WWDTM: Pedro Pascal, Chris Perfetti, Heather Gay, and more!

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Countdown from ten. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Segel. Thank you, Bill. Thank you, everybody.

Thank you everybody. The new year has begun, but since we're so nervous about what's going to happen, we've decided to just pretend that it hasn't. Twenty twenty five isn't over until I say it's over. So we're gonna spend another show for th rightly avoiding the future. And we'll start with something it killed me to miss when it happened. Pedro Pascal is one of my favorite actors, so I was extremely jealous.

guest host Tom Papa getting to interview him in August. It was better this way, Peter. You would have fainted dead away the second you saw his face. Thank you. Thank you for having me. So great to see you. It's really nice to meet you. I feel like we all feel like we know you because you're literally in every movie.

How do you I know, I'm sorry about that. No. You're making us all very happy. Uh how do you keep your characters straight? You must be filming some of these things at the same time, right? There th there were intersections and you know, I'm in about Ten minutes of Eddington and Eddington is Two hours and twenty minutes. So it there was time. Right. It's not that hard. But I mean what a run. I mean narcos and game of thrones, Marvel, DC.

Star Wars. Are you gonna leave anything for any other actor or no? No. No, it's all mine. Uh you started as an actor in New York mainly, right? You were a struggling actor in New York? Yes. Right. Yes. That was like the longest role of my life was strong struggling back. Wow. And and how and you s must have started getting parts there and you slowly did you get do like commercial work, that kind of stuff?

I mean I couldn't get arrested to be honest with you. Um there was like the there was there was I had like a little bit of a promising start um with jobs that were in Los Angeles actually, but as far as New York was concerned It just was a rough go. I was a waiter and I was really bad at it. And and and and and and I and but I still didn't have the the

the skill to learn something else. And um and I did eventually learn how to just the logistical labor of meeting everyone's needs in the right manner or the you know the Act one, the water, act two, the drink, act three, the you know what I mean, upscale you know, like the whole everything and making them feel attended to and respected and everything and You know, I desperately didn't want to be there. I wanna be I want to be honest with you. I've never understood that I was like, I've been a

understood the waiter's journey until that moment, Pedro. That was that was beautiful. Like wow. I'm gonna tip more every time. Like I see what you're doing, man. So at that time what was Oh gosh. Wow. Wow. Okay. Uh yeah, exactly. I mean, you know, I thought my apartment was really cute and I When I moved out to Brooklyn, the only place that I could afford was a tiny little place in Red Hook and I remember taking a friend of mine to it years, years, years later while I still had the lease.

And she looked like she was gonna cry knowing that I lived there for twelve years. Like she just was dumbfounded. And it was hilarious. So I don't know, maybe yeah to some people my apartment in Red Hook Brooklyn or um but to me definitely the the the post apocalyptic fungal uh nightmare. Yeah. I was curious. So brilliant, but I know so many people and Peter is uh who I'm filling in for today. He played L The Last of Us on his uh Playstation, the video game.

And he was so moved he talks to me about it like he's so moved by that game. It really hooked people in a profound way. Did you play that game before you start in the adaptation. No, I tried. I really, really did try. I tried. I tried. And and my nephew didn't have the patience, so he took the console from me. And I and I was just like, Well then you do it. I'm sorry And um and and and so I just watched him play. It's a skill. It's such a thumb skill. I was like It is

You know, I mean but you know, I was just like running in a corner and and I couldn't get out of a corner. You gotta like pick up the ladder and you gotta you know, all these things. I couldn't figure it out. It's funny to think of you going through the script when you get the role and looking like where's the corner? scene. Yeah, exactly. And you've been recognized by so many award committees. How did it feel to be named Grinders? Twenty twenty four hottest man of the year.

