Karen Chee
Appearances
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
Everyone's like passing the ball, but you're just sprinting up and down the court. That's amazing. So at what point in your life did you realize, even if your basketball skills weren't the greatest, when did you realize that you had a superhuman talent for running?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
Alison, that's so incredible. I love that so much. And I just want to say for the record, I've never tried track and field, so I'm going to try and I'll be at the next Olympics, I'm sure. I have a question, which is, so I love watching the games on television from my couch. And I always see athletes, but especially runners, kind of like murmuring to themselves right before they start a race.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
Do you do that? And what are you saying to yourself?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
Wow. And then when you're actually running, are you also actively thinking or are you sort of letting muscle memory take over?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
We agree. We both think the 400 meters is too long. Because you run professionally, when you have to run for stuff in your everyday life, like if you're late for the bus or something, are you kind of just like, oh, now I'm doing work for free? Yeah.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
That's fantastic. All right, Allison, we've asked you here to play a game we're calling... 200 Meters.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
You've won many medals racing the 200 meter and the 400 meter, so we thought we'd ask you about the parking meter. If you answer two out of three questions correctly about one of the last things you can use coins for, you will win a prize for one of our listeners, the voice of any one of us on their voicemail. Bill, who is Allison playing for?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
All right, Allison, here's your first question. A man named Charles Mysak has sold used books on a New York street corner since the 90s, and he found the parking meter there very convenient in what way? A, he has sold over a million 25-cent postcards to people who needed change for the meter.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
That is correct. He parked in the same space for 11 years, only moving the car for street cleanings. I guess finally someone else zipped in there real fast. All right, Allison, here's your next question. In the state of Florida, parking meters aren't just for cars. You are also required by law to feed the meter when? A, when you tie an alligator to the parking meter. No!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
B, when you were drinking rum on the sidewalk, or C, when you were saving good seats for the 4th of July parade?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
Oh, we're going to give you a second try.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
A is correct, so if you see an alligator on the sidewalk, park there, the meter is already paid. Here is your last question. A New York parking enforcement officer was sent to jail after he embezzled over $90,000 in quarters that he collected from meters over the course of five years. How was he finally caught? A, he got a hole in his pocket and police followed a trail of coins to his house.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
B, he was overheard on his collection route saying, one for you, one for me. Or C, the bank in town called the police and said, hey, this guy in a parking enforcement uniform keeps depositing huge piles of quarters into his bank account.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
What was he supposed to do, go back to the office with all those quarters in his pockets? No, you walk right into the back in uniform and deposit them. Bill, how did Allison do on our quiz?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
Alison Felix is one of the greatest sprinters of all time, a multiple world and Olympic champion. Alison, thank you truly so much for joining us on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
Wait, I have a question. Yeah. You and your husband are both hot. That has nothing to do with the question. I just wanted to say. Okay. All right. Wait, so since you're both designers, who wins? Like, do you have a chair in your house that you hate that you put there?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
Like, you know, when someone doesn't want to do a nude scene, they have a stand-in. Is there somebody who is farting in place of you?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
I'll say, I've seen... Jay also does a fantastic... Okay. Imagine at some point you ended up slapping yourself.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
Would Jay-Z help out with this one? Is there something that Jay-Z says a lot that might be the answer?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
But technically, Jay didn't get any of them wrong.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: One Last Gift to Unwrap
I read online that you found out you were good at track because you were trying to make new friends at a new high school, right?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
That is a workplace pantsing from Nagin Farsad. And your next story of a wee one's worry come to life comes from Brian Babylon.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Oh, wow. That's an amazing job. Thank you for doing that. I'm sure you're doing great in your business, but if you need any referrals, I do have a lot of ex-boyfriends.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
And that's the story about how quicksand is real from Brian Babylon. And your last story of a fear becoming fact comes from Luke Burbank.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Okay, Chris, so you've got Nagin's story of a man getting pantsed by an escalator during a big day at work, Brian's story of a man getting stuck in quicksand on a first date, and from Luke, a woman who finds out that the monster under her bed is actually a sinkhole. So which one do you think is real?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Okay, so your choice is Luke's story about a misadventure in Australia. To find out the correct answer, we spoke to a reporter covering the real story.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
