Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! - Jennifer Lee

Episode Date: December 21, 2019

Jennifer Lee, head of Walt Disney Animation Studios, joins us along with panelists Mo Rocca, Roxanne Roberts, and Adam Burke.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Hey, it's Peter. For more than 20 years, we at Wait Wait have been doing everything we can to educate people about the oddest corners of the news, no matter how hard that sometimes is. Maeve, this week the House of Representatives ordered an investigation to discover if the Pentagon ever secretly tried to make what into a weapon. I can tell you, first of all, what the Pentagon is. That's very good, Maeve. Is it something to do with the weather? It is not. Can you give me a clue, please? I certainly can.

I love the smell of a Lyme disease in the morning. It smells like victory. So it's the creature that you get Lyme disease from? Yes, which is? The slug thing? Not a slug. That's in a swamp Moe is distracting me No, I'm trying to help you

He's making a buzzing sound Oh, no, no, no, it's not that It's more like A bee? No, no, it's like a What sound does a clock make? Tick Boom

It's a dick, yes A secret Pentagon program to weaponize dicks. If you want us to continue to force feed facts to the American public and our own panelists, then we will need your support. Please make your end of the year donation so we can continue into next year. Do it at donate.npr.org slash wait, and thank you. From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. Wait, wait, don't tell me. The NPR News Quiz. Dre Bill, Dre Bill, Dre Bill, I made you out of clay.

I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Bill. Thank you, everybody. Thank you all so much. We have such a great show for you today. Later on, we're going to be talking to Jennifer Lee. She is the woman who wrote and directed both Frozen and the new Frozen 2. We might even play an excerpt from her work because she doesn't mind it, unlike some people. I don't know if you heard about this, but the actor Adam Driver, reportedly,

walked out on an interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air when Terry played a bit of audio from his movie. He says he can't stand that. Look, you do not pull on Superman's cape. You don't spit into the wind. And you don't walk out on Terry Gross. The last person to try that was Angela McGillicuddy. Oh, you've never heard of her? Wonder why?

We won't play any of your prior work when you call in. We know you're sensitive, so give us a call. The number is 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Let's welcome our first listener contestant. Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hello there, this is James calling from Harrisonburg,

Virginia. Ah, James, how are you? I'm super duper, thanks very much. I'm glad to hear it. You know, I just love those genteel Virginia accents you have there. Are you a colonist? No, I moved here about 14 years ago with my beautiful bride. Oh, how wonderful. And how do you like living on this side of the pond?

It's okay. It has its ups and downs. It does. We've noticed the same. Well, welcome to the show, James. Let me introduce you to our panel this week. First, it's a comedian headlining Zanies in Chicago, January 20th and 21st. It's Adam Burke.

Hello, sir. Next, a features writer for the style section of the Washington Post. It's Roxanne Roberts. Hello, James. And author of the New York Times bestseller Mobituaries, Great Lives Worth Reliving, host of the podcast Mobituaries 2. It's Mo Rocca. Hi, James. So, James, welcome to the show. You're going to play Who's Bill this time. Bill Curtis is going to read you three quotations from this week's news. If you can correctly identify or explain just two of them, you'll, of course, win our prize, the voice of anyone you might choose in your voicemail. Are you ready to play? Absolutely. All right. Now, for your first quote, I'm going to need our audience's help. So Bill is going to be the president for this quote, and you're going to be the crowd

at his rally on Wednesday night. Now, when Bill, as the president, asks you a question, you're going to answer it. And the answer is toilets. All right, here we go. Sinks, showers. And what goes with a sink and a shower? Toilets. That was how the president was talking at almost exactly the same moment that what happened to him.

The impeachment vote? Yes, that was the moment when he was impeached. The Democrats wanted a rebuke to the president, a way to show him that what he did was wrong, but it didn't work. While the Democrats were impeaching him, he gave a two-hour rambling speech about low-flow toilets and military pilots.

He said, quote, We have these F-35s. I went up to the pilots, and honestly, they're better looking than Tom Cruise. The face is equal, maybe slightly better. The body is bigger and stronger. Whoa. Are those not the words of a man

who feels a mix of remorse and sexual attraction to fighter pilots? This is more homoerotic than Top Gun. I know. Did it break out into volleyball? Here's the thing. You know, the Democrats know. What's the thing, Peter?

Because there are so many things. There are so many things. But this is the thing. The Democrats know that he won't be convicted in the Senate. They always do that. But they wanted to impeach him just to finally make him understand he had done something wrong, to feel some shame. He cannot feel shame. He he cannot feel shame.