are lying to me. You don't you you're not aware of this? You're lying to me, I'm not If that is the truth, then I need to I need to go. Except it's twenty twenty five. You're probably yeah. Yeah, the buzzes weren't off. All right, Pedro Pascal, we've asked you here to play a game we're calling The Last of Us. weekly. You star in HBO's The Last of Us. But what do you know about us weekly? The celebrity gossip magazine for folks who think People magazine is

is too literary. Answer two out of three questions right and you'll win our prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who is Pedro playing for? John Biba of New Market, New Hampshire. All right. All right, you ready to play? I'm ready to play. Okay. Here's your first question. Us Weekly is one of the best selling magazines in the world, but some issues sell better than others. According to a former employee, which of these is the kiss of death for an issue of Us Weekly?

A, when the note from the editor at the beginning of the magazine starts with, listen, they can't all be winners. B when the issue includes the rare stars they're just like us, only much, much better column. Or C when the magazine's cover has a picture of literally any man on it. That's too many words. Let's do let's do uh C C. The answer is C. You're right.

According to the employee, having a picture of a man on the cover pretty much guarantees that the magazine will undersell, which is crazy because who doesn't want to know about Kevin Jonas's skincare routine? Here's your next question. Slate called Us Weekly Celebrity Questionnaire, 25 Things You Don't Know About Me, the best magazine feature in all of media. As proof, they cited Cher's 2013 profile where she revealed what?

A. That she's gone by just share for so long she's completely forgotten what her last name is. B. That all of her imaginary friends growing up were lumberjacks. Or C that the original lyric for if I could turn back time were about stopping the JFK assassination. I mean, it's gotta be B. That was m that would th th th those were my friends. You're right, it was B. Cher also revealed that she owns, quote, a large collection of elephants.

Real ones. You can't have a small collection of elements. All right, here's your last question. Without a doubt, the most popular section in Us Weekly is Stars They're Just Like Us, where the magazine posts pictures of celebrities doing everyday things with captions including which of these? A they tie their own shoes. B they eat Mexican food. Or C they squint in the sun. What I'm allowed to get like help from the audience, right? Between A and C.

What? All of them. All of them, but they would literally say they eat Mexican food. You're right, all of the above. But thankfully though don't they don't do all those things at the same time. Bill, how did Pedro Pascal do on our quiz? Could he do anything better than be a winner? Pedro! Thank you. Pedro Pascal is starring in the Fantastic Four and he's up for an Emmy for HBO's The Last of Us. Pedro Pascal, thank you so much for joining us at Wait Wait on Thomas. Thank you.

When we come back, some of our panelists' best lies of the past year and how Abbott Elementary subtly lets you know that one of its characters was secret. A genius. That's when we return with more of wait wait don't tell me from NP.

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From NPR on WB. Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater and the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Peter Sagel. Thank you, Bill. Thanks, everybody. We know the calendar says it is now 2026, but we are refusing to look at it. Imagine saying la la la, we can't hear you, but with your eyes.

In our world, it's still 2025 and it is so great here. For example, here are our panelists lovingly lying to you in a show we did in March. Hi Peter. Uh this is Kim and I'm calling from Cumberland, Maine. Well that's I was born and raised in Saskatchewan. Right. So you moved from Saskatchewan, Canada to Maine, the United States. Yes. Do you regret that now? Sometimes, yeah. What do you do there in Cumberland, Maine?

Uh so I'm a primary care doctor. Oh you are? Yeah. Yep You you're that's the best kind of doctor as far as I'm concerned. Yeah, all about the preventative care. Yeah, exactly. Well, welcome to our show, Kim. You're gonna play the game on which you have to tell truth from fiction.

Bill, what is Kim's topic? Honey, you're on TV. It's always fun to be on TV, whether it's being interviewed in the local news or maybe seen in the crowd at a football game or French kissing your brother on the white lotus. This week we heard about somebody getting on screen for a somewhat surprising reason. Our panel is each going to tell you about it. Pick the real story. You will win our prize, the wait waiter of your choice on your voicemail. Are you ready to play?