There is. That was Kara Berg of the Detroit News talking about the quicksand romance. I'm so sorry, Chris, but Brian had the real answer. You got to go with your heart. You got to go with your heart, and that's how you should think about your law school finals.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Chris, I'm sorry you didn't win, but you did earn a point for Luke, so thank you so much. Thank you. And now the game we call Not My Job. Brian Tyree Henry is an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony-nominated actor who first came to national attention playing the rapper Paperboy in FX's Atlanta.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
All right, Kevin, let's introduce you to our panel. First, a comedian and fashion designer whose new summer line and new novel, Silk and Silencer, will be available May 15th on bbspoke.shop. It's Brian Babylon.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Since then, he's been a superhero, a transformer, and in his new show Dope Thief, a small-town grifter pretending to be a DEA agent. Thank God I flushed all my drugs before the interview started. Brian Tyree Henry, welcome to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Oh, great. Okay, I'll have my toilet burp mine back up then.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Brian, I wanted to ask, you've been nominated for an Oscar, a Tony, and an Emmy, so my next question was, how does it feel to achieve the pinnacle of cinematic success, by which I mean voicing Smokey Bear?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Listen, you joke, but I literally wrote down the question, are you the reason Smokey Bear is hot now?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Okay, wait, going off of this, though, I did have a question. Merry Kiss Kill, Smokey Bear, Paddington Bear, and Winnie the Pooh. Ooh.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
I have another question, which is that you've been in Transformers, The Eternals, and Spider-Man. These are all huge franchises, and I wanted to rewind all the way back in time and ask, do you remember what your very first role was?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Next, the host of the daily podcast TBTL and the public radio variety show Livewire, which will be live at the Rezor Center in Beaverton, Oregon on May 1st, Luke Burbank.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Well, now when you do win an Oscar, you have to start off your speech by saying, Merry Christmas.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Yeah. I also wanted to ask about a different role, which I read about and I wasn't sure if it was a rumor. Is it true that you played a tree in Chekhov's The Three Sisters? LAUGHTER
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Going off of that, I wanted to ask, you've been a part of so many iconic projects, both on stage and on screen. What are you most recognized for when you're out in the world?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
And a comedian and host of the podcast Fake the Nation, who you can follow on all the social media platforms that you keep meaning to delete, it's Nagin Farsad. Hey! Welcome to the show, Kevin. You're going to play Who's Bill This Time. Bill Curtis is going to read you three quotes from this week's news.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Irwan. All right. All right, Brian, Tyree, Henry, we've actually invited you here to play a game that we're calling...
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
That's right. You are Brian Tyree Henry, B.T.H., so we're going to ask you about one of the biggest bands in history, B.T.S. So answer three questions about the K-pop icons, and you'll win our prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who is Brian playing for?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Okay, here's your first question. After forming in 2010, BTS became one of the biggest bands in the world. They're so popular that which of these is true? A, they were the only band that Pope Francis had on his iPod. B, the crowds at BTS concerts are so loud that the noise is faintly detectable from space. Or C, almost one in 10 visitors to South Korea go there for BTS related reasons.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
NPR reported that BTS adds $5 billion annually to South Korea's economy.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
All right, Brian, here's your next question. BTS thinks a lot about their lyrics, so much so that they do what before recording them? A, run them by a women's studies professor. Oh. B, have their official fan account send out definitions for any particularly big words. And C, make sure they sound just as good screamed out loud or whispered to yourself alone in your bedroom.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
All right, here's your last question. Fans were worried about the future of BTS because all South Korean men are required to complete a year and a half of military service before the age of 28. So as BTS neared their deadline, the government got involved. How? A, they negotiated a special two-year truce with North Korea to make sure BTS would stay safe. That's all it takes.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
If you can correctly identify or explain two of them, you'll win our prize, which is any voice from our show that you choose on your voicemail. Are you ready?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
B, they passed a special law allowing anyone to defer their service as long as they're in a hit K-pop band. And C, they amassed a, quote, strategic BTS song stockpile.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