He'd never feel shame. If he wet his pants at a party, he'd just say, look, my pants have spontaneously changed color. They're magic pants. My pants are full of water, unlike these dishwashers. Exactly. The day before the vote, Tuesday, Donald Trump wrote an angry six-page letter denouncing the entire impeachment process. People said it was unhinged

and unpresidential, but let's look on the bright side. When they first told Donald Trump he should write a letter, he sat down and just wrote the letter B. I think one of my favorite things about the letter was that the mayor of Salem came out to correct the record about the Salem witch hunts. Yes, because I should say that President Trump said something that some of his supporters have always said, that the witches in Salem got better treatment than he has. And what did the mayor say? Just cast a spell. he has. And what did the mayor say? Just cast a spell. No, she had to explain that innocent women were

murdered because of false accusations and therefore it was not analogous to his situation. That's the problem. That's a good system. And he was like, analogous, is that a spell? That's a good system. But also, also... And he was like, analogous, is that a spell?

Yeah. Here, James, is your next quote. Three hours? After a week like this? That was Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post talking about the length of what big event for Democrats Thursday night. Could I get a hint?

They've done this before. This is the smallest one they've had so far. Christmas parties? Like the absolute opposite of that. There were seven people there as opposed to the ten or twelve

they've had at prior events. Hanukkah parties? You know, you're obviously not following this side of the political spectrum. And frankly, I don't blame you. So I will just give you the answer. It was a Democratic debate, you see. They had one. Seven Democrats took the stage for a debate in Los Angeles Thursday night.

Tulsi Gabbard was not present. The debate for the first time this cycle was on PBS, which means that instead of being surprisingly dull, it was expectedly dull. But it was fun on PBS when an expert came on, examined

Bernie Sanders, and said he was a valuable antique with an appraised value between $7,500 and $10,000. Congratulations. Are you guys finding it all possible to remain interested in the Democratic race for president? There needs to be more razzmatazz when someone drops out of the race.

I think that's the problem. Like, there needs to be literally a trap door. Or should they project his face in the sky like in the Hunger needs to be literally a trap door. Or should they project his face in the sky like in the Hunger Games? Right, right, exactly. Maybe it should be more like Sailama.

This has been, this was the first debate after everybody had really turned on Pete Buttigieg, Mayor Pete, who was the leader in Iowa. He's been receiving

a huge amount of criticism. He's been giving it out to, especially towards Elizabeth Warren. Watching them go after each other is like a bad reboot of Harold and Maude. Mayor Pete has been getting some heat. I don't know if you saw this. He attended a big fundraiser in Napa at a winery with a, quote, wine cave. And everybody was so mad that he did this. But why

would you be mad about a wine cave? It celebrates the two things Democrats are known for, whining and caving. All right, here is your last quote. It's a furry orgy in a dumpster. Ah, that was how The Guardian reviewed what new film out this weekend? Jellicles, Cats.

Jellicles, Cat and Jellicles do. Jellicles, songs of Jellicle, Cats. Jellicle, Cats. It is Cats, yes. I'm so glad you got that because otherwise Moe was going to sing the whole score. Skimble, Shanks, the railway cat, the to sing the whole score. Skimble shanks the railway cat, the cat on the railway train.

I was a big Cats fan. Apparently. The inexplicably long-running musical has finally been made into a movie. Instead of Broadway actors in cat suits and makeup, its famous Hollywood stars digitally altered to look like horrible cat sex monsters. The reviews have been mixed.

On the one hand, Tyler Coates says Cats is, quote, the worst movie I have seen this year, unquote. Well, on the other hand, David Farrier said, quote, this is the worst thing I've ever seen. This is what death feels like. The digital altering was necessary in some cases, but controversial in others. Jason Derulo said on Andy Cohen's talk show that he was upset that his cat manhood,

his cat hood was CGI'd out. Yes, he said that. He complained about that. His manx hood. Yeah, but of course, he said that, yes complained about that. His manxhood. Yeah. But of course, you know, he said that, yes, it's so sad

they digitally erased his manhood and like all the real cats were like, oh, I see. You're complaining your genitals were digitally removed.

How terrible. Bill, how did James do on our quiz? Are you kidding? James owns this show. Congratulations. Well done. Thanks so much for playing, James.

Thanks very much. Right now, panel, time for you to answer some questions about this week's news. Adam, the latest Star Wars movie came out this weekend, and experts have now weighed in on which Star Wars character would be the one to pick if you wanted to do what. For getting elected? No. I'll give you a hint.

Mmm. The flavor is strong in that one. The best one to eat? Yes, the best one to eat. That was what the ranking was. Mel Magazine asked several top chefs which Star Wars creature would taste best. Is it Baby Yoda?

Well, you know he'd be very tender. He'd be like the Star Wars equivalent of veal. He'd be like bread meat. No, no, no. Like the equivalent of veal he would be. Yes, exactly. Thank you.