Yeah. All right, let's hear first from Paula Poundstone. Just before the start of their recent soccer game, Bulgarian team Arda paid tribute to recently deceased former team member Petko Gonchev. Both teams lined up and bowed their heads for a moment of silence. Meanwhile, the 78-year-old Gonchev was running late to get home to watch the game on TV, as was his practice. He wasn't dead.

When he pulled up at his house his wife came out crying and shouting, Petko, Petko, they announced on TV that you were dead. Gunchev was so shaken by not being dead, he downed a glass of brandy. So many people called me relatives, friends, acquaintances, and not so big acquaintances, Gonchev said. Like maybe Stoyan, I Ivan's friend from the bar that he met that time. Petko? Yes. It's me, Stoyan.

Do I know you? Yes, we met at the bar that time. I'm Ivan's friend. Were you wearing a striped shirt? No, I had a blue shirt. Oh yes, Stoyan. Hello. Petco, are you dead? Petko may not have been dead, but he did watch a moment of silence for himself on the TV before a soccer game. Your next story of a television tale comes from Alonzo Bowden. Matt Collins worked for Amazon. Everyone thought Amazon Prime one day delivery was fast. Then they saw Matt run.

KCAB obtained this video from a neighbor's ring camera. Matt was dropping a package when Thor, a notorious neighborhood German shepherd, got loose. In the video, Matt ran past his truck, leaped a small garden hedge, and increased the distance between himself and Thor until Thor simply gave up. Thor wasn't the only one to see Matt run. Pete Walker, who once coached Dion primetime Sanders, said Matt was the fastest man he's seen since he saw Dion run a 4-2-40 in college.

Pete had to find and time Matt. Matt ran a four three five forty. Now it's rumored Thor's 40 time was about four five, but no one's been brave enough to verify that. It turned out Matt had been a high school player, but he didn't get recruited for college and was working at Amazon to help pay for his education.

Well, Matt won't have that problem anymore. Since he didn't play college ball, even at age twenty-one, Matt had his full eligibility and is now a full-time scholarship as cornerback at Alcorn State University. An Amazon delivery man is caught on camera outrunning a German Shepherd and gets himself A football scholarship. Your last story of somebody getting screen time comes from Eugene Cordero.

When Jason Estrelas of Alhambra, California, began his day with his usual cup of coffee and switching on the local morning news, he was met with a story asking, are we too addicted to junk food? During the segment it showed stock footage of various people eating fast food or drinking soda.

There was one noticeable snippet to Mr. Estrellis of a man drinking an extra large soda, holding a hot dog, and wearing a green t-shirt that read, got a bad case of bad shingles, we can cure it. Estrellis Roofing. This was, in fact, Jason Estralis himself in the video. And he was shocked.

I was excited at first that I was on the news until I saw what the story was about, said Estralis. But lucky for him, more people were intrigued with the shirt than they were about his quick meal options that he chose. Business has picked up quite a bit, Mr. Estrella said. I hope they keep using the footage. It's free advertising. Plus, a few customers have had hot dogs ready when I arrived to do the job. All right.

Somebody was surprised to see themselves on TV. Was it from Paula Poundstone, an elderly former soccer player who watched his own memorial service? with a moment of silence, even though he was still alive, to watch it from Alonzo Bowden, an Amazon delivery guy who was caught on camera and then on the news, sprinting so fast he got himself a gig on a football team, or from Eugene Cordero, a man who saw himself used as an example of an unhealthy lifestyle.

It ended up bringing him some business. Which of these is the real story of a surprise TV appearance? I think I'm gonna go with Paula's story. You're gonna go with Paula's story, well to find out the correct answer. we spoke to a reporter covering the real story. At a football match in Bulgaria there was a minute's silence for a former player of PFC Arda who wasn't actually dead. That was Guardian Reporter

Paul McInnes talking about the moment of silence at the soccer game. Congratulations, Kim. Paula was telling the truth. I took a moment to glare at the people who objected. While it was telling you the truth, you earned a point for her for doing so, but you yourself have won our prize, the voice of your choice, on your voicemail. Congratulations. Well done. Thanks for calling and playing. Thank you.

