WWDTM: James Gunn

23:10And you must have that experience a lot, right? Like at Comic-Con or that type of thing, guys coming up to you and shivering and shaking with excitement. Yeah, yeah. I mean, yeah, that happens. But I think because I know what it was like meeting Stan Lee or people I looked up to when I was a kid, I try to be as present as possible with those people while that's happening. You do seem good at dealing, and this has been overwhelming for some other people, but you do seem really good with dealing with people on social media. You have managed to make these movies and not piss off the fandom. They still love you.

23:42Is there a secret to it? No, I think the secret is I've pissed off plenty of people. I just don't care that much. Oh, that also helps. It doesn't bother me. Well, I want to talk about Superman, which I loved, as I've loved pretty much everything else you've done that I've seen. I have this theory why it's so good, and that's because you take the emotions of all these characters really seriously, but you're not afraid of admitting that, like, superheroes can be really silly. So, for example, your new movie, Superman, starts immediately. Superman falls in the sky, hits the ground, and we see right away that the underwear is back on the outside.

24:27Yeah. Okay? I was so excited. I love the bottoms. I love his bottoms. His trunks. It leaves something to the imagination. Yeah. Superman's wholesome. I don't want to see his junk. Yeah. and so and so and then this next thing that happens is he falls to the ground and he's rescued by crypto the super dog who is this fabulous mutt who is wearing a red superman cape and you're like okay one thing i know about this superman movie there will be no brooding i mean listen i love i love i love all of that crazy stuff that was in the comic books that i grew up with flying dogs and giant monsters and robots and sorcery and that's just part of the fun of it all for me i want to ask about the dog everybody loves the dog the dog is a cgi creation that's based on your own dog your rescue dog ozu that's ozu that's right yeah yes and so does ozu know that he is now an international movie star ozu doesn't know anything he barely knows where he was two seconds ago.

25:38Even for a dog, he's not very smart. But he's very smart. Are you asking me? He also, he attacks himself every time he sees himself. No, really? Yeah, he hates crypto. He hates crypto. Every time crypto's on screen, he attacks the screen. Oh, wow. He's a maniac. But I will say, the one thing that's really been cool is last week, interest in adopting dogs went up over 500%. Yes, I saw that.

26:09But no, he's a rescue dog. He was from a terrible situation. He was in a hoarding situation. And now he's, you know, such a loving and lovely pet. And a movie star. I wouldn't get too carried away with this idea that people are adopting dogs because they like the dog. Wait till they find out that their dogs won't wear a cape. We're having too much fun, but we have work to do. James Gunn, it is such a joy to talk to you and we have asked you here to play a game we're calling... James Gunn meet the t-shirt gun Superman classically faster than a speeding bullet but can you be faster than a speeding t-shirt shot from a gun answer two to three questions about t-shirt guns correctly, you'll win our prize for one of our listeners, Bill who is James Gunn playing for?

26:56Ava Lewis of San Diego, California applause applause All right, you ready for this? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. He's ready. Here's your first question. The technology behind T-shirt guns as we know them was developed during World War II as a way to fire grenades. But it wasn't until what happened that the inventors realized that this pneumatic gun had other applications. A, one of the scientists was trying to pack efficiently for a trip and stuffed his socks in the barrel of the gun. B, the inventors forgot to bring grenades when it was time to demonstrate the weapon, and they had to improvise with beer bottles and potatoes.

27:34Or C, one inventor went to clown college and later retooled all his wartime ideas for use in his act. Oh, good gosh. Okay, so I don't think it's three. So it's either A or B. Right. I'm going to go B. You're going to go B, and you're right. You're right, James.

27:55they realized they didn't have any grenades. We had to demonstrate it for the hires up, and they found out it was just the perfect size to launch bottles and potatoes very fast and very far. In fact, it was so successful, they even used to shoot potatoes at actual planes in wartime. Boy, how humiliating would it be to be brought down by a potato? It's true. All right, let's leave the Irish Army out of this.

