We meet America's robo-teachers and take a nap in coach

25:42Actually, this is something that I was wondering about, which is, have you had students, even though I'm sure SCAD is very selective, who just aren't very good at it? And do you ever find yourself having to tell them that? So here's the thing. That's a yes? Yeah. Is that how you start the sentence? But like, seriously, like there are people that I know in this business that when I was 25 and I saw them, I was like, no way. But like, because we teach producing, directing, editing, all these different things, you know, someone might say to me, you know, I really want to be a great cinematographer.

26:22And who knows, they might wind up being an incredible editor someday. And you can say, well, you know, film set's very busy. They also need catering. I have to wonder, though, you've been here in Savannah for how long? Ten years. Okay. Was it hard for a Chicago guy like yourself to adjust? Like, how long after getting here did you figure out that you say, bless your heart, rather than go F yourself?

26:56so my mother is a hillbilly she's from yeah she's from southeastern Kentucky there y 'all and no and so they're they don't say bless yourself but they say something similar so I kind of had a an inkling what do they say in eastern Kentucky yeah bless your heart you better watch out, that's going to key.

27:22I'm going to key. They get straight to the point. That's not so much passive-aggressive. You should do that when you're critiquing a student's film. Well, D.W. Moffitt, it is a pleasure to talk to you. We've invited you here to play a game we're calling A Bunch of Battles All at Once. So, you were in one battle after another, which is, when you think about it, a manageable way to handle your battles, right? But what if everybody attacked at the same time? So, we're going to ask you three questions about mass melees. Get two right. You won a prize for one of our listeners. Also, who is D.W. Moffat playing for?

28:00Hannah Taylor of Savannah, Georgia.

28:08Are you ready to do this? I'm ready. Here you go. Okay. First question, at the annual Kerkpenar Festival in western Turkey, fighters come from all over that country to compete in a form of wrestling that has a particular twist. What is it? A, wrestlers' arms are tied behind their back and their legs are tied together. B, not only is poking in the eye allowed, it's the only thing allowed. Or C, all the wrestlers are covered in olive oil to make them more slippery. Ooh.

28:41The audience of people are shouting C, olive oil, with a little too much enthusiasm. They like heated rivalry. Well, that just lets his nose of venom full of freaks. There used to be a wrestling place in Hollywood that had a lot of hot oil wrestling. Anyway, just because Turkish food is so oil. Redolent of olive oil. Yeah, I'm going to go with C. You're right. It is olive oil. In fact, olive oil wrestling in Turkey goes back more than 600 years. It's a hallowed tradition. There you are. All right, here's your next question. You did that well. In the village high in the mountains of Peru, the people there celebrate an event called the Takanaqui every Christmas Day.

29:25What happens at the Takanaqui? A, everybody tries to beat up everybody else to get them back for slights that happened during the preceding year. B, people attempt to beat a llama in a spitting fight or C, it's a giant Christmas-themed martial arts match called Gold, Frankincense, and Murder.

29:54I'm going to go with B. You're going to go with B, people attempt to beat a llama. No, it was actually the first one, as the narrator of a documentary about it says, it's like Yom Kippur, but with punching. But if you offended someone at the beginning of the year, the anticipation... Oh, yeah. You've just been winding up for 364 days. All right, this is fine. If you get this last one right, you win. In Florence, Italy, they still play this ancient ball game called Calcio Storico, where players can do anything they like to the opposing player, resulting in all kinds of injuries. But the game was even crazier back when it began in the Middle Ages because organizers often did what in the middle of a match?

30:40A, threw a bucket of knives into the playing area. B, alerted certain players that other certain players had slept with their wives. Or B, or rather C, released live bowls into the arena.

30:56Oh, we have a Calcio Storico fan here. Or that's just a woman who's being attacked by a bee.

31:04I see your point. I'm going to go with the Bulls. You're right. That's what they did. They don't do that anymore. But they still have this every year. So if you ever want to go see some Italians, beat the living hell out of each other. What's even crazier, those Bulls are mad about slights that happened the previous year. They're mad about slights that happened in Pamplona. I'm going to get him for that. Also, how did D.W. Moffat do in our quiz? Two out of three, he won that battle.

31:38D.W. Moffitt is an actor with decades-long career in film, TV, and theater, and he is the chair of the film and television program here at the Savannah College of Art and Design. D.W. Moffitt, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, wait, wait, don't tell me. Give it up. We're very on D.W. Moffitt.

31:57In just a minute, a push for the tush in our Listener Limer Challenge. 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.

