Wait Wait Don't Tell Me

[maybeok1]

Omg Peter looks so different from I imagined!

[toucansam3]

@maybeok1 Really? He looks exactly like I imagined.

[sbslusher]

QI is better

[km9OOO]

When I first saw pics of Peter and Carl, I was completely surprised by Peter, and yet not at all by Carl. Looking at the stage setup now, I can't say it's how I imagined it, but... I'm not sure how I imagined it. And I never would've guessed that Charlie looked like Santa, but it's interesting to "see" that laugh for a change.

[SpyinGirly]

Dear god....he's...bald

[staggmovie]

What was the date of the show that they taped for Chicago Tonight?

[abdi5501boone]

due to my parent's hatred for music this is my substitute whenever i drive them.

[BabiaaPaulaa766]

uhm_î_fÉËl_s0_lÕÑEly_tõDãÿ

[RemoteControllable]

I am 16 years old and my Grandpa got me into this show.

[BigPoPe831]

@RemoteControllable you should thank him its an awesome show :D

[TofuSoup91]

It seems that all the people who hate the show are the only ones who comment.

[watcher9214]

why?

[n97e]

@watcher9214 That's the first thing my mom said after I was born.

[Mrboges525]

that just reuined the show 4 me

[Volidee]

i always imagined Peter Sagal as being really handsome and suave. he kind of looks like ira glass...sigh.

[DJKallday89]

@Volidee At least Ira has hair... haha. He's still funny though, I was listening today to his back and forth with Elvis Costello. Genius.

[ariucr]

Moe Rocca, Paula Poundstone and Roy Blunt Jr. would be my dream team.

[bikerdr44]

If you have the chance, go see this! So much fun!

[saik0pod]

Carl is awesome! I hope he stays alive forever! (thats if he wants, i honestly cant stand living forever, that would be a curse.)

[silverlair]

Peter sounds like the lead singer of PHISH

[acidmatar]

wait wait...dont tell me ......reason i listen to radio =)

[woodlandsartgal]

One of the best things in NPR, head to head with the old fashioned radio show "from St paul, Minessota, "...where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average." :-D

[LazyTimeGirl]

Wow Charlie Pierce does not look like I thought he would.

[MiloTheCatsStudio]

Oh my god Peter Segal is from oak park like me sweet!

[thegrinchl7]

thegrinch- I completely agree with myself. Well put. Articulate and pleasing. Keep it up!

[thegrinchl7]

I agree with myself whole heartedly!

[thegrinchl7]

Clank- In any respect, not always a very funny show. Except on long road-trips, "Wait Wait" can WAIT.

[clank4001]

hey, certainly entitled to your opinion- but mine remains!

[thegrinchl7]

Geez, I'm not really sure I care. I mean, this is a fun show occasionally. If you're stuck on a long drive, for example.

What troubles me most about these shows is all the MARKETING tie-ins. Like we're not supposed to notice this is from The CHASE BANK auditorium?

In terms of credibility, it's hard to laugh at their left-leaning jokes when they're in bed with corporate whore like Chase Bank. That, I'm rather sure, is their biggest joke of ALL.

[Lysus]

All do respect, they don't choose the name of the auditoriums they play in. It's a pretty far cry from telling your listeners where you are broadcasting from and being "in bed" with Chase.

[thegrinchl7]

Lysus - Cities prostitute themselves by selling naming-rights of their publicly funded stadiums, arenas and auditoriums to the highest bidder. It's out of control now. It's another reason America, culturally speaking, is in decline.

"Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" is just part of of a bigger problem. They often poke fun at Wall Street and corporate whoring while ignoring their own brand of hypocrisy. NPR professes they have no "sponsors" but they do have these strange things called "underwriters".

[thegrinchl7]

Lysus- You can't be that naive. Of course they didn't "chose" the name of that auditorium, they just get money to PUSH the name. Next time listen to the "Wait Wait" intro. When they could have EASILY said "from Chicago", they push the BANK THING. My god, I would've thought this show would have attracted a somewhat enlightened crowd, if not intellectually honest.

[stonefry]

Stop the presses. A show uses advertising to make money! And I don't think that they make any money saying the name of the auditorium where they record anyway. I absolutely love Wait Wait Don't Tell Me.

[woodlandsartgal]

@stonefry I am with you here!

[clank4001]

Woah. Left-leaning jokes. Clearly, YOU have an agenda.

[thegrinchl7]

clank - LOL Of course I have serious issues with Chase Bank. Don't you?

Please understand, I don't want CHASE Bank to simply go out of business, I want all of their executives to be in JAIL. Since there doesn't seem any justice exacted at these criminals, you can probably expect more airplanes flying into government buildings.