Here is another interview I am really eager to revisit because I missed it the first time. In June, guest host Nagin Forsad interviewed actor Chris Perfetti. From the hit sitcom Abbott Elementary, and they talked about what makes Chris Character the smartest, most sophisticated person ever seen on TV. Chris, I first of all love the show. You're so funny. Um we have something in common. We both started out our careers in entertainment.

as baristas. Apparently you were a Starbucks barista, is that right? I was. I um I still feel bad to it about it to this day, but I sort of used it as a way to get a job elsewhere. I knew about this kind of like Starbucks loophole that if you got hired you could be transferred somewhere. And I knew when I went to drama school I needed a job. Um and so I didn't tell them, but I, you know, applied and got a job in my hometown just so that I would have somewhere to work when I went to school.

Oh wow. So okay. So then they just put you at another Starbucks. Yeah, there's like a few of them I guess. Yeah. Um and then okay, so as a Starbucks barista, did you intentionally screw up names on the cup? I was not trusted with the customers. They learned very early to put me at the bar to make the drinks. I was really good at that. I could, you know Um but Were you were you doing the the the hearts the heart shapes and the palm tree shapes on the foam

Oh no. There was there was no time. What are you talking about? There was there was I feel like I worked at p quite possibly the busiest Starbucks in the world. Um and so you were just lucky if your order came out correct. So you you spent this time at Starbucks. Um but you did a uh you know, you put a lot of time in serious theater. Uh is there like a favorite?

Theatrical piece that you did? I don't know. I think doing Shakespeare in the park really kind of like came up first for me. You're doing a play for ts first of all, just so many people. It's outdoors and sometimes it rains halfway through and Did that happen? You fell on your butt in front of everyone? Maybe. Maybe it happened more than once. Now, um let's actually let's talk about Abbott Elementary. And there's something about that show that the elephant in the room.

Which is that you have one major quirk in the show, your character is a huge wait, wait, don't tell me fan. Now Now, I want you to be honest. Did you know about wait, wait before you were that character? Are you kidding, Negeen? Yeah. And and you saying that just kind of has has renewed my fears about season five. I'm terrified about

You know, the line between Chris and Jacob is getting very blurry and decided to not share with Quinta any other personal details about my life because, you know, we show up to a table read and and there it is. So yeah. Well, I'm so glad that that made it into our show. So like so when when that trait was given to you, did that affect like how you did

That character was it your were you like, oh no, I got this. Like how did uh what it what did you change about the character knowing that you could go full weight weight dork? Um really not much. I mean, I feel like Quinca has given us such permission to, you know, be sort of the authority on these characters and um I think it made perfect sense. And once again, I'm just like, I'm I'm terrified about what's going to show up next season. Um

Actually, so I heard this rumor and I wonder if it's true. I heard a rumor that your mom pitches ideas for Abbott Elementary. Yeah, she totally does. God bless her. She's um she reminds me that the show is on and she um likes to, you know, kind of like go through the plot of that week with me uh when I call on Sundays and D she give she gives notes That's always a joy. Yeah, yeah. She thinks um did she also do that with Shakespeare in the park?

Um my mother has given notes on everything I have done since the day. So you you play this iconic teacher on TV. Have your own like teachers from the past approach you with tips or feedback? Oh no. I think they I think if they ever saw me in person again, they would probably um physically harm me. I made very clear of them and probably day of me, I made their lives a living hell. Um wait, so you were not were you like not a good student? Were you like a troublemaker? No.