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34:19From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Alzo Slade. We're playing this week with Shantira Jackson, Joelle Nicole Johnson, and Adam Burke. And here again is your host at the Johnny Mercer Theater in Savannah, Georgia, Peter Sago. Thank you, Alzo Slade. It just a minute, it's one limerick after another in our Listener Limerick Challenge. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Right now, panel, some more questions for you from the week's news. Adam, this week, the Times profiled an increasingly popular online support group for certain members of the population.

34:59Who is it? Online support for certain members? Yes. Is it people who are addicted to support groups? Yes. No, I was trying to figure out how that would work, you know. I'm addicted to introducing myself to strength. I will say that I myself am a member of this particular group. Is it like something you don't like? It's something for people who are struggling with something, and they're encouraged just to embrace it. Be careful, Adam. Glad this one isn't mine. It's a support group for the Follicly Challenge. For the bald, yes. This Reddit group called Our Bald, it's entirely dedicated to pushing people to just accept their baldness the community helps people live their truth and the truth is you're bald i like that you can tell those you can tell those are bald cheers and i say this from experience the only thing worse than losing your hair is pretending you are not losing your hair yes it's like no no guys i got hair i wear this fedora all the time because I'm an old-timey newspaper man.

36:10See? Yes. Do not be afraid to be bald, man. Bald is very sexy. Yes. Okay? I love it. Yes. Come on. Be bald. I love a little cute bald head. And I'm gay, so I really mean it. I wouldn't lie to you. I mean, I would, but I'm not. The subreddit says it's devoted to encouraging members to, quote, embrace bald and strive to make the world a more bald, friendly place. All right. Okay, that's fine. That could work. Or an idea. We could just make the world less friendly for people with hair. Hey, fur dome. Hey, look at that moss head. Well, I have to say that from my perspective as announcer judge, I see the back of Peter's head.

36:58Yeah, yeah. And there is some hair back there. A little bit. Yeah, it is rude when you check your appearance in the back of his head. It's terrible. Adam, more and more people are giving up on something. They're realizing it's a time-wasting, unprofitable job. What is it? Well, I know that Gen Z aren't having sex. Is it sex? As a job? As a job? Listen. Hey, someone would say it's the oldest one. Yeah. Can I get a clue? Yeah. Do two random guys still laugh at their own jokes if there's no one to hear them? Oh, oh, please let this be. Is it podcast? Yes, people are walking away from podcasting. Yes, applaud that.

37:42People are applauding. Not this one, though. A live taping of what is actually a podcast. Okay. As more and more of the podcasting world is being dominated by just a few shows, many of the other podcasters are realizing that continuing simply isn't worth the time or their money. This is heartbreaking. Without podcasts, where am I supposed to go hear three dudes talk about a movie for two hours longer than the run time of the movie? I think that we should just take all the microphones from the men and let the girls keep their podcasts. Yes. Girls agree. And talk about what? Well, have all the men murder each other and then have all the women do two crime podcasts about that.

38:24Yeah, exactly. Which is actually a point. One of the problems is so many podcasts are true crime podcasts and we're running out of crimes. We need more murders. Anybody volunteer? If all the men murdered each other, women would not be wasting time on a podcast. They'd be outside running at night. Booty shorts.

38:49Coming 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 back at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago or catch us on the road. We'll be in Austin, Texas on June 4th. And if you like our show but wish I would stop asking questions all the time, check out our comedy grab bag stand-up show at the Bell House in Brooklyn, April 24th. Josh Gondelman will be hosting. He'll be joined by our very own Peter Gross and other special guests.

39:18Don't miss it. Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hi, this is Kelly from Wilmington, North Carolina. Welcome to North Carolina. That's a lovely place. What do you do there? I work for a commercial bank specializing in small business loans, but my most important role is mom to a beautiful 10-month-old named Sam. Oh, wow, a 10-month-old. So you are new to this parenthood thing? I think I'm acing it so far, if I do say so. Oh, wow, I see. Yeah. Yeah, you think you're acing it because they can't talk back yet, can you? Well, welcome to the show, Kelly. Alzo Slade filling in for Bill Curtis is going to read you three news-related limericks with the last word or phrase missing from each.

39:58If you can fill in that last word or phrase correctly, just two of the limericks will be a winner. You ready to play? Yes, sir. Here is your first limerick. On red carpets, I cheekily strut, because the slit on my dress is high cut. It's just a small peak, so it's all very chic. You will catch a side glimpse of my... Butt. Yes! Very good. According to Vogue, who should know, the new look on runways and red carpets is, quote, showing off your flank, unquote. You can go for a tasteful peek-a-butt look like Heidi Klum did with sheer panels highlighting her side butt. Go full crack like Chapel Roan.