28:21Here's your next question. That's very good. The modern-day T-shirt gum was developed by a college mascot, and it soon spread around the world, but not all mascots were equally good at using it. Like, for example, Chip, the mascot of the University of Colorado at Boulder, who once did what? A, launched a T-shirt that went into the marching band's tuba and got stuck so tightly that eventually they had to cut the tuba with a hacksaw to get it out. B. Rolled up the shirts so badly that they only flew three feet before opening up and fluttering to the ground. Or C. Accidentally held the t-shirt gun backwards and launched a shirt directly into his own crotch.

29:03It is bolder. I think it could be any of those three things. I'm going to go with C. You're right again.

29:14And yes, you can watch it on YouTube, and when you do, you'll discover not only are t-shirt guns powerful, but those mascot costumes, not as padded as you might think, judging by his reaction. All right, let's see if we can make this perfect, your last question. Not everyone should use a t-shirt gun. In fact, an Oklahoma woman was arrested for using a t-shirt gun. Why? A, she was trying to rob a t-shirt store. B, she was using it to shoot cell phones and drugs over the walls of a prison. to a friend inside, or C, she had it tucked inside her coat and did not have a concealed t-shirt gun carry permit.

29:50Okay, this is, I don't want to let Ava down, so I'm hoping that it's B. It is, in fact, B. Wow. This is the proudest moment of my life. She stood outside the prison and shot the supplies into the prison. Bill, how did James Gunn do in our quiz? He is a super man. getting all three right. Good going, James. James Gunn is the director, writer, and the co-hat of DC Studios. His new movie, Superman, which starts with Crypto the Superdog and gets better from there, is in theaters now. James Gunn, what a joy to talk to you. Thank you so much. We'll talk to you soon, I hope. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.

30:38In just a minute, Bill casts a spell in our listener limerick 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.

30:53From 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 Adam Burke, Hubgat Goldthwait, and Paula Poundstone. And here again is your host at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sago. Thank you, Bill.

31:19In just a minute, Bill gets pulled over for going over the legal limerick limit. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. forward. But right now, panel, some more questions for you from the week's news. Bobcat, on Thursday, the UK announced they are lowering the voting age in that country to 16 for the next national election. But they're getting resistance from one group who says 16-year-olds do not have the mental capacity or the maturity to be trusted with the vote. Who are these doubters? I don't know. Well, we'll give you a hint. They would know. Oh, the 16-year-olds.

31:57The 16-year-olds, yes. The The British government announced, as I said, that the UK would lower the voting age to 16 for the next general election because they feel it's so important to give a voice to the people who paid to see the Minecraft movie. But about half of the 16-year-olds' polls say this is a terrible idea. One said, quote, we're 16, we're not fully developed yet, we're easily influenced. Another said, quote, the frontal lobe doesn't develop until 24 or 25. Man, British kids even sound mature when they're talking about not being mature. Yeah, that's impressive that they are aware of that.

32:32Good for them because it's a terrible idea. You think? Yeah, I do. You've known some 16-year-olds. I have, and I've been 16. You know, it's a horrible age. It will change the experience of elections. The number of voters accidentally driving backwards to the wall of the polling place are going to go through the roof. Is that a thing that teenagers need? Just one more responsibility to shirk? Yeah. You're going to vote? Yeah, yeah. I'll vote. Yeah, I voted. I voted, Mom. Yeah. The dog ate my vote. Yeah. I mean, for the next four years, in a landslide, it's going to be the write-in candidate, these nuts.

33:12In a surprising move, the U.S. is following suit with the Trump administration announcing they will allow 16 people to vote in the next general election. Paula, there's a new dating app for adults who love going where? To Disney. Yes, exactly right. Did you know that or did you just want it to be true? No, I just guessed it. You did. I did. I I love Disney. I wouldn't want to go with a date. Well. But I do love Disney. Well, if you would like to go with a date. Are you asking me? That's so sweet. Well, if you weren't busy. Yeah. No, you can get this app. It's called Single Riders, right? And it's named for that line that you have some of the rides in Disneyland where single riders can get on, right?

