WWDTM: Anna Kendrick

21:19that was her that's right oh this is oh oh it's so exciting to see you so so not to put too fine a pint on it but you were a theater kid oh can i just say that earlier before we were recording paula mentioned uh that we we met and that paula did know my full name and that even though I started listing all the movies I was in, she still didn't know me. And I just wanted to say that I was only listing the movies at her specific request. Oh, yeah. No. I wasn't just... She wasn't just like, oh, you were Anna Kendrick and I didn't just start going up in the air. End of watch. I didn't count. Pitch perfect.

21:59Ever heard of them? That didn't happen. No, no. It was I put Anna in the uncomfortable position. I said, well, where would I know you from? That's a terrible thing to do, Paula. It kind of was. I apologize. But, and then every movie she mentioned, I'm like, no, not that. I only mentioned, Paula, I'd like to remind you, I only mentioned one. And then I said, you know, it doesn't really matter. No, and then you took out your phone and you were scrolling. What? And then Paula started naming movies she liked and going, were you in that one? Yeah. Anyways, I apologize for, you know, making you feel awkward.

22:39No. I love you, and I love that we have a rivalry already. That's true. When you were last here, it was a few years ago, and we talked about Pitch Perfect. And one of the things that I am aware of is that because of those movies, a lot of kids went to college and joined acapella groups. Yeah, I'm so sorry. Well, I was going to ask, how do you feel about that legacy? I feel okay about it. I'm into people's hyper-specific interests and passions, and it doesn't matter how dorky it is. I think if you're good at it and you care about it, that's amazing. I will say that over the course, we made three movies, and so I met a decent amount of acapella people in the course of that time, And I was very surprised how many of them said, yeah, but I mean, the original versions of the song are always better.

23:36Right. What are we doing? You know, like, if we're listening to a song, maybe the thing that makes the sound of a drum should be the drum. So, yeah, it's a self-deprecating community, and that's also admirable, I think. Oh, really? So those jokes are being made by the a cappella people? Yeah. Right. I mean, I hope, my God. I hope it wasn't just three people in the rest of the a cappella community are like, well, you're dead to us now. One of the things you've done since the last time we talked to you, Anna, is you directed your first film. And I heard that you did that. And I was like, oh, I'm sure it's like the incredibly charming, sophisticated, romantic comedy that I would expect from someone like yourself.

24:13It is a movie called Woman of the Hour. And it is a real-life story about a woman who goes on, played by herself, who goes on the dating game back in the 70s when that was a thing. And gets matched with a serial killer. Yes, true story. True story. It's a true story? Yeah, girl. Yes, Paula. Paula, you should see the film.

24:43She's going to watch the movie and go, where do I know her from? Yes, Paula is a very sophisticated woman of taste, and that's why she doesn't know any of my films. I'm just going to point out, given your vast success and fame, it's annoying that you're funnier than we are. And I'd like you to stop. Well, Anna Kendrick, it is so much fun to talk to you here in your hometown. And this time, we have invited you here to play a game we're calling... Pitch Perfect, Meet Female Dog Perfect. So, as we have gone over, you were in the Pitch Perfect movies. I love a joke that you have to go, oh, what? Oh.

25:24So, as we were saying, you were in the Pitch Perfect movies, so we thought that we'd ask you about dog shows. Answer three questions about dog shows, and you'll win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they choose for their voicemail. Bill, who is Anna Kendrick playing for? Ollie Long of Biddeford, Maine. All right, our neighbor, Biddeford. Come on, Biddeford.

25:46Here's your first question. Show dogs are registered under very elaborate names that reflect their parentage. What was the name of the winner of the 2014 Savannah Dog Show? A, snitches get stitches by daylight. B, star fires spank me hard, call me crazy. Or C, President Polk's burrito of joyful abundance.