40:39Or for the ultimate fashion statement, do what Leonardo DiCaprio did at the Oscars, just fix the drain under the kitchen sink. In my day, you just ripped your pants. Yeah. It's about time, and it makes sense. I mean, what is a butt crack but your lower cleavage? You know what? I'm into it. Really? You're excited about that? I'm into it, because I want to see a bunch of famous people's butts. If that's what you're going to give me, I'll take it. You're ready for it. I'm ready for it. Is there a fancy word for ass cleavage? Because with regular cleavage, it's like... Décolletage. And en bon point.

41:11Yeah. And balcon. Don't ask me why I know all these. You know a lot of different ways to say that. There should be like a French word, you know what I mean? Bleavage. Le cleavage. Le cleavage, yeah. Yeah, le crack.

41:26All right, here is your next limerick. When my toddler gets bored at home, we go. At the DIY place, we roam three rows. He opens our drawers, touches tools, rugs, and more. I am taking my kid to home. Depot. Depot, yes, Home Depot. You've heard of Home Depot. That, of course, is the megastore popular with boomer dads and millennial lesbians. Well, hey. You would be correct. There you are. Fact check true. Well, this week, People Magazine proposed it's also a great place to bring your bored toddler. Hear the power tool, aisle kid. Enjoy yourself. I know you love pressing buttons. I don't know. This is definitely something that I am into.

42:07Going just wandering around Home Depot? Spending money at Home Depot. Just remember, you can only bring your kids there for fun. If you're not, if you're actually going there for something you need. because your child will just never get over the trauma of seeing you get that frustrated. It's like, and then daddy started shouting, does anybody work here? Do you really want your kid to be that comfortable at Home Depot? You know, because you ask him to do his chores and then he quotes you way over the odds. It takes twice as long as he said he's going to do. Because you know what? We need to rip out the entire wall.

42:40I need a new tool for that. All right. Here is your last limerick. We sell penthouses and IPO stocks. And we love dermatology BroDocs. We don't go out for smokes, but for quick forehead pokes. On our work breaks, we go get some... Botox. Yes, Botox. More and more co-workers are getting Botox together between meetings. They're like a little outing. The meeting that they go to after the Botox appointment must be so interesting. I can't tell if a boss liked my proposal. His face is stuck. sometimes it's a special like office retreat a bonding exercise uh there's even a botox clinic that doubles as a co-working space the big question is how do you propose this to your co-workers without it being an hr violation also how did kelly do in our quiz three out of three perfect score well done kelly congratulations thank you thank you thanks for calling and playing thanks bye-bye

43:52Support for NPR and the following message come from HomeServe. It never happens at a good time. The pipe bursts at midnight. The heater quits on the coldest night. Good thing HomeServe's hotline is available 24-7. Call to schedule a repair and a local pro will be on their way. Trusted by millions. For plans starting at$4.99 a month, go to homeserve.com. Not available everywhere. Most plans range between$4.99 to$11.99 a month your first year. Terms apply on covered repairs. This message comes from NPR sponsor Charles Schwab with its original podcast on investing. Each week, you'll get thoughtful, in-depth analysis of both the stock and the bond markets.

44:36Listen today and subscribe at schwab.com slash oninvesting or wherever you get your podcasts. Now it is time for 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. Alzo, can you give us the scores? Absolutely. Joyelle and Shantira are knotted up at two with Adam in the lead with three. All right. So that means Adam is going last. And to go first, I'll just pick, how about Joyelle? Here we go. Yes! Here we go, Joyelle. You're up first. The clock will start.

45:11Whenever you get your first question, fill in the blank. On Wednesday, a California jury issued a$6 million ruling against social media giant blank. Instagram. No. I'm going to give it to you. Meta. Meta. Yeah, they are Instagram. Okay. I had to think about it. Yes. On Tuesday, the blank raised its maximum enlistment age to 42 years old. Oh, the army. The army. On Thursday, the White House announced it was pausing strikes on blank until April 6th. Iran. Right. On Monday, a crash caused blank airport to shut down operations for almost 24 hours. LaGuardia, New York City, baby! Is that correct? It is correct.

45:47I thought maybe you were a little too excited about it, but okay. This week, a truck driver in New York ran into a highway overpass and then immediately blanked. Peed on himself. No, he then ran into another one. On Thursday, qualification playoffs for the 2026 FIFA blank began. football. Yeah, World Cup. Very good. This week, police in New York reported that a man robbed six banks in five days, taking in a total of blank dollars. $29.99. No, a little bit more. $605. The man robbed banks in Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx over the course of five days, but only managed to leave total with$605.

46:26Even worse, that means he's only taking home like$400 after taxes. You know things are bad when the bank doesn't have any money. It's true. Alzo, how did Joelle do in our quiz? She did pretty well. She got five right for ten more points, which gives her twelve and the lead. That's the most I've ever gotten right, Peter. You're getting there. You're learning, Grouse Hopper. You're doing great. Shantira, you're up next. Here we go. Fill in the blank. On Wednesday, another plan to reopen the Department of Blank failed in Congress. Homeland Security? Right. On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee released video from the closed-door deposition of two of blank's closest associates.