I think the most delicious would be Princess Leia. She comes with bagels. That's true. I've always thought of them more as Danish, but it still works, yeah. How geeky do you have to be to be on a website to try to figure out which in the Star Wars You don't have to be geeky, you just have to be starving. Yeah, exactly. That's true.

I want to eat all these guys. All right, because, yes, I'm just like, why would you even think that? Let's face it, you know who would be delicious, Ewoks. Yeah, exactly. I want to eat all these guys. Alright, because, yes, I'm just like, why would you even think that? Let's face it, you know who'd be delicious? Ewoks. And you cook them in an Ewok. Exactly. Coming up, our panelists lie to you efficiently, though, in our Bluff the Listener

game called 1-triple-8 Wait, Wait, Don't Play. We'll be back in a minute with more ofly, though, in our Bluff the Listener game called 1-888-WAIT-WAIT-TO-PLAY, we'll be back in a minute with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR. It's a culture. My greatest educator. Ask Me Another from NPR. Educator. Ask Me Another from NPR. From NPR at WBEZ Chicago,

this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis. We are playing this week with Mo Rocca, Roxanne Roberts, and Adam Burke. And here again is your host at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Bill. Thank you, everybody. Thank you all so much. Right now, it is time for the Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me Bluff the Listener Game.

Call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to play our game in the air. Hi, you are on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hi, this is Sean and my son Seth Murski calls from the Space Coast of Florida. Really? Can Seth say hello? Hello. Hello, Seth. How are you? I'm good.

How are you? I'm fine, thank you. How old are you, Seth? I'm 11, and I'm about to turn 12 on Christmas. Oh, wow. Oh. So you have a Christmas birthday. Do you find that fun or not so fun

because you get one holiday at once? I think it's pretty fun because I get to choose if I want my birthday presents in the morning or in the afternoon. I like your attitude, young man. Well, let's see if you can help your dad out or if he can help you out

as we try to figure this out. You're going to play the game in which you must try to tell truth from fiction. Bill, what is Sean's topic? Work harder. Companies have plenty of ways of making their employees work harder. NPR, for instance, demeans low-performing workers by making them host quiz shows.

This week, we read about a new productivity motivator. Our panelists are going to tell you about it. Pick the one who's telling the truth. You'll win the weight-waiter of your choice on your voicemail. Are you ready to play? Ready. All right. First, let's hear from Adam Burke. Ah, the bathroom break. For many of us, it has increasingly become so much more than merely answering the call of a necessary biological function. It has become a haven, an enclosed buttress against the cares of the workaday world, a chance to reflect in silent repose in a different, more enclosed buttress against the cares of the workaday world,

a chance to reflect in silent repose in a different, more forgiving kind of cubicle, to crush some candy, scroll the feed, to sleep, perchance to read. But however you choose to stall in the stall, the Staffordshire-based company Standard Toilet wishes to return brute efficiency to the porcelain chariot. Its new anti-slack can features a 13-degree downward slope, which forces the user into an uncomfortable squat thrust, making it difficult to sit for more than five minutes at a time, let alone crank through a chapter of Jack Reacher. It's estimated that the average British worker spends up to 28 minutes on the ceramic throne, which according to the standard toilets developer Mahabir Gill, costs industry and commerce four billion pounds per annum. Once again, that's per

annum. Employee advocates see the new WC as just another way of reducing workers rights no word yet on whether british workers plan to protest the new lose perhaps with some kind of sit-in once again that's sit-in toilets slope forward so it's harder to spend as much time on them your next story of productivity prompted comes from roxanne roberts what's the solution to too many dogs and not enough dog walkers scooters city paws a brooklyn-based dog walking service has introduced electric scooters into their lineup of canine care. Instead of just walking around the block for 30 minutes, walkers use scooters and elastic

leashes that require the dogs to jog briskly for 15 minutes. Not only is this better for the dogs, CEO Jeff Sloan tells the New York Post, but the scooters allow for human walkers to exercise twice the number of dogs every day. The company rents dockless scooters, which require the walkers to steer with one hand and try to control the leashes with the other. So far, so good, except for a 10-dog pileup caused by Rex, a two-year-old Great Dane who barreled into another scooter abandoned in the middle of the sidewalk. No dogs were injured, but the walker has a broken wrist

and a workers' comp claim. A dog walker company deciding that making their dog walkers use electric scooters will be more efficient. Your last story of inspiring employees to be even more efficient comes from Mo Rocca. The most irritating part of air travel, the backups. No, not in the sky, but on the jetway, the portable passageway that connects an airplane door to the