26:15Oh, this makes me so... The fact that it's any one of them makes me really delighted. But I... Oh, I guess I'll say A? You're going to say, A, snitches get stitches by daylight? No, I'm afraid it was Starfire spank me hard, call me crazy. That's a dog's name? That is the one that I was like, well, that's definitely not it. Definitely not it, but yes, it was. A lovely Pomeranian, by the way, we are told. All right, you have two more chances, not a problem. At the 2021 Westminster Dog Show, Ripple, the Boston Terrier, was well on the way to winning the agility competition. You know what they're running with, the obstacle course.

26:54when what happened? A, her trainer tripped over his own feet and fell right on her. B, she was distracted by a spectator who pulled out a Slim Jim and left the course. Or C, she suddenly stopped reconsidering what she was doing with her brief life and just walked away. Well. Well. I really hope it's C, so I'm going to say C. Your hope as a sort of dramatic scene, a moment, is the dogs running through. Imagine how it comes. Little dogs zip, zip, zip. You've seen them go. All right. You disagree. I get it. What should I say? Wonderful. Then A. They're right. A. Oh, wow. Wait. Have you all seen this?

27:43No. This would be, by the way, a great final scene. That's the one I really didn't want it to be. And yet... Was the dog okay? Only answer if the answer is yes. I am proud to tell you that if you see the video, and you can, the trainer trips and falls onto her, but she is perfectly fine. And in a quite lovely moment before continuing her course, she stops and checks on him to make sure he's fine. That's very sweet. All right, Anna, now you've got one more chance. If you get it right, you win it all. A dog show that was staged at a high school in Spain in 2019 had a surprise ending. when what happened?

28:20A, the winner was revealed to be a small rat with excellent makeup. B, one of the dogs busted three students for drug possession. C, the students tried to feed the dogs food from their own cafeteria, and they all refused.

28:40Well, um... What?

28:47I'm hearing E.

28:52So, clearly, enunciation lessons for all of you. Yes. I do want to say C. I'll stick with C. You're going to stick with C. Oh, my God. The way you're looking at me. Fine, B. Yes, it's B. Ah.

29:12It is B. Oh my gosh. It was a demonstration of police dogs and the dogs did their job. Wow. Somebody got to teach those dogs improv. Exactly. Bill, ultimately how did Anna Kendrick do in our quiz? Two out of three. You won. She wins again.

29:32Anna Kendrick is an Oscar-Ettorian Emmy-nominated actor and a crowd mated with Portland, Maine. She was named a director to watch by Variety for her debut, Women of the Hour, which you can stream now on Netflix. Anna Kendrick, what an absolute joy to have you here. Give it up for your hometown girl.

29:59In just a minute, Bill looks neato in his Speedo in our Listener Limerick Challenge. Bell 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to join us in the air. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR.

30:14From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis. We are playing this week with Karen G, Josh Gondelman, and Paula Poundstone. And here again is your host at the Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Bill.

30:39In just a minute, tragically, Bill gets Rhymes disease from a limeretic bite. If you'd like to play the listener limerick challenge, 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. Josh, a recent survey of kids in the U.S. shows 40 % of children think bacon is what? delicious? Well, it is that. That's not surprising if they thought that. I'll give you a hint. Hey, kids, no, eat all you want. It grows on trees. Oh, they think bacon is a vegetable? Yes, they think it's a plant. Yeah. A survey in the Journal of Environmental Psychology showed that 40 % of children surveyed think bacon is a plant.

31:26Wow. The same amount of adults think it's a donut topping, which is even weirder. 40 % of the children also thought hot dogs were plants Experts think parents are to blame, of course For shielding their kids from the truth About where food comes from They do that by using vague terminology And saying things like Yeah, yeah, bacon's a plant What I'm learning from this is We've got to stop surveying kids They don't know what's going on Yeah, exactly Yeah, you've got to make them Slay the animal themselves I think that's the only answer there That's a really good solution I'm going to express some sympathy Because I've got a two-year-old, right?