47:03FC? Right. This week, NASA unveiled a proposal to create a permanent base on the blank. The moon? Right. This week, CNN reported that top director at FEMA says that he once blanked. Stole all the money? No. He says he once teleported to a Waffle House. Hey! I'm going there later, baby! See that? Someday you're just in the mood. That's the first time this administration has done anything that I'm down with. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. According to experts, increased gas prices are leading to a surge in sales for blanks. Bikes. No electric vehicles on Wednesday. The first trailer for HBO's new adaptation of the Blanky Potter series was released.

47:42Oh, Harry Potter. Yes, Harry Potter. This week, 6 '7", Irishman. 6 '7". 6 '7", Irishman. Don't eat. This week, 6 '7", Irishman. Neff Jiwa became a top football recruit for American colleges, despite the fact that blank. He has never played that sport in his life. That's exactly right. He has never played football. Every college football program in the U.S. is trying to sign Neff Jiwa, a 20-year-old Irish giant who has never played football. Turns out it actually makes sense. Jiwa caught a recruiter's eye while playing rugby, which, if I understand correctly, is a sport that answers the question, what if football, but with punching?

48:24What if football with little shorts and they touch each other's butts? Some people have different priorities. All right. Also, how did Shantira do at our quiz? Shantira also got five right for ten more points, and she's now tied for the lead. Very good. All right.

48:44How many then does Adam Burke need to win? Adam needs five to win. All right. Here we go, Adam. This is for the game. fill in the blank on Wednesday. The season opener with the New York Yankees featured robot blanks. Like pitchers? Like machines that fired balls? No, they're not using pitching machines. They're using robot umpires. This week, OpenAI said they were shutting down Sora, their app that creates AI-generated blanks. Like girlfriends, boyfriends? I was about to say you wish, but I wouldn't say that to you. Videos. On Thursday, the IOC announced a new policy that effectively bans blank athletes from competing in women's events.

49:24Transgender. Right. This week, the FDA cited the makers of a product called blank for not disclosing that it contained an erectile dysfunction drug. What? The name and product that secretly included an erectile dysfunction drug was blank. Was it her chicken nuggets? No. It was called Boner Bear Honey. On Tuesday, late night host Blank said that he is co-writing the next film in the Lord of the Rings franchise. Stephen Colbert. Right. After a four-year break, K-pop superstars Blank released a new album. BTS. Right. This week, a sailor in the French Navy went on a run, posted his results to the app Strava, and accidentally blanked.

50:10Started war with Spain. No, he accidentally gave away the top-secret location of the aircraft carrier he was on. Strava is an app where various amateur athletes can post a workout complete with GPS maps of where they did it, and then other athletes can see and like the post, which is how this French sailor accidentally exposed the location of his aircraft carrier. Even worse, he tagged the post with easy 10K, felt great, here are the nuclear launch codes. Alzo, did Adam Burke do well enough to win? Nope. He did pretty bad, actually. He only got three right, which gives the championship to Shantira and Joyelle.

50:53There you are. In just a minute, we're going to ask our panelists to predict after The Bachelorette, what will be the next series to get canceled at the last minute and why. But first, let me tell you all. 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 Godica writes our limericks. B.J. Lederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Dornbos, and Lillian King. Special thanks to Blythe Robertson and Monica Hickey. Peter Gwynn is our spring breaker. Emma Choi is our vibe curator.

51:22Technical direction is from Lorna White. Our CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Sherlock. And the executive producer of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is Mr. Mike Danforth. Now, panel, what's the next TV series to get canceled at the last minute? Shantira Jackson. Euphoria, because the way that the world is right now, we don't want to watch Zendaya be sad. Adam Burke. The next season of the kids' show, Bluey, is canceled when the FCC declared that due to equal time rules, there needs to be a show about an angry pit bull called Ready. And Joyelle Nicole Johnson.

51:58It's a TV show that's been on way too long, and therefore it's run its course, so we cancel it in the United States of America. And if any of that happens, we'll ask you about it on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Thank you, Alzo Slave. Thanks, Alzo Slave. Thanks, Alzo Slave. Thanks, Alzo Slave. Shantira Jackson, Adam Burke, and Joyelle Nicole Johnson. Thanks to the staff and crew here at the Johnny Mercer Theater in Savannah. Special thanks to Emily Hacksaw and everyone at GPB. Thanks to our fabulous audience that came out to see us in Savannah. Thanks to all of you for listening wherever you might be.

52:28I'm Peter Sagal. We'll see you next week.

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