No, um no, I really enjoyed school, but um school did not enjoy me. Um all right, Chris. Well, we've asked you here to play a game we're calling Abbot Elementary, meet the elementary abbot. You star in Abbott Elementary. Don't be scared. Don't be scared. It's gonna be okay. It wasn't good at school, Miguel. Okay, so You star in Abbott Elementary, so we thought we'd ask you three questions about another kind of abbot. That's right, we're talking about monks.

Answer two out of three questions correctly and you'll win a prize for one lucky listener, the voice of anyone they choose for their voicemail. Bill, who is Chris Perfetti playing for? Jake Evans of Los Angeles, California. Jacob, let's go! Okay, here's your first question. A group of monks in the French Alps have taken a vow of silence, but they are allowed to speak in certain conditions, including which of these?

Is it A when singing along to their favorite bad bunny song? Is it B when they really need to talk about a cool leaf they saw? Or is it C when calling the monastery cats to dinner by making kitty calling noises? Wow, I really didn't think I needed to hear any more options after A, but I'm glad I did. I'm gonna go with C, I think. Wow! That's right! Very good. That's right, every abbey makes an exception to their vow of silence as long as the monks are being adorable.

Okay, here's your next question. Monks are known for living lives of peaceful contemplation, which is why one monk in Japan got in trouble when he started doing what? Was it A? Halfway through meditation time he loudly said Boring Is it B angrily responding to every negative Yelp review about his monastery? Or is it C trying to jazz up the chance by doing some sick harmony? I feel like I want to go with B. That is right! Yes!

When when one reviewer complained about the food at the abbey, the monk responded, and this is true. Yeah, it's monastic cuisine, you uneducated. Twenty twenty-five will do that to a monk. All right, here is your last question. Though it surprises a lot of people. Monks have unknowingly made a huge impact on pop culture, as proven by which of these?

Is it A Law and Order's dun dun sound is partly a recording of five hundred monks stomping on a wood floor? Is it B the members of the band One Direction first met during a school trip to a monastery? Or see, the reason Vin Diesel shaves his head is because a monk came to him in a dream and told him he'd look cool bald. God bless you. Tell me. Um I'm gonna over with those are so funny. I'm gonna go with A. A. That's right!

The dun dun also includes the sound of a hammer hitting an anvil, and if you listen closely, the Of a man who just hit his thumb with a hammer. Uh Bill, how did Chris Provetti do? The teacher is always right, and this teacher got every single one correct. Human's gonna be proud.

Congratulations, Chris. You're a big winner. And Chris Perfetti is one of the stars of Abbott Elementary. All four seasons are streaming now. Chris Perfetti, thank you so much for joining us on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Thank you, Chris. Proof timeline and screenshots to prove it. Thank you. That's when we come back with more of Wait Wait Don't Tell.

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From NPR and WB Easy Chicago. This is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Peter. Thank you, Bill. Thank you, everybody. Thank you, everybody. Have decided to spend the start of the new year desperately clinging to the old one. Come back, 2025. Come back.

We knew all year that no matter how stressful the week was, at least at the end we got to hang out with our panelists who always made things seem, if well, if not better, at least sillier. Here are some examples of what I mean. Luke, an expert on automated customer service lines, has offered some tips on how to get through it to a real person. For example, he suggests you should say one word over and over. What is that word?

I don't think I can say it on public radio. That's right. We've all tried that word, but this is something you can say perhaps if your children are listening. Oh, okay. I usually start out yelling Human and then when that doesn't work, then I break out the F word. Right. This is an alternative to both of those. Okay. He says it'll work. Okay. Can I give it a point? Yeah. It might get confusing if you're calling, say, customer service for the Chiquita Corporation.