terminal. The main source of the delay, Elderly passengers in wheelchairs being pushed by an airline employee who has to make multiple trips to load or unload other passengers and supplies. We realized we needed to maximize each employee's trip down the jetway, says Sun Country Airlines' Felicia Flom. An empty lap is a worse crime than too much leg room. So this month, Sun Country inaugurated its Jetway Wheelchair Lap Share program. Before pushing an elderly passenger up the jetway, the employee loads up the passenger's lap with pillows and blankets, with pallets of peanuts, and with that other source of jetway delays, babies and toddlers. At first, I didn't know whose baby was being thrown in my lap, said Hazel O'Leary, 87, but I do love babies. The most controversial aspect of the program,

on the lap of particularly hardy-looking seniors, other seniors are loaded. Said that very same Hazel O'Leleary i don't think they knew i was already sitting on the lap of a man who looked just like lorn green when that baby was put on my lap i was in heaven all right one of these is a real idea on how to improve efficiency at work is it from adam burke a new kind of toilet in Britain that's sloped forward so you just can't sit comfortably on it for very long? From Roxanne Roberts, a dog walking company that's making their dog walkers use those dockless scooters to get more dog walks in?

Or from Mo Rocca, Sun Country Airlines making sure they don't waste that space in the lap of wheelchaired passengers. Which of these is the real story of efficiency that we found in the week's news? All right, we think it's A. We, that's you, Seth, you think it's A, and that would be Adam's story about the toilets. Yes.

Seth, can you tell me why you think it's A? Because his dad influenced him. I know, all right. Fair enough. All right, Well, Seth and Sean, you've chosen A, Adam's story. Well, to bring you the correct answer, we spoke to an expert in the field of the real story. The new standard toilet is actually a toilet with a sloping seat that helps people who use the toilet more efficiently. That was Raymond Martin, Managing Director of the British Toilet Association, talking about the sloping toilet. Congratulations, Sean and Seth.

You got it right. You've earned a point for Attenberg for telling the truth. You've won our prize. The voice of your choice on your voicemail. Thank you so much for playing. Thank you.

Bye-bye. And now the game where people who have risen very, very high peer down through the clouds to see what they left behind. Jennifer Lee graduated from film school a little less than 15 years ago, and today she is the head of Walt Disney Animation. How did she get to be the first woman ever to hold that job and so quickly? Well, a few years ago, she wrote and directed a movie called Frozen,

which became the highest grossing animated film ever made. And now, just as we were finally able to get Let It Go out of our heads, she's back with Frozen 2. Jennifer Lee, welcome to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Thank you. Well, I just have to say, being on this show is actually a highlight of my career

because I think of everything. It's the one that's going to make my ex-husband really jealous. There you go. Excellent. I am so happy to do that for you, given the joy you've given me. But I have to ask, you don't think your, say, winning an Oscar did that? I didn't ask him. I was too polite about that. Really? Now, what's interesting to me, and I say this as a father of daughters who saw a lot of Disney animated movies before Frozen came along,

is that we know about the whole thing about the Disney princess and the beautiful woman or beautiful girl who's rescued literally by Prince Charming. And the great thing about Frozen is it totally subverts that. Was that your intent? Did you say to yourself

when you were given the chance to make this movie, I'm going to completely stick it to all those princes? You know, I have to give credit to Chris Buck. He's my fellow director on this. The idea of having true love not be romantic, but familialial was just something that we thought was fantastic and to do a film where two sisters or two women are not at odds but are actually trying to support each other, they were just things that we wished we'd had

and grown up with and we'd never seen. So, you know, there's some fun we had with Hans. This is a spoiler for those of you with kids who haven't seen the movie more than, say, 600 times. But Hans, of course, is the guy who's introduced, is that literally the handsome prince who's going to rescue the young heroine, and it turns out he's a cad. And I'd never seen that before.

Did anybody from Disney, because, of course, this was before the movie was a huge success, did anybody say to you, oh, we're not sure about this? Oh, no, because there are now pretty much 50-50 women and men, and every woman said, I've dated that man. We have to correct him. We need to warn the girls of the world.

Wait, can I ask, is your ex-husband named Hans? Did you ever do any research, or I don't know how you would do it into what the the core audience the children would want from a sequel to frozen what they would want to see we we didn't really in the sense that we felt like if we we had so many requests of what we should do if we listen to that we wouldn't build it in a true way. We did, however, do a lot of research where we went to Finland and Iceland and Norway. We walked on glaciers. We went deep in the forest. In fact, we actually took a ship called the Hurtigruten down the fjords of Norway. The Hurtigruten.