That's correct. I got it. After a bit of deferring for a world tour, all of the BTS members have since enlisted. So, Bill, how did Brian do on our quiz?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Brian Tyree Henry is starring in Dope Thief on Apple TV+. Brian, thank you so much for joining us on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. You crushed it. In just a minute, find out what happens when BFF meets PU. In our listener limerick challenge, call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to join us on air. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Amazing. Your first quote is from a spokesperson at a gambling site.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
In just a minute, there ain't no party like a limerick party, because why would you have limericks at a normal party, you nerd? So if you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. But right now, panel, some more questions for you from the week's news. Brian, this is exciting. Scientists say they've discovered a new color.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
And if you want to see it, all you have to do is what?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
It involves a laser and the last thing you should ever do with a laser.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
I'll give it to you. That's correct. Thank you. It's... Shoot a laser into your eye. So scientists have discovered a new color, and all you have to do to see it is to shoot a laser into your eye.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
So, people are betting on who is going to be the next what?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
This is a good question, because the color is called Olo, for Olo, my eyes.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Yeah. Yeah, I honestly though, apparently the color is supposed to be like a blue-green, which I got to be honest, I don't think it should count if the brand new color can be described by two pre-existing colors. And who told them that?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
I don't need it. That's a good point. I really want them to find a new color and be like, this one is spiky. Okay, Nagin. This week, the Wall Street Journal reported that now more than ever, Americans are no longer giving each other what?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Yeah, a hint is that only 20% of my friends call me Big Dog anymore. Oh, nicknames. That's correct. Nicknames. Nicknames. Wait, there's like a decline in nicknames? Yeah, nicknames appear to be on the decline, partly due to young people being very mindful about building their professional presence online, which is kind of good practice, right?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Yes, that's correct! People are betting on who is going to be the next Pope. People mourned Francis' passing all over the world, but no one more than the producers of the movie Conclave, who said, hey, couldn't he have at least done this during our Oscar campaign? LAUGHTER It is a sign of how in touch the Pope was with the people in the church that he was like, wait, conclaves are huge right now.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Because you don't want your interviewer's first question to be, so do you prefer Elizabeth or Pizza Slut 35? But luckily, nickname levels remain high among Little League baseball teams, construction sites, and bodegas where the owner just calls you boss.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Baby hairs is definitely the nickname for Peter Sagal. Moving on. Nobody tell him I said that. 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. You can see us most weeks here at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago or catch us on the road.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
We'll be in Portland, Maine on June 26th and 27th and at Tanglewood in Western Massachusetts on August 28th. For tickets and info to all our live shows, go to nprpresents.org. Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Yeah, Steamboat Springs is such a lovely name. It feels like a city from a picture book.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Well, welcome to the show, Celine. 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 two limericks, you're going to be a winner. So here's your first limerick.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
According to scientists, a person's smell can be more influential than their personality when you're deciding to be their friend. I can see how that could work on like a subconscious level, but someone audibly smelling me is not my secret to friendship.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Woodpecker? That's correct. An ornery woodpecker has destroyed over 20 car windows and mirrors in Cape and Massachusetts. He's pecking windows, glass, metal. He's not a woodpecker. He's just a pecker.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
That's correct. Yes. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a chewing gum that helps fight against viral infections like influenza. Its working title? Juicy flu.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
The gum is made from a kind of bean that contains a protein that essentially traps viruses. So in the lab, this gum neutralized two strains of flu and two strains of herpes. So if your spouse is always coming home late, chomping on gum whenever they're working late, I've got some bad news for you. Yes.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
So every time you kiss somebody, you're like, uh, mwah, chew, chew, chew.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Celine, thank you so much for playing. Yeah, thanks for having me.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
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, and each correct answer is worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
