. So if you want to know who was watching Cougar Town, it's all the mopes. Carl, how did Bobby do on our show? Well enough to win for Annie Erling of Chevy Chase, Maryland. He had two correct answers. Well done. Annie Erling of Chevy Chase, Maryland. He had two correct answers. Well done. Annie Erling.

Excellent. Excellent. But before I let you go, I've got to ask, anything you want to sing for or with this audience? For or with. Okay. Okay. with.

Okay. Okay. It's been great to be here tonight. Great to be here tonight. Stop. Bobby McFerrin, ladies and gentlemen. Oh!

Finally, we talked to one of my very favorite authors, Susan Orlean, the only acclaimed writer of literary nonfiction to be portrayed on screen by a multiple Oscar winner opposite a completely insane Nicolas Cage. So you wrote this book, The Orchid Thief, that got made into a movie called Adaptation, which, weirdly enough, is not so much about the story of your book, although it includes it, it is about the writer trying to adapt your book, The Orchid Thief, and you are in it, or rather, you are portrayed in it by Meryl Streep. Right.

Before I get any further, how was that for you? That's kind of cool. Well, pretty kooky, as you can imagine. I can imagine. I mean, I often fantasize about being played by Meryl Streep but it seems unlikely and it happened to you. Well, don't give up. All right, thank you.

It was, I would say, probably as close to an out-of-body experience as anyone could ever imagine. Right. I have a question. When Meryl Streep

plays you in a movie, does she, like, come over to your house and follow you around the kitchen to try to act like, act like you? Well, this is terribly embarrassing, but I will tell you what happened. I was very excited when I heard that Meryl Streep was going to play me.

So I would come into my office at the New Yorker, and I would just very casually say to my colleagues, Oh, could you guys tidy up? I think Meryl Streep might be coming by today. Just to study me. Yes. You know, and then she wouldn't come by and then another week would roll around. And I'd again say to people, you know, could you kind of clean up in here, guys? I mean, I think Meryl Streep's probably going to come and, you know, study me. Well, then at one point I said to the producer, so look, I mean, is Meryl Streep going to come? And they said, oh, we already shot her scenes. She really just wanted to create the character kind of on her own and didn't want to study you.

And then, so I was eating a lot of humble pie at the office. So let's talk about Rin Tin Tin a little. I want to say there's so much in that book I did not know. For example, that Rin Tin Tin was not a character but a real dog. And that is exactly what drew me into the story because having grown up at the very tail end of Rin Tin Tin, having been a TV star, and knowing him just as a character in television,

it completely astonished me to learn that he was a real dog born in 1918. And a dog who had had a huge career and a sort of global acclaim in the 1920s. He was probably the top box office earner for many years. He was known all over the world. I mean, in the 20s, when Rinton was in a movie, he was the name above the title.

He was the big deal. Really? Such a big star that when he died in 1932, the news interrupted broadcasting all over the country. Yeah. I love the fact that, as you write,

the gossip magazines used to write about him like a movie star. They say he lived in a hotel suite with his wife, Nanette, right? Right. Actually, my favorite report was where they presumably interviewed his wife, Nanette, who said she was putting aside her career

for the time being because of the demands of motherhood. Hey, I understand that you're quite an animal person at home. You wrote about this, raising chickens in New York. You have this sort of farm in upstate New York. Yeah, we have a lot of critters. We have chickens and turkeys and ducks and cats. Do you have dogs? I have a dog.

Since researching Rin Tin Tin for 10 years, are you terribly disappointed in your dog? We have a lot of talks where I kind of say, look, you know, Rin Tin Tin supported

his master for years. What have you done for me lately? Can I say, by the way, and I say this to you as someone who's written a book about a famous performing dog,

that I did not get a dog until I was a freshman in high school, 14 years old, say. And by that time, I was so ruined by fictional dogs, ranging from all the movie dogs, the TV dogs, to Snoopy. And then you get a real, finally, after a lifetime, a kid's lifetime of wanting one, you get a dog, and it's just a dog. It doesn't talk to you. It doesn't run errands for you. It doesn't even bring my slippers.

