Our panel heads to Milan and Arden Cho hunts demons

0:03From NPR and WBEC Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. Hey there, Cupid, put down that arrow and let my voice pierce some hearts.

0:21I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, Nagin Farsad. Thank you, Bill. Thanks, everyone. I'm filling in for Peter Sagal, who has taken the week off so he can correct all the grammar on his kid's Valentine. But don't worry, we have a great show for you today. We're going to be joined by Arden Cho, who plays Rumi in K-pop Demon Hunters, a pop culture phenomenon so big, even NPR listeners will know what I'm talking about. But first, it's your turn to show us some moves. Give us a call to play our games. The number is 1-888-wait-wait.

1:05That's 1-888-924-8924. Now, let's welcome our first listener contestant. Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hi, this is Lindsay McCauley from Granville, Ohio. Hi, Lindsay. What do you do in Granville, Ohio? I am a wildlife biologist. Ooh. Wow. What's your favorite wildlife? All the unhuggables. The snakes, the bats. I study freshwater mussels. all the creepy crawlies. You're such a proper weirdo. Okay. Well, Lindsay, let's introduce you to our panel. First up, a comedian who will be in Barrie, Vermont at the Barrie Opera House on Saturday, February 21st and host of the podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone.

1:56It's Paula Poundstone.

2:01Next up, he's a comedian who is currently on the Grateful Bread Tour. Tickets available at TomPapa.com. It's Tom Papa. Hi, Lindsay. Hi, Tom. Finally, a comedian. You can see her in San Francisco at the Punchline, March 4th through 7th. And check out her stand-up special, The Landlord Special, on YouTube. It's Beth Stelling. Lindsay. O-H. I-O. Welcome to the show, Lindsay. You're going to play Who's Bill This Time? Bill Curtis is going to read you three quotes from this week's news. If you can identify two of them, you'll win our prize, which is any voice from our show on your voicemail. Are you ready?

2:44I think so. All right. Here's your first quote from Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. The threat has been neutralized. Okay. He was talking about a threat, a threat that was shot down by a laser and that shut down Texas airspace. A threat that turned out to be what? Was it a drone? Uh, no. It was something else that floats in the air, but for fun it does that. A balloon. A balloon, a party balloon. That's right, folks, the party balloon has been neutralized. On Tuesday, the FAA announced that El Paso Airport would be closed for 10 days, but didn't say why. Then they announced the closure was because Customs and Border Protection had shot down a drug cartel drone with a laser.

3:39Then we learned what they thought was a drone was actually a party balloon. The threat has been neutralized, and it's a girl?

3:53Guys, it was an alien ship. That's what happens in that part of the country. And it was an alien, and they don't want to tell us. And good night, everybody. Thank you, Tom, for being the voice of reason up here today. Well, somewhere in El Paso right now, There's like a mom thinking back to when she told her toddler, sure, honey, you can let go of the balloon. What's the worst that could happen? Didn't China attack us with a balloon a couple of years ago? Yeah. Yeah. And there was outrage. And there was outrage. There was outrage. Yeah. But this was like, what was different about this was that they used their new laser.

4:38They were like very excited to use their new laser. And I mean, who can blame them if they just ruin someone's bar mitzvah? You know? They're very sensitive in Texas. Like a balloon goes up, they break out the big war laser. Have they ever been to Newark Airport? The things that are flying in, around, going through security. There should be lasers. I know. Wasn't the, like, weren't the drones in New Jersey going on for several weeks? And people were like, it's fine. Yeah, they're like, get used to it. So what? All right. For your next quote, we take you to the Winter Olympics in Milan. Three months ago, I made a mistake and cheated on the love of my life.

5:29That was what someone said this week right after he did what in Milan? He won a medal. That's right. He won a medal in the Olympics. Now, what an Olympics it's been. We've had Lindsey Vonn, the quad god. The Milan games have been full of drama, and now they're full of drama. The Norwegian biathlete won the bronze medal, and in the interview right after, took the opportunity to tearfully tell the world that he cheated on his girlfriend, an Olympic medal, and two girlfriends. Come on, bro. Leave something for the rest of us, okay? And she doesn't take him back, right? She's not into this big public, I'm sorry.