Banana. Banana. Banana. You can now stop. the worst version of yourself every time you call customer service and end up screaming Speak to human. Representative. Now you can just say banana. Banana. Banana. Say it over and over again. The automated system is looking for certain words. So repeating a nonsense word or a word it's not programmed for over and over will get you transferred to a real person quickly. So uh you have to be a million? Yeah pretty much. You just have to be a million

Wow. Of course, even if this works, it's hard to feel like you're winning when you're the one going banana, banana, banana. Paula, according to the Wall Street Journal, the cosmetics industry is finally moving away from floral and natural sense, the latest trend in perfumes and shampoos, stuff like that. is being scented like what? Fish. Oh. No, I don't think so. I'm assuming it's popular. I I um

Industrial waste? No! I'll give you a hint. Insiders say that you should only wear you have to be careful, you should only wear, for example, Krispy Kreme when the fresh hot sign is lit. Uh you smell like donuts? Yes. Donuts? Donuts are the new scent. According to Wall Street Journal, uh dessert based fragrances now dominate The market, these are all true. There's Native's Boston Cream Shampoo, Dove's Confetti Cake, Body Scrub, Homeworks, Apple Cider Donut Fragrance.

They say if you put these on They give you this aura that says, Tonight I am hitting the club And I am gonna attract bees. Never dated so many cops in my life. What the hell's going on? But really it's the reaction I think my understanding is this this This makes sense because as far as I know, it's the reaction every woman wants to inspire. Excuse me, miss, but I have to ask her.

You wearing Duncan number five. Do they make a toilet water with donut smell?'Cause isn't that what they call one of the products? Yeah, toilet water is called toilet. Boy, it that seems a turnoff. Toilet water. I think it's it doesn't mean toilet in the sense that you're thinking. Yes, but it's the same word, Peter, and it's pronounced much the same. Peter, in the latest nostalgia craze, more and more 20 and 30 somethings are getting injured doing what?

Opening a coconut water. No. Did that happen to you here? That happened to me when I cleared forty. Um not not a coconut, like just being like Um they're getting uh nostalgic. Uh uh b jamming themselves into telephone booths. No. Uh is it something nostalgic like that that people young people used to do a long time? Oh yeah. Well, as a member of that generation, let me just hearken back. No, I'll take a hint. I'll take a hint. Like duck duck. Ow, my ACL. Oh, Dr. Goose.

Yes. That's a great hint. And other sort of summer. Playground. Yes, what you said. Exactly. Ding! You're so smart. Boy, I did that all by myself. Adult field days are all the rage right now. Grown-ups are competing in childhood games, sack races, dodgeball, tug of war. They're doing these things with the energy of youth and the knees of age. They've even invented new games. The most popular one is called Limping Back to the Car. And it's but it's people in their twenties and thirties? Yeah.

That's they shouldn't be getting injured doing that. They should be still doing it well. One social club in Utah drew over 300 people to their field day event, and the only complaint was people who thought the capture the flag game involved, and this is a real quote. Too much running. Yeah, that is a little weird. They should not be getting injured. That's like pe people in the Olympics are that old, right? Yeah.

Yeah, I'm sure they are. Yeah, exactly. I think I would do it if I could play children. I think I could beat children, says Peter Segel of NPR's way way to come away. Joelle, a recent survey of kids in the US shows forty percent of children think bacon is what? Delicious? Perhaps I shall give you a hint, Joyelle. For sure. I would appreciate that. I I think we all would. Thank you so much. You can say to the kid, you know, eat all you want. It grows on trees. Oh god.

A plant? Yes, they think bacon is a plant. A survey in the Journal of Environmental Psychology showed 40% of kids surveyed think bacon is a plant. The same amount of adults think it's a donut topping, which is even weirder. Okay. I did used to work at a diner that had vegetarian options and I did once serve what was supposed to be a tempeh. BLT, an actual BLT to a vegetarian. And I was like, how is everything? And I saw it and they went, this is.

the best tempeh I've ever had. And I just looked at them and went, it's really good. This message comes from Mint Mobile. This holiday season, stop overpaying for wireless and switch to Mint. Shop fifty percent off unlimited plans at mintmobile dot com slash switch. Limited time offer, upfront payment of$45 for three months,$90 for$6 months, or$180 for$12 months.