It just kind of panted and ran around and occasionally would poop outside. That was it. But isn't that what marriage is like too? Where you poop outside? Well, Susan Arlene, we have invited you here to play a game we're calling

Rin Tin Tin is just the begin gin ginning So we were talking about Rin Tin Tin and somebody said that sounds like the Tin Tin comics and that sounded like Tauntaun from Star Wars and we sort of got carried away so we're going to ask you three questions

based on three things that sound like the title of your book. Oh, good. I'm probably guaranteed to flunk all of these. That's the plan. But if you answer two out of these three questions correctly, you'll win a prize for one of our listeners. Carl, who is author Susan Orlean playing for? Susan is playing for David Gaze of Oak Park, Illinois.

Ready to play? I am. All right. Tintin is, of course, a famous Belgian comic book hero, and he's the basis for the new Steven Spielberg movie. His BFF, Captain Haddock, is known for his elaborate curses. Which of these is a genuine Captain Haddock expletive? A, blue blistering bell-bottom balderdash.

B, filibustering French fried frankincense. Or C. Hairy hedgehogs on a stick. Whoa. Yes. I'll say number one. Blue blistering bell-bottom balderdash? Yeah. You're right.

That's good. So that was Tim Tan. Next up, Tauntauns. As all Star Wars fans know, they're the beasts in the ice planet Hoth, famous for that bit where Han Solo cuts one open to make a nice warm hot pocket for the injured Luke

Skywalker. What is the latest Tauntaun-themed Star Wars merchandise? A, the Craftsman Star Wars Edition chainsaw, which is, quote, tough enough to open a Tauntaun. B, a sleeping bag that looks like a Tauntaun you unzip and get to keep yourself warm by climbing in, or see a loaf shaped to look like a Tauntaun to be enjoyed on a Star Wars nerd holiday

called Life Day. Ooh, I'm going for B. You're going for B, the sleeping bag? Yeah. You're right. Oh, my God. This is the Tauntaun sleeping bag. I can't believe it.

Which is great, is that this, the Tauntaun-Tom sleeping bag. I can't believe it. Which is great, is that this, the TomTom-shaped sleeping bag, which you could cut open and then crawl inside yourself, was actually an April Fool's joke on a website called ThinkGeek, but the response to it

was so overwhelming that they just actually started manufacturing them. All right, we've had TinTin, TomTom, how about TomTom? The GPS system that uses celebrity voices

to give directions. Which of these is a real celebrity instruction you can get on your TomTom GPS? Is it A, Snoop Dogg saying, Giza Frieza, put your Kiza in the ignition. B, Kim Kardashian saying, if you turn left at the next light, I'll marry you. Or C, Cormac McCarthy saying,

the road is long, hungry, cold, find food or die. Yes, that is the way of it. Oh, my God. Oh, God. Well, I know which one I would buy, but my guess is that it's number one. Snoop Dogg? Yep. You're right.

Very good. Here is a sample of Snoop Dogg helping you find your way. G's up, Frees up, put your keys up in the ignition and let's turn this thing on. There you go. You're ready to go. Carl, how did Susan Arlene do in our quiz? Susan, you had a great game. Three correct answers, so you win for David Gaze.

Well done. Oh, my God. Bravo. I am so proud. You should be. I really am. I'm really proud. You know what, Susan? You get a bacon treat. Yeah.

Wow. Susan Orlean is the author of the new book Rin Tin Tin, The Life and the Legend. It's out now. Susan, thank you so much. Thank you, Peter. Thanks, everyone. Bye the Legend. It's out now. Susan, thank you so much. Thank you, Peter. Thanks, everyone. Bye-bye, Susan. That was it for this week's deep dip into two and a half decades of news quizzing.

Wait, wait, don't tell me. It's a production of NPR and WBEZ Chicago in association with Urgent Haircut Productions, Doug Berman, Benevolent Overlord. Philip Godeka writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our tour manager is Shana Donald. Thanks to the staff and crew at the Studebaker Theatre. BJ Liederman composed our theme.

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thanks to all of you for listening. I am Peter Sagal. We'll be back next week. applause music music music I am Peter Sagal. We'll be back next week. This is NPR.