All right, Nagin and Brian, you're tied. So, Nagin, I'm just going to arbitrarily say you're up first. Great. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Fill in the blank. On Monday, Marco Rubio unveiled plans for a massive reorganization of the blank department.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Right, the State Department. On Wednesday, long-serving Illinois Senator blank announced plans to retire. Dick Durbin. Right. This week, health officials warned that if vaccination rates continue to decline, the U.S. could see millions of new cases of blank. Measles. Right. This week, a couple in Pittsburgh got married at their dream location blank. A quicksand thing on the beach. Not far.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
The mosh pit of a cannibal corpse show. Oh, I was going to say that. I was going to say that. On Wednesday, Olympic gymnast Blank won her fourth World Sportswoman of the Year award. Oh, Simone Biles. Simone Biles. This week, NASA celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Blank telescope. Hubble. Right. After celebrating a bachelor party, a man in Ireland spent the next three weeks trying to blank.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Trying to remember where he parked. After parking his car, the man went out, partied, and completely forgot where it was. He then spent the next three weeks searching one neighborhood at a time. Thankfully, he's now found the car just in time to get wasted at the wedding reception and lose it all over again. Bill, how did Nagin do?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
All right, Brian, you're up next. Fill in the blank. On Wednesday, Russia launched a new wave of drone attacks on blank.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Right. According to a new study, nearly half of U.S. teenagers say that blank has a negative effect on their mental health.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Right. This week, the White House denied Arkansas' request for federal aid to help people affected by blanks.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
What Nagin is saying is true. The vice president met with the Pope the day before he died and said to him, it's good to see you in better health. Which incidentally, it's good to see you in better health is also what J.D. Vance said to the stock market in March.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Right. On Tuesday, rescue workers in New Jersey warned that a blank in the southern part of the state had expanded to cover over 8,500 acres. Fire. Right. In a huge rule change, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said that members need to blank before voting for the Oscars.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Kenyan runner Faith Kipiagon announced she would attempt to become the first woman to break the four-minute blank this summer.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Right. On Thursday, the 2025 blank draft began in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Right. This week, a man in Indonesia escaped with only minor injuries after he drove off an uncompleted bridge because blank.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
That's correct. Because Google Maps told him it was the fastest route.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
To a stairway to heaven. Yeah. even though he crashed into the road below and then ran into a whole bunch of trees, the man escaped with pretty much no injuries. Then really bad stuff happened after the ambulance driver that picked him up was like, don't worry, I know a shortcut. All right, Bill, how did Brian do?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
All right. Okay, Luke, this is for the game. As part of their ongoing battle, Blank University filed suit against the White House this week.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Right. On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund warned that Trump's trade war was putting the world closer to a global blank.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Right. This week, the White House proposed tariffs of up to 3,500% on solar panels from blank. China. Right. According to a new report, blank pollution levels are getting worse across the US.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Right. After being accused of stealing over $200,000, a bank employee in Arkansas defended herself by saying blank.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
that she was just borrowing the money. Citing a loss of journalistic independence, the executive producer of CBS's Blank resigned.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Right. On Wednesday, human runners competed against 20 Blanks in a half marathon in China.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Right. After a driver accidentally drove away with a woman's kid still asleep in the backseat, Uber refused to connect the woman and the police with the driver, but they did Blank.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
They did offer her a $10 credit for a future ride.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
I first want to say everyone in the story is okay, and the police got the girl back safe and sound, no problem. And I just want to say that nothing says we're sorry like a $10 credit for a future ride. Oh, wait, I'm so sorry. That's in Canadian dollars, so a $7 credit for a future ride. Bill, did Luke do well enough to win?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
In just a minute, we'll ask our panelists to predict who will be the surprising new pope. Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is a production of NPR and WBEZ Chicago in association with Urgent Haircut Productions' Doug Berman Benevolent Overlord. Philip Gotika writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our tour manager is Shana Donald.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Thanks to the staff and crew at the Studebaker Theater. BJ Lederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Dornbos, and Lillian King. Special thanks to Mohanad Elshekhi and Monica Hickey. Additional production from Peter teensy-weensy-dog-guin. Emma Choi is our vibe curator. Our jolly good fellow is Hannah Anderson. Technical direction, Lorna White.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Our CFO is Colin Miller. 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. Now, panel, who is going to be the next pope? Brian Babylon.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Thank you, Bill Curtis. Thanks also to Brian Babylon, Nagin Farsad, and Luke Burbick. And thanks to all of you for listening. I'm Karen Chee, filling in for Peter Sagal, and we'll see you next week. Karen Chee! Karen Chee, everybody!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Wait, I just want to bring it back to the smoke, though, because I want to say, if you're betting on the new pope, remember, if the smoke is blue, it's going to be a boy.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