The Hurtigruten. And oddly enough, while we were there, our team had lunch with Peter Segel's parents. What? What? I had absolutely no idea. My parents, they go on cruises. What else do they do? And this is what happens. They come home, and my mother says,

we met these people on the boat. They're big fans of yours. That's it. She doesn't say, oh, they were making Frozen 2. It was very exciting. That is amazing. Can I ask a more pertinent question? Can you weigh in on this controversy about Olaf's height?

Oh, God, yes. Apparently around Twitter there was some video game that said Olaf was 5'4", and that would put all of the other characters somewhere in the 8 to 10 foot range. Right. An argument went back and forth really trying to convince the world that they were giants um so i think it was a typo i checked with production he's uh three foot five from frozen toe to tip of his uh little wooden twigs so we can put the controversy to rest please can i ask which Frozen character do you think

would be the most delicious to eat? Well, I mean, I think there's no doubt it would be Olaf. Oh, right, of course. Yes. That makes, right. Yeah, with a little sugar. He'd be just right. Can you tell us where Walt Disney's frozen body is?

I have to admit, I didn't know anything when I went to see Frozen the first time with my daughter. That's what I thought it was going to be about. You saw Disney's Frozen? Yeah, exactly.

All right, one more question before we get to the game. So obviously, part of the Disney experience is that for every movie, there's a huge amount of merchandising, and we all saw it with Elsa and everything. With Frozen, do you, as the director,

the creator of the film, get to approve that stuff, or is that out of your hands? Well, we do. The first film, we did almost everything, but they didn't think we would sell that much. We did almost everything, but they didn't think we would sell that much. But this one, we actually have a whole team because we can't. There's too many.

It's thousands from around the world. I think there should be a line of foods. I think frozen foods is a thing. It already is. Well, Jennifer Lee, It is a pleasure To talk to you We have asked you here To play the game

That we're calling Let it thaw Let it thaw You made two frozen movies But what do you know about Frozen foods Oh my gosh See

I was ahead of the curve You were We're going to ask you Three questions about Iced cuisine Answer two out of three Correctly Do that and you'll win Our prize for one of our listeners the curve. You were. We're going to ask you three questions about iced cuisine. Answer two out of three correctly. Do that and you'll win a prize for one of our listeners, a Queen Bill Curtis Halloween costume.

No, just actually a voicemail message. Bill, who is Jennifer Lee playing for? Sarah Reese of Los Angeles, California. Alright, you ready to do this? I'm ready. Here's your first question. There are a lot of frozen foods with celebrity endorsements and tie-ins, including which of these? A. Larry the Cable Guy's official get-er-done grub biscuit and sausage gravy

meal. B. Master P's frozen peas. Or C. Tom Cruise diet dianetic delights. Oh, okay. I want to go with Tom Cruise. You really want to go for the Tom Cruise? You're clearly saying it shouldn't be because you're hesitating. The one that I liked the most, though, because it was so long, was A. A, Larry the Cable, do you want to go with that one?

Okay. That's the one. Yes! You got it. All right, Jennifer, it's very good. Here is your next question. A huge part of the frozen food business naturally is frozen desserts, including which of these? A, the license to chill, a popsicle in the shape of Daniel Craig's naked torso.

B, the Inuit pie, a more woke ice cream sandwich. Or C, frozen flaming hot Cheetos. Oh, are there those? Because my daughter would love them. I'll go and see. You're going to do frozen flaming hot Cheetos. No, in fact, believe it or not, it was licensed to chill. They exist.

It's a popsicle in the shape of Daniel Craig's naked torso. All right. The heyday, Jennifer, of frozen food was the 1960s, which was when somebody tried out

which of these business ideas? A, Pillsbury frozen flour. B, rent a chicken, which would provide

you a mother hen to sit on your frozen food and warm it the natural way. Or C, Tad's 30 Varieties of Meats. It was a chain restaurant where every table had a microwave for you to cook the frozen food they would bring to you. Oh.

Oh, God. That sounds neat. Oh. Okay, I'm going with C. You're right. You did it. That was the idea. You go to the restaurant, microwave, which they did have.

They were very large from our eyes, and they'd bring you frozen food. You'd stick it in the microwave and eat it. The restaurant chain did not last long. I'm shocked. No. Bill, how did filmmaker Jennifer Lee do on our quiz? Two out of three for Jennifer Lee. Congratulations.

Two out of three for Jennifer Lee. Congratulations! Jennifer Lee is the Chief Creative Officer of Disney Animation. Her new movie, Frozen 2, is in theaters now. Jennifer Lee, thank you so much for joining us on Wait, Wait, Don't Talk Now. What a pleasure to talk to you. Take care.

Bye-bye. In just a minute, go directly to our listener limerick challenge. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to join us on the air. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR. Morning News Podcast. I'm Scott Simon. And I'm Lulu Garcia Navarro, up first here at Weekday Mornings, and now every Saturday at 8 Eastern, too.