33:59And it matches Disney lovers, right? It's a great idea, right? You go, you meet, of course you have your first date at Disney World, you're on Space Mountain, and your new match screams, whoa, we both just peed our pants, right? It makes sense that there'll be a theme park-based dating app, because a lot of the women I've met on dating apps have been like, you must be at least this tall.

34:27Before this app, which isn't quite out yet, but it's going to be beta testing soon, Disney adults, as they call themselves, have had to subtly signal their interest in Disney to potential dates by dressing entirely in Disney merch and talking about it for hours without stopping to inhale. But the question is, can the most G-rated place on earth be good for, you know, spicing things up? Do you slip the Pirates of the Caribbean operator a five to make sure the ride breaks down just when you get to the sexy part with the wenches?

35:03You know, that isn't the sexy part for everybody. No, really? No? Some people like a shanty. That's what I'm saying. I like the dog. You know, the dog. The dog holding the keys. Yeah, the dog with the keys. Yeah. There's something about that that just feels hopeful to me. You should definitely mention that in your profile. Yeah. What's it called? Single riders? It's called single riders. Shouldn't they call it like beauties and beasts? Yeah, honestly. Single riders sounds so... Ladies and tramps. So loser. Yeah. It shouldn't have a name. It should just be a thing that... It shouldn't have a name, but it should be a thing.

35:43It's like, oh, how'd you meet? You know, on... Yeah. On the thing. Okay. What thing? That almost sounds sexy, doesn't it?

35:55How to Do Everything is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me's Sibling Advice Podcast, where we take your how-to questions and get ridiculously overqualified people to answer them. We've had people like Tom Hanks, Martha Stewart, Justice Sonia Sotomayor all here for you. Whatever your question is, get it to us now at howto at npr.org. That's howto at npr.org. Coming up, it's lightning fell 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 come see us on the road, we'll be at Tanglewood in Western Massachusetts on August 28th.

36:36Tickets and information are at nprpresents.org. And if you love our show, but you wish, you know, if it was only eight seconds long, well, check out our TikTok at wait, wait, NPR. Hi, everyone. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hey there, this is Andrew Kisak calling in from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Oh, how are things in Pittsburgh? One of my very favorite cities there is. A little bit of rain, but otherwise doing just fine. That's great. And what do you do there in Pittsburgh? I'm a mechanical engineer for the University of Pittsburgh. Oh wow, mechanical engineer. I've never quite understood what that means when you're like an engineered institution.

37:09Do you like fix stuff? Do you build stuff? Do you turn? So I personally design the stuff that eventually gets built and my job centers around things getting fixed and there are a lot of broken things that need fixed. Right, that's the technical explanation. What are you working on? What thing are you working on now fixing? So my job center is around air conditioning systems. So pretty much that's my day-to-day is just a lot of blowing a lot of hot and cold air around the buildings. Sure. I kind of do that myself. Well, welcome to the show, Andrew. Bill Curtis is going to read you three news-related limericks with a last word or phrase missing from each.

37:46If you can fill in that last word or phrase correctly on two of the limericks, you will be a winner. Here is your first limerick. I got spells that will help make me rich and a curse on my office mate Mitch. She did not write a broom but just logged in on Zoom. I went online and hired a... Witch? Yes, witch! Good. And I'm personally grateful that that's the rhyming word you chose. more and more people are using etsy to buy spells from witches for just a few dollars you can buy a love spell a money spell you can even jinx an opposing sports team people swear by these crafty sorceresses saying it's brought them just what they wanted right or you could just do it yourself you know there last week there was an amazing prime day deal on eyes of newt he's he's done it he's brought back american manufacturing he has

38:47the witches say they're making great money selling their spells and potions uh they're within at sea's terms and agreements as long as they do not promise outcomes right but it's easy enough to check that the person you're buying from is legit just click the little button that says i'm really a witch and it throws her into a well to see if she floats here is your next limerick i feel like i own too much junk all i need is a desk and a bunk I don't need a permit to live like a hermit. I'll renounce life and live like a... Monk? Yes, monk. Great news, fellow bald guys. Our time has come at last.