6:16Are we sure? He's a bi-athlete. Are we sure?

6:24By the way, this apology was delivered with the passion and earnestness of a man whose apology in private was not accepted. Good point. Yeah, yeah. Very clear. Yeah. Huh. He's like, I just want to reiterate in front of the entire world. Why do men think that's romantic? I don't know. You know, my old friend Mark Anderson told me a story one time about a comic proposing to his fiance on stage. What is romantic about that? Nothing. It delayed the show. The audience was kind of like, what are they doing? It's not any of anybody else's. Wait, did she say yes? I think she did. You don't even know the main part of the story.

7:09She opened for him after that.

7:18All right, here's your last quote. A cake is rarely just a cake. That was baker and psychologist Helen Goh talking about some new relationship advice. Under no circumstances should you bake for your new partner on what holiday? Valentine's Day? That's right, Valentine's Day.

7:42Now, experts say baking something elaborate could show you have an oversized interest in your new partner, and it could scare them off. That's why I never bake. I keep it real chill, and I just make them a scale model of the inside of their apartment. You know? I love putting a lot more pressure on Valentine's Day. Like, right? You have someone that doesn't really like you. You show up with flowers. You really go for it. You bake them something. They're not interested in you. I've had a lot of rejection in my life. Well, okay, and that's just it, Tom. The argument is that baking involves too much personal effort.

8:22They're kind of right. It can be creepy to have someone tell you, I made this bread from the sourdough starter I got right after our first date. I've been feeding it this whole time. Did you have to say feeding it? Do you want your husband to do anything on Valentine's Day? I mean, I feel like as a feminist, no. Let that be what's on the record, off the record. I would love to be showered with flowers and chocolates and girly things. Yeah, yeah. You can't do nothing. I want something creative. Yeah. Handmade. Handmade. You know what? Macaroni. I was gonna do... I was gonna give to someone special a balloon, but I was in Texas.

9:22All right. You got away. Bill, how did Lindsay do? Lindsay's three right went straight to the heart of the Valentine. She's a winner. There you go. Congratulations, Lindsay. Thanks for joining us. Thanks for having me. Bye.

9:46And now, panel, I have some questions for you about this week's news. Paula, this week people are noticing a trend in the way young people speak. Apparently, Gen Zers are talking like what? Sailors.

10:02All right, let me give you a hint. Thank you. These whippersnappers, best 23 skidoo. From the, what, 50s, 40s? You know what, I'll give it to you. They're talking like old people. Oh. I knew about the skidoo. Yeah. Yeah. I never remember my grandpa saying skibbity toilet. Young people sound old now. Gen Z loves saying things like skedaddle and yap and hell's bells and great coolages knickers. It's just another phase in young people's ongoing mission to confuse the hell out of grandma. But by the way, I love talking like my grandma. And by that, I mean, I'm really mean to my mom.

10:55How do they find this slang though? because this slang is really, this is old slang. Like, where did they pick it up? There's this thing called the internet. Internet, yeah. I think it's pretty. You have to dial up, I think. And they're just going on like hotgrammy.com and picking up the slang. I've never been on the internet, but I think it's a thing. I mean, like, it is actually fun to hear kids talking like grandpas until you hear them using words for Italians no person should ever say. True. My wife likes when I call her legs getaway sticks. I never heard that before. Where'd you get that from?

11:39Hotgrammy.com. Okay.

11:54Coming up, our panelists make some movie magic in our Bluff the Listener game. Call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to play. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR.

12:19From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. the NPR News Quiz, which you can listen to and indeed follow wherever you get your podcasts. Yes, following us on your favorite podcast app allows you to get episodes of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me as soon as they come out. I'm Bill Curtis. We're playing this week with Tom Papa, Beth Stelling, and Paula Poundstone. And here again, as your host at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, Illinois, McGee and Farsai. Thanks, Bill. Now it's time for the Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me Bluff, the listener game. Call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to play our game on air or check out the pinned post on our Instagram page at Wait, Wait, NPR.