From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. Chicago. This is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis. We're playing this week with Roxanne Roberts, Adam Burke, and Mo Rocca. And here again is your host at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Segal. Thank you, Bill. In just a minute, in just a minute, Bill is simply having a wonderful Christmas rhyme. Our Listener Limerick Challenge is coming up. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Right now, a panel of some more questions for you from the week's news.

Roxanne, in a stunning break with tradition, a 100-year-old organization recently announced they were opening their doors to gay members. Who is suddenly accepting of all lifestyles? More than a 100-year-old organization. their doors to gay members. Who is suddenly accepting of all lifestyles? More than a hundred years old organization. At least since the turn of the 20th century. You know?

Yes, think of like... I need a hint. You need a hint. All right. At the Pride Parade, their float is just a car with a bunch of bodies in the trunk.

The Mafia? Yes, the Mafia. After decades denying... What was that? Let's move on. Let's go back and say, Mo, what was that sort of horsey... I thought it was going to be

the Rough Riders. No, I think the Rough Riders were gay from the jump. And also, that's 1898, so I'm way off. I mean, seriously, isn't Rough Riders a gay from the jump. And also, that's 1898, so I'm way off. What? I mean, seriously, isn't Rough Riders a gay bar in Chelsea? It's in the

West Village. Alright, fine. After decades denying that there were any gay people in their ranks, the Italian mafia recently began welcoming members of all sexual preferences into the family, which is more than can be said of some actual families. So congratulations, Grandpa, you're now a worse

person than a guy who literally buries his enemies in concrete. It's so nice now that the mafia doesn't care who you sleep with, a man, a woman, the fishes. So what happened, I should tell you, So what happened, I should tell you, is a powerful crime boss discovered that his own son doubled as a popular drag queen. Presumably, we hope, under the name Gal Capone. I thought it was going to be Cosa Nostra. It actually, it'll be great because this will change the entire rank Of all the mafia cliches Like you come to me on the day of my son's wedding To his partner Craig

Leave the gun, take the cannoli I made it myself from a recipe on Queer Eye Roxanne, this week we learned something incredible About our ancient ancestors. They, like us, would sometimes drink from what? Sadness. Drink from the milk carton. No.

I'm just imagining prehistoric milk cartons. Have you seen Ugg? Let's see. They would drink out of the... They apparently especially used these when the order was to go. A McDonaldland glass. Straw.

No, not a straw. Paper cups. Paper, I'll give it to Mo. Disposable cups. Yes. Although they were made of clay. I was trying. There was no disposable cups in prehistoric times. And yet, Roxanne, there were.

That's the discovery. They were made of papyrus. They were not made of papyrus. They were made of clay. They were disposable. They were made out of mammoth skulls. They were discovered at sites dated to 4,000 years ago. They're apparently these clay cups.

Then why were they disposable? Because archaeologists... This was through a prehistoric drive-thru. Haven't you seen the documentary The Flint Life? I don't believe this. Apparently, archaeologists say that these were cups. They were cheaply and simply made cups that they would just drink from them

and then they'd throw them in the ground. We found the remains. It was not until 3,000 years ago that we began to use Reusable clay cups right after the invention of sinks to pile them up in Are we sure this just wasn't a frat party? Ecological, you know a site where they found and they all broke the glass It is true that they believe they were used for mead pong fight five better crow magnon When the cups were convenient, it was really tough to get your order at Starbucks when they have to carve the cuneiform of your name into the cup.

I'm not Ugg. I'm Ugg. I am. Coming up, it's lightning fill in the blank, but first it's the game where you have to listen for the rhyme. If you'd like to play on air, call or leave a message at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Or click the Contact Us link on our website,

waitwait.npr.org. There you can find out about attending our weekly live shows right here at the Chase Bank Auditorium in Chicago. And if you want more Wait, Wait in Your Week, check out the award-winning Wait, Wait quiz for your smart speaker. We're not saying which award because we don't want to make this moment less impressive. Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hi, this is Mia from Philadelphia. Hey, Mia, how are things in Philly?

Oh, beautiful. Cold. Yeah, well, that's what it's like there. What do you do there? I'm an artist, and about two years ago, I kind of accidentally became a middle school English teacher, so I do that now. Oh, my gosh. What a terrible accident. How did it happen? Did you fall into a classroom and you couldn't get out?

No, really vague Craigslist ads. Really? Yeah. Did you just think it was like a real estate listing with a lot of roommates? That's so close. Yeah, that's kind of what it was. Well, Mia, welcome to the show. Bill Curtis is going to read you three news-related limericks with the last word or phrase missing from each.