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Finally, one of the surprise TV hits of the year was Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. John Oliver, for example, said that no matter what your favorite show was, Real Housewives of SLC was better. So of course. When we visited Salt Lake in August, we welcome that show's breakout star Heather Gay. Peter asked the obvious question to a real housewife. Is she real?

We are all pretty real and I think Salt Lake City keeps us real. Like we're all each other has in this community and we have grown up here, we have lived here, we have roots here and We are just messed up enough to keep it interesting. Right. Do you think you are representative of the housewives of Salt Lake City?

Like a random sample could have ended up with the same cast. I yes, I feel like we are representative of the housewives of Salt Lake City. There's a little something for everybody. There you go. Now I just want to make everybody clear to people who aren't familiar, this is not Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Okay? Different show. Uh for someone who's new to it, how would you tell the two shows apart? Um I would say that we are the mighty oak, and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is the acorn that

fell and sprouted as a result of acid. Oh wow. You better tell them. Tell them. We proved the market. Tell them baby. And we created uh, you know A little bit of Mormonism in the Zeitgeist that you created intrigue, I think. That that mighty oak is uh casting some shade. So so Housewives uh shows are known for the housewives starting the show every season by turning to the camera.

Right. It's called your tagline. Your tagline. Yeah. Your season tagline. Can you can you share some of yours? Um my first one was Just like my pioneer ancestors, I'm trying to play as a new trail. And that that shoulder rotation is so important to this. And then I think season two was I was raised Mormon, but now I'm raising a glass of champagne. That's good. Um Yeah, I've had a couple. I've had six now. No yeah, six. Wow. Do you workshop them? Do you try them? No, they're they're um

They're assigned. No. No. You're w you're allowed to contribute ideas, but they shut those down immediately. And um Wait a minute. My world has been rocked. Somebody wrote that? Is that for you? Well, I I had alluded so much to my pioneer ancestry that it kind of wrote itself. But um yeah, like they you know and you can kind of like

they'll give you three or four to keep you guessing and you can kind of try to mess up the ones that you know you don't like that don't represent you fully. Yeah. Do you remember any of the bad ones? The ones you tried to kind of fumble? Well, they're usually picked. I remember um Like I may be a bad Mormon, but I'm always a good time. And I think I said that in a funny way and they used the funny way which made it invariably worse. Heather, huge fan. So glad you're here.

Love you. I cannot believe that my worlds are colliding like this. Um would you indulge me? Could I workshop a tagline? Um anything, please. I don't wait, wait, but I always tell. There you go. I love it. And then I turn. It's pretty good. Very good. If the world could have seen Shane, your smoldering glass would have been awesome. And I am willing to relocate to Salt Lake City.

Yes. And this book is sort of a recounting of your various exploits, presumably once you left the LDS church. Can you give everybody sort of a taste, a sample of the stories you tell in your new book, Good Time Girl? Um My senior trip. to Tijuana. Okay. Where I discovered that I might be more of a good time girl than I anticipated. Sure. As one does in Tijuana. Yes. It's right there in the name. Yeah, and I and I thought I was having the most worldly foreign experience.

Experience of my life. Right. But then I later went on a mission for my church in the south of France, which ended up being even more of an adventure. It's amazing. I didn't realize that you had gone on a an LDS mission to the south of France. If only the church had not sent you to a place with wine. Yes. The land of love, and I was preaching celibacy and Um for living.

Not so great. Not so great. Not so receptive. The mission was actually closed down. When in Provence Yeah, don't be Mormon. That's what they say. Well Heather Gay we could talk to you all day I think but we have asked you to play a game we're calling Good Time Girl Meet Good Crime Girl. As you know, some women aren't as virtuous as you.