32:09And he loves his toy barn With his little toys, chickens and geese and pigs And the only thing he will eat are chicken nuggets, right? So, you know, you lie But don't worry, for his fourth birthday We're getting him the Fisher Price Slaughterhouse play set I think that's good it. You think I should do that? I worry what it says about our children in general. I mean, I don't know if I exactly knew where bacon came from when I was a little, little kid, but I didn't think, I don't think I thought it was a plant. Well, what did you think it was? I don't know. It was a thing on my plate that I ate.

32:46How far back should they go, right? Because you're, Paula, you're really bringing up a question like, because you go, oh, bacon comes from a pig. And you go, where do pigs come from? And you go, oh, and a pig loves another pig very much. And now you're giving him that famous pigs and the pigs talk. Yeah. Yeah. Pigs and the pigs. Where do you think pigs come from? Josh, hundreds of people attended a spelling bee for grownups this week in Chicago. Surprisingly well attended. The winner took home the trophy after spelling promiscuous right. So Josh, spell promiscuous. Okay. Do I, spelling bee rules, promiscuous.

33:23You guys say it first. Yeah. P-R-O-M-I-S-C-U-O-U-S. Promiscuous? Yes! Promiscuous! Nice, Josh! I'm just trying to make Nelly Furtado proud. Well, that's the funny thing, because the winning word was promiscuous, the last person remaining spelled that correctly and won it, and she then attributed her success to Nelly Furtado, and her absolute banger of a song, Promiscuous Girl. Hear that, pop stars? Put hard-to-spell words in your songs. Educate people. That's how I know prerogative has an R in it because of Bobby Brown and Shania Twain both. Right. We need more of that. Come on, Benson Boone. We need a song called Diarrhea Blues.

34:16That's how I learned how to spell me from Taylor Swift. Isn't it M-E? Yeah. Huh, and that had been really tripping you up before that? Yeah. Wow. She was the problem. Thank you, Taylor Swift. Have you heard of the song of the summer? It's conscientious pneumonia.

34:42Coming 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 here most weeks at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago or catch us on the road this summer. We'll be in Salt Lake City, July 31st, and at Tanglewood in Western Massachusetts on August 28th. For tickets and information to all of our live shows, just go to nprpresents.org. And if that's somehow still not enough wait-wait for you, well, we're on TikTok at wait-wait-NPR. Hi, you're on wait-wait, don't tell me.

35:15Hi, this is Jennifer from Seguin, Texas. Seguin? I don't know where that is. Where is it? It is not the middle of nowhere. It's actually the middle of everywhere, kind of between Austin and San Antonio. The middle of everywhere. I love it. What do you do for fun where you live? Well, I'm actually, I like to read and bird watch and stay in the air conditioning. I understand. Wow. I know an amusement park you're going to love.

35:43Well, Jennifer, welcome to the show. Bill Curtis is going to reach for you three news-related limericks with a last word or phrase missing from each. If you can fill in that last word or phrase correctly into the limericks, you will be a winner. You ready to go? All right. Yep. Here we go. Here is your first limerick. As I swim in the barrier reefs, bulky trunks often cause many griefs. Though some might feel wimpy in suits that are skimpy, I'm eager to sport tiny... briefs. Right, tiny briefs. According to summer runways and swimwear collections, tiny speedo style swimsuits are back in for men.

36:23GQ magazine says skimpy swim briefs are going to have a quote breakout summer, which is actually why most men are terrified to wear them. This makes sense. I heard recently that the new beauty standard for men is butts. Did you read this? I did not read this. Tell me more. I've been telling everybody that I read it in The Atlantic and then I couldn't find it in The Atlantic. But I swear it's... Wait a minute, wait a minute. The Atlantic, the literary journal going back to the mid-19th century. I'm really certain I read it on some, you know... The cover of The Atlantic, you're telling me. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

36:58A new analysis of Trumpian foreign policy and... Yeah. Men butts. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It was like the new beauty standard is booty standard. For men. Yeah. I believe it because it rhymes. Thank you. Thank you so much. Are you excited about that, if it were true? Oh, respectfully, yes.

37:19What about, wait, what are we looking for? Oh, I think it's just like making sure they're there.