13:05Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hi, my name's Kristen and I'm living in Boston. Yay. Hi, Kristen. What are you doing, Boston? Oh my gosh. Well, it has been very cold here lately. I love to, I live right by the Arboretum, and I love to take my dog out. That's one of my favorite things to do. And, you know, it doesn't sound very exciting, but because it's been so cold, I actually really love knitting. You are an NPR listener. That's what I'm gathering. Definitely. Well, it's so nice to have you with us, Kristen. Kristen, you're going to play the game where you tell the truth from fiction.

13:47What's the topic, Bill? Straight from the silver screen. Oh, the movies. They make you laugh. They make you cry. They make you wonder, what else have I seen that guy in? Well, this week we came across an amazing story about someone who was inspired by a movie and took action. Our panelists are going to tell you about it. Pick the one who's telling the truth, and you'll win the wait waiter of your choice on your voicemail. Are you ready to play? I am definitely ready. Let's go. All right. First up, it's Tom Papa. A Chicago man received a summons for vermin infestation and unsanitary conditions conducive to rodents when officials discovered he had smuggled a rat into a restaurant under his hat.

14:29His defense? He had been inspired by one of his favorite movies, Ratatouille. 34-year-old Kevin Heights claimed that he had been going through some tough times. His girlfriend left him, he lost his job, and he was really hungry because he didn't know how to cook. Heights explained, saying, I figured I just needed a friend like that guy Alfredo in Ratatouille. Anytime he was in a jam, his little rat friend pulled his hair and helped him out. But his rat wasn't as cute and clever as the movie version. Mr. Heitz suffered rat bites on his ears, rodent feces dropping down his forehead, and he scared customers of the next table when the rat's tail dropped down around his nose.

15:15I really thought it was going to work, Heitz said, but it's okay. I just watched Gremlins last night, and I have an idea. All right.

15:29A story of a man inspired by Ratatouille to get a pet rat from Tom Papa, your next story of a movie that moves someone comes from Beth Stelling. Terry Clubber from Romney, West Virginia was arrested this week for a string of robberies he made with a supernatural green disguise. The mask from the movie The Mask. Terry has been looking for a way to spice up his life. He tried the usual stuff, Pilates, religion, getting really into Dune, but none of it really stuck until he got his mask. While scrolling Reddit one evening, he saw the 3D printing work of Alan Nooch, who makes custom costumes for nerds across the country.

16:09Terry thought that was just what he needed, a new identity. He messaged Alan, saying, make sure this magical mask contains the spirit of Norse god Loki. Need it to cover my whole head. And included the circumference of his noggin. Alan assumed the customer was joking, and recalls muttering to himself, 19 inches, that's a pretty small head. but when Terry got his mask from the mask something came over him and he started robbing banks Terry's robberies were described as chaotic lots of spinning and shouting smoking after his arrest when asked if he would do it again he said sure I would somebody stop me

16:58All right. A man inspired by the movie Master, Rob Abank from Beth Stelling. Your last story of the cinema comes to life from Paula Poundstone. Ian Clotten of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, fortified his three homes with booby traps in the style of the Christmas classic, home alone to protect his illegal drug business. Cloughton's fortress included homemade bombs, tripwires, crossbows, a blowtorch, and various other imitation firearms. Cloughton, a 60-year-old man, actually told the police that he was trying to copy home alone. Kevin was a lot cuter. Some of the modified weapons authorities found at Cloughton's home looked like homemade bombs, and about 130 nearby homes were evacuated while they brought in the bomb squad, which wasn't in the movie either.

17:53Kevin's budget was limited to what was in Buzz's money jar. Cloughton got seven years in prison, which could be good for two reasons. A, he might turn his life around, and two, when he gets out, he may be planning to put on a show to try to raise enough money to save his former general's struggling Vermont Inn.