If you can fill in that last word or phrase correctly on just two of the limericks, you'll be a winner. You ready to play? Absolutely. Here is your first limerick. Amazon thinks I'm a chumpster. They sold trash and now I am a grumpster. When my box was unsealed, close inspection revealed, I bought items they found in a... Dumpster. Yes, very good. Hey, you're not a dumpster diver, you're a dumpster entrepreneur. Amazon is cracking down on people reselling items they have found in the garbage, cleaning them up and listing them on the Amazon marketplace. This explains why your supposedly brand new Instant Pot came with a family of raccoons.

The story was reported in the Wall Street Journal, who analyzed thousands of reviews of suspicious products. One review said their purchase was, quote, unnaturally sticky. Would they have been happy if it was naturally sticky? I guess so. All right, here is your next limerick. All right, here is your next limerick. This brandy-soaked dough makes your boots shake. But don't eat it, or you'll have a tooth break.

It's been on display since my great-grandma's day. It's an ancient and nutty old... Fruitcake. What'd you say? Fruitcake. Fruitcake, yes, fruitcake. A family in Michigan has a particular heirloom, a 141-year-old fruitcake.

It answers the question finally, what is worse than figgy pudding? 141 is very old for a fruitcake, but right in the sweet spot for the Democratic presidential candidates, it's older than Joe Biden, but still younger than Bernie Sanders. I just want to say this

because it always comes up. Fruitcake, Christmas. Fruitcake is good. Yes, it is. Fruitcake is a delicious baked treat that you should enjoy when possible. And it gets better with age. So this one is...

This one is going to be spectacular. I wish the candidates debated about this stuff. I know. It'd be more fun. All right, Mia, here is your last limerick. With its new move to make the game stronger, Monopoly couldn't be wronger. The game is twice as endless

and we're twice as friendless. They've doubled the board. Now it's... Longer. Yeah, you got longer. Latest version of Monopoly is the worst one yet. It's called Monopoly Longest Game Ever.

It's perfect for that family waiting 141 years to eat their fruitcake. It costs only $20. It's specifically designed to take forever to play. The board is twice as big. There's only one die, and the only way to get out of jail is through a lengthy appeal process. Can I suggest that they make another, if the game's gone on too long,

they make another game called the SEC that comes in and breaks up the monopoly. When you think about it, monopoly is so weird. Why would I want to pay rent recreationally? If it's a longer Monopoly, at least do they have the decency to make the little play pieces like a really sharp item that I can just like stab my head and just

gouge my eyes out? Bill, how did Mia do on our quiz? She did a middle school perfect. Congratulations Mia, well done. Thank you. Thank you. Congratulations. Thank you. Thanks for playing. Love you guys.

...is as easy as downloading the app. Learn more at fi.google.com Support for this podcast and the following message comes from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. In 1980, with a few thousand dollars in used dairy equipment, Ken Grossman founded Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Ken's award-winning ales propelled

him from home brewer to craft brewer. Today, Ken and his family still own 100% of the company, one of the most successful independent craft breweries in America. More at sierranevada.com. Now on to our final game, lightning fill in the blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill in the blank questions as they can. Each correct answer is worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores? Mo and Adam each have three. Roxanne has two. Okay. All right, Roxanne, you're in third place. You're up first. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Fill in the blank. On Tuesday, the House approved a $1.4 trillion spending bill aimed at preventing a blank.

Shutdown. Right. As pro-democracy protests continued, the leader of blank met with Xi Jinping to discuss possible solutions. In the Hong Kong protests. Yes, leader of Hong Kong. This week, a judge in New York threw out fraud charges against former Trump campaign chairman blank.

Paul Manafort. Right. Following an uproar on social media, the Blank Channel will reinstate a commercial they pulled that features a same-sex marriage. The Hallmark Channel. A woman is suing the Stumble Inn bar in New York City after she blanked. She stumbled in and hurt herself.

Yes, she did. On Wednesday, rideshare service Blank reached a $4.4 million settlement over sexual harassment allegations. That's Uber. Yes. On Monday, New Orleans Saints quarterback Blank reached a $4.4 million settlement over sexual harassment allegations. That's Uber. Yes. On Monday, New Orleans Saints quarterback Blank set a new record for touchdown passes. Drew B. Drew Brees, 540. There you are.

After a woman in Brazil failed her driver's test too many times, her son blanked. Her son dressed up as her and took it for her. That's exactly right, Roxanne. She stuck the landing. Tired of his mom not having a license, the man put on a wig, a floral dress, and some lipstick and went to the DMV to take the test for her. Unfortunately, he was arrested after officers grew suspicious after the old woman successfully parallel parked

and then wouldn't stop dabbing. The man is currently in jail awaiting bail. Sadly, he'll be there for a while because his mom can't drive. Bill, how did Roxanne do? She got eight right. 16 more points. Total of 18.