And they cross the bright red line of the law. So we're gonna ask you three questions about female criminals. Answer two correctly, you'll win our prize for one of our listeners. Alzo, who is Heather Gay playing for? Melissa Snyder of Mill Creek, Utah. So here's your first question. A woman in Florida took a lift to a gas station, robbed it, and then when tried to get back in the lift, the driver refused. So, what did the woman then do? A gave the driver one star and sent a detailed complaint.

Two lift. B returned all the stolen goods, gave up on the robbery and got back in the car. Or C, just called an Uber instead because they'll do anything. Well, I'm wondering if the Lyft had a pink mustache attached to the fender or not. Because that could be a factor. Um as an Uber fan, I'm gonna go with C. You're gonna go with Uber, yes, that's what she did. Woo!

I'm applauding to myself. We have to do that on housewives because no one else will. The the uh lift driver called the police and the police found her waiting for the Uber. She had ordered. All right, very good. Here's your next question. A Massachusetts woman convicted of making and possessing cocaine, methyl, LSD and other drugs in twenty sixteen got sent to prison but also of course lost her job. What was her job?

A, she was the president of DARE, the police program to encourage kids not to use drugs. B. The scientist in charge of drug testing for police across the state of Massachusetts. Or C. Harvard Law Professor. Oh, I I'm just gonna like zero in on the making of and assume that there is some scientific background for the chemical creation of Such a

litany of drugs, um which I'm completely unfamiliar with. Absolutely. Wait a minute, let me quickly check the index of your new book. I'm a good time girl, not a great Okay. We'll know our limits. So I'm gonna go with B. You're gonna go with B. Uh that's right. She was in charge of drug testing. He says that she went to work high-end cocaine every day for eight years. Wow. She sounds like a real housewife.

All right, you're doing great. Let's go for perfect. One of the most famous lady lawbreakers of all time was Mob Barker, whose kids and husband. were part of a notorious gang of bank robbers back in the nineteen thirties, but she was also a beloved cultural figure, as evidenced by what? a Barker House Rolls based on her family recipe, which were later changed to Parker House Rolls because of her bad press.

B people came out to have picnics while watching her final shootout with the FBI. Or C, while on the run she got an endorsement deal from Smith and Wesson. which she called quote Mama's little helper. I mean, I believe that Angie Dickinson started a movie called Big Bad Mama in the seventies. Was that based on Mama Barker? I don't know.

Well, I I only could watch it when my parents weren't home on HBO and in segments. Um so I'm going to go with B. You're gonna go with B. They came out to watch her have her shootout. Sh that's right. Wow. Yeah. What happened? Don't challenge me with perfection. I will take it. It happened naturally in Florida and uh the shootout with the FBI lasted so long that people were like, oh, this will be fun and they packed a picnic lunch and they came out and they watched the gunfight.

Wow. Yeah. Well, I mean you you got it right and that just goes to show you kids, please. Stay up late and sneak and watch HPO? It's good to be gleaned from rated R movies. There you go. Also, how did Heather Gay do in our quiz? She did criminally well, three out of three. Heather Gay is an author, but of course, one of the real housewives of Salt Lake City. Her new book, Good Time Girl, is available now. Please give it up for Heather Gay. Thank you so much for being on my list.

That's it for our happy Old Year's Day. Don't tell me is a production of NPR. Berman benevolent overlords. Cut rights are limericks or public. composed our theme, our program is produced by Jenny. Miles Dornboss and Lillian King. Special thanks to Monica Hickey, Peter House Husband. Our visuals host is Emma Choi. Technical directionist Malorna White, our CFO, is Colin Miller, our production manager's Ian Chill out. Executive producer of Wait Wait.

Thanks to everybody you heard on our show this week. That would be all our panelists, our guests, our guest hosts, Tom Papa, and Megin Farsad, of course, Bill Curtis. And thanks to all of you for listening. I am Peter. Yeah. See you next week. This is NPR. This message comes from Amazon One Medical. Your body talks to you.

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