And if the smoke is pink, it's also going to be a boy. The pope is always going to be a boy.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Yeah. All right, Kevin, your next quote is some words costing someone tens of millions of dollars.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
This week, a tech CEO said that we cost his company millions of dollars when we say those words when typing requests into what?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
That's correct. Yeah. Open AI CEO Sam Altman says please and thank you cost his company tens of millions of dollars because it's unnecessary data for ChatGPT to process. And I just want to say if this is costing him money, I love that. I'm going to be extra polite. I'm going to start using ChatGPT just to give it a forehead kiss after each answer.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Yeah, I was going to say it's costing him money, but it's also requiring a lot of power and electricity. So when you're asking it a request, you have to remember... that saying something like, write my term paper is fine, but please, hi, will you write my term paper? Thank you, burns down an entire Brazilian rainforest. Yes.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Wait, Nagin, do you wake up every morning being like, I can only say five nice things today? Yeah, is that how we all do it?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Yeah, yeah. All right, Kevin, now we are on to our last quote.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
That was someone speaking to the New York Times about new data that finds what is back on American plates.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Thank you, Bill. That's right, I'm Karen Chee, filling in for Peter Sagal. He's at home recovering from a fight with another NPR host right now. I don't want to name any names, but let's just say Steve Inskeep is a biter. You're all in for a treat because later we're talking to Oscar-nominated actor Brian Tyree Henry. You probably know him from Atlanta or his new show, Dope Thief.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
A hint is, it is something that was once alive.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
That's correct. That's right. Meat is back. Or, depending on which state you live in, meat is the same.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Yeah. After years of decline, sales of meat hit record highs last year. And this is due to a number of factors. It's that high protein diets are in. We're getting tired of plant-based meats. But more than anything, we just don't like those cows' attitudes.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
I do agree with what you're saying, though. I mean, we did go too crazy with the plant-based stuff. Like, I used a plant-based shampoo, which I'm pretty sure is just normal shampoo. But now that we're overcorrecting, I can't wait to see the new Windex now with lamb.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Kevin, congratulations. And thank you so much for playing.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Right now, panel, time for you to answer some questions about this week's news. Luke, loose-lipped Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says he's going to be wasteful spending at the Pentagon. And he is making changes. According to CBS News, he's adding a what to the Pentagon's briefing room?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
That's correct. Pete Hegseth is adding a makeup studio, and we know this because he texted his stylist, hey, I can't wait to try this new eyeshadow. Also, here are the nuclear codes.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
It was also, they went one step further, actually. The DOD struck back at this report saying, and this is exactly what you want your spokesperson to say if you are the Secretary of Defense. They said Pete Hegseth doesn't need a makeup room because Pete Hegseth does his own makeup.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Coming up, the only thing we have to fear is you missing this week's Bluff the Listener game. So call 1-888-WAITWAIT to play. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Or, as I know him, as the voice of the absolutely jacked Smokey the Bear. But first, it's your turn to call in to play our games. The number is 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Right now, it's time for the Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me Bluff the Listener Game. So call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to play our game on air or check out the pinned post on our Instagram page at waitwaitnpr. Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
Nice. I love it. I love when a true nerd calls into NPR saying, I'm taking a break from finals by doing a quiz. Yes. Thank you so much for joining us. You're going to play our game in which you must try to tell truth from fiction. So what's the topic, Bill?
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
WWDTM: Brian Tyree Henry
You know, the classic kid fears like the dark, the boogeyman, the creeping realization that you've peaked at age seven. This week, somebody's childhood fear did come true, and our panelists are going to tell you about it. So pick the one who's telling the truth, and you'll win our prize, the weight-waiter of your choice on your voicemail. Chris, are you ready to play?