Not that I condone this behavior...BUT I UNDERSTAND IT! "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" needs to chose their bed partners better. Now, go back to picking your navel.

[clank4001]

I'm sorry, but you are streching and reaching, and am just stirring the pot. Corrput banks is a LONG way from nationan security issues like attacks on buildings. I could go on and on about OTHER creatures who whore themselves to corporations but I think that's beside the point. THis show is funny, and only those who refuse to see BOTH sides of the aisle and only want to be partisan (The Palin right, not the "true right") will always think this is slanted one way.

Its not about bank sponsors..

[clank4001]

....its about humor.

[clank4001]

I might add, that until about 2 months ago, the intro by Carl went thusly: "From NPR, and Chicago Public Radio, this is Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Carl Kasell. ANd here is your host, at the Chase Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagel..."

Perhaps they are tenants in the auditorium and their landlords mandated the mention. I mean seriously, what about every new sports venue named after a company instead of a local civic leader of hero? Talk about hypocrisy!

[thegrinchl7]

clank - What masquerades for open-mindedness is sometimes just intellectual laziness. America isn't in serious trouble because its citizens pay close attention to details. Our crisis is self-inflicted.

We're ENTERTAINING ourselves to death. If it's not 700 channels of mindless cable TV, it's frivolous radio shows like "Wait Wait".

You think highly of yourself because you GET their jokes but fail to see the bigger picture. It's not that this particular show is bad. It's that they're ALL bad!

[woodlandsartgal]

@thegrinchl7 You sure must know if they are ALL BAD, if you watched them all!

I for one don't watch TV, select carefully what I listen to, and use the internet to get what I want, previously broadcasted, or the news (by myself, on my time, with no one imposing anything on me -not even a commercial!)

No 700 channels here... research proves laughter is at the core of every healthy society, so I'll keep on supporting good sense of humor (no family guy for me...) To each one his own, I suppose...

[RubicsCubeProduction]

@thegrinchl7

I love TV, I love radio, and I love "Wait, Wait". Best radio show ever!

[thegrinchl7]

@Rubics - "Best show ever"? Quite an endorsement! You're aware that

this show is a bastardized version of a successful BBC radio show.

"Wait, Wait" is not a bad show, but I would hardly call it "the best". For

one thing, it's on Sundays with no competition! For another thing, it's on

NPR and not subject to market forces. If this show had to make it on its

own, it wouldn't last 2 days. The 3rd thing is CHASE BANK. Like saying

"Live from the BERNIE MADOFF Auditorium, it's Wait Wait!" Ugh!

[RubicsCubeProduction]

@thegrinchl7

This might be right, but it won'T alter y opinion on the show itself. I simply like it and to me, it's the best radio show in the world.

[thegrinchl7]

@RubicsCubeProduction - Well, Ok...you may have it! Ha Ha!

Personally, I find "Wait Wait" rather EAST COAST. That is to say, it's

cute far more often than it's witty...with a strange JEWISH bent on

everything. Mind you, there's nothing antisemitic about this. If the show

had a "Basketball" bent, I would find it just as alienating. Out here on the

west coast, we largely don't produce this kind of Sunday morning Tea and

Fairy-Cake entertainment. We're usually outside enjoying our day off!

[yelocab01]

@thegrinchl7 The time slot for Wait Wait varies by market. In my city it is on Saturday and Sunday. You claim that Wait Wait, being on NPR, is not subject to market forces. Local NPR stations must pay to broadcast the show, have other shows to choose from, and are mostly supported by listeners and underwriters, so the ratings of the show need to be good enough to attract listeners. If the ratings are low, then the local station can decide to broadcast another show that would higher ratings.

[thegrinchl7]

@yelocab01 - NPR competes with itself (sort of). It does NOT

need to sell soap. Increasingly it has gotten in bed with corporate

"UNDERWRITERS" (Shh! please don't call them "SPONSORS"!)

and Republicans want to strip them of their grants. Except for

Prairie Home and Car Talk, weekends are awash in minus 1%

ratings. Wait, Wait has an even lower rating than "Latino USA"!

"This American Life" would perish under Monday thru Friday

pressures. Ira Glass would be lucky to be a grocery clerk!

[woodlandsartgal]

@thegrinchl7 SO YOUR BANK, AND THEIR EXECUTIVES, ARE HONEST??? Please, tel us all where do you bank, I am switching (I am not with Chase, but I know the people I work with...)