39:28The new style icons are monks. Hashtag monk mode is trending with young people sharing inspo pics featuring, quote, single beds, open windows, overlooking tranquil gardens, and conspicuously few belongings. They do not post the inspo pics of all their other stuff shoved in the opposite corner Monk mode supporters say eliminating distractions is good for your peace of mind and productivity Not to mention everybody looks good in loose brown fabric with a rope accentuating your waist Wow, so young people like this monk thing? Yeah, they're into it Huh A lot of them, they're just like, they're getting into it They're going like, I'm going monk mode tonight, me and my bros are going to get so devout my guess is they're not trying to be like monks in every way right probably not not like probably drawing the line of devotion no rather just celibacy probably not that just just accepting the fact that young people are not going to have money for the next lifetime yes here is your last limerick when work is admittedly crappy stop being so cheerful and yappy don't fake an emotion to get a promotion it's toxic to always be happy happy yes constantly staying positive and seeming happy is terrible for office morale it's called toxic positivity and let me tell you what this has not been an issue at npr this week according to experts too much positivity can create acute stress because no one believes if someone can actually be happy all of the time.

41:08It is frustrating. Like when the boss comes in and he's like, good news, we're doing a round of lay-ons. You know what? I should be like a hot property as an employee at this point. Because I'm pretty miserable. That's true. You can certainly counteract all that toxic positivity. Yeah, exactly. That should really make me like a good get for people. Yeah. Bill, how did Andrew do in our quiz? He was perfect. Done it all right. Thank you, Andrew, for playing. Congratulations. Thank you so much. Bye-bye. Bye, Andrew. Happy. So happy. I'm happy.

41:55Now onto 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 now worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores? Paula and Bobcat each have two and Adam has three. All right, Paula and Bobcat are tied for second, so that means I will pick one of you arbitrarily to go first, and that will be Bobcat. So here we go, Bobcat, fill in the blank. This week, the federal prosecutor who led the cases against Jeffrey Epstein and disgraced hip-hop mogul blank was fired. True. I mean...

42:30No, the disgraced hip-hop mogul blank. Oh, diddy, diddy, diddy. Yeah, diddy, diddy, On Tuesday, the Department of Defense awarded a$200 million contract to blanks AI company. Not Musk. It was Elon Musk? It was Elon Musk, yeah. This week, a sex and blackmail scandal has rocked a popular blank in Thailand.

42:54K-pop band. No, a popular Buddhist monastery. On Tuesday... Oh, jeez. Told you. Monk Corps. On Tuesday, astronomers detected the collision of two blanks each more dense than 100 suns. Black holes. Right. According to a new study, dogs can be used to detect blanks disease years before the symptoms emerge. Alzheimer's? No, Parkinson's. This week, a man in France drove 180 miles before realizing he left blank at the gas station. His keys. No, his wife. It's even worse than it sounds. This is France. It wasn't just 180 miles away. It was 300 kilometers away. I love that he was like complaining about something for four hours and only figured out his wife wasn't there when he finally stopped to say so anyway what do you think about it?

43:42Bill how did Bobcat do in our quiz? Three right. Six more points. Total of eight. Puts him in the lead. All right.

43:53Paula you're up next. All right. I'm ready. Fill in the blank. After suggesting otherwise in a meeting with lawmakers, President Trump said it's unlikely he will fire blank. The Fed chair. Right. Jerome Powell. This week, an injury forced WNBA superstar blank to pull out of the All-Star game. Caitlin Clark. Yes. Weeks after they devastated parts of Texas, the White House announced it would be shutting down a database that provides information on flash blanks. Flex. Right. On Tuesday, rideshare company blank made a$300 million investment in robo-taxis. Uber. Right. Fans were upset and gasping when Wimbledon champ Iga Swiatek said eating blank helped her win.