18:17Okay. So Kristen, you've got a man inspired by Ratatouille to get a pet rat from Tom, a man inspired by the movie Mask to rob a bank from Beth, and the man who booby-trapped his home inspired by Home Alone. Which one is real? I think I'm going to go with Paula's story. All right. to find out which story is true we spoke to a reporter covering the real story he rigged his house with booby traps where paint would have fallen onto any intruders that was dan bader of bbc news explaining the real story of a man inspired by all the booby traps in home alone congratulations kristen you got it right I'm so happy.

19:07And you earned a point for Paula, and you've won our prize, the voice of your choice on your voicemail. Thank you so much for playing with us today. All right. It was a joy to be here. Take care. Have a good one. Bye. Bye.

19:28And now the game where we ask people who've built huge careers to do one more thing. We call it Not My Job. Some people are triple threats, but today's guest, Arden Cho, is at least a quadruple threat. An actor, musician, professional poker player, and black belt in Taekwondo. And this year, she blew up as the voice of Rumi in K-pop Demon Hunters. That movie... That's right. That movie is Netflix's most streamed movie of all time. I'm Arden Cho. Welcome to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hi. Hello, everyone. Thanks so much for having me. Well, so I have to be honest with you. Like, I have a love-hate relationship with Rumi, voiced by you, because I have a seven-year-old daughter.

20:19Okay. I see where this is going. And I hear your voice all the time. um are our parents mad at you for making the most popular movie of all time I mean okay I feel like they are kind of at this point a bit sick of it but on the flip side I've heard that you know at least it's something that has a positive message and at least their kids are you know enjoying it together all ages and it is very like family friendly wait what's your daughter's name rika okay rika well roomie says you better listen to mama oh my god

21:06oh my god that i get up on replay for the rest of her life that's what's gonna happen um one of those things for it's the most commonly asked thing that i get these days is videos for kids with like messages from mom and dad who are like sometimes workers or people I love and respect. And it's just wild. It's, it's wild. I mean, I can't tell you the number of girls that were roomie for Halloween. I'm sure you saw the roomie costumes. Do you personally have a way of tracking the numbers of, of how popular this, this is? I mean, no way. It's so impossible. I mean, we went from Critics' Choice, Golden Globes, Grammys, and now we're headed to the Oscars.

21:55I feel like there's all these incredible opportunities. It's sort of like a whirlwind that keeps going, and you're like, are we slowing down or are we never slowing down? It's really hard to matter. I think you and I have a lot in common in this way. Okay. I have a video on my YouTube that's almost at 3 million views.

22:23And, you know, I check the number quite frequently. And I was just wondering if we're having, you know, you in your home and me in mine. Yeah. Are you guys the same? Yeah. When I check in the middle of the night, because, you know, I sleep beside the laptop. And I'm wondering if, like, from now on, I'll be like, Arden's checking right now. I am checking. You know what? We're exactly the same. Thank you. I don't think we're out running the Halloween. I think we're in for another Halloween. Oh, I agree. I agree I don't I still another crop of girls over, you know, they keep coming into it So I'm not married but my so I can't really call myself a stepmom But my step Kate my boyfriend's daughter was roomy and for Halloween this year and her best friend Just wanted to play the mom which is a simple blouse with black pants.

23:14I love it That's perfect. Rumi, I mean Rumi, Arden. I'm sorry. Oh, you really have her. I'm so sorry. I literally do hear your voice way too much. Okay. So one of the really unexpected things about you is that, you know, you're not just an actor and you're so many more things. And one of those things is a champion poker player. Like you are internationally ranked. How did that happen? I was actually a psych major in college and I always loved the game. I've just respected it so much. And I really wasn't great. I've always been quite shy and I'm not much of like a partier and quite a more of an introvert.

23:59So I like these quiet settings. It's taught me to be confident and to take risks, learn to say no and to bet on myself. I'm often underestimated. I think people are just like not expecting anything from me. and then they're like oh she's not that bad oh maybe she's okay i love it that you've put such a positive spin on a degenerate practice well there are degenerate parts of that world for sure but i find that there are a lot of really great parts in that world as well i've met a lot of really cool players people who are like i want to like hang out with my friends but i don't want to sit in a club, it's kind of like a nice alternative.