There you go. We have flipped a coin. Mo has elected to go 18. There you go. We have flipped a coin. Mo has elected to go second. Here we go. In a bipartisan vote, the House passed a trade bill meant to replace blank on Thursday. NAFTA. Right. This week, a federal judge ruled the government was entitled to any proceeds from NSA whistleblower

blank's new memoir. Edward Snowden. Right. In his first speech to Parliament since a landslide election victory last week, British Prime Minister Blank promised to follow through on a speedy Brexit. Boris Johnson. Right.

Though initial reports blame Tesla for a fire that started at one of their car charging stations, security cam footage showed that Blank was actually responsible. A gassy driver. I don't know. Well, it was a guy in a Mustang doing donuts around the charger.

For the first time in 35 years, Eddie Murphy will blank on Saturday night. Host. Yes, host Saturday Night Live. This week, NASA scientists said they're expected to find proof of blank within the next decade. Life on another planet. Yeah, alien life. This week, an Audi dealership in China filed suit against a man after his kid blanked. in China filed suit against a man after his kid blanked.

After his kid stole a car and started doing donuts. No, after his kid drew on 10 cars with a rock. Ouch. The kid probably thought he was creating a work of art when he doodled the new cars with a rock, but that's not art. Art is when you duct tape a banana to a car. The dealership is now suing the dad for damages, but the dad says he's mostly concerned

with where he's going to get a magnet big enough to stick all ten cars on the fridge. Bill, how did Mo do in our quiz? Well, he got five right, ten more points. He has a total of 13. We now go to Adam. And how many does Adam need to win? Eight, indeed. Eight to win. Eight. Here you go, Adam. And how many does Adam need to win? Eight, indeed. Eight to win.

Eight. Here you go, Adam. This is for the game. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court struck down the individual mandate to keep revision of blank. Obamacare. Right. On Sunday, officials said the first phase of the new trade deal between the U.S. and blank was completed. China.

Right. This week, Boeing announced it was suspending production of the grounded blank plane. 737X. Right. On Tuesday, a whistleblower claimed the Blank church had potentially dodged taxes on billions of dollars in donations. The Mormon church. Right. Police in New Mexico were able to track down an armed robbery suspect who held up a pizza hut because he blanked while trying to escape. Put in an order for pizza.

No, he face-planted into the door and left his DNA behind. On Thursday, the CDC warned that an outbreak of the blank had spread to 60 schools in Minnesota. The measles? No, the flu. 25 years after its release, All I Want for Christmas is You by Blank finally reached number one on the Billboard charts.

Mariah Carey. Right. Police in California say they'll be able to identify a man who stole $500 on Tuesday because he blanked. He stole it from a caricaturist and he ran away and he left the picture that the guy drew of him. That's exactly right. The man asked to have his portrait drawn,

waited until the caricaturist finished, and then grabbed his cash box and made a run for it. Fortunately for police, he forgot to take the drawing with him, so officers say they're on the lookout for a man in a light blue shirt and a red baseball cap who also has a giant head and a teeny tiny body.

He apparently made his getaway on a tiny little airplane. Bill, did Adam do well enough to win? Got six right, 12 more points, total of 15, which puts him in second place, but not enough to catch Roxanne.

Well done, Roxanne. In just a minute, we're going to ask our panelists to predict what will be the best gift given at the Congressional Christmas Party this year. Special thanks to Stock and Ledger Restaurant here in Chicago for feeding us 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. Phillip Godica writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our house manager is Gianna Capodona. Our intern is Emma Day. Our web guru is Beth Novy. BJ Lederman composed our theme.

Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Nurnbos, and Lillian King. Technical direction is from Lorna White. Our business and ops manager is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our business and ops manager is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chilog.

And the executive producer of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is Michael Danforth. Now, panel, what would be the best gift at Congress's Christmas party? Adam Burke. The Donald J. Trump

combination high-flow toilet and dishwasher. Like all Trump products, it comes with a four-year warranty, but you can try to send it back sooner if you want. Roxanne Roberts. Adam Schiff will give Jim Jordan a can of W-40 oil because he's worried the poor man will literally blow a gasket. And Mo Rocca.

Orphaned cat privates. Because they were detached from the cats in the movie, but they need to find a home. Well, if any of that happens, we'll ask you about it on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Thank you, Bill Curtis. Thanks also to Adam Burke, Roxanne Roberts, and Mo Rocca. Thanks to all of you for listening.

I'm Peter Sagal. We'll see you next week. Thank you. This is NPR.