44:31Mice. No, eating pasta with strawberries and yogurt in it. For the first time in history, the MLB's All-Star Game ended with a blank. Tie. No, a home runoff to break the tie. At an auction on Wednesday, the world's biggest rock from blank sold for$5.3 million. The moon. No, Mars. This week, two senior citizens in the UK were celebrated after they managed to blank in front of a Google Street View car. They blanked in front of a Google Street View car. They were celebrated because they blanked in front of a Google Street View car. I don't know, made out. Pretended to choke each other. Oh, boy. Two friends were out for a walk together in their little village when they saw the Google Street View car and did what any of us would do in that situation.

45:16They immediately put their hands around each other's throats. and it was fun and they did get on Google Street View you can see them there and they had a great time until they stopped doing it and one woman was like I think the Street View car got a picture of us and the other said what Street View car? Bill, how did Paula do in our quiz? Pretty good. Four right, eight more points. Her total of ten puts her in the lead. All right. Until Adam comes along. How many then does Adam Burke need to win? Adam needs only four. Here we go, Adam. This is for the game. Fill in the blank. On Wednesday, the Department of Transportation said it would cost$31 billion to build a new blank control system.

45:59Air traffic control? Yes. On Tuesday, the Pentagon said it would remove the 2 ,000 National Guard troops sent to blank. L.A.? Right. This week, geologists said that a new hole had formed at blank National Park. Yellowstone? Yes. This week, German authorities intercepted smugglers who were trying to hide blank in a container of chocolate sponge cake. More chocolate? No, 1 ,500 tarantulas. Sure. Oh, right. On Monday, the U.S. Postal Service announced a new line of SpongeBob blanks. Stamps? Yes. On Wednesday, the medals for the 2026 winter blanks were revealed. Olympics? Yes. This week, a prisoner in France managed to escape his jail by hiding in blank.

46:39Like a big croissant. No. By hiding in another prisoner's luggage while they were being released. According to officials, the man tucked himself away in his cellmate's luggage and just got carried straight out of the prison. Or maybe rolled out. I'd love to have been there when the warden turned over all his possessions. Okay, one pack of cigarettes, another wallet, one suitcase that keeps saying, ha, ha, ha, they'll never find me. Bill, did Adam do well enough to win? I think he did. Well, he had the luck of the Irish. Five rights, ten more points, 13 gives him the lead and the win. Yay! Congratulations!

47:20Congratulations, Adam. Coming up, our panels will predict after Yopon what will be the next brand new way to wake ourselves up in the morning. But first, let me tell you 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 Gotteke writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our tour manager is Shane Adonald. Thanks to the staff and crew at the Studio Baker Theater. BJ Liederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Dornbos, and Lillian King.

47:46Special thanks this week to Blythe Roberson and Monica Hickey. Would a rose by the name Peter Gwynn smell as sweet? Emma Choi is our vibe curator. Technical director is from Lorna White. Her 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 Mr. Michael Danforth. Now panel after caffeine in Yopon, what will be the next thing we do to wake ourselves up in the morning? Bobcat Goldthwait. A swift kick in the nuts. Adam Burke, this good old-fashioned existential dread. And Paula Poundstone. Cocaine-infused carnation instant breakfast.

48:23Hey, if any of that happens, we'll ask you about it on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Thank you, Bill Curtis. Thanks also to Adam Burke, Bobcat, Coldplay, and Paula Poundstone. Thanks to all of you for listening. Thanks to our fabulous audience here at the Studer Baker Theater and everyone out there, wherever you might be. I'm Peter Sagal. We'll see you next week.

48:48This is NPR.