37:28Fred, you're down a cheek. You're not going to get a date for weeks. Listen, you're all laughing at me, but then you go home and Google butts Atlantic. It's going to come off. Actually, that's a different magazine.

37:46All right, here is your next limerick. When I pout, I look trouty and carpy, kind of fish-like and not like a harpy. Much plumper and darker with permanent marker, I'm lining my lips with a... Sharpie. Sharpie, yes, beauty influencers are recommending pink Sharpies to highlight your lips, taking inspiration from the unsupervised toddler community.

38:18According to one influencer, it's great to do this. Sharpies are great because they're, quote, super, super pretty and, quote, non-toxic, which, fun fact, they're not. Ingesting Sharpie ink can lead to side effects like nausea, staining of your teeth, and posting videos of yourself with marker on your face, looking like you went to sleep at a frat house party on the couch. This is actually advice given by an under-the-influencer, a common misconception.

38:50Here, Jennifer, is your last limerick. Or Mel has just claimed a big lossage because a food engineer made a cross switch. Now competitors' worsts went from last place to first. they stole secrets from making a... Sausage! Sausage, yes! This week, two Hormel employees were accused of selling Hormel's secret recipes to competitor Johnsonville Brats. But how much damage can this actually do to the makers of Hormel chili and Dinty Moore beef stew? Their entire brand is just wet cat food for single men.

39:34It's a disturbing accusation of corporate espionage, but not nearly as disturbing as the fact that the sausage secret that was stolen is, we don't know what's in it either. I was hoping it would be like, we have to make it with love.

39:53Bill, how did Jennifer do in our quiz? We got a winner from Texas, 3-0.

40:01Congratulations, Jennifer, and thanks. thank you guys take care

40:20now 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 now worth two points Bill can you give us the scores Josh and Paula each have three. Karen has two. All right. So Josh and Paula are tied for first. Karen, you're in second place. So you're going to start us off. The clock will start when they begin your first question. Fill in the blank. On Tuesday, Zoran Mamdani won the Democratic mayoral primary in blank. New York City. Right. On Monday, courts blocked the Louisiana law requiring blank to be displayed in all the classrooms.

40:57The Planned Parenthood brochure? No, the Ten Commandments. On Thursday, lawyers gave their closing arguments in the case against disgraced hip-hop artist Blank. Did he? Right. This week, RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisors rescinded recommendations for some Blank vaccines. Oh, the good ones.

41:16I'm going to give it to you. Yes, the ones that weren't. In order to avoid costly payouts in any future divorce settlement, one NBA player insisted on including the phrase Blank in his prenuptial agreement. I'm sorry in advance. Almost. The phrase was, according to the Wall Street Journal, NBA players are known to have affairs. Oh. Oh, my heavens. On Tuesday, Bumble, an online blanking app, announced it was laying off hundreds of its workers. Dating. Right. On Monday, paleontologists announced they'd discovered a new species of blank. Dinosaurus. Right. This week, protesters in Venice forced Jeff Bezos to change the location of his wedding reception by threatening to fill the canals with blank.

41:55Poop. No. Amazon employees. No. I'm afraid I have to tell you that you didn't get it and give you the answer, which was inflatable crocodiles. Bezos announced in the face of these protests he would move his party from a majestic 16th century building to, quote, a historic complex of shipyards surrounded by fortified walls. And yes, it was because protesters were going to fill the canals around the original site with inflatable crocodiles. It was a protest that had people around the world saying, brilliant, I love it. Wait, inflatable? Bill, how did Karen do in our quiz? Five right, ten more points, total of twelve.

42:33Puts her in the lead.

42:38Pretty well done. All right, I'm going to arbitrarily pick Josh to go next. Josh, please fill in the blank. On Wednesday, world leaders gathered in the Netherlands for the blank summit. NATO. Right, on Monday, tropical storm Andrea became the first named weather system of the 2025 blank season. Hurricane. Right. This week, the White House announced plans to limit the amount of classified information it shares with blank. The public? Congress. On Tuesday, the Trump administration scrambled to rehire thousands of federal employees fired by blank. Elon Musk? Doge, yes. Trying to look on the bright side, the climate minister of New Zealand said that a nationwide gas shortage would definitely help blank.