[thegrinchl7]

@woodlandsartgal I bank with a Credit Union. There is little sense of giving your money to one of these behemoths. Long before the collapse of Wall Street, Chase, Citibank and Bank of America were all found guilty of class-action lawsuits which found them guilty of extraordinary greed and dishonesty. AND DON'T YOU THINK FOR A SECOND THAT ANYTHING HAS CHANGED! Frankly, "Wait Wait" can go fuck themselves for associating themselves with the whores at Chase!

[RubicsCubeProduction]

@thegrinchl7

You got problems....

[phildown99]

oh yeah, and Sarah Palin? Throw her to the wolves, and gators, and snakes, SHE IS STUPID. Literally, DUMB. Maybe I'm in no position to say that because I don't know her, but if she IS smart, than why can't she display it to the public like other smart people do. Worst thing to ever happen to America, she should move to the bottom of the Ocean, so we can't hear her talk.

[phildown99]

LIBERAL is the fruit of life fuck conservatives

[BingDar]

thats a bad thing?

[SantaBarbaraDianne]

I would like this show more if they weren't so liberal. They really bashed Sarah Palin on the most recent show.

[Canterqueen32]

sometimes they do the same to characters in the left wing as well. no offense, but sarah's a pretty easy target.

[rikkispersonalvideos]

She deserves it.

Ha.

[JJMMBB9944]

And they shouldn't?

[vic2855]

This show is a nice way to kill an hour on saturday morning.

[va1987]

I love this show!! They are hilarious!

[RedDragonShard]

This is the one of the funniest shows on NPR, along with CarTalk

[kd287]

OMG love this show

[Lakurie]

Wow... i SO did no expect them to look this way, or for the setting to be like that either... I dont think i will be able to listen to Wait Wait the same way!! I will be picturing them now. But... I will still be laughing just as hard!!

[pdTHOR]

Very weird; I had very different expectations as to what these people looked like.

[Ejm4532]

Yea me too i expected them all in tuxs and peter having hair.

[PrivateSlacker]

Bald men unite! We'll outshine them all!

[alderaforall]

together we can stick it to the evil shampoo industry

[Sims2Addict6768]

Paula Poundstone is probably my favorite person on this show; I wish she was always on it.

[boudy077]

i agree, her and Mo Rocca

[eng80861]

I'm a FAN!

[nessrrawr]

Peter looks just like I imagined him!

[zoetropez]

Really? I am always so far off when I see the NPR people. Scott Simon...LeAnn Hanson...I always thought Daniel Schorr was part-owl.

[mollusck]

lol

[exackerly]

I hate Charlie Pierce and his fake laugh...

[kcuf2007]

His voice makes me cringe. It's the poster child for every obnoxious know it all I had in class.

[kuleyonMania]

haha!

[PiNkLoLiPoPs]

Carl looks just as I imagined he would! Peter Sagal however, does not.

[HandsomePrick]

For years, I always assumed Peter Sagal was Asian.

[tiffelau168]

HAHAHAHAH

[nebagamonboy]

@PiNkLoLiPoPs

I thought Sagal would look like Bob Saget. Not my cousin.

[TheMattCrew014]

@PiNkLoLiPoPs

IKR! Peter Sagal does not look like what I imagined.

[al3xdelano]

I love this show, and am a dedicated listener. BUT .. to be truthful, I ALWAYS thought that they used a laugh-track. I always assumed that two guys in their garage put the show together in their spare time with some phones and the adroit use of recorded laughing and clapping. I am glad I was wrong !!!  Bravo, well done !!

[xyzqwa]

i love this show!

[jsheehan100]

Everyone should hear this show, brilliant, funny intelligent. Talk radio at its finest.

[kitkary]

i love love love this show

[cestusjr1]

One of the most intelligent, interesting, informative, entertaining talk show on air. And being outside of the US mind-washing media machine, it's a greatly refreshing breath of fresh air, don't mind the pun.

[lucy007bl]

I'm from China. I love this show and Peter's voice. But he looks so different as I imagined :(

[WotongShen]

I'm in China and at first I was listening the show to improve my English and soon I love it ;)

[maskaryan]

@WotongShen LOL

[flatsignedbooks]

love it

[ipushufall]

Thanks for posting this! This is my favorite NPR show besides TAL.

[bartolemeo]

Such a great show and Roxanne Roberts is beautiful.

[archidelia]

not what i thought peter seigal looked like...

[magog1138]

This and car talk are two of my favorite shows!

[freddydiefeldmaus]

i am from germany and i just LOVE this show!

[ablestmage]

Nobody looks one single bit like I imagined. I imagined Peter as a 70s haircut dark redhead who looks vaguely like Dave Barry, and I imagined Carl to have a more rounded face and wavy gray hair. I like my versions better! heh

[ZAcKHINN]

Peter's face looked how I thought, but not his hair!!