43:15It would lower carbon emissions? Yeah. On Wednesday, Cooper Flagg became the number one overall pick at the blank. NBA Draft. Right. On Thursday, astronaut Shupansu Shukla became the first Indian woman to visit the blank. International Space Station. Right. This week, an advertising campaign won an award for the slogan, New Zealand, the best place in the world to blank. Never come back from. No, New Zealand, the best place in the world to have herpes. The slogan that was part of an awareness campaign, along with its campaign, won the top prize at the Cannes Lions Award, which recognizes excellence in advertising.

43:53But, okay, I know what you're all thinking. Okay, that's great. But will someone please tell me where the best place in the world to get herpes is? Bill, how did Josh do in our quiz? Yeah, believe it or not, Josh is on a roll. 12 more points. 15 puts him in the lead. Wow. All right. How many does Paula need to win? Well, six to tie gives her seven to win. Here you go, Paula. This is for the game. Okay. On Tuesday, disgraced former Trump lawyer Blank was named to the Homeland Security Advisory Council. Oh, no. It was Giuliani. It was Giuliani, right. On Wednesday, the Senate held a hearing and a proposed plan that would cut funding on NPR and Blank.

44:38NPR and PBS. Right. This week, power outages were reported across the country thanks to record-breaking Blank. Heat. Right. According to new data on cardiac illness, U.S. deaths from blanks have dropped 90%. Heart attacks? Right. This week, firefighters in Utah are under scrutiny after a photo was taken of them blanking at the scene of a fire. Smoking? No, having a barbecue. On Monday, a new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Blank, said this season would be his last. Oh, the new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback? Yes. Joe Namath. No, Aaron Rodgers. This week, a beekeeper in Spain who was pulled over for a DUI attempted to get out of it by blanking.

45:16By releasing bees. Exactly right. According to police, after they pulled him over, the man refused a breathalyzer, walked calmly to the back of his van, opened the door, and sicked his bees on the officers. Police assumed he was drunk because he was driving erratically down the road, but did they ever consider he was swerving because the van was filled with bees? Bill, did Paula do well enough to win? She's competitive. Five right, ten more points, but 13 is too short of Josh, who's our champion. Josh Gottlman!

45:49In just a minute, we're going to ask our panelists to predict after La Boo Boo's what will be the next collecting craze, but first let me tell you all that 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 Gotica writes our limericks, our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our tour manager is Shana Donald. Special thanks this week to our old friend Patrick Murray and our new friend Sina Lafredo. Thanks to the staff and crew here at the Merrill Auditorium in Portland. B.J. Liederman composed our theme.

46:16Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Gornbos, and Lillian King. Special thanks to Vinnie Thomas and Monica Hickey. Our first round draft pick is Peter Gwynn. Emma Choi is our vibe curator. Technical direction is from Lorna White. Our CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chillock. And the executive producer of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is Mike Danforth. Now, panel, what will be the next big collecting craze? Paula Poundstone. Uh, uh, Rababin Raccoon Pals A collection of raccoons that shouldn't be pet Karen Chee Um, Cuomo, is there photos of Andrew Cuomo losing to Zoran Mambani?

46:56And Josh Gondelman You've heard of LeBubu, now it's time for SteBubu They are whimsical animal figurines that all have the face of Steve Buscemi Well, if any of that happens What can I ask you about it on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me Thank you Bill Curtis, thanks also to Karen G Josh Godleman and Paula Poundstone Thanks to Corey Morrissey and everybody at Maine Public and our fabulous audience here in Portland, Maine I am Peter Sagal We'll see you next week

47:38This is NPR. Support for NPR and the following message come from Jarl and Pamela Moan, thanking the people who make public radio great every day and also those who listen.