[smellincoffee]

Carl looks like I imagined -- not Peter, though.

[tiffelau168]

wow. the voices DOES NOT match the faces I've imagined!

[Artmonger225]

Wow! They look a lot different than what I imagined. Charlie sounds a lot younger than he really is. However, Wait Wait is the greatest program on radio!!!

[ziitr]

thanks so much for putting this up!!! this is awsome!

[baqui]

This is great but it's a little disorienting to see the voices I know so well coming out of the pasty, nerdy faces that look nothing like I imagined.

[PackageSeverance]

a skinhead english major

[ctaser]

I LOVE THIS SHOW, they came near where i live a few months ago, it was really fun.

[kayrayovac]

Wonderful! I love Wait Wait! It's so nice to see the faces that go with those familiar voices.

[catkirk]

I love seeing how its made. I want them to come over to where I live!

[BandoNintendo]

But its sooooooo awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Anyone else notice it's the #5 top downloaded podcast on iTunes? And #1 is This American Life. NPR just rocks.

[xxxriotxxx]

LOL . . . "it's mean, but . . . it's hillary"

[melodee1027]

I just saw them in Pittsburgh two days ago... I never realized how much they cut out by the time it airs on Saturday.

[averyellis]

Yeah, there were long (well, long relative to the broadcast) pauses while each participant came up with a zinger. Never, never underestimate the power of editing...

[krysie322luv]

an this week theyre in alabama

[averyellis]

Just saw my first "Wait Wait" here in B'ham AL tonight. I wanted more than anything to post Peter Sagal saying "Thaaank you, Carl", but my damn battery on my camera ran out!

Still a lot of fun, had Jimmy Carter (not that one) from The Blind Boys of Alabama as a guest answering questions about his namesake.

Really cool to see how an unedited show works...

[SDTheWriter]

My co-worker was there as well. She said that the sound was aweful from where she was sitting. Did you hear alright?

[averyellis]

Sounded fine from where we were. On the other hand, I sat behind the one woman in B'ham who teased her hair 4" above her head, so I didn't see much. Your co-worker might have been used to the "studio" sound of the radio which is quite different from the "live" sound of the show. Always harder to hear when sound is broadcast into an auditorium full'a folks who both soak up the sound and add their own...

[terry1919]

yes I did miss that one when they were at UAB Alys Stephens Center... I wonder when they will dare to come Back to Birmingham :-)

[averyellis]

They seemed to have a good time; Paula kept her head down the entire time; dunno if that's her modus operandi or if she had a headache; very enthusiastic crowd, tho, I'm sure they'll be back... Also, I didn't know the Alys Stephens Center extended to the Samford U. campus... U.A.B. is EVERYWHERE...

[krysie322luv]

you cant really be a contestent unless you go through alot of papers. trust me my mom is the tech producer, Lorna White.

let me warn you, the prez of the show is gonna ruin the show my firing everyone and hire younger people without any experience at all. he's just stupid

[witness2history]

I got to be a contestant! It was surprisingly easy and the people were great. They tape on Thursday nights and just have you stay by your phone from 7:30 - 9:30 Central time. Go to their website and let them know if you would like to play! And yes, I won Carl's voice on my answering machine.

[christoph7890]

this is a great show!

[pauerbach08]

oh god! charlie pierce is creepy looking!! totally not how I imagined him.

[mnguyen1184]

I love the show and look forward to the podcast every week. Keep up the good work, guys!

[OrangePoetry]

I agree, I love wait wait, i podcast it every week!

[jimmiejohnsonfan148]

I love listening to this show on the radio every saturday morning.

[SpazxAttack]

Best show ever!

i have the podcast on my ipod and me and my mom might go see them soon!

[Arguman]

>And Charlie Pierce is NOT how I imagined him at >all

My thoughts exactly. I saw him on a Boston sports stations, NESN, and recognized the voice and did a double take when I realized who it was. Not that there's anything wrong with how he looks. It's just I was thinking of a younger goofy looking person than a cross between Santa Claus and a homeless man.

[BeeMichael]

We are such trouser stains!

[rocktopo]

Best show ever!

[Andysays]

Thanks for this one. It was great to see what a taping looks like. And Charlie Pierce is NOT how I imagined him at all.

[dubbbear]

Love it/ bear sweden

[Stevanhale]

I love this show! I listen every saturday on my Sirius radio after Car Talk.

[rand21althor]

That was great. I love Wait, Wait. In fact, they're performing in a nearby city, tonight! Great seeing the behind-the-scenes, as I've always wondered what their